HEROPHILUS, a celebrated Greek physician who lived into the 3rd century B.C., born at Chalcedon, and settled at Alexandria, where he devoted himself specially to anatomy and helped to found the medical school in that city; his zeal is said to have led him to dissect criminals alive; some of his writings are yet extant.

HERRERA, ANTONIO, Spanish historian, born at Cuellar; under Philip II. he became historiographer of the Indies and Castile; he was a voluminous writer, and his “Description of the Indies,” “History of the World in the Reign of Philip II.,” from their fairness and accuracy are reckoned authoritative works on Spanish history (1549-1625).

HERRERA, FERNANDO DE, Spanish poet, born at Seville, and took orders; in his lifetime his lyrics enjoyed a wide popularity, and won for him the epithet “divine”; his “Battle of Lepanto” is a spirited ode, and many of his other works, including a prose history of the “War in Cyprus,” are still read (1534-1597).

HERRERA, FRANCISCO, a distinguished Spanish painter, founder of the Seville school, born at Seville; his finest paintings include “The Last Judgment” and a “Holy Family,” both in churches at Seville; others are in the Louvre, Paris; they exhibit boldness of execution with faultless technique (1576-1656).  He is known as El viejo, “the elder,” to distinguish him from FRANCISCO HERRERA, his son, also a noted painter (1622-1685).

HERRICK, ROBERT, a Caroline poet, born in London, of good family; was incumbent of Dean Prior in Devonshire; author of the “Hesperides,” published in 1648, a collection of “gay and charming” pieces, “in which,” says Stopford Brooke, “Horace and Tibullus seem to mingle their peculiar art, which never misses its aim nor fails in exquisite execution” (1591-1674).

HERRNHUT, a small Saxon town, 50 m.  E. of Dresden; gave name to a colony of Moravian Brethren who took refuge there in 1792, and were protected by Count Zinzendorf.

HERSCHEL, SIR JOHN, astronomer, only son of Sir William; prosecuted with great diligence and success the same researches as his father; spent four years at the Cape, and added much to our knowledge of the stars and meteorology; contributed a “Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy” to Lardner’s “Cyclopaedia,” and an excellent “Treatise on Astronomy,” afterwards extended (1790-1871).

HERSCHEL, LUCRETIA, sister of the succeeding; was his assistant, and made important observations of her own, which were published; retired after her brother’s death to Hanover, where she died (1750-1848).

HERSCHEL, SIR WILLIAM, a distinguished astronomer, born at Hanover; son of a musician, and bred to the profession; came to England at the end of the Seven Years’ War, and obtained sundry appointments as an organist; gave his leisure time to the study of astronomy and survey of the heavens; discovered the planet Uranus in 1781, which he called Georgium sidus in honour of George III., discovered also the two innermost belts of Saturn, as well as drew up a catalogue of 5000 heavenly bodies or clusters of them (1738-1822).