HELSINGFOKS IIELVIG. 



Helots were also obliged to bear arms for the state, 

 in case of necessity. The barbarous treatment to 

 which they were exposed often excited them to in- 

 surrection. Their dress, by wliich they were con- 

 temptuously distinguished from the free Spartans, 

 <'m>isted of cat's-skin, and a leather cap, of a peculiar 

 sliape. They were sometimes liberated for their 

 services, or for a sum of money. If their numbers 

 increased too much, the young Spartans, it is said, 

 were sent out to assassinate them. These expeditions 

 were called xfvrruu; but this account has been 

 disputed. Their number is uncertain, but Thucydides 

 says that it was greater than that of the slaves in 

 any other Grecian state. It has been variously 

 estimated, at from 320,000 to 800,000. They several 

 times rose against their masters, but were always 

 finally reduced. 



HELS1NGFORS, in the grand duchy of Finland, 

 on the gulf of Finland, a seaport and commercial 

 town, with an excellent and strongly-fortified harbour, 

 has manufactories of sailcloth and linen ; population, 

 8000