Chapter Homilies to Honour of H by Brewer's Readers Handbook

other; but no attempt was made upon her honour, nor was she robbed of her jewels.—Warner: History of Ireland, i. 10.

Thomas Moore has made this the subject of one of his Irish Melodies, i. (“Rich and Rare were the Gems she Wore,” 1814).

Honey. Glaucus, son of Minos, was smothered in a cask of honey.

Honeycomb (Will), a fine gentleman, and great authority on the fashions of the day. He was one of the members of the imaginary club from which the Spectator issued.—The Spectator (1711–1713).

Sir Roger de Coverley, a country gentleman, to whom reference was made when matters connected with rural affairs were in question; Will Honeycomb gave law on all things concerning the gay world; captain Sentry stood up for the army; and sir Andrew Freeport represented the commercial interest.—Chambers: English Literature, i. 603.

Honeycombe (Mr.), the uxorious husband of Mrs. Honeycombe, and father of Polly. Self-willed, passionate, and tyrannical. He thinks to bully Polly out of her love-nonsense, and by locking her in her chamber to keep her safe, forgetting that “love laughs at lock-smith,” and “where there’s a will there’s a way.”

Mrs. Honeycombe, the dram-drinking, maudling, foolish wife of Mr. Honey-combe, always, ogling him, calling him “lovey,” “sweeting,” or “dearie,” but generally muzzy, and obfuscated with cordials or other messes.

Polly Honeycombe, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Honeycombe; educated by novels, and as full of romance as don Quixote. Mr. Ledger, a stockbroker, pays his addresses to her; but she hates him, and determines to elope with Mr. Scribble, an attorney’s clerk, and nephew of her nurse. This folly, however, is happily interrupted.—Colman: Polly Honeycombe (1760).

Honeyman (Charles), a free-and-easy clergyman, of social habits and fluent speech.—Thackeray: The Newcomes (1855).

Honeymoon (The), a comedy by J. Tobin (1804). The general scheme resembles that of the Taming of the Shrew, viz. breaking-in an unruly colt of high mettle to the harness of wifely life. The duke of Aranza marries the proud, over-bearing, but beautiful Juliana, eldest daughter of Balthazar. After marriage, he takes her to a mean hut, and pretends he is only a peasant, who must work for his daily bread, and that his wife must do the household drudgery. He acts with great gentleness and affection; and by the end of the month, juliana, being thoroughly reformed, is introduced to the castle, where she finds that her husband after all is the duke, and that she is the duchess of Aranza. It is an excellent and well- written comedy.

Honeywood, “the good-natured man,” whose property is made the prey of swindlers. His uncle, sir William Honeywood, in order to rescue him from sharpers, causes him to be seized for a bill to which he has lent his name “to a friend who absconded.” By this arrest the young man is taught to discriminate between real friends and designing knaves. Honeywood dotes on Miss Richland, but, fancying that she loves Mr. Lofty, forbears to avow his love; eventually, however, all comes right. Honeywood promises to “reserve his pity for real distress, and his friendship for true merit.”

Though inclined to the right, [he] had not courage to condemn the wrong. [His] charity was but injustice; [his] benevolence but weakness; and [his] friendship but credulity.—The Good-natured Man, act v.

Sir William Honeywood, uncle of Mr. Honeywood “the good-natured man.” Sir William sees with regret the faults of his nephew, and tries to correct them. He is a dignified and high-minded gentleman.—Goldsmith: The Good-natured Man (1767).