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

William Bensley [1738–1817] had the true poetic enthusiasm. … None that I remember possessed even a portion of that fine madness which he threw out in Hotspur’s fine rant about glory. His voice had the dissonance and at times the inspiring effect of the trumpet.—Charles Lamb.

Hotspur of Debate (The), lord Derby, called by lord Lytton, in New Timon, “The Rupert of Debate” (1799–1869).

Houd (I syl.), a prophet sent to preach repe ntance to the Adites , and to reprove their king Shedad for his pride. As the Adites and their king refused to hear the prophet, God sent on the kingdom first a drought of three years’ duration, and then the Sarsar or icy wind, for seven days, so that all the people perished. Houd is written “Hâd” in Sale’s Korân, i.

Then stood the prophet Houd and cried, “Woe! woe to Irem! woe to Ad! Death is gone up into her palaces! Woe! woe! a day of guilt and punishment! A day of desolation!” Southey: Thalaba the Destroyer, i. 41 (1797)

Houghton (Sergeant), in Waverley’s regiment.—Sir W. Scott: Waverley (time, George II.).

Hounslow, one of a gang of thieves that conspired to break into lady Bountiful’s house.—Farquhar: The Beaux’ Stratagem (1705).

Houri, plu. Houris the virgins of paradise; so called from their large black eyes (hûr al oyûn). According to Mohammedan faith, an intercourse with these lovely women is to constitute the chief delight to the faithful in the “world to come.”—Al Korán.

Hours of Idleness, the first series of poems published, in 1807, by lord Byron. The severe criticism in the Edinburg Review brought forth the satire called English Bards and Scotch Reviewers (1809).

House judged by a Brick. Hieroclês, the compiler of a book of jests, tells us of a pedant who carried about a brick as a specimen of the house which he wished to sell.

He that tries to recommend Shakespeare by select quotations, will succeed like the pedant in Hieroclês, who, when he offered his house to sale, carried a brick in his pocket as a specimen.—Dr. Johnson: Preface to Shakespeare.

House of Fame, a magnificent palace erected on a lofty mountain of ice, and supported by rows of pillars on which are inscribed the names of illustrious poets. Here the goddess of fame sits on a throne, and dispenses her capricious judgments to the crowd who come to seek her favours.—Chaucer: House of Fame.

House that Jack Built (The), a cumulative nursery story, in which every preceding statement is repeated after the introduction of a new one; thus—

1. [This is] the house that Jack built.
2. [This is] the malt that lay in …
3. [This is] the rat that eat …
4. [This is] the cat that killed …
5. [This is] the dog that worried …
6. [This is] the cow with the crumpled horn, that tossed …
7. [This is] the maiden all forlorn, that milked …
8. [This is] the man all tattered and torn, that kissed …
9. This is the priest all shaven and shorn, that married …

A similar accumulation occurs in another nursery tale, with this difference—the several clauses are repeated twice: once by entreaty of the old woman to perform some service to get her pig to cross over a bridge that she may get home; and then the reverse way, when each begins the task requested of them. It begins with a statement that an old woman went to market to buy a pig; they came to a bridge, which the pig would not go over, so the old woman called to a stick, and said—

1. [Stick, stick, beat pig, for] pig won’t go over the bridge, and I shan’t get home to-night.
2. [Fire, fire] burn stick, stick won’t bèat pig …
3. [Water, water] quench fire, fire won’t …
4. [Ox, ox] drink water, water won’t