Persia, from which manna is obtained by the inhabitants. 2. H. gyrans. Moving plant. Leaves ternate, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse; the lateral ones very minute; panicle terminal; loments repand below, roughish, pendulous. A Bengal plant, and gathered on the banks of the Ganges. This extraordinary plant has a constant and voluntary motion, consisting in an alternate meeting and receding of the leaflets, a notion which seems totally unconnected with any external stimulus; certainly not dependent on the light of the sun, for they move in the dark as well as in the light, and even when the leaves are perfectly asleep. It is also remarkable that the leaves, in the height of erection and during very warm but serene days, discover a tremulous motion. The common motion will continue for twenty-four hours in a branch lopped off from the parent stem if put into water. This plant in Bengal is called burrum kundali; it is four feet high, and produces yellow flowers in the autumn. The root is annual or biennial. 3. H. coronarium. French honey-suckle. Caulescent; diffuse; leaves pinnate, roundish elliptic; joints of the loment roundish, prickly, naked. It rises three or four feet high; and throws forth between the leaves long spikes of beautiful red flowers, succeeded by loments or seed-pods of a peculiar kind. It is a native of Italy. 4. H. onobrychis. Saintfoin. Stem ascending; leaves pinnate, elliptic, nearly glabrous; wings of the corol as long as the calyx: loments one-seeded, reticulate, with prickly teeth on one side. Indigenous to our own country, and largely cultivated by agriculturists. See HUSBANDRY. HELIASTÆ, in antiquity, the judges of the court Heliæa. They were so called, according to some authors, from a Greek word which signifies to assemble in a great number; and, according to others, from another word which signifies the sun, because they held their assemblies in an open place. It was a maxin among the Athenians that no cause could be judged by any tribunal before it had been submitted to arbitration. When the matter could not be reconciled by this procedure it was brought before the 6000 judges. These were not all employed in judging at the same time, but from them the Heliasta were drawn by lot; and their number depended on the nature of the subject to be decided. In ordinary cases they amounted to 500, and formed consequently an unequal tribunal, proceeding in civil causes on the plan which the Areopagites had adopted with respect to crimes. When discussions of greater consequence were brought forward, they sometimes occupied 1000, or even 1500 judges, as was the case when Demosthenes was accused of being corrupted by the money of Harpalus. That number was never surpassed except in cases of high treason, or lese-majesty. De Pauw. We are told by Diogenes Laertius, in his Life of Solon, that it was before one of these VOL. V. Heliastic assemblies that Pisistratus presented himself, covered with wounds and contusions (for thus he had treated himself and the mules which drew his car), to excite the indignation of the people against his pretended enemies, who jealous, as he alleged, of the popularity he had acquired by asserting the rights of his poorer fellow-citizens, in opposition to the men in power, had attacked him while he was hunting, and had wounded him in that barba rous manner. His design succeeded : a guard was appointed him; by the assistance of which he acquired the sovereignty or tyranny of Athens, and kept it 33 years. The power of the assembly appeared remarkably on that occasion; for Solon, who was present, opposed it with all his efforts, and did not succeed. As to the manner in which the judges gave their suffrages, there was a sort of vessel covered with an osier mat, in which were placed two urns, the one of copper, the other of wood. In the lid of these urns there was an oblong hole, which was large at the top, and grew narrower downwards, as we see in some old boxes of our churches. The suffrages which condemned the accused person were thrown into the wooden urn, which was termed kyrios. That of copper, named akyros, received those which absolved him. HELICAL. a. (helice, Fr. from .) Spir al; with many circumvolutions (Wilkins). HELICE, in astronomy, the same with ursa major. HELICIS MAJOR. (helix.) A proper muscle of the ear, which depresses the part of the cartilage of the ear into which it is inserted: it lies upon the upper or sharp point of the helix or outward ring, arising from the upper and acute part of the helix anteriorly, and passing to be inserted into its cartilage a