delays and discouragements, the invading army, amounting to sixty thousand men and led by William in person, set sail from St. Vallery, and landed at Pevensey in Sussex on the 28th of September, 1066. Harold, meanwhile—who, since his accession, continued to win golden opinions from all by his princely liberality and the affability of his demeanour—had been called to the north of England to meet another foe, Harold Hardrade, the warlike king of Norway, who was ravaging that portion of his dominions. At Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire the Norwegian host was totally defeated, and their royal leader slain. Flushed with triumph, the English sovereign hastened back to encounter his Norman antagonist; and at Battle, near Hastings, on Saturday the 14th of October, 1066, was fought the celebrated engagement that fixed the future destinies of England. For nine hours the combat lasted, characterized on both sides by the most heroic bravery. Whether Norman or Saxon should prove victorious was long a matter of uncertainty; but Harold, after performing prodigies of valour, in the end fell transfixed by an arrow which, shot at random, penetrated his brain. This was the fatal signal for the flight of the English, and the success of the invading army was complete. So passed away the Saxon monarchy in England, after a continuance of six hundred years; and so perished its final illustrious representative, whose statesmanship and military genius were alike unable to save it from dissolution. Harold's remains were interred in Waltham Abbey, which had been founded by him before he was elevated to the throne.—J. J.
HAROUN-AL-RASHID, the famous caliph of Bagdad, whose name is so familiar to the readers of the Arabian Nights Entertainments, was born at Rei in Persia, a.h. 148 or 149 (a.d. 765 or 766). His father was the Caliph Mahadi, and his mother a slave. While yet a youth he was placed at the head of an expedition against the Greeks by his father's order, and succeeded so well that he laid waste various Asiatic provinces of the empire, led his troops to the shores of the Bosphorus, struck terror into the inhabitants of Constantinople, and compelled the haughty Empress Irene to purchase an ignominious peace by the payment of tribute. He commenced his reign about the year 170 of the Hegira, as the successor of his brother Hadi, who had been stifled by order of his mother. Hadi wished to deprive his brother of the succession, and had resolved to get rid of both him and his mother. The Arab historians narrate that this Hadi one day called into his presence Harthamah, a confidant, and bade him go forthwith and put to death Jahia his vizier, and Haroun his brother, then to kill all those of the house of Ali at that time in prison, and finally to march upon the city of Cufah and utterly destroy it. This wholesale immolation was prevented by the promptitude of Khaïzeran, the mother of Haroun. He forthwith revenged himself upon his enemies, appointed Jahia his vizier, and took measures for the defence of his territories. The pretender Giafar, his nephew, was cast into prison. He was the last of the caliphs who performed the pilgrimage to Mecca. Among the stories told of him is one of a ring set with a ruby, which was given him by his father as a token of his right to the succession. Hadi having required him to give up the ring, in a fit of anger he threw it into the Euphrates. After his accession he sent persons to seek for this ring, which was discovered at once. The energy and courage, as well as ability, he displayed in his conduct were crowned with such success, that no one of the race of the Abbasides was more powerful, or reigned over a wider territory. His dominions extended from Khorasan to Egypt. Wherever revolt appeared, he took prompt and energetic measures to suppress it; but if he was bold in the face of his enemies, he was often cruel and false in his behaviour towards them, when he had them in his power. He permitted the Barmekides to get possession of the chief offices and honours, but in a moment of caprice or suspicion deprived them of all they had. After suppressing them, Haroun is related to have forbidden all mention of them under pain of death; but an old man named Mondar daily placed himself before one of their deserted mansions, and spoke of their glory. The caliph having heard of this, summoned the man before him, and condemned him to die. The old man begged permission to say two words before he lost his head; this was accorded, and he spoke so powerfully of the obligations of the caliph's family to the Barmekides, that he obtained not only his pardon, but a present. About the year a.h. 187 (a.d. 803), war broke out again between the caliph and the Emperor Nicephorus, who refused to pay the tribute