*HORNE, RICHARD HENRY, was born about the commence ment of the present century. He was for a short rime at Sandhurst, in expectation of a military appointment in the East India Company's service ; but when he left that school, he entered into the Mexican service as midshipman, in which he remained until the termination of the war with Spain. On the conclusion of the war Mr. Horne turned his attention to literature. After contributing to the peri odicals of the time, be wrote several dramas on the Elizabethan models, which he had already largely extolled. The Death of Mar lowe,' and 'Comm de Medicie; both published in 1837, were followed by 'The Death Fetch,' and, in 1340, by Gregory the Seventh,' to which was added a critical essay on Tragic lufluence. About this time Mr. home published a work called An Exposition of the False Medium, excluding Men of Genius from the Public,' in which he endeavours to show that the external machinery of literature deprives it of much of its internal influence. These views were probably derived from his own experience mainly, for it ie evident that the works of Mr. Horne did not sell. He had founded, or allied himself with, a body of literary men holding peculiar views, and calling themselves Syncritics, who, admired and followed by a few, were decried or neglected by the many. Mr. Home's next work was a 'Life of Napoleon ' (Tyas'a Illustrated Editiou), published in 1841; and in 1843 much merriment was excited by the announcement, ' Orion : an Epic Poem. Price One Farthing.' It was understood as an indignantly sar castic, concession to the public appreciation of the value of such things.
However, a very large number of farthing copies were sold; subse quent editions at a penny, at half-a•crowu, and at five shillings, made ' Orion' a good speculation, and secured its perusal by numbers who consider it one of the beet epics of modern times. It contains lines which have passed into daily use. This was followed next year by ' A New Spirit of the Age,' 2 vole., a work on the principle of Hazlitt's ' Spirit of the Age.' It contains some fine criticisms of modern writers, with, of course, many exaggerative pros and cons, sins of omission and commission. 'Ballad Romances ' followed in 1846; 'Judas Iscariot, a Miracle Play, with Poems,' in 1848; 'The Poor Artist; or Seven Eyesights and one Object,' in 1850; and the Dreamer and the Worker, a Story of the Present Time,' 2 vole., in 1851. Mr. Horne has edited The Monthly Repository,' and con tributed largely to the ' Church of England Quarterly,' the 'New Quarterly,' and to ' Household Words.' His last dramatic work, 'Aleargis,' was produced in the present year, 1856, at Drury Lane Theatre. In 1852 Mr. Horne accompanied Mr. Hewitt and some other friends to Australia, and met with various fortunes. Finding the labours and privations of gold-digging too severe, he became consecu tively:a Chief of Mounted Police, and a Gold Commissioner. Some of his experiences may be traced, anonymously, in 'Household Words.' HORNE TOOKE. [Tomos.]