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tiered interesting, by being the subject of one of the noblest tra-gedies of Shakespeare . Adjoining to a royal palace, which standsabout half a mile from Cronburg in Eisineur, is a garden, which,Mr. Coxe informs us, is called Hamlet’s Garden, and is said tobe the spot where his father was murdered. The house is of mo-dern date, and is situated at the foot of a sandv ridge near the sea.The garden occupies the side of the hill, and is laid out in ter-races rising above each other. The original history, from whichthe poet derived the principal incidents of his play, is founded up-on facts, but so deeply buried in remote antiquity that it is difficultto discriminate truth from fable. Saxo-Grammaticus , who flou-rished in the 12th century, is the earliest historian of Denmark who relates the adventures of Hamlet . IIis account is much al-tered, by Bellcforest, a French author, a translation of whose ro-mance was published under the title of “ The Ilistorye of Ilam-blet;” from which Shakespeare formed the ground-work of hisplay.

Hami.et, Hamel, or II-AMrsEL, was formerly used for partof a village or parish. Spelman makes a difference between vil-lain integram. viilam dimidiam, and bamletam ; and Stow ex-rounds it to be the seat of a freeholder. Several county townstave hamlets.

HAMMER, [ha?ner, Saxon ; hammer, Danish,3 a well knowntool used by r mechanics, consisting of an iron-head fixed crosswiseupon a handle of wood. There are several sorts of hammers usedby blacksmiths; as, '..The hand-hammer, which is of such weightthat it may be wielded with one hand at the anvil. 2. The up-haiul sledge-hammer used with both hands, and seldom liftedabove the head. 3. The about sledge-hammer, which is the big-gest of all, and held by both hands at the farthest end of the han-dle ; and being swung at anns-lengdi over the head, is made tofail upon the work with as heavy a blow as possible. 'The smallesthammer used by smiths is called a rivetting-haimner, hut is seldomused at the forge unless upon small work.

HAMMERING, in coining. A piece of money or a medalis said to he hammered, when the impression is given with a ham-mer and not with a mill.

HAMMERMEN, in the polity of the royal boroughs of Scot-land , the name of an incorporation, which comprehends most ofthose artizans wdio make use of hammers; such as goldsmiths,jewellers, watch-maker's, coppersniiths, braziers, blacksmiths, tin-plate workers, cutlers, gun-smiths, founders, sadlers, Ac.

HAMMOCK , [luimaca, Saxon,] swinging-beds for seamen tosleep in. They are suspended between two trees, posts, hooks,or the like, and are much used throughout, the West Indies , as wellas on board of ships. The Indians hang their hammocks on trees,to secure themselves from wild beasts and insects.

IIAMONT, or IIELMONT, a town of France , in. the de-partment of the Lower Meuse, and late bishopric ol Liege , 17miles \V. of Ruremond.

HAMPDEN, John, Esq. of Hamden , a celebrated patriot,

descended of an ancient family in Buckinghamshire , was born at

London in 1594. He was cousin german to Oliver Cromwell ,his mother being Oliver ’s aunt. In 1609 he was sent to Magda-len College, Oxford, whence he went to the inns of court, wherehe made a considerable progress in the law. He was elected amember of the parliament, which began at Westminster, Feb. 5,1626; and served in all the succeeding parliaments in the reignof Charles 1 . In 1636 he became universally known, by his re-fusal to pay shipmoney, as being an illegal tax; upon which beWas prosecuted, and h:s conduct throughout this transaction gain-ed him a great character. When the long parliament began, theeyes of all men were fixed on him as their pater palrix. On Ja-nuary 3, 1644, the king ordered articles of high treason and othermisdemeanours to be prepared against Lord KimboHon, Mr.Hampden, and four other members of the House of Commons ,and went to that house to seize them : but they had retired. Mr.Hampden afterwards made a speech in the bouse to clear himselfof the charge laid against him. In the beginning of the civil war1'e commanded a regiment of foot, and was of great service to theparliament at the battle of Edge-hill. He received a mortalWound in the shoulder in an engagement w ith Prince Rupert , onthe 18th of June 1643, atChalgravefield in Oxford-lure; and diedon the 24th. He had the art of Socrates , of interrogating, andUnder the pretence of doubts, insinuating objections, so that lie

infused his own opinions into those from whom he appeared (•learn them.

