A Short Biographical Dictionary of English LiteratureCousin, John W. (John William)
General
A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature
Cousin, John W. (John William)
American literature -- Bio-bibliography; English literature -- Bio-bibliography
HORNE, RICHARD HENRY or HENGIST (1803-1884).--Eccentric poet, was _b._ in
London, and _ed._ at Sandhurst for the East India Company Service, but
failed to get a nomination. After a youth of adventure, partly in the
Mexican Navy, he returned to England, and began in 1828 a highly
combative literary career with a poem, _Hecatompylos_, in the _Athenæum_.
His next appearance, _The False Medium_ (1833), an exposition of the
obstacles thrown in the way of "men of genius" by literary middlemen,
raised a nest of hornets; and _Orion_, an "epic poem," _pub._ 1843 at the
price of one farthing, followed. His plays, which include _Cosmo de
Medici_ (1837), _The Death of Marlowe_ (1837), and _Judas Iscariot_, did
not add greatly to his reputation. In _The New Spirit of the Age_ (1844),
he had the assistance of Mrs. Browning. Though a writer of talent, he was
not a poet.
HORNE, THOMAS HARTWELL (1780-1862).--Theologian, _ed._ at Christ's
Hospital, was for a time in the law, but became a great biblical scholar,
and in 1818 _pub._ _Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of
the Holy Scriptures_ (1818), in consideration of which he was admitted to
orders without the usual preliminaries, and in 1833 obtained a benefice
in London and a prebend in St. Paul's, and was senior assistant in the
printed books department of the British Museum (1824-60). He wrote an
_Introduction to the Study of Bibliography_ (1814), and various other
works, but he is chiefly remembered in connection with that first
mentioned, which was frequently reprinted, and was very widely used as a
text-book both at home and in America.
HOUGHTON, RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES, 1ST LORD (1809-1885).--Poet, _s._ of
Robert (known as "single-speech") M., _b._ in London, and _ed._ privately
and at Camb. He sat in the House of Commons for Pontefract from 1837-63,
when he was raised to the Peerage. His interests were, however, mainly
literary and philanthropic, and it was said of him that he "knew
everybody worth knowing at home and abroad;" and his sympathies being of
the widest, he was able to bring together the most opposite extremes of
life and opinion. He championed the cause of oppressed nationalities, and
of the slave. He _pub._ many vols. of poetry, among which were _Poetry
for the People_ (1840), and _Palm Leaves_ (1848). He also wrote a Life of
Keats, and various books of travels. Though he had not the depth of mind
or intensity of feeling to make a great poet, his verse is the work of a
man of high culture, graceful and refined, and a few of his shorter
poems--such as _The Beating of my own Heart_, and _Strangers Yet_, strike
a true note which gained for them wide acceptance.
HOWARD, EDWARD (_d._ 1841).--Novelist, a sea-comrade of Captain Marryat,
and as sub ed. assisted him in conducting the _Metropolitan Magazine_. He
wrote several sea novels, of which _Rattlin the Reefer_, sometimes
attributed to Marryat, is the best known. Others were _Outward Bound_ and
_Jack Ashore_.
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