HOUGHTON, RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES, 1ST LORD (1809-1885).—­Poet, s. of Robert (known as “single-speech”) M., b. in London, and ed. privately and at Camb.  He sat in the House of Commons for Pontefract from 1837-63, when he was raised to the Peerage.  His interests were, however, mainly literary and philanthropic, and it was said of him that he “knew everybody worth knowing at home and abroad;” and his sympathies being of the widest, he was able to bring together the most opposite extremes of life and opinion.  He championed the cause of oppressed nationalities, and of the slave.  He pub. many vols. of poetry, among which were Poetry for the People (1840), and Palm Leaves (1848).  He also wrote a Life of Keats, and various books of travels.  Though he had not the depth of mind or intensity of feeling to make a great poet, his verse is the work of a man of high culture, graceful and refined, and a few of his shorter poems—­such as The Beating of my own Heart, and Strangers Yet, strike a true note which gained for them wide acceptance.

HOWARD, EDWARD (d. 1841).—­Novelist, a sea-comrade of Captain Marryat, and as sub ed. assisted him in conducting the Metropolitan Magazine.  He wrote several sea novels, of which Rattlin the Reefer, sometimes attributed to Marryat, is the best known.  Others were Outward Bound and Jack Ashore.

HOWARD, SIR ROBERT (1626-1698).—­Dramatist, s. of the Earl of Berkshire, and brother-in-law of Dryden.  On the outbreak of the Civil War he was of the King’s party, and was imprisoned during the Commonwealth.  After the Restoration, however, he was in favour with the Court, and held many important posts.  He wrote some plays, of which the best was The Committee, and collaborated with Dryden in The Indian Queen.  He was at odds with him, however, on the question of rhyme, the use of which he wrote against in very indifferent blank verse.

HOWE, JOHN (1630-1705).—­Puritan divine, b. at Loughborough, of which his f. was curate, studied at Camb., and became, in 1652, minister of Great Torrington, Devonshire, where he was famous for the unusual length of his sermons and prayers.  In 1657 Oliver Cromwell made him his resident chaplain at Whitehall, a position which he retained under Richard C., so long as the latter held the office of Protector.  On the Restoration H. returned to Great Torrington, from which, however, he was ejected in 1662.  Thereafter he wandered from place to place, preaching in secret until 1671, when he went to Ireland as chaplain to Lord Massareene, and in 1675 he became minister of a dissenting congregation in London.  In 1685 he travelled with Lord Wharton on the Continent, but returned in 1687 to London, where he d. in 1705.  H. was the author of many excellent works of practical divinity, among which are The Living Temple, Inquiry into the Doctrine of the Trinity, and The Divine Presence.  The substance of his writings is better than their style, which is involved and extremely diffuse, and evinces much vigour of mind.  H. is described as of a fine presence and dignified manners.