Chapter Hinzelmann to Hobby-de-Hoy of H by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Hinzelmann to Hobby-de-Hoy

Hinzelmann, the most famous house-spirit or kobold of German legend. He lived four years in the old castle of Hudemühlen, and then disappeared for ever (1588).

Hipcut Hill, famous for cowslips. The rendezvous of Pigwiggen and queen Mab was a cowslip on Hipcut Hill.— Drayton: Nymphidia (1563–1631).

Hippocrene (3 syl.), the fountain of the Muses. Longfellow calls poetic inspiration “a maddening draught of Hippocrene.”—Goblet of Life.

Hippolito So Browning spells the name of the Theseus (2 syl.) and Antiopê. Hippolito fled all intercourse with woman. Phædra, his step-mother, tried to seduce him, and when he resisted her solicitations, accused him to her husband of attempting to dishonour her. After death he was restored to life under the name of Virbius (vir-bis, “twice a man”). (See Hippolytos.)

Hyppolito, a youth who never knew a woman.
   —R. Browning.

Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, and daughter of Mars. She was famous for a girdle given her by the war-god, which Herculês had to obtain possession of, as one of his twelve labours.

Shakespeare has introduced Hippolyta in his Midsummer Night’s Dream, and betroths her to Theseus (2 syl.) duke of Athens; but according to classic fable, it was her sister Antiopê (4 syl.) who married Theseus.

Hippolyta, a rich lady wantonly in love wit h Arnoldo. By the cross purposes of the plot, Leopold a sea- captain is enamoured of Hippolyta, Arnoldo is contracted to the chaste Zenocia, and Zenocia is dishonourably pursued by the governor count Clodio.—Fletcher: The Custom of the Country (1647).

Hippolytos (in Latin, Hippolytus), son of Theseus (2 syl.). He provoked the anger of Venus by disregarding her love; and Venus, in revenge, made Phædra (his step-mother) fall in love with him. When Hippolytos repulsed her advances, she accused him to her husband of seeking to dishonour her. Theseus prayed Neptune to punish the young man, and the sea-god, while the young man was driving in his chariot, scared the horses with sea-calves. Hippolytos was thrown from the chariot and killed, but Diana restored him to life again. (See Hippolito.)

Hippolytus himself would leave Diana
To follow such a Venus.
   —Massinger: A New Way to Pay Old Debts, iii. I (1628)

Hippomenes (4 syl.), a Grocian prince who outstripped Atalanta in a footrace, by dropping three golden apples, which she stopped to pick up. By this conquest he won Atalanta to wife.

E’en here, in this region of wonders, I find
That light-footed Fancy leaves Truth far behind,
Or, at least, like Hippomenês, turns her astray
By the golden illusions he flings in her way.
   —T. Moore.

Hippopotamus, symbol of impiety and ingratitude. Lear says that “ingratitude in a child is more hideous than the sea-monster.”

The hippopotamus killeth his sire, and ravisheth his dam.—Sandys: Travels(1615).

Hippotades (4 syl.), Eolus, the wind-god, son of Hippota.

[He] questioned every gust of rugged wings
That blows from off each beaked promontory:
They knew not of his story;
And sage Hippotadês their answer brings,
That not a blast was from his dungeon strayed.
   —Milton: Lycidas, 92, etc. (1638).

Hiren, a strumpet. From Peele’s play The Turkish Mahomet and Hyren the Fair Greek (1584).

In Italian called a courtezan; in Spaine a margarite; In French un curtain; in English…a punk.