Chapter Hartwell to Hatto of H by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Hartwell to Hatto

Hartwell (Lady), a widow, courted by Fountain, Bellamore, and Harebrain. —Fletcher: Wit without Money (1639).

Harût and Marût, two angels sent by Allah to administer justice upon e arth, because there was no righteous judgment among men. They acted well till Zohara, a beautiful woman, applied to them, and then they both fell in love with her. She asked them to tell her the secret name of God, and immediately she uttered it, she was borne upwards into heaven, where she became the planet Venus. As for the two angels, they were imprisoned in a cave near Babylon.— Sale’s Korân, ii.

Allah bade

That two untempted spirits should descend,
Judges on earth. Harûth and Marûth went,
The chosen sentencers. They fairly heard
The appeals of men.…At length
A woman came before them; beautiful
Zohara was, etc.
   —Southey: Thalaba the Destroyer, iv. (1797).

Harvest Bells, the Gentiana pneumonthe, the flowers of which are bell-shaped, intensely blue, in pride about September.

HASSAN, caliph of the Ottoman empire, noted for his splendour and hospitality. In his seraglio was a beautiful young slave named Leila (2syl), who had formed an attachment to “the Giaour” (2syl). Leila is put to death by the emir, and Hassan is slain near mount Parnassus by the giaour (djow-er).— Byron: The Giaour (1813).

Hassan, the story-teller, in the retinue of the Arabian physician.—Sir W. Scott: The Talisman (time, Richard I.).

Hassan (Al), the Arabian emir of Persia, father of Hinda. He won the battle of Cadessia, and thus became master of Persia.—Moore: Lalla Rookh (“The Fire-Worshippers,” 1817).

Hassan, surnamed Al Habbal (“the ropemaker”), and subsequently Cogia (“merchant”), his full name was then Cogia Hassan Alhabbal. Two friends, named Saad and Saadi, tried an experiment on him. Saadi gave him 200 pieces of gold, in order to see if it would raise him from extreme poverty to affluence. Hassan took ten pieces for immediate use, and sewed the rest in his turban; but a kite pounced on his turban and carried it away. The two friends, after a time, visited Hassan again, but found him in the same state of poverty; and, having heard his tale, Saadi gave him another 200 pieces of gold. Again he took out ten pieces, and, wrapping the rest in a linen rag, hid it in a jar of bran. While Hassan was at work, his wife exchanged this jar of bran for fuller’s earth, and again the condition of the man was not bettered by the gift. Saad now gave the ropemaker a small piece of lead, and this made! his fortune thus: A fisherman wanted a piece of lead for his nets, and promised to give Hassan for Saad’s piece whatever he caught in his first draught. This was a large fish, and in it the wife found a splendid diamond, which was sold for 100,000 pieces of gold. Hassan now became very rich, and when the two friends visited him again, they found him a man of consequence. He asked them to stay with him, and took them to his country house, when one of his sons showed him a curious nest, made out of a turban. This was the very turban which the kite had carried off, and the money was found in the lining. As they returned to the city, they stopped and purchased a jar of bran. This happened to be the very jar which the wife had given in exchange, and the money was discovered wrapped in linen at the bottom. Hassan was delighted, and gave the 380 pieces to the poor.—Arabian Nights (“Cogia Hassan Alhabbal”).

Hassan (Abou), the son of a rich merchant of Bagdad, and the hero of the tale called “The Sleeper Awakened” (q.v.).—Arabian Nights.

Hassan Age, an infamous renegade, who reigned in Algiers, and was the sovereign there when Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) was taken captive by a Barbary corsair in 1574. Subsequently, Hassan bought the captive for 500 ducats, and he remained a slave till he was redeemed by a friar for 1000 ducats.