little above the tragus. HE'LICIS MINOR. A proper muscle of the ear, which contracts the fissure of the ear: it is situated below the helicis major, upon part of the helix. It arises from the inferior and anterior part of the helix, and is inserted into the crus of the helix, near the fissure in the cartilage opposite to the concha. HELICOID PARABOLA, or the PARABOLIC SPIRAL, is a curve arising from the supposition that the common or Apollonian parabola is bent or twisted, till the axis come into the periphery of a circle, the ordinates still retaining their places and perpendicular positions with respect to the circle, all these lines still remaining in the same plane. The equation of this curve remains the same, as when it was a parabola. HELICON, in ancient geography, the name of a mountain in the neighbourhood of Parnassus and Cytheron, sacred to Apollo and the muses, who are thence called Heliconides. It is situated in Livadia, and now called Zagura or Zaguya. Helicon was one of the most fertile and woody mountains in Greece. Here was the shady grove of the muses, and their images, with statues of Apollo and Bacchus, of Limis and Orpheus, and the illustrious M M poets who had recited their verses to the harp. HELICON, the name given to a curious instrument suggested by Ptolemy, for demonstrating the consonances. HELICONIA. In botany, a genus of the elass pentandria, order monogynia. Spathe general and partial; calyxless; corol three-petalled; nectary two-leaved; capsule threecelled; the cells one-seeded. Five species; herbaceous stove-plants of the West Indies or South America, with beautiful red or safron corols. HELICTERIS. Screw-tree. In botany, a genus of the class monadelphia, order dodecandria. Calyx tubular, obliquely five-cleft; petals five; germ on a very long pedicel; style about five-cleft; capsules five, one-celled, many-seeded, spirally twisted. Eight speciestrees or shrubs; and indigenous to India, South America, or the West Indies; commonly with yellow red, or purple flowers; in one species, a native of Carthagena, of a fetid odour. They are cultivated in our own gardens, but require care and a green-house or stove during winter. HELIER, (St.) the capital of the island of Jersey, in the English Channel, seated in the bay of St. Aubin, where it has a harbour, and a stone pier, having the sea on the S. W. and hills on the N. that shelter it from the cold. Another large hill projects in a manner over the town, and has a pleasant walk, that affords an extensive prospect. The streets are wide and well-paved. The inhabitants are computed to be 2000. In the church, prayers are read alternately in English and French. Lat. 49. 11 N. Lon. 2. 10 W. HELIER, (St.) a little island, near the town of the same name, in the bay of St. Aubin, on the S. side of Jersey. It took its name from Elerius, or Helier, a holy man, who lived in this island many centuries ago, and was slain by the Pagan Normans at their coming here. He is mentioned among the martyrs in the Martyrology of Coutances. His little cell, with the stone bed, is still shown among the rocks; and in memory of him a noble abbey was founded in this island. HELIOCARPUS. In botany, a genus of the class dodecandria, order digynia. Calyx four-leaved; petals four; styles simple; capsule two-celled, compressed, longitudinally surrounded with filiform feathered rays on each side. One species, a tree of Vera Cruz, with heart-shaped serrate alternate leaves. HELIOCENTRIC PLACE OF A PLANET, is the place of the ecliptic, in which the planet would appear to a spectator placed at the centre of the sun: it agrees with the heliocentric longitude. Heliocentric latitude of a planet, is the inclination of the line drawn from the centre of the sun to that of the planet, to the plane of the ecliptic. HELIOCOMETE, a phænomenon sometimes observed about sun-setting; being a large luminous tail or column of light proceeding from the body of the sun, and dragging after it, not unlike the tail of a comet; whence the Dame. A phænomenon of this kind was observed at Gripswald, March 15th, 1702, about 5 o'clock P. M. The extremity of the tail nearest the sun was in breadth about half the diameter of that luminary, but the other extremity seemed in breadth more than five solar diameters: and the whole tail followed the direction of the sun. Its colour was yellow near the sun, and gradually darkened at the remoter parts; so that it was only seen as if painted on the rarer and more elevated clouds. This heliocomete appeared for an hour, and then gradually diniinished, the sun being at the horizon. The