h o n 
what we now call the four-o'clock bell, was anciently called 
Hora Aurora ; as our eight-o'clock bell, or the bell in the 
evening, was called ignitegium, or covcrfu. See the article 
Curfew-Bell, vol. v. p.4.82. 
HO'RADNIC, a town of Poland, in the palatinate of 
Red Ruffia: fixty miles north-well of Zytomiers. 
HO'RFE, in mythology, three fillers, daughters of Ju¬ 
piter and Themis, according to Hefiod, called Eunomia, 
Dice, and Irene. They were the fame as the feafons who 
prefided over the fpring, fummer, and winter, and were 
reprefented by the poets as opening the gates of heaven 
and of Olympus. Ilomcr. 
HORAI'DAN, a town of Perfia, in the province of 
Farfiflan : twenty-eight leagues north-weft of Schiras. 
HO'RAL, adj. [from hora, Lat:] Relating to the hour: 
Howe’er reduc’d and plain. 
The watch would ftill a watch remain; 
But, if the horal orbit ceafes, 
The whole (lands ftill, or breaks to pieces. Prior. 
HO'RAM, a man’s name. 
HORAPOL'LO, or Horus Apollo, author of a work 
on hieroglyphics, which has come down to our times. He 
is fuppofe'd to have been a grammarian of Panoplus in 
Egypt, mentioned by Suidas, who firft taught at Alexan¬ 
dria, and afterwards at Conftantinople, in the reign of 
Theodofius. Aldus Manutius fit'll pubiillied, in Greek, 
the Hieroglyphics of Horapollo, two books, 1505, folio. 
They were afterwards tranflated into Latin, and feveral 
times reprinted. The bell edition is that of Cornelius de 
Pauvv, Greek and Latin, with notes, Utrecht, 1727, 4U0. 
HO'RARY, adj. [ horaire, Fr. horarius, Lat.] Relating 
to an hour: 
I’ll draw a figure that (hail tell you 
What you perhaps forgot befell you. 
By way of horary infpeflion, 
Which fome account our word ereflion. Hudibras . 
Continuing for an hour.—When, from a balket of fum- 
mer-fruit, God by Amos foretold the deftrudlion of his 
people, thereby was declared the propinquity of their de- 
iolation, and that their tranquillity was of no longer du¬ 
ration than thofe horary or loon-decaying fruits of fum¬ 
mer. Brown. 
HORA'TII, three Roman brothers, who, under the 
reign of Tullus Hoftilius, fought againft the three Curiatii, 
who belonged to the Albanian army. Two of the Horatii 
were firft killed; but the third, by his addrefs, luccef- 
fively flew the three Curiatii, and by this victory ren¬ 
dered the city of Alba fubjedt to the Romans. See the 
article Rome. 
HORA'TIUS, furnamed Cocles from Iofing an eye 
in combat. He was nephew to the coniul Horatius Pul- 
villus, and defeended from one of the three brothers who 
fought againft the Curiatii. Porfenna, laying fiege to 
Rome, drove the Romans from Janiculura, and purfued 
them to the wooden bridge over the Tiber, which joined 
the city to Janiculum. Largius, Herminius, and Horatius 
Cocles, fuftained the (hock of the enemy on the bridge, 
and prevented their entering the city with the Romans; 
but, Largius and Herminius having palled the bridge, Ho¬ 
ratius Cocle9 was left alone, and repulled the enemy tilL 
the bridge was broken under him : he then threw himlelf 
armed into the Tiber, fwam acrofs the river, and entered 
Rome amidft the acclammations of his fellow-citizens. 
HORA'TIUS (Quintus Fiaccus), one of the moll ele¬ 
gant of the Roman poets, born at Venufium, in the con¬ 
fines of Apulia and Lucania, in th» year before Chrift 65. 
His father was the fon of a freedman, and -followed the 
employment of a tax-gatherer ; but, notwithftanding the 
trieannefs of his origin, his fentiments were liberal and. 
elevated. Refolving to give his fon every advantage of 
education within his reach, he took him early to Rome, 
and caufed him to be inftrufted in all the branches of 
knowledge which at that time were taught to youth of 
condition. At the age of eighteen he was fent to Athens, 
Vol. X. No. 660. 
