HANDELMANN. 525 HANDSAW-FISH. With his /riend Theodor Leiiiiiaun he edited Jahrbiicher fiir die Landeskunde der Huzoij- liimer Hclilesuig-Holsteiu itnd Luucnbury ( 1S5S- 03). After several years devoted to American history, he turned his attention again to German antiquities, esi^ecially in his own province. In 186G he was made professor at Kiel and conserva- tor of the antiquities of Sehlesvii;-Il<ilstein. lian- delmann's other historical works include: tlc- schichte der ^ erciiiigten Staateii (id ed. IStiO) ; Oeschichle drr lii.scl Haiti (id ed. 1800); Ge- xcliichte ran Brusilieii (18()0): Die diiiiische Rcunioiisiiolilik inn die Zfit des Hicheiijiilirigen Kriegcs ( ISOO, 1S70). HAN'DEL SOCIETY. { 1 ) A society formed in England in 1843 for the purpose of publishing Handel's works. Its object was accomplished be- tween 1843 and 1858. The society, however, was dissolved in 1848. (2) A German society formed at Leipzig in 1850, which under the editorship of Chrysander has issued Handel's works in 100 folio volumes (1856-94). HANDFASTING t AS. handfastnuiig. a clasp- ing of the hand, from hand, hand H- fwnt- luing, fastening, from f<FStnian. to fasten, from fwst, OHG. ;V;.v^(. Ger. (est. fast. firm). An an- cient ceremonial of betrothal, which prevailed ex- tensively in Western Europe during the early Middle Ages, and which consisted in t)ie plight- ing of troth and tlie clasping of hands in the presence of witnesses. It belonged to the class of betrothals known as spoiixiilia per verba de pre- senti. In Scotland the practice of handfasting developed into an irregular form of marriage of a temporary character, good for a year and a day. At the end of that time the relation came to an end or was made permanent by a ceremonial marriage. See Betroth.l; Marriage. HAND GRENADE. A shell designed for throwing with the hand. In various forms they were used for many hundred years ; at first, as mere envelopes containing incendiary composi- tion, and afterwards as explosive shells. The in- vention of the shell-gun caused them to fall into disuse, and upon the advent of the modern high- powered fast-tiring gun. which stopped hand-to hand fighting., they disappeared entirely. See <IRE^■AnE. HANDICAPPING (from handicap, appar- ently hand i' cup, in allusion to the drawing of lots from a cap). In all contests dependent upon strength and skill there will be some so superior that if they start under equal conditions with the other contestants they iiuist always win. The con.sequence of this, if unrestricted, would be to deter other contestants; whereby not only would the sport be limited to these few. but the second class of players would lose the benefit of playing with them, and learning from them the highest class in form. To remedy both these evils re- course is had to handicapping, i.e. an extra bur- den is placed upon, or a special requirement made of, a superior competitor, in favor of an inferior, in order to make their chances of win- ning equal. In all sports wherein the competitors are to meet as members of the same association, careful note is taken of the performances of every man, as they occur, i.e. the number of times he com- petes against other members of it, against whom it is and by what margins he wins. In speed foot-races, in swimming, and in simi- lar point to point contests, the slower performer in a handicap race has so much start ahead of the man whose past performances have put him in the first class, and therefore has a shorter distance to travel than his exitert rival. In lawn tennis the players are handicapped by giving or owing strokes, or by giving bixfjucs. In cricket handicapping is usually accomplished by allowing a large number of players lothe inferior team. II men i)laying against 18 or 22. In horse-racing nn the fiat, the horse which has ])roved itself in the past by its performances, or which by age or size or sex is naturally superior, is, where handicapping is resorted to, required to carry a heavier jockey, or to have weights placed on the saddle which, with the jockey's weight, will effect the same object. In polo, as practiced in America, the difl"erent players are handicapped by an allowance or penalty of so many goals, i.e. in matches the teams whose aggregate handicaps are less than those of their opponents are al- lowed the number of goals which is the did'crence between them and their opponents. In yachting, the boats and their sails are measured, and the boats whose hull and sails are the largest have to make an allowance which is deducted at the end of the race from the actual time which it has taken to sail over a given course. In chess and draughts certain, "men' are allowed to the inferior player, and in billiards the better of two players allows a certain number of 'points' so as to equalize the game. These are the principles of handicapping; their application is an inexhaust- ible subject. HAND LEAD. A .small lead, weighing fnnn 5 to 15 pounds, used for sounding in sliallow water. Since the general adoption of the Thom- son sounding-machine leads weighing more than 15 pounds are seldom used. See Lead, Sou.nui.ng. HAND ORGAN. See Barrel Orgax. HANDS, Imposition ob'. The ceremony em- ployed in religious use. both ancient and modern, to symbolize the conferring of certain inward spiritual gifts. Aaron and his sons were directed to lay their hands upon the heads of the victims which were to be offered in sacrifice (Ex. xxi.x. 10, 15, 19). By a similar ceremony Moses set Joshua apart as the leader of the people (Num. xxvii. 23). Christ was entreated to heal the ruler's daughter (Matt. ix. 18) by (he same action, and He Himself adopted it in blessing chil- dren (Matt. xix. 15). It is apparent from the Xew Testament that it was considered from the beginning of the Christian Church to convey spiritual grace, specificallv the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts viii. 17; I. Tim. iv. 14). It was accordingly employed in confirmation, ordina- tion, and the reconciliation of penitents. The name chirothesia was used for the actual laying on of hands, while that of chirolnnia designated the mere symbolic extension of the hand where the recipients of the grace were more than one. The imposition of hands is retained in the Roman Catholic and . glican communions in confirma- tion and ordination, for the latter purpose among the Presbv'terians also; while in the mod- ern Roman Catholic Church (he mere authorita- tive lifting of the priest's hand has taken the place of the former actual contact in absolution. HANDSA-W-FISH. A name in California, translating tlie Spanish scrrn. for the local lancet-
