HILTON, William, R.A., the son of a portrait-painter of Newark, was born at Lincoln, June 3, 1786, and was placed with J. R. Smith, the engraver, in London in 1800. He soon obtained admission into the academy as a student, and became an exhibiter in 1803. He early devoted himself to those poetical and religious subjects for which he eventually became distinguished. Neither his subjects, however, nor his style were popular, and the majority of his pictures remained on his hands till his death on the 30th December, 1839. There was a very good display of Hilton's works at the British institution, in the exhibition of "old masters" in 1840, and unhappily most of them were taken from his own studio. His works show a refined taste, and his colouring is harmonious and rich; but though distinguished among the historical painters of England, his reputation is not European. He had a method of painting with asphaltum, which is softened by heat a few degrees above temperate; and in Hilton's pictures it has become soft, and has slipped down on the surface, doing to many of his works irreparable injury. Those who knew Hilton describe him as a man of much intelligence and great amiability.—R. N. W.
HIMMEL, Friedrich Heinrich, a musician greatly overrated in general esteem, was born at Treuenbritzen in Brandenburg, 20th November, 1765, and died at Berlin, 8th June, 1814. Designed for the church, he went to study theology at Halle; but an opportunity occurred for Frederick the Great to hear him play on the pianoforte, which he had practised for his recreation, and the king was so pleased with his talent, that he sent him to Dresden for three years to become Naumann's pupil for composition, and granted him a pension to defray his expenses. Himmel went to Berlin with his oratorio of "Isacco," as a specimen of the good use he had made of the royal bounty; and on hearing this work the king presented him with a hundred Frederics d'Or, appointed him chamber composer, and sent him to Italy to extend his studies. In 1794 Himmel produced his first opera, "Il primo Navigatore," at Venice, and another work of the same class at Naples in the January following. He was then appointed kapellmeister to the Prussian monarch; and finding, on his arrival at Potsdam, the town destroyed by fire, he inaugurated himself in his new office by giving a concert for the benefit of the sufferers. In 1798 he obtained leave of absence to visit Stockholm and Petersburg; he composed an opera for the latter place, where he was much féted, and returned through Riga and Copenhagen. In 1801 Himmel was again in Berlin, producing operas. He obtained a second leave of absence in 1802, to visit Paris, London, and Vienna. He then once more resumed the duties of his office, and brought out "Fanchon," the best and most esteemed of his operas, in 1805. He went with the queen of Prussia to Pyrmont in 1806; after this he visited Cassel, where he wrote a cantata on the elector's accession, and then finally returned to Berlin. Besides his sacred and dramatic works, and several secular cantatas, Himmel composed extensively for the pianoforte, wrote very many detached songs, and a large collection of dance music.—G. A. M.
HINCKS, Edward, D.D., was born in the city of Cork, about the close of last century. He studied at Trinity college, Dublin, of which he became a fellow; and officiated for thirty years as incumbent of Killileagh. Dr. Hincks was greatly distinguished as a philologist, and will be remembered as one of the principal restorers of Assyrian learning. To the decipherment and translation of cuneiform inscriptions he devoted himself for many years with ability and success. We cannot enumerate his separate published articles, but he determined the value of characters before unknown; he was the first to ascertain the numeral system, and the form and power of its signs, by means of the inscriptions at Van; and he threw much light upon the linguistic character and grammatical structure of the languages represented on the Assyrian monuments. His system is the same in effect as that of Rawlinson, and one of his chief triumphs was his translation of part of the inscription of Tiglath Pileser I., along with Rawlinson, Fox Talbot, and Oppert. He died in 1867.—B. H. C.
