HONE, WILLIAM, the author of the Year Book, Every-Day Book, &c., was the son of a dissenting minister of Bath, where he was born in 1780. Abandoning the law, to which he was originally trained, he began business as a bookseller and publisher, and acquired a great name by his vindication of popular rights in a newspaper which he edited under the title of the Reformist Register. His popu-
larity was greatly extended by his famous series of political satires called The Political House that Jack built, which ran through upwards of fifty editions, and contributed greatly to bring into disrepute the government of the day. Encouraged by his success, he next published a series of parodies of the liturgy, also directed against the ruling powers, who determined to prosecute him for blasphemy. His defence, which lasted for three days, was conducted by himself with a courage, temper, and ability that recalled the days of Horne Tooke, and resulted in a triumphant acquittal. His subsequent publications of the Every-Day Book, &c., forming a kind of calendar of popular English amusements, sports, pastimes, ceremonies, manners, customs, and events incident to every day in the year, though they rendered good service to an important department of literature, involved him in debt, and at last landed him in jail, where he remained for some time. Released by the kindness of some friends, he opened the Grasshopper Coffee-house; and to eke out his scanty means, published his Year-Book, which was equally unfortunate with its predecessor. Towards the close of his life a complete change took place in his religious views; and from having been a scoffer, and as nearly an atheist as a man can be, he became a humble and anxious Christian. One result of this change was his appointment to the sub-editorship of the Patriot newspaper, which office he held till his death in 1842. After his death his collection of pamphlets, believed to be the best private collection then extant in England, was sold and dispersed. An interesting account of his conversion was published in London in 1853.