780 



HOLYWELL HOMER. 



are also sprinkled with holy water, on a certain 

 feast, to keep them healthy and thriving. The Pro- 

 lestants renounced the use of holy water, probably 

 from a fear that it would be considered, like amulets 

 or relics, as something efficacious in itself, without 

 t lie repentance commanded by the church. Ablutions 

 have always been used by pagans and Jews, and the 

 sprinkling with water is typical of washing or ablu- 

 tion. Protestant writers assert tliat vessels were not 

 placed at the doors of churches, for washing the 

 hands, before the fourth century, and that the water 

 was not blessed for this purpose until the sixth cen- 

 tury; but Catholic writers consider it to be proved, 

 that tins custom is handed down from the time of the 

 apostles. See father Le Brun, Explic. des Cere- 

 monies, vol. i. p. 76. 



HOLYWELL; a town and parish of North Wales, 

 in Flintshire, formerly an inconsiderable village, but 

 now become, from its mineral riches, and the vast 

 manufactures carried on in the neighbourhood, a 

 rapidly improving and flourishing town. In this 

 district the great lead mines of Flintshire are situated. 

 The principal manufactures round Holywell are im- 

 mense copper and brass works, besides cotton mills 

 and silk works. The situation is recommended by 

 the easy access to the "sea, and the vicinity of the Flint-- 

 shire coal pits. The machinery at these works is 

 set in motion by a stream, occasionally aided by 

 steam, which issues from the remarkable holy well 

 of St Winifred, boiling up with violence as from a 

 caldron. Population in 1831, 8969. 



HOMBURG. See Hesse- Hamburg. 



HOME is etymologically the same with the Ger- 

 man Aeim, not any longer employed as a substantive, 

 and formerly signifying an enclosure as well as an 

 enclosed field, also a tent. The German Heimath 

 is an expressive word for one's country, but no 

 European language has a word expressive of the 

 same ideas of independence and comfort as the Eng- 

 lish home. With the southern nations, this may be 

 owing to the circumstance that their happiness is not 

 so closely connected with a particular residence, 

 whilst an Englishman, obliged by his climate to seek 

 for true comfort within doors, accumulates there his 

 means of happiness. The word retains the same 

 expressiveness among all people of English descent. 

 When used in reference to one's country, it has the 

 sense of the German Heimath. The word was com- 

 monly used in the American colonies, before the 

 revolution, in reference to England. At the present 

 day, advertisements continually appear in the Cal- 

 cutta papers of vessels " bound home," meaning to 

 England. 



HOME, HENRY (lord Kaimes), a Scottish judge, 

 eminent for his writings on various subjects, was 

 descended from a nobfe family. He was born at 

 Berwick in 1696, and received his education from a 

 private tutor at home. In 1712, he was bound to a 

 writer of the signet, but, ambitious of becoming an 

 advocate, he zealously supplied the defects o? his 

 education, and fitted himself for the bar, to which he 

 was called in 1724. He soon acquired reputation 

 by a number of publications on the civil and Scottish 

 law, the first of which, consisting of Remarkable 

 Decisions in the Court of Session, appeared in 1728. 

 This was followed, in 1732, by Essays on several 

 Subjects in Law. During the troubles in 1745 and 

 1746, he sought shelter in retirement, the fruits of 

 which appeared in 1747, in his Essays upon several 

 Subjects concerning British Antiquities. In 1757 

 appeared his work, the Statute Law of Scotland 

 abridged, with Historical Notes; in 1766 and 1780, 

 additional Decisions of the Court of Session ; and, in 

 1777, his Elucidations respecting the Common and 

 Statute Law in Scotland. In 1752, he became a 



judge of session, and assumed, according to the 

 custom of Scotland, the title of lord Kaimes. From 

 his youth he had a great turn for metaphysical dis- 

 quisition, and maintained a correspondence with 

 bishops Berkeley and Butler, doctor Clarke, and 

 other eminent reasoners. In 1752, he published 

 Essays on the Principles of Morality and Natural 

 Religion, in which he advocates the doctrine of philo- 

 sophical necessity. His Introduction to the Art of 

 Thinking (12mo, 1761) is useful to young persons 

 In 1762, he published his Elements of Criticism (8 

 vols., 8vo), in which, discarding all arbitrary rules 

 of literary composition, he endeavours to establish a 

 new theory on the principles of human nature. Its 

 chief defect is an unnecessary multiplication of origi- 

 nal tastes or principles. He followed this elaborate 

 work, in 1773, with two quarto vols., entitled 

 Sketches of the History of Man, which is ingenious 

 and entertaining, but not always founded on the best 

 information. In 1776, at the age of 80, he published 

 the Gentleman Farmer; being an Attempt to im- 

 prove Agriculture, by subjecting it to the Test of 

 Rational Principles, (8vo). He died in 1782, at 

 the age of 86. 



HOME, JOHN, a dramatic writer, was born near 

 Ancrum, in Roxburghshire, in 1724. He was edu- 

 cated at Edinburgh, for the church. In 1745, he 

 took up arms on the royal side, and was made 

 prisoner at the battle of Falkirk, but contrived to 

 escape, and was licensed to preach in 1747. After 

 visiting London, he was settled as minister at Athel- 

 staneford, in East Lothian, where he composed his 

 tragedy of Agis, which was refused by the London 

 managers. His Douglas being also refused by Gar- 

 rick, the author had it performed at Edinburgh, in 

 1756, himself and several of his clerical brethren 

 being present. For this departure from the usages 

 of the church of Scotland, the author was threatened 

 with ecclesiastical censures, and in consequence 

 resigned his living, and ever after acted and ap- 

 peared as a layman. As a persecuted man, he was 

 complimented on this occasion by David Hume, who, 

 in a strain of high panegyric, addressed to him his 

 Four Dissertations. His Douglas became a stock 

 piece. Several other dramatic attempts by him 

 completely failed. The Siege of Aquilea, the Fatal 

 Discovery, Alonzo, and Alfred, had not even tem- 

 porary success. His History of the Rebellion of 

 17456 (4to), also disappointed public expectation. 

 He died in 1808, at the advanced age. of 85. 



HOMER AND THE HOMERIDES. The little 

 which we know of the life of one of the most 

 distinguished poets, is very uncertain. According 

 to common tradition, his father was Maeon, his 

 mother Critheis, and he was a child of love, born on 

 the river Meles, not far from Smyrna. Hence he 

 was called, from his father, Maonides, and from the 

 place of his birth, Melesigenes (born on the Meles). 

 Other genealogies are also given. It is well known 

 that seven cities disputed for the honour of being his 

 birthplace: Smyrna, Colophon, Chios, A rgos, Athens, 

 Rhodes, and Salamis: instead of the two latter, how- 

 ever, some mention Cumse and Pylos. If we search 

 his poems for indications of his birthplace, we, shall 

 find several passages from which it may be inferred 

 that he lived in Asia Minor, probably in Ionia; or in 

 a neighbouring island. (See Wood's Essay On the 

 Original Genius of Homer.) According to the hymn 

 to Apollo, quoted by Thucydides, he lived in Chios. 

 Smyrna and Chios seem to have the strongest argu- 

 ments in their favour. If we inquire farther, When 

 did Homer live? the same uncertainty meets us. It 

 is doubtful whether he should be referred to the 10th, 

 9th, or 8th century before Christ. The second date 

 is the most probable. Phemios and Pronapides are 



