HIGDEN, RANULF or RALPH (d. 1364).—­Chronicler, is believed to have been b. in the West of England, took the monastic vow (Benedictine), at Chester in 1299, and seems to have travelled over the North of England.  His fame rests on his Polychronicon, a universal history reaching down to contemporary events.  The work is divided into 7 books and, though of no great value as an authority, has an interest as showing the state of historical and geographical knowledge at the time.  Written in Latin, it was translated into English by John of Trevisa (q.v.) (1387), and printed by Caxton (1482), and by others.  Another translation of the 15th century was issued in the Rolls Series.  For two centuries it was an approved work.  H. wrote various other treatises on theology and history.

HILL, AARON (1685-1750).—­Dramatist and miscellaneous writer, s. of a country gentleman of Wiltshire, was ed. at Westminster School, and thereafter made a tour in the East.  He was the author of 17 dramatic pieces, some of them, such as his versions of Voltaire’s Zaire and Merope, being adaptations.  He also wrote a quantity of poetry, which, notwithstanding some good passages, is as a general rule dull and pompous.  Having written some satiric lines on Pope he received in return a niche in The Dunciad, which led to a controversy, in which H. showed some spirit.  Afterwards a reconciliation took place.  He was a friend and correspondent of Richardson, whose Pamela he highly praised.  In addition to his literary pursuits H. was a great projector, but his schemes were usually unsuccessful.  He was a good and honourable man, but over-impressed with his own importance.

HINTON, JAMES (1822-1875).—­Writer on sociology and psychology, s. of a Baptist minister, became a successful aurist, but his attention being arrested by social questions, he gave more and more of his time to the consideration and exposition of these.  Open-minded and altruistic, his books are full of thought and suggestion.  Among his writings may be mentioned Man and his Dwelling-place (1859), The Mystery of Pain (1866), The Law of Human Life (1874), Chapters on the Art of Thinking (1879), and Philosophy and Religion (1881).

HOADLEY, BENJAMIN (1676-1761).—­Theologian and controversialist, ed. at Camb., entered the Church, and became Bishop successively of Bangor, Hereford, Salisbury, and Winchester.  He was a great supporter of the Revolution, and controvertor of the doctrines of divine right and passive obedience.  His works were generally either the causes of controversy or elicited by it.  One of his sermons, On the Nature of the Kingdom or Church of Christ was the originating cause of what was known as the Bangorian controversy, which raged for a long time with great bitterness.