HOU 
rographi. However it be, the division of 
the day into hours is very ancient, though 
the most ancient hour is that of the twelfth 
part of the day. 
An hour, with us, is a measure or quan- 
tity of time, equal fo a twenty- fourth part 
of the natural day, or ny chthemeron ; or it is 
the duration of the twenty-fourth part of 
the earth’s diurnal rotation. Fifteen de- 
grees of tlie equator answer to an hour ; 
though not precisely, yet near enough tor 
common use. 
The hour is divided into sixty minutes ; 
the minute into sixty seconds ; the second 
into sixty thirds, &c. 
There are divers kinds of hours, used by 
chronologers, astronomers, dialists, &c. 
Sometimes hours are divided into equal and 
unequal. Equal hours are the twenty- 
fourili part of a day and night precisely, 
that is, the time wherein fifteen degrees Of 
the equator mount above the horizon. 
These are also called equinoctial hours, 
because they are measured on the equi- 
noctial; and astronomical, because used by 
astronomers. They are also differently 
denominated, according to the manner of 
accounting them in different countries. 
Astronomical hours are equal hours, reck- 
oned from noon, or mid-day, in a con- 
tinued series of twenty-four. Babylonish 
hours are equal hours reckoned in the same 
manner from sun-rise. The Italian hours, 
are also equal hours reckoned in the same 
manner too, from sun-setting. European 
hours are also equal hours, reckoned from 
midnight ; twelve from thence to noon, and 
twelve more from noon to midnight. Jew- 
ish, or planetary, or ancient hours, are the 
twelfth part of the artificial day and night, 
each being divided into twelve equal parts. 
Hence, as it is only in the time of the equi- 
noxes that the artifical day is equal to the 
night, it is then only that the hours of the 
day are equal to those of the night: At 
other times they will be always either in- 
creasing or decreasing. And they will be 
the more or less unequal according to the 
obliquity of the sphere. 
Hour glass, a popular kind of chrono- 
meter, which serves to measure the flux of 
time by the running of sand from one ves- 
sel into another. Glasses of this kind for 
half and quarter hours, and for less divisions 
of time are much used at sea. 
HOUSE, in astrology, dehotes the twelfth 
part of the heavens. The division of the 
heavens into houses, is founded upon the 
pretended influence of the stars, when 
HOU 
meeting in them, on all sublunary bodies. 
These influences are supposed to be good 
or bad, and to each of these houses parti- 
cular virtues are assigned, on which astro- 
logers prepare and form a judgment of 
their horoscopes. The horizon and meri- 
dian are two circles of the celestial houses, 
which divide the heavens into four equal 
parts, each containing three houses; six of 
which are above the horizon, and six be- 
low it : and six of these are called eastern, 
and six western houses. A scheme or 
figure of the heavens is composed of twelve 
triangles, also called houses, in which is mark- 
ed the stars, signs and planets so included 
in each of these circles. Every planet has 
likewise two particular houses, in which it 
is pretended, that they exert their influence 
in the strongest manner; but the sun and 
moon have each of them only one, the 
house of the former being Leo, and that of 
the latter Cancer. The houses in astrology 
have also names given them according to 
their qualities ; the first is the house of life .; 
this is the ascendant, which extends five 
degree above the horizon, and the rest be- 
low it: the second is the house of riches: the 
third the house of brothers : the fourth, in 
the lowest part of the heavens, is the house 
of relations, and the angle of the earth : the 
fifth, the house of children : the sixth, the 
house of health : the seventh, the house of 
marriage, and the angle of the west : the 
- eighth, the house of death : the ninth, the 
house of piety : the tenth the house of 
offices : the eleventh, the house of friends : 
and the twelfth, the house of enemies. 
We have given this and other brief ac- 
counts of the most absurd of all pretended 
sciences, in order to show the folly of 
those who were, in former times; weak 
enough to give any degree of credit to it. 
HOUSED, in sea language, the situation 
of the guns, upon the middle and lower 
gun-decks, when they are run in, and 
the breach being let down, the muzzle gets 
against the side above port. They are 
there secured. 
HOUSTONIA in botany, so named 
from William Houston, M.D. a genus of 
the Tetrandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Stellatae. Rubiaceae, 
Jn3sieu. Essential character: corolla one 
petalled, funnel form; capsule superior, 
two-celled, two-seeded. There are two 
species, viz. H. coerulea, blue-flowered 
Houstonia; and H. purpurea, purple-flower- 
ed Houstonia, natives of Virginia and Mary- 
land. 