promised by Irene, and sent to Haroun a present of some swords instead. The caliph took the swords, and in the presence of the ambassador cut them asunder with his samsamah, a scimitar of fabulous temper; at the same time he sent the following note to Nicephorus: "In the name of the most merciful God, Haroun-Al-Rashid, commander of the faithful, to Nicephorus the Roman dog. I have read thy letter, thou son of an unbelieving mother. Thou shalt not hear, but shalt behold my reply." This threat was at once fulfilled by the caliph, who marched at the head of his troops, carrying devastation before them till they reached and took possession of Heraclea. The historian of the empire says—"They swept the surface of Asia Minor far beyond Tyana and Ancyra, and invested the Pontic Heraclea, once a flourishing state, now a paltry town; at that time capable of sustaining in her antique walls a month's siege against the forces of the East." The records of the warlike expeditions and exploits of Haroun are to be sought for partly in the Greek writers of the history of the period, Cedrenus, Eutychius, Theophanes, and Zonaras; and partly in Oriental authors, as Abulfeda, Abulfaragi, and Elmacin. The French annalists record that Haroun was on friendly terms with Charlemagne, and presented to him a tent, a remarkable clock, an elephant, and the keys of the Holy Sepulchre. This story is, however, not well authenticated. It is certain that he could be liberal and generous, as he was in many respects both enlightened and well-informed; but he was luxurious and impulsive. His cultivation of letters to some extent, and his appreciation and patronage of literary men, as well as his encouragement of science, made him conspicuous in an age when the western world was relapsing into ignorance and degradation. The story of Mondar illustrates his susceptibility, and the following may be added. One day as he marched along at the head of his army, a woman came before him and complained that his soldiers had plundered her house. "Know ye not," said he, "what is written in the Koran, 'When princes pass in arms before a place, they make it desolate?'" She replied, "In the same book I have also read, 'But the houses of those princes shall be laid waste, because of their injustice.'" The caliph immediately commanded that full restitution should be made her. He maintained his court with great splendour, and had in his harem four hundred women, who all excelled in various accomplishments. After all, perhaps, Haroun owes his chief glory to the poets and other writers of Arabia, who were never weary of celebrating his praises. To these, and to the victories he gained over the eastern empire, we are indebted for the remembrance of his name in Europe, and not to his virtues and personal excellence. Haroun was seized by the sickness of which he died on an expedition which he made into Khorasan, to suppress a rebellion. He died at Thous in Khorasan in the year of the Hegira 193 (a.d. 809), leaving three sons, of whom Amin the eldest succeeded him in the caliphate.—B. H. C.
HARPALUS, an early and intimate friend of Alexander the Great, who intrusted him with all the treasures which he had amassed in Asia, and made him satrap of Babylon. When the conqueror advanced on his Indian campaign, Harpalus immediately began to play the tyrant. On hearing of Alexander's return he hastened back to Athens, taking with him five thousand talents, with which he corrupted the orators; and when Antipater demanded that he should be given up to justice, their powerful interest protected him. After the death of Alexander he proceeded with what remained of his treasures to the isle of Crete, where he was murdered by one of his friends.—G. BL.
HARPALUS, an astronomer, flourished about 480 b.c. He is alleged to have made some modification or improvement in the cycle called that of Cleostratus, used for computing the moon's motion previous to Meton's discovery of the cycle of nineteen years.—W. J. M. R.
HARPE, Jean François de la. See Laharpe.
HARPHIUS, Henricus, so called from Erp or Herp, a village in Belgium, was born early in the fifteenth century. He is remembered for his mystical writings, and especially the work "De Theologia Mystica," which has been repeatedly printed, although placed in the expurgatory index. Several others of his writings have attracted a certain measure of attention, but they are of too visionary a character for the present day. Harphius died at Malines in 1478.—B. H. C.
HARPOCRATION, Valerius, whom Suidas calls a rhetorician of Alexandria, was author of a Greek lexicon of the words in ten orators, and of some other works. Nothing is known of his life. The lexicon is extant, and contains a mass of curious information, in addition to explanations of words and phrases.
