scene that afforded him pleasure, and his choice was exceedingly pieturesque. His grounds are always agreeably broken, and he was particularly fond of describing slopes diversified with shrubs, plants, or trees, which conducted the eye to some building, ruin, grove, or piece of water, and frequently to a delicate remote distance; every object perspectively contributing to delude our observation to that point. The forms of his trees are not unlike Ruysdael and Dekker; and in all his pictures he shews an admirable knowledge of the chiaroscuro. His colouring is extremely good, and his skies evidently shew that he made nature his principal director, by the shape and disposition of his clouds, as also by those peculiar tints, by which he expressed the rising and setting of the sun, the morning and evening. His touch is light, free, and firm; and his paintings have a very striking effect, by the happy distribution of his light and shadow. The figures which he himself designed are but indifferent, which was a defect imputable to Claude Lorraine and Gaspar Poussin, as well as to Hobbima; but the latter, conscious of his inability in that respect, admitted but few figures into his designs, and those he usually placed somewhat removed from the immediate view, at a prudent distance from the front line. However, most of his pictures were supplied with figures by Ostade, Teniers, and other very famous masters, which must always give them a great additional value. The works of Hobbima are now exceedingly scarce, and industriously sought for. A very fine landscape of his, the property of the late Edward Coxe, esq. was sold a few years ago for nearly 700l.1

HOCCLEVE, or OCCLEVE (THOMAS), an ancient English poet, who scarcely, however, deserves the name, was born probably about 1370, and has been styled Chaucer's disciple. He studied law at Chester's Inn, in the Strand, and was a writer to the privy seal for above twenty years. When he quitted this office, or what means of subsistence he afterwards had, cannot be easily determined. Pits seems wrong in asserting that he was provided for by Humphrey duke of Gloucester. Nor is Bale more correct in saying that he had imbibed the religious tenets of Wickliff. From his poems the following scanty particulars of his history have been communicated by a learned friend: "He dwelt in the office of the privy seal, a writer unto the seal twenty-four years come Easter, and

1 Pilkington.

that is nigh.' The king granted him an annuity of twenty marks in the exchequer, which it appears he had much difficulty in getting paid. He expresses much doubt of obtaining it from yere to yere:' fears it may not be continued when he is no longer able to 'serve' (i. e. as a writer in the privy seal office). Besides this annuity he has but six marks coming in yearly in noo tide.' Speaks of dwelling at home in his pore coote,' and that more than two parts of his life are spent-he is ignorant of husbandry; scarcely could skare away the kite;' can neither use plough or harrow, knows not what land is good for what corn;' unable to fill a cart or barrow from long use to writing; descants on the troubles and difficulties attending writing; says that hit is welle grett laboure,' and contrasts very happily the life of an husbandman or artificer with that of a writer, adding that he has continued in He whilom' thought to writing twenty years and more. have been a priest, but now is married, having long waited for a benefice; describes the corruption in his office, but that no share of the bribes come to the clerks. Name 'Okkleve' acquainted with Chaucer-has small knowledge of Latin and of French. He is advised to complain to the prince that he cannot get paid in the exchequer, and petition that his patent be removed into the haniper, but observes this cannot be done because of the ordinance,' for 'longe after this shall noo graunt be chargeable.' He says my lorde the prince is good lorde' to him, and is advised. to write him a goodlie tale or two,' therein to avoid flattery, and write nothinge that sowneth to vice,'" &c.

Hoccleve is supposed to have died in 1454. Some of his poems were printed by Mr. George Mason, in 1796, 4to, from a MS. in his possession, and a preface, notes, and glossary. The glossary is useful, but the attempt to revive the poems impotent. Instead, indeed, of removing, they confirm Warton's objection to him as a feeble poet, "whose chief merit seems to be, that his writings contributed to propagate and establish those improvements in our language, which were in his time beginning to take place." The most favourable specimen of Hoccleve's poetry is his "Story of Jonathas," which the reader will find in the "Shepherd's Pipe," by William Browne, author of Britannia's Pastorals.

1

1 Preface to Mason's edition -Extracts communicated by Mr. Archdeacon Nares from Mr. Sharp of Coventry.-Ellis's Specimens.-Warton's Hist, of Poetry.

HOCHSTETTER (ANDREW-ADAM), a protestant divine, was born at Tubingen, July 1688. After studying with credit in the principal universities of Germany, he became successively professor of eloquence, of moral philosophy, of divinity, and finally rector of Tubingen. He died at the same place, April 27, 1717. His principal works are, 1. "Collegium Puffendorfianum." 2. " De Festo Expiationis, et Hirco Azazel." 3. "De Conradino, 4. "De rebus Elbigensibus.' ultimo ex Suevis duce."

His historical works are in most esteem.'