H O R 277 
to ftudy philofophy and Greek literature, which was be¬ 
come fafhionable among the Romans. When M. Brutus 
palfed through that city in his way to Macedonia, he took 
with him feveral of the Roman (Indents, and Horace among 
the reft. What qualities Brutus difeovered in the poet, 
which induced him to entruft a legion to his care, as 
military tribune, we are not informed; but the poet freely 
acknowledges his want of martial (pint, which may lead 
us to fufpedl that he had ingratiated himfelf by his wit 
and talents. The battle of Philippi, from which he efcaped 
by a fwift flight, unincumbered with his (liield, put a 
period to his progrefs in the army ; and, though his li e 
was laved, he incurred the forfeiture of his property. He 
was now therefore to depend upon his literary talents as 
a refource againft indigence. He wrote fome verfes, which 
recommended him fo much to Virgil and Varius, that they 
generoufly (poke in his favour to Mecaenas. He proved 
fo agreeable to this patron of letters, that he made him 
his familiar companion; in which capacity he.accompa¬ 
nied him to Brundufium, in that journey which he has 
fo agreeably deferibed in verfe. Mecaenas procured from 
Auguftus Caefar the reftitution of Horace’s eftate, and 
made him perfonally known to that emperor, who after¬ 
wards became greatly attached to him. It is true, Horace 
purchafed thefe favours by poetic adulation; but his de¬ 
fires were very moderate, fince he declined . the official 
appointments offered him by Auguftus. No man, indeed, 
ever lived among the great with a more independent (pi¬ 
nt; and, though Horace kept the higheft company, yet he 
loved a middle ftation belt, and knew its tfidue. This 
feems to have been one of the mod amiable features in 
his character. By the joint favour of the prince and 
minifter, he doubtlefs might have accumulated a much 
larger fortune, and rifen to fome very confiderable office in 
public life; but he viewed things with too piercing an eye: 
Cur valle per mutum Sabina 
Divitias operojiores ? 
It is not eafy to infufe the full meaning of Horace into a 
(hort Englifh fentence : but let the reader take the gene¬ 
ral fenfe as follows : “ Why (hould I exchange my Sabine 
farm for riches, which would be attended with Co much 
greater cares and labours, anxieties and 1 vexations ?” His 
Athenian education unqueftienably gave him a relifh for 
the fcholaftic philofophy of the times; but he has himfelf 
declared, that he enlifted under the banners of no mailer. 
In his graver pieces'he moralifes on the lofty maxims of 
the ftoica! fchool, but his lighter ones are in the epicurean 
drain ; and all of them fo uniformly pleafant, and fo uni* 
verfally inftrudlive, that we may fay of Horace what he 
fays of Homer: 
Qui, quid ft pvlchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, 
Planius ac melius Chryfppo et Crantore dicit. 
It is not too much to fay that Horace, as a poet, was 
the delight of his own age ; and, fince the revival of let¬ 
ters, he has been the delight and the conftant companion 
of every polite fcholar. Even the rigid fathers of the 
church have borne tellimony to his great merit, in fpite 
of his high-feafoned gallantry. The fevere bilhop of 
Hippo recommends his works to be read, as containing an 
excellent fyftem of juftice, patience, and frugality; while 
they expofe almoft every fort of vice to ridicule and con-" 
tempt. Yet all this is done with fo much temper and 
good nature, that the vicious man himfelf can. fcarcely be 
offended: , 
Omne vafer vitium ridenti Fiaccus amico 
Tangit ; et admijfus circhn pracordia ludit, s 
Callidus excujfo populum fufpendere nafo. Perk, 
The drefs in which he clothes his moral precepts, alfo,,' 
is fo Ample, yet fo elegant, that nothing has equalled itV 
hence Horatii curiofa felicitas, is become proverbial. Au¬ 
guftus had fo great a regard for him, thaf in his moments 
of relaxation he could never difpenfe with his abfence,. 
but conftantly called for “ the amiable dcbauche." Com-' 
4. B plaining 