phænomenon in some respects resembles the zodiacal light. HELIODORUS, a Christian bishop of Trica in the fourth century. He was in all probability one of the earliest writers of novels; and professor Robison observes that in his piece, which was called "The Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea," woman is first pictured as a respectable character. I think (says he) the heroine is a greater character than you will meet with in all the annals of antiquity. And it is worth while to observe what was the effect of this painting. The poor bishop had been deposed, and even excommunicated, for doctrinal errors, and for drawing such a picture of a heathen. The magistrates of Antioch, the most voluptuous and corrupted city of the East, wrote to the emperor, telling him that this book had reformed the ladies of their city, where Julian the emperor and his sophists had formerly preached in vain, and they therefore prayed that the good bishop might not be deprived of his mitre." This romance has been frequently printed in Greek and Latin. Heliodorus was also a good Latin poet. HELIOGABALUS, a deity among the Phoenicians. M. Aurelius Antoninus, a Roman emperor, son of Varius Marcellus, was also called Heliogabalus, because he had been priest of that divinity, in Phoenicia. After the death of Macrinus, he was invested with the purple, and the senate approved of his election, and bestowed upon him the title of Augustus at the age of 14 years. Heliogabalus made his grand-mother and mother his colleagues on the throne, and chose a senate of women, over which his mother presided, and prescrib ed all the fashions which prevailed in the empire. Rome now displayed a scene of cruelty and debauchery, and the imperial palace was full of prostitution. He raised his horse to the honours of the consulship. To the ridiculous deity Heliogabalus, which was only a black stone, temples were raised at Rome, and the altars of the gods plundered to deck those of the new divinity. He married four wives; and not satisfied with following the plain laws of nature, he professed himself to be a woman, and gave himself up to one of his officers, called Hierocles. In this ridiculous farce he suffered the greatest indignities from his pretended husband. Such licentiousness soon be came detestable to the Romans. At length, through terror of the soldiers, he hid himself in the filth and excrements of the camp, where he was found in the arms of his mother. His head was severed from his body the 10th of March, A. D. 222, in the 18th year of his age. He was succeeded by Alexander Severus. His cruelties were as conspicuous as his licentiousness. He often tied some of his favourites on a large wheel, and was particularly delighted to see them whirled round like Ixions, and sometimes suspended in the air, or sunk beneath the water. HELIOMETER, or ASTROMETER, an instrument for measuring, with particular exactness, the diameters of the suù, moon, and stars. It was invented by M. Bouguer in 1747, and is a kind of telescope, consisting of two object glasses of equal focal distance, placed by the side of each other, so that the same eye-glass serves for both. The tube is of a tonical form, larger at the upper end, which receives the two object-glasses, than at the lower, which is furnished with an eye-glass and micrometer. By the construction of this instrument two distinct images of an object are formed in the focus of the eye-glass, whose distance, depending on that of the two object glasses from one another, may be measured with great accuracy. Mem. Acad. Sci. 1748. Mr. Servington Savery discovered a similar method of improving the micrometer, which was communicated to the Royal Society in 1743. HELIOPHILA. In botany, a genus of the class tetradynamia, order siliquosa. Nectaries two, recurved towards the vesicular base of the calyx. Thirteen species, all herbaceous plants of the Cape. HELIOPOLIS, a famous city of Lower Egypt, in which was a temple sacred to the sun. The inhabitants worshipped a bull called Menevis, with the same ceremonies as the Apis of Memphis. Apollo had an oracle there. HELIOSCOPE, a kind of telescope peculiarly adapted for viewing and observing the sun without hurting the eye. There are various kinds of this instrument, usually made by employing coloured glass for the object or eyeglass, or both; and sometimes only using an eye-glass blacked by holding it over the smoke or flame of a lamp or candle, which is Huygens's way. See Dr. Hooke's treatise on HeTioscopes. HELIOSTATA, an instrument invented by Dr. Gravesande, and so called from its property of