Chapter Horace de Brienne to HORSE of H by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Horn (The Cape). So named by Schouten, a Dutch mariner, who first rounded it. He was born at Hoorn, in North Holland, and named the cape after his own native town.

Horn (King), hero of a French metrical romance, the original of our Childe Horne or The Geste of Kyng Horn. The French romance is ascribed to Mestre Thomas; and Dr. Percy thinks the English romance is of the twelfth century, but this is probably at least a century too early.

(King Horn is given in Ritson’s Ancient English Metrical Romances; and was published by the Roxburghe and Early English Text Societies.)

Horn. “Poor Tom, thy horn is dry” (King Lear, act iii. sc. 3). Crazy beggars used to carry a cow’s horn slung behind. It was their wont to enter schoolrooms to awe naughty children, and for this service the schoolmasters gave them a mug of drink, which was poured into their “horn.”

Horn of Chastity and Fidelity. Morgan la Faye sent king Arthur a drinking-horn, from which no lady could drink who was not true to her husband, and no knight who was not feal to his liege lord. Sir Lamorake sent this horn as a taunt to sir Mark king of Cornwall.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, ii. 34 (1470).

Ariosto’s enchanted cup had the same property.

The cuckold’s drinking-horn was a vessel from which no “cuckold could drink without spilling the liquor.” (See Caradoc, p. 177.)

La coupe enchantée of Lafontaine was another test horn. (See Chastity, p. 198.)

Horne, in the proverb I’ll chance it, as old Horne did his neck, refers to Horne, a clergyman in Nottinghamshire, who committed murder, but escaped to the Continent. After several years, he determined to return to England, and when told of the danger of so doing, replied, “I’ll chance it.” He did chance it; but being apprehended, was tried, condemned, and executed.—The Newgate Calendar.

Magwitch, having acquired a large fortune in Australia as a sheep-farmer, tried the same thing, but was arrested, tried, and condemned to death.—Dickens: Great Expectations (1861).

Horner (Jack,) the little boy who sat in a corner to eat his Christmas pie, and thought himself wondrously clever because with his thumb he contrived to pull out a plum.

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner,
Eating his Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb, and pulled out a plum,
Saying, “What a good boy am I!’
   —Nursery Rhyme.

In Notes and Queries, xvi. 156, several explanations are offered, ascribing a political meaning to the words quoted—Jack Horner being elevated to a king’s messenger or king’s steward, and the “plum” pulled out so cleverly being a valuable deed which the messenger abstracted. Some say he was the steward of the abbot of Glastonbury, and that the “plum” was the title-deeds of the manor of Wells.

HORSE. The first to ride and tame a horse for the use of man was Melizyus king of Thessaly. (See Melizyus.) (For names of noted horses, ancient and modern, see Dictionary of phrase and Fable, p. 621, col. 2 to p. 627, col. 2.) The Black Horse, the 7th Dragoon Guards (not the 7th Dragoons). They have black velvet facings, and their plume is black and white. At one time they rode black horses. The Green Horse, the 5th Dragoon Guards. (These are called “The Princess Charlotte of Wales’…”) Facings dark green velvet, but the plume is red and white. The White Horse, the 3rd Dragoon Guards. (These are called “The Prince of Wales’…”) (All the Dragoon Guards have velvet facings, except the 6th or “Carabiniers”), which have white cloth facings. By “facings” are meant the collar and cuffs.) N. B.—“The white horse within the Garter” is not the heraldic insignia of the White Horse Regiment or 3rd Dragoon