HINCMAR, Archbishop of Rheims, was born in France early in the ninth century. We first meet with him in the character of a monk in the abbey of St. Denis, of which Hilduin was at that time abbot. To Hilduin he was closely attached; and so far espoused his cause, that when in 830 the abbot retired to Saxony in disgrace, Hincmar accompanied him. But before this Hincmar had attracted attention by his courtly address, his superior talents, his literary tastes, and, not unlikely, his honourable birth. He had been introduced to Louis the Meek, who was captivated by his engaging manners, When Hilduin returned to court Hincmar reappeared there with him; and, indeed, is said to have persuaded the king to pardon him. On the accession of Charles the Bald, Hincmar played his part with so much address, that he was soon taken from his abbey and established at court. In 845 he was elected archbishop of Rheims as the successor of Ebbo who had been deposed. Lothaire, the rival of Charles, demanded, however, that the case of the archbishop should be tried afresh. The pope, to whom this demand was addressed, consented; but the tactics of the opposite party triumphed, and the sentence against Ebbo was confirmed. Soon after, in 848, the celebrated Gotteschalcus (see that name), who had been condemned at the council of Mainz, fell into the hands of Hincmar, who showed in his treatment of his prisoner that he had as slender an acquaintance with gospel charity as he had with the doctrines of grace. The decree by which he deposed all the clergy ordained by Ebbo after his degradation, was revoked by the pope himself. In the year 856 Hincmar placed the crown upon the head of Judith, the queen of Ethelwolf the Saxon king. Soon after, about 860, we find him pursuing with implacable enmity Rothad the bishop of Soissons, whose crime appears to have been that he could not reconcile himself to Hincmar's unfeeling persecution of Gotteschalcus. Rothad had deposed a priest who had been convicted of crime. Hincmar ordered his restoration, which Rothad refused; whereupon Hincmar summoned a council of his satellites at Soissons, by whom Rothad was deposed and committed to prison. Hincmar was summoned to appear at Rome for this, but did not go. The pope rebuked him, and restored Rothad. Shortly afterwards, commanded by the pope to instal Hilduin in the see of Cambray, Hincmar stubbornly refused. A great storm was the consequence, but Hincmar braved it out, and for once gained the pope to his side. In 866 he placed the crown on the head of Queen Hermintrude. Three years afterwards he presided at the coronation of Charles, king of Lorraine, and in 877 at that of Louis the Stammerer. On the irruption of the Normans in 882, he retired to Epernay, where he died at the close of the same year. For a long period he was a sort of pope of France, and, along with an absolute authority in the church, exercised an almost absolute domination in the state. He founded schools for the clergy of his diocese, and collected valuable manuscripts for his cathedral. Besides his works, as collected by Sirmond in 1645, he wrote numerous other pieces.—B. H. C.
HINCMAR, Bishop of Laon, nephew of the preceding, and educated by him. With fatal imprudence he supported the popes in opposition to Charles the Bald and Hincmar his uncle. He took upon himself to imitate the arrogance and importance of his uncle, whose abilities he did not possess. His clergy complained of his behaviour to the king, who rebuked him; whereupon, in an evil hour, he appealed from the king to the pope, and excommunicated his clergy. For these and other rash measures he was accused by his uncle at the synod of Donzi in 871, by which he was deposed and thrown into prison. To aggravate his misery and degradation, his eyes were put out, with at least the connivance of his uncle. His deposition was confirmed by Pope John VIII., who, two years later, allowed him to say mass, and to have part of the income of his see. He died about 880, leaving no writings of importance.—B. H. C.
HIND, John Russell, was born at Nottingham on the 12th of May, 1823. Notwithstanding an early predilection for the science of astronomy, he was placed by his father in 1840 in the office of a civil engineer in London. He remained but a short time, however, in this employment, having obtained in November of the same year, through the interest of Professor Wheatstone, an appointment as an assistant in the royal observatory at Greenwich. In this capacity he continued about four years, gaining reputation for the accuracy of his observations. A government commission having been appointed in 1844 to ascertain by measurement the astronomical difference of longitude on the arc of parallel, extending from Greenwich to the island of Valentia on the southwest coast of Ireland, and comparison with the geodetic difference of longitude, Mr. Hind was chosen to assist in the operations, and especially employed in the important duty of taking the transits at Kingston. Soon after his return to London he undertook, at the recommendation of Professor Airy, the superintendence of the private observatory
