Dictionary of Phrase and Fable—H

Hempe

(1 syl.). When hempe is spun England is done. Lord Bacon says he heard the prophecy when he was a child, and he interpreted it thus: Hempe is composed of the initial letters of H enry, E dward, M ary, P hilip, and E lizabeth. At the close of the last reign “England was done,” for the sovereign no longer styled himself “King of England,” but “King of Great Britain and Ireland.” (See Notarica.)

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
Hempen Caudle
Hemp
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

More on Hempe from Fact Monster:

  • hemp - hemp hemp, common name for a tall annual herb (Cannabis sativa) of the family Cannabinaceae, native ...
  • Tampico hemp - Tampico hemp Tampico hemp, fiber of various tropical American plants, among them the agave (see ...
  • Manila hemp - Manila hemp Manila hemp, the most important of the cordage fibers. It is obtained chiefly from the ...
  • sisal hemp - sisal hemp sisal hemp [from Sisal, former chief port of Yucatan], important cordage fiber obtained ...
  • henequen - henequen henequen : see sisal hemp.

Related Content