HODGES (NATHANIEL), an English physician, was the son of Dr. Thomas Hodges, dean of Hereford, of whom there are three printed sermons. He was educated in Westminster-school, and became a student of Christ-church, Oxford, in 1648. In 1651 and 1654, he took the degrees of B. and M. A. and, in 1659, accumulated the degrees of B. and M. D. He settled in London, and was, in 1672, made fellow of the College of Physicians. He remained in the metropolis during the continuance of the plague in 1665, when most of the physicians, and Sydenham among the rest, retired to the country: and, with another of his brethren, he visited the infected during the whole of that terrible visitation. These two physicians, indeed, appear to have been appointed by the city of London to attend the diseased, with a stipend. Dr. Hodges was twice taken ill during the prevalence of the disease; but by the aid of timely remedies he recovered. His mode of performing his perilous duty was to receive early every morning, at his own house, the persons who came to give reports of the sick, and convalescents, for advice; he then made his forenoon visits to the infected, causing a pan of coals to be carried before him with perfumes, and chewing troches while he was in the sick chamber. He repeated his visits in the afternoon. His chief prophylactic was a liberal use of Spanish wine, and cheerful society after the business of the day. It is much to be lamented that such a man afterwards fell into unfortunate circumstances, and was confined for debt in Ludgate prison, where he died in 1684. His body was interred in the church of St. Stephen's, Walbrook, London, where a monument is erected to him. He is author of two works: 1." Vindicia Medicinæ et Medicorum: An Apology for the Profession and Professors

1 Dict. Hist.

of Physic, &c. 1660," 8vo. 2. "Aquorvia: sive, pestis nuperæ apud populum Londinensem grassantis narratio historica," 1672, 8vo. A translation of it into English was printed at London in 1720, 8vo, under the following title: "Loimologia, or, an Historical Account of the Plague of London in 1665, with precautionary Directions against the like Contagion. To which is added, an Essay on the different causes of pestilential diseases, and how they become contagious. With remarks on the infection now in France, and the most probable means to prevent its spreading here;" the latter by John Quincy, M. D. In 1721, there was printed at London, in 8vo, "A collection of very valuable and scarce pieces relating to the last plague in 1665;" among which is "An account of the first rise, progress, symptoms, and cure of the Plague; being the substance of a letter from Dr. Hodges to a person of quality, dated from his house in Watling-street, May the 8th, 1666." The author of the preface to this collection calls our author a faithful historian and diligent physician ;" and tells us, that "he may be reckoned among the best observers in any age of physic, and has given us a true picture of the plague in his own time.""

HODGES (WILLIAM), an English landscape painter, was born in London, in 1744, and received his tuition in the art from Wilson, whom he assisted for some time, and under whom he acquired a good eye for colouring, and great freedom and boldness of hand; but unluckily, like too many pupils, he caught the defects of his master more powerfully than his beauties; and was, in consequence, too loose in his definition of forms, by which means, that which added grace to the works of the master, became slovenliness in the pupil. "Hodges," says Fuseli, "had the boldness and neglect of Wilson, but not genius enough to give authority to the former, or make us forgive the latter: too inaccurate for scene-painting, too mannered for local representation, and not sublime or comprehensive enough for poetic landscape; yet, by mere decision of band, nearer to excellence than mediocrity; and, perhaps, superior to some who surpassed him in perspective, or diligence of execution." He accepted an appointment to go out draughtsman with captain Cook on his second voyage to the South Seas, from which he returned after an ab

Ath. Ox. vol. II.-Gen, Dict.-Rees's Cyclopædia.

sence of three years, and painted some pictures for the admiralty, of scenes in Otaheite and Ulietea. Afterwards, under the patronage of Warren Hastings, he visited the East Indies, where he acquired a decent fortune. On his return home, after practising the art some time, he engaged in commercial and banking speculations; which not proving successful, he sunk under the disappointment, and died in 1797.'

HODY (HUMPHREY), an eminent English divine, was born Jan. 1, 1659, at Odcombe in the county of Somerset, of which place his father was rector. He discovered while a boy, a great propensity to learning; and, in 1676, was admitted into Wadham-college, Oxford, of which he was chosen fellow in 1684. When he was only in his twenty-first year he published his "Dissertation against Aristeas's History of the Seventy-two Interpreters." The substance of that history of Aristeas, concerning the seventy-two Greek interpreters of the Bible, is this: Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, and founder of the noble library at Alexandria, being desirous of enriching that library with all sorts of books, committed the care of it to Demetrius Phalereus, a noble Athenian then living in his court. Demetrius being informed, in the course of his inquiries, of the Law of Moses among the Jews, acquainted the king with it; who signified his pleasure, that a copy of that book, which was then only in Hebrew, should be sent for from Jerusalem, with interpreters from the same place to translate it into Greek. A deputation was accordingly sent to Eleazar the high-priest of the Jews at Jerusalem; who sent a copy of the Hebrew original, and seventy-two interpreters, six out of each of the twelve tribes, to translate it into Greek. When they were come to Egypt the king caused them to be conducted into the island of Pharos near Alexandria, in apartments prepared for them, where they completed their translation in seventy-two days. Such is the story told by Aristeas, who is said to be one of king Ptolemy's court. Hody shews that it is the invention of some HelJenist Jew; that it is full of anachronisms and gross blunders; and, in short, was written on purpose to recommend and give greater authority to the Greek version of the Old Testament, which from this story has received the name of the Septuagint. This dissertation was received with the

1 Pilkington, by Fuseli.-Edwards's Continuation of Walpole.