fixing the sun-beam in one position, viz. in a horizontal direction across the dark chamber while it is used. See Gravesande's Physices Element. Mathematica, tom. 2, p. 715. ed. 3tia 1742. HELIOTROPE, HELIOTROPIUM, among the ancients, an instrument or machine for showing when the sun arrived at the tropics and the equinoctial line. This name was also used for a sun-dial in general. HELIOTROPE, in botany. See HELIO TROPIUM. HELIOTROPII SUCCUS. See BEZET TA CERULEA. HELIOTROPIUM. Heliotrope. Turn sole. In botany, a genus of the class pentandria, order monogynia. Corol salver-shaped, five-cleft, with teeth between the divisions; throat naked. Twenty-two species, scattered over the warm climates of all the quarters of the globe. Europe however affords but one species, thence named H. europæum, and a native of Spain and Italy, with white flowers, produced at the end of the branches. The berries of this plant are employed in the manufacture of colours. Many of the other species are propagated, and without much difficulty, in our gardens and green-houses. HELISPHERICAL LINE, the rhumb line. HELIX. s. (helice, Fr. E.) Part of a spiral line; a circumvolution (Wilkins). HELIX. (helix, ž, from us, to turn about.) In anatomy, the external circle or border of the outer car, that curls inwards. HELIX, is by some architects distinguished from a spiral. Thus a staircase is said to be helical when the steps wind round a cylindrical newel; when they wind round a conical newel, the staircase is called spiral. HELIX. Snail. In zoology, a genus of the class vermes, order testacea. Animal a limax; shell univalve, spiral, sublucid, brittle; aperture contracted; semilunar or roundish. Two hundred and sixty-seven species, scattered over the globe, of which about forty are common to our own country. They may be subdivided as follows: A. whorls with a carinate acute margin. D. tapering. E. ovate, imperforate. The following are chiefly worthy of no tice. 1. H. pomatia. Shell sub-umbilicate, subovate, obtuse, with a roundish semilunar aperture; reddish brown, with obsolete paleish bands. There are four or five varieties. It inhabits the woods of Europe, and was first introduced into England by sir Kelnelm Digby, for medical purposes. In many parts of Europe it is used as an article of food during Lent, and was a favourite dish among the Romans: it is oviparous; very tenacious of life, and towards winter covers its aperture with a calcareous lid. Under the Romans these were fed as an article of future luxury with bran and sodden wine: and it is stated by some writers that under this diet they grew occasionally to such an enor mous size that their shells would contain ten quarts. 2. H. nitens. Shell umbilicate, subdepressed, fulvous, horny or yellowish-green, pellucid, substriate; aperture large whorls four or five. This is one of the more common of the smaller and land specimens. It inhabits the wet woods of Europe; and is often not more than a line wide. 3. H. hortensis, Garden snail. Shell imperforate, globular, pale, with broad interrupted brown bands: lip white: from seven and a half to eight lines wide. Inhabits Europe, in gardens and orchards, and is extremely destruc tive to fruits and tender leaves. Among the many peculiarities of these animals, the mode by which they conduct their amours is most curious and surprising: at this season they make reciprocal approaches by discharging several small darts at each other, which are of a sharp form and of a horny substance. These are contained within a cavity on the neck, and are launched with some degree of force at bout the distance of two inches, till the quiver or reservoir is exhausted, when a reconcilation takes place, and the animals unite. The eggs are perfectly round, and about the size of sinall peas. The eyes of all of them are placed at the extremity of the horns or tentacles: these are four, being the number of the tentacles. The spiracle or breathing aperture is situated near the neck. 4. janthina. Shell nearly imperforate, roundish, obtuse, diaphonous, and very brittle; aperture dilated, with an emarginate lip. A marine snail: it inhabits most seas; about an inch broad and high. Shell violet with a subtriangular aperture; the snail when alive emits phosphorescent light and shines in the dark: it stains the hand with a violet or purple dye. So small an animal as the snail is not free from the plague of supporting other smaller animals on its body; and, as in other animals, we find these secondary ones either living on their surface, as lice, &c. or only in the intestines, as worms; it is very