512 



HEATH HEBER. 



minutes, is taken off the pegs, and laid out upon i 

 the ground to be more completely blackened by 

 the peroxidizement of the iron with the atmosphe- 

 ric oxygen. In three or four hours the dyeing is 

 cony>leted. When fully dyed, the hats are well 

 washed in running water. 



A hat of a new species has lately been invented 

 by a hat-maker of Paris. The leading principle is, | 

 cloth stretched upon a frame of wire. To a brim | 

 of ordinary felt is attached a ring composed of a ' 

 stout slip of steel, of exactly the circumference of \ 

 the head. Another similar ring, of the desired 

 size of the crown, is connected* with the first by 

 means of four double wires curving slightly in- 

 wards, and jointed in the middle. By folding in- 

 wards at the joints, the intermediate pieces of wire 

 allow of the two rings coming nearly together, in 

 which case the whole mechanism looks like one 

 ring with four radii pointing towards the centre. 

 To bring the frame to its full stretch, a third and 

 movable ring is introduced, which, being pressed 

 downwards against the curved wires, falls into a 

 series of notches, all of which are upon one plane, 

 where it rests : thus, the whole frame is opened 

 out as far as it will go ; when it in some degree re- 

 sembles, in structure, the well-known species of 

 epergne used for supporting custard at table. It 

 will easily be conceived, that, if a crown be fitted 

 upon the second of the rings, and the space be- 

 tween that ring and the brim filled with a piece of 

 cloth of the requisite kind, a complete hat is 

 formed. It is only further necessary to mention, 

 that, to an interior lining or rather more than the 

 ordinary depth, a false crown is attached, and this 

 crown, again, to the third ring, so that the only 

 process required for causing the crown to sink into 

 the brim, is to pull in a particular way at a certain 

 part of the false crown, till the ring is jerked out 

 from the notches, when the whole collapses into a 

 bulk little greater than that of a common round 

 supper plate. The utility of such a hat for tra- 

 velling, for attending large assemblies, and many 

 other purposes, must be obvious. The invention, 

 after being honoured with several distinguished 

 marks of approbation in Paris, and coming into 

 general use in that city, has been patented with 

 some improvements by a respectable hat-making 

 firm in Edinburgh, who, in constructing it, employ 

 a cloth of deep silk pile, of great fineness, manu- 

 factured in France, and which gives the hat a supe- 

 rior appearance to those of the beaver kind. In 

 the important matters of lightness and durability, 

 the mechanical hat, as the French call it, has an 

 advantage over the ordinary kinds, and it is re- 

 tailed at a lower rate. We are hopeful, however, 

 that, ere long, as the means for carrying on the 

 manufacture become improved, it will be possible 

 to produce it at a cost little more than half of the 

 present price of a good hat. 



HEATH, JAMES, A.R. A. ; an eminent engraver, 

 was the early associate and friend of Stothard, the 

 artist : they may be said to have commenced their 

 career of popularity and distinction at the same 

 time. The old " Novelist's Magazine," published 

 by Harrison, which extends to twenty-two royal 

 octavo volumes, is adorned by the delicately fin- 

 ished engravings of James Heath, from the ex- 

 quisite and imperishable drawings of Thomas Stot- 

 hard. This work remains at the present moment, 

 a monument of the supremacy of the genius and 

 skill of Heath and of Stothard. Heath's fame as an 

 engraver extended all over the continent, and was 



by no one more highly appreciated than by that 

 distinguished artist, Raphael Morghen, at Flor- 

 ence. During many years he confined himself to 

 book illustrations ; but it was impossible that an 

 artist of such high capabilities should fail to strike 

 out a more enlarged sphere for the display and ex- 

 ercise of his art, and with equal success. The 

 " Death of Major Pearson," from a painting by 

 West, and, as a companion to it, the " Death of 

 Lord Nelson," from a painting by the same artist ; 

 the " Dead Soldier," from a picture by Wright of 

 Derby ; a whole length of General Washington, 

 engraved from American Stuart's well-known por- 

 trait in the possession of the marquis of Lansdown : 

 and the portrait of Pitt, from the statue at Cam- 

 bridge university, are a very few of the lasting 

 specimens of Heath's graphic excellence. He 

 died Nov. 15, 1834, aged seventy-eight. In pri- 

 vate life he was esteemed and loved by the large 

 circle in which he was known. He left behind 

 him three children, George, sergeant-at-lavv ; 

 Charles, the eminent engraver; and Mrs Hamilton, 

 who is understood to be almost equal to her bro- 

 ther as a professor of the graphic art. 



HEBER, RICHARD, Esq., a distinguished book- 

 collector, was the eldest son of Reginald Heber, 

 (who succeeded his eldest brother as lord of the 

 manors of Marton, Yorkshire, and Hodnet, Salop) 

 and Mary Baylie, his first wife; and was half-bro- 

 ther to the amiable Reginald, bishop of Calcutta, 

 who was by a second wife. Towards this brother 

 he acted a most affectionate part, superintended 

 his education, took great interest in his literary 

 efforts, and was justly proud of his talents and 

 virtues. Mr Heber was born in Westminster on 

 the 5th of January 1773; and was educated under 

 the private tuition of the late learned George 

 Glasse. He then proceeded to the University of 

 Oxford, and was entered at Brasenose College. 

 There he cultivated assiduously an acquaintance 

 with the Greek and Latin classics, and acquired 

 that taste for them which accompanied him through 

 life, and which was the means of introducing him 

 to the friendship of Person, Dr Burney, and other 

 eminent scholars. There, too, it was that he laid 

 the foundation of his extensive collection of books. 

 During his stay at the university, he formed the 

 design of editing such of the Latin poets as were 

 not printed in Barbou's collection ; in pursuance 

 of which, he published " Silius Italicus," in two 

 volumes, in 1792. It is characterised as being a 

 well executed and useful book. " Claudian " was 

 printed the same year, but has not been published 

 The school for illustrating the Works of Shakes- 

 peare and other English authors, from the pages of 

 contemporary writers at the head of which were 

 the Wartons, George Steevens, Dr Percy, bishop 

 of Dromore, Mr Malone, and other eminent scho- 

 lars occupied, at the time Mr Heber entered life, 

 distinguished rank in English literature. From 

 the writings of these gentlemen, and his acquaint- 

 ance with many of them, he imbibed a taste for 

 old English literature ; and this, joined to his na- 

 tural love for the drama, led him to form collec- 

 tions of our ancient poets and dramatic writers, 

 which for extent and richness have never been sur- 

 passed. In the year 1804, he succeeded, on the 

 death of his father, to the estates in Yorkshire and 

 Shropshire, which he augmented by purchase, and 

 considerably improved. In the year 1806, he of- 

 fered himself as representative for the university 

 of Oxford ; but was successfully opposed by the 



