Chapter Horse to House that Jack Built of H by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Horse Painted True to Life (A). Apellês of Cos painted Alexander’s horse so wonderfully well that a real horse, seeing it, began to neigh at it, supposing it to be alive.

Myro the statuary made a cow so true to life that several bulls were deceived by it.

Velasquez painted a Spanish admiral so true to life that Felipe IV., mistaking it for the man himself, reproved the supposed officer sharply for wasting his time in a painter’s studio when he ought to be with his fleet.

Zeuxis painted some grapes so admirably that birds flew at them, thinking them real fruit.

Parrhasios of Ephesus painted a curtain so inimitably that Zeuxis thought it to be a real curtain, and bade the artist draw it aside that he might see the painting behind.

Quintin Matsys of Antwerp painted a bee on the outstretched leg of a fallen angel so naturally that when old Mandyn, the artist, returned to his studio, he tried to frighten it away with his pocket-hand-kerchief.

Horse of Brass (The), a present from the king of Araby and Ind to Cambuscan king of Tartary. A person whispered in its ear where he wished to go, and, having mounted, turned a pin, whereupon the brazen steed rose in the air as high as the rider wished, and within twenty-four hours landed him at the end of his journey.

This steed of brass, that easily and well Can, in the space of a day natural, . . . Bearen your body into every place To which your hearté willeth for to pace. Ckaucer: Canterbury Tales (“The Squire’s Tale,” 1388),

(See Horse, The Enchanted.)

Horst (Conrade), one of the insurgents at Liege.—Sir W. Scott: Quentin Durward (time, Edward IV.).

Hortense , the vindictive French maidservant of lady Dedlock. In revenge for the partiality shown by lady Dedlock to Rosa the village beauty, Hortense murdered Mr. Tulkinghorn, and tried to throw the suspicion of the crime on lady Dedlock.—Dickens: Bleak House (1852).

Hortensio, a suitor to Bianca the younger sister of Katharina “the Shrew.” Katharina and Bianca are the daughters of Baptista.—Shakespeare: Taming of the Shrew (1594).

Hortensio, noted for his chivalrous love and valour.—Massinger: The Bashful Lover (1636).

Horwendillus, the court at which Hamlet lived.

This is that Hamlet . . . who lived at the court of Horwendillus, 500 years before we were born.—Hazlitt.

Hosier’s Ghost (Admiral), a ballad by Richard Glover (1739). Admiral Hosier was sent with twenty sail to the Spanish West Indies, to block up the galleons of that country. He arrived at the Bastimentos, near Portobello, but had strict orders not to attack the foe. His men perished by disease, but not in fight, and the admiral himself died of a broken heart. After Vernon’s victory, Hosier and his 3000 men rose, “all in dreary hammocks shrouded, which for windingsheets they wore,” and lamented the cruel orders that forbade them to attack the foe, for “with twenty ships he surely could have achieved what Vernon did with only six.” (See Grenville, p. 449.)

Hospital of Compassion, the house of correction.

A troop of alguazels carried me to the hospital of compassion.—Lesage: Gil Blas, vii. 7(1735).

Hotspur. So Harry Percy, son of the earl of Northumberland, was called from his fiery temper, over which he had no control.—Shakespeare: 1 and 2 Henry IV. (1597).