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HENDECASYLLABLES HENNEPIN. 



through mistake, have been frequent in Europe. 

 This plant has been imported from the eastern con- 

 tinent, and has now become naturalized in America, 

 occurring in waste places, along road-sides, in 

 various parts of the Union. From its narcotic 

 qualities, it is occasionally employed in medicine. 

 Twelve species of hyoscyamus are known, all of them 

 natives of the eastern continent. 



HENDECASYLLABLES ; a verse of eleven syl- 

 lables, which among the ancients, was used particu- 

 larly by Catullus, and which is well adapted for ele- 

 gant trifles. The measure is 



I >^^| ^ I ^ \ ^ 



HENGIST, the founder of the kingdom of Kent, 

 in Great Britain, and his brother Horsa, were renown- 

 ed among the Saxons for their bodily strength and 

 the antiquity of their family, which derived its origin 

 in a direct line from Odin. In 449, the Britons sued 

 for aid from the Saxons, against the inroads of the 

 Scots and Picts. The Saxons had long been desirous 

 of invading tlu's beautiful island, and therefore glad- 

 ly accepted the invitation. Under the command of 

 Hengist and Horsa, they landed at the mouth of the 

 Thames, attacked the enemies of the Britons, and 

 defeated them near Stamford. The victory, obtained 

 with so much facility, convinced them that they could 

 easily subdue a people who were unable to resist so 

 feeble an enemy. They sent intelligence to Saxony, of 

 the fertility and wealth of the country, and represented 

 as both easy and certain, the subjection of a people 

 who had so long forgotten the use of arms, and who 

 were divided among themselves. As soon as they 

 had received reinforcements from home, they sought 

 occasion for a quarrel, under the pretext, that their 

 subsidies were ill paid, and their supplies withheld ; 

 and, ceasing to dissemble any longer, they united with 

 .the Scots and Picts, and attacked the Britons. The 

 latter had taken up arms, deposed their king, Vorti- 

 gern, who had become odious by his vices and by the 

 ruinous consequences of his policy, and placed his son 

 Vortimer upon the throne. The war was carried on 

 with the greatest fury. The Anglo-Saxons penetrated 

 to the interior of the country, laying waste all before 

 them, and practising the most shocking cruelties. 

 The Britons were forced to flee or submit to the yoke 

 of the victors. Some fled to Armorica (Haute-Bre- 

 tagne), to which they gave their name. Hengist, who 

 had lost his brother in the battle near Eglesford (now 

 Ailsford), founded the kingdom of Kent, which em- 

 braces the present counties of Kent, Middlesex, Es- 

 sex, and part of Surrey. He established his residence 

 in Canterbury, and died about the year 488, leaving 

 his kingdom to his posterity. A brother and a nephew, 

 whom he had called over to England, settled in North- 

 umberland. Their example was followed by other 

 chiefs, who founded the Saxon Heptarchy. 



HENKE, HENRV PHILIP CONRAD, vice-president of 

 the consistory of Wolfenbuttel, first professor of theo- 

 logy at Helmstadt, the son of a minister in Bruns- 

 wick, was born in 1752, at Hehlen. His father's 

 death left him, at the age of twelve years, in indi- 

 gence, and he was supported by the liberality of some 

 wealthy patrons. He applied himself particularly to 

 philology. His favourite author was Quintilian, with 

 a translation of whom he began his literary career. 

 Henke was one of the editors of the Latin Journal, 

 then published under the direction of Schirac, pro- 

 fessor in Helmstadt, and received his degrees in the 

 philosophical faculty. In 1778, he received the place 

 of a professor extraordinary of theology at Helmstadt. 

 His literary reputation was founded on his Ecclesias- 

 tical History, of which the first volume appeared ir 

 1788, and which passed through several new editions 

 before it was completed by Vater, 8 vols (Konigsberg, 

 1820). This book contains a treasure of historical 



earning. Henke was an enemy of that dogmatical 

 theology, which imposes constraints on opinion, and 

 discourages free investigation. He was a Protestant, 

 n the true sense of the word. His work on dogma- 

 tics is written in classical Latin, and is another proof 

 of his learning in the history of theology. He went, 

 in 1807, as deputy for Brunswick to Paris, to pay 

 tiomage to the king of Westphalia. He died May 2, 

 1809. 



HENLEY, JOHN ; an English clergyman, possess- 

 ed of considerable talents, but principally distin- 

 guished for the irregularity of his conduct, and com- 

 monly known, towards the middle of the last century, 

 by the title of Orator Henley. He was educated at 

 Cambridge, and entered into holy orders. After 

 having conducted a free school, and held a curacy, 

 he grew tired of his secluded situation, and went to 

 London in search of an ampler field for his abilities. 

 He was first engaged as a preacher at an Episcopal 

 chapel. Dissatisfied with his prospects of church 

 preferment, he resigned his appointments, and com- 

 menced public orator. Having opened a chapel in 

 the neighbourhood of Newport market, he gave lec- 

 tures on theological topics on Sundays, and other sub- 

 jects on Wednesdays, every week. Novelty procured 

 him a multitude of hearers ; but he was too impru- 

 dent to gain any permanent advantage from his pro- 

 ject. After having served as a butt for the satirical 

 wits, poets, and painters of his time, he removed his 

 oratory to Clare market, and sank into comparative 

 obscurity and contempt, previously to his death in 

 1756. 



HENLOPEN ; a cape on the coast of Delaware, 

 at the entrance of Delaware bay. It is eighteen miles 

 south-west of cape May. Latitude of the light-house 

 on the cape, 38 47' N. ; Ion. 75 10' W. The 

 light-house is of an octagon form, handsomely built 

 ot stone, 115 feet high, and its foundation is nearly 

 as much above the level of the sea. 



HENNA PLANT (Lawsonia alba), the Cyprus of 

 the ancients, is a shrub bearing opposite entire leaves, 

 and numerous small flowers, which are disposed in 

 terminal panicles, and possess an agreeable odour. 

 Externally it bears considerable resemblance to the 

 European privet, but belongs to the natural family 

 lythrarieee. It grows in moist situations throughout 

 the north of Africa, Arabia, Persia, and the East In- 

 dies, and has acquired celebrity from being used by 

 the inhabitants of those countries to dye the nails of 

 their fingers, and the manes, hoofs, &c ., of their horses. 

 For this purpose the leaves are dried, powdered, and 

 made into a paste with hot water, which, when ap- 

 plied to the above-mentioned parts, leaves a yellow 

 colour, requiring, however, to be renewed every 

 three or four weeks. The Egyptian n.ummies have 

 their nails stained yellow, probably by the use of the 

 henna. This circumstance, however, is by some re- 

 ferred to the various drugs used in the process of 

 embalming. It is cultivated extensively in Egypt, 

 and the powdered leaves form a large article of ex- 

 port to Persia and the Turkish possessions. The 

 colouring matter of this plant is very abundant, and 

 it may be advantageously used for dyeing woollens, 

 not only yellow, but brown of various shades, pro- 

 vided that alum and sulphate of iron be employed. 



HENNEPIN, Louis, a French recollet friar, a mis- 

 sionary, and a traveller in North America, was born 

 in Flanders about 1640. He entered a convent, and, 

 being sent by his superiors to Calais and Dunkirk, 

 the stories he heard from the sailors inspired him with 

 a desire to visit distant countries. At length he em- 

 barked for Canada, and arrived at Quebec in 1675. 

 Between that period and 1682, he explored the re- 

 gions afterwards called Louisiana, and, returning to 

 Europe, published an account of his researches, 