HAMPSHIRE, or HANTS, or SOUTHAMPTON , acounty of England, bounded on the N. by Berkshire . It extends55 miles in length from N. to S. 40 in breadth from E. to W. andis about 220 miles in circumference. The air is very pure, espe-cially upon the downs, on which vast flocks of sheep are kept andbred. In the champaign-part of the county, the soil is very fertile,producing all kinds of grain. The rivers are the Avon, Anton,Arle, 'l'est, Stour, and Itchen ; besides several smaller streams, allabounding in fish.

Hampshire, New, one of the United States of North Ame-rica, bounded on the N. by Lower Canada . It lies between 2*41' and 4° 29' Lon. E. of Philadelphia ; and between 42° 41' and45° 30' Lat. N.

HAMPTON, a town of Middlesex, on the Thames , 15 milesW. S. W. of London, and two from Richmond and Kingstown .It is chiefly famous for its royal palace, called Hampton - Court ,which is the finest in Britain .

Hampton, a sea-port of Virginia , 18 miles S. E. of York-Tow n, and 371 S. S. W. of Philadelphia .

I1ANAPER, or HAMPER, an office in chancery, under the-direction of a master, his deputy, and clerks, comptroller, Ac. an-swering, in seme measure, to the iiscus among the Romans.

Hanaper, the Clerk or Warden of the, receivesalso all money due for commissions, and writs; and attends thekeeper of the seal daily in term time, and at term-time of sealing ;and takes into his custody all sealed charters, patents, &c. whichhe receives into bags, but anciently, it is supposed, into hampers,,which gave name to the office.

^ II AN A U, or IIANAU MUNZENBERG, a late county ofGermany , hounded by the electorate of Mcntz, the bishopricof Fulda , the lordships of Reineck, and Solms ; the territoriesof Ilesse-IIomburgh, Friedburgh,and Frankfort. Its length was 45miles; its greatest breadth not above 15. It is very fer'ile incorn, wine, and fruits; and has salt-springs, with mines of copper,silver, and cobalt. The chief rivers are the Marne, the Kinzig,and the Nidda. The prevailing religion is Calvinism, but Luthe-rans and Catholics are tolerated. The chief towns are llanau,Bergen , Stemau, and Glenhausen.

IIanau, the capital of the above county, eight miles east ofFrankfort.

I1ANAZO, a river of Abyssinia.

IlANBOROUCH, two villages in Oxfordshire .

FIANCES, in architecture, the ends of elliptical arches; andthese are tire arches of smaller circles than the scheme, or middle-part of the arch.

IIances, in a ship, falls cf the fife-rails placed on bannisters onthe poop and quarter-deck down to the gangway.

HANCOCK, a county of the United Slates in the district ofMaine , hounded on the E. by Washington county.

HAND , a member of the human body, at the extremity of thearm. See xVnatomy. The mechanism of the hand is excellentlyfitted for the various uses and occasions w ! e have for it, and thegreat number of arts and manufactures it is to be employed in. Itconsists of a oompages of nerves, and little bones joined into eachother, which give it a great degree of strength, and at the sametime an unusual flexibility, to enable it to handle adjacent bodies,lay hold of them, and grasp them, in order either to draw themtoward us, or thrust them off. Anaxagoras is said to have main-tained that man owes all his wisdom, knowledge, and superiorityover other animals, to the use of his hands. But Galen morejustly remarks, that man is not the wisest creature, because he hashands; but he had hands given him because he was the wisestcreature; for it was not our hands that taught us arts, but our rea-son. The hands are the organs of reason, &c. In scripture theword hand is variously applied. To pour water on any one’s hand,signifies to serve him. To wash the hands was a ceremony usedto denote innocence from murder or manslaughter. To kiss thehand was an act of adoration. To fill the hand signified takingpossession of the priesthood, and performing functions. To leanupon any one’s hand was a mark of familiarity and superiority.To give the hand signifies to grant peace, swear friendship, pro-mise security, or make alliance. The right-hand was the place ofhonour and respect. Amongst the Greeks and Romans it was[ customary