=Hubbard= (_Mother_). _Mother Hubbard’s Tale_, by Edmund Spenser, is a satirical fable in the style of Chaucer, supposed to be told by an old woman (Mother Hubbard) to relieve the weariness of the poet during a time of sickness. The tale is this: An ape and a fox went into partnership to seek their fortunes. They resolved to begin their adventures as beggars, so Master Ape dressed himself as a broken soldier, and Reynard pretended to be his dog. After a time they came to a farmer, who employed the ape as shepherd, but when the rascals had so reduced the flock that detection was certain, they decamped. Next they tried the Church, under advice of a priest; Reynard was appointed rector to a living, and the ape was his parish clerk. From this living they were obliged also to remove. Next they went to court as foreign potentates, and drove a splendid business, but came to grief ere long. Lastly, they saw King Lion asleep, his skin was lying beside him, with his crown and sceptre. Master Ape stole the regalia, dressed himself as King Lion, usurped the royal palace, made Reynard his chief minister, and collected round him a band of monsters, chiefly amphibious, as his guard and court. In time Jupiter sent Mercury to rouse King Lion from his lethargy; so he awoke from sleep, broke into his palace, and bit off the ape’s tail, with a part of its ear. Since which, all apes but half their ears have left, And of their tails are utterly bereft. As for Reynard, he ran away at the first alarm, and tried to curry favor with King Lion; but the king only exposed him and let him go (1591). _Hubbard (Old Mother)_ went to her cupboard to get a bone for her dog, but, not finding one, trotted hither and thither to fetch sundry articles for his behoof. Every time she returned she found Master Doggie performing some extraordinary feat, and at last, having finished all her errands, she made a grand curtsey to Master Doggie. The dog, not to be outdone in politeness, made his mistress a profound bow; upon which the dame said, “Your servant!” and the dog replied, “Bow, wow!”—_Nursery Tales_. =Hubble= (_Mr._), wheelwright; a tough, high-shouldered, stooping old man, of a sawdusty fragrance, with his legs extraordinarily wide apart. _Mrs. Hubble_, a little, curly, sharp-edged person, who held a conventionally juvenile position, because she had married Mr. Hubble when she was much younger than he.—C. Dickens, _Great Expectations_ (1860). =Hubert=, “the keeper” of young Prince Arthur. King John conspired with him to murder the young prince, and Hubert actually employed two ruffians to burn out both the boy’s eyes with red-hot irons. Arthur pleaded so lovingly with Hubert to spare his eyes, that he relented; however, the lad was found dead soon afterwards, either by accident or foul play.—Shakespeare, _King John_, (1596). ⁂ This “Hubert” was Hubert de Burgh, justice of England and earl of Kent.