remarkable, that the snail is infested in both these manners, lice being found sometimes on the surface of its body, and worms sometimes within its intestines. There is a part of the common garden snail, and of other of the like kinds, commonly called the collar; this surrounds the neck of the snail, and is considerably thick, and is the only part that is visible when the animal is retired quietly into its shell in this state of the animal, these insects which infest it are usually seen in considerable numbers, marching about very nimbly on this part; besides, the snail, every time it has occasion to open its anus, gives them a place by which to enter into its intestines, and they often seize the opportunity. HELL. s. (helle, Saxon.) 1. The place of the devil and wicked souls (Shakspeare). 2. The place of separate souls, whether good or bad (Apostles Creed). 3. Temporal death (Psalms). 4. The place at a running play to which those who are caught are carried (Sid.). 5. The place into which the tailor throws his shreds (Hudibras). 6. The infernal powers (Cowley). HELL, GEHENNA, TARTARA, INFERNUS, &c. the place of divine punishment after death, in contradistinction to heaven. See HEAVEN, As all religions have supposed a future state of existence after this life, so all have their hell or place of torment, in which the wicked are supposed to be punished. The hell of the ancient heathens was divided into two mansions, the one called Elysium, on the right hand, pleasant and delightful, appointed for the souls of good men, the other called Tartara, on the left, a region of misery and torment, ap. pointed for the wicked. The latter was only hell in the present restrained sense of the word. See ELYSIUM. The Jews placed hell in the centre of the earth, and believed it to be situated under waters and mountains. According to them there are three passages leading to it: the first is in the wilderness, and by that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, descended into hell; the second is in the sea, because Jonah, who was thrown into the sea, cried to God out of the belly of hell; the third is in Jerusalem, because it is said, "The fire of the Lord is in Zion, and his furnace is in Jerusalem." They likewise acknowledged seven degrees of pain in hell, because they find this place called by seven different names in scripture. Though they believed that infidels, and persons eminently wicked, will continue for ever in hell, yet they maintained, that every Jew who is not infected with some heresy, and has not acted contrary to the points mentioned by the rabbins, will not be punished therein for any other crimes above a year at most, Among Christians, there are two controverted questions in regard to hell; the one concerns locality, the other the duration of its torments. 1. The locality of hell, and the reality of its fire, began first to be controverted by Origen. That father, interpreting the scripture account metaphorically, makes hell to consist, not in external punishments, but in a consciousness or sense of guilt, and a remembrance of past pleasures. Among the moderns, Mr. Whiston advanced a new hypothesis. Accord ing to him, the comets are so many hells appointed in their orbits alternately to carry the damned into the confines of the sun, there to be scorched by its violent heat, and then to return with them beyond the orb of Saturn, there to starve them in these cold and dismal regious. Another modern author, not satisfied with any hypothesis hitherto advanced, assigns the sun to be the local hell. 2. As to the second question, viz. the duration of hell torments, we have Origen again at the head of those who deny that they are eternal; it being that father's opinion, that not only men, but devils, after a due course of punishment suit able to their respective crimes, shall be pardoned and restored to heaven. The chief principle upon which Origen built his opinion, was the nature of punishment, which he took to be emendatory, applied only as physic for the recovery of the patient's health. The chief objection to the eternity of hell torments among modern writers, is the disproportion between temporary crimes and eternal punishments. Those who maintain the affirmative, ground their opinion on the scripture accounts, which represent the pains of hell under the figure of a worm which never dies, and a fire which is not quenched; and also upon the words, "These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." We are told, indeed, by the editors of a late " Improved Version of the New Testament, upon the Basis of Abp. Newcome's," that |