Chapter Hermesind to Hero of H by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Hermionêe (The lady) or lady Erminia Pauletti, privately married to lord Dalgarno.—Sir W. Scott: Fortunes of Nigel (time, James I.).

Hermit, the pseudonym of the poet Hayley, the friend of Cowper.

Hermit (The), a ballad by Goldsmith (1766). It resembles The Friar of Orders Gray in Percy’s Reliques, but was published before it. The hero and heroine are Edwin and Angelina (q.v.). It contains the well- known lines—

Man wants but little here below,
Nor wants that little long.

Parnell wrote a poem called The Hermit (1710). It opens with these lines—

Far in a wild, unknown to public view,
From youth to age a reverend hermit grew;
The moss his bed, the cave his humble cell,
His food the fruits, his drink the crystal well;
Remote from men, with God he passed his days,
Prayer all his business, all his pleasure praise.

The English Hermit, Roger Crab, who subsisted on three farthings a week, his food being bran, herbs, roots, dock leaves, and mallows (*-1680).

Peter the Hermit, the instigator of the first crusade (1050–1115).

Hermit and the Youth (The). A hermit, desirous to study the ways of Providence, met with a youth, who became his companion. The first night, they were most hospitably entertained by a nobleman, but at parting the young man stole his entertainer’s golden goblet. Next day, they obtained with difficulty of a miser shelter from a severe storm, and at parting the youth gave him the golden goblet. Next night, they were modestly but freely welcomed by one of the middle class, and at parting the youth “crept to the cradle where an infant slept, and wrung its neck;” it was the only child of their kind host. Leaving the hospitable roof, they lost their way, and were set right by a guide, whom the youth pushed into a river, and he was drowned. The hermit began to curse the youth, when lo! he turned into an angel, who thus explained his acts—

“I stole the goblet from the rich lord to teach him not to trust in uncertain riches. I gave the goblet to the miser to teach him that kindness always meets its reward. I strangled the infant because the man loved it better than he loved God. I pushed the guide into the river because he intended at night-fall to commit a robbery.” The hermit bent his head and cried, “The ways of the Lord are past finding out! but he doeth all things well. Teach me to say with faith, ‘Thy will be done!’“—Parnell (1679–1717).

In the Talmud is a similar and better allegory. Rabbi Jachanan accompanied Elijah on a journey, and they came to the house of a poor man, whose only treasure was a cow. The man and his wife ran to meet and welcome the strangers, but next morning the poor man’s cow died. Next night, they were coldly received by a proud, rich man, who fed them only with bread and water; and next morning Elijah sent for a mason to repair a wall which was falling down, in return for the hospitality received. Next night, they entered a synagogue, and asked, “Who will give a night’s lodging to two travellers?” but none offered to do so. At parting Elijah said, “I hope you will all be made presidents!” The following night they were lodged by the members of another synagogue in the best hotel of the place, and at parting Elijah said, “May the Lord appoint over you but one president!” The rabbi, unable to keep silence any longer, begged Elijah to explain the meaning of his dealings with men; and Elijah replied—

“In regard to the poor man who received us so hospitably, it was decreed that his wife was to die that night, but in reward of his kindness, God took the cow instead of the wife. I repaired the wall he the rich miser because a chest of gold was concealed near the place, and if the miser had repaired the wall he would have discovered the treasure. I said to the inhospitable synagogue, ‘May each member be president!’ because with one head there can be no divisions of counsel. Say not, therefore, to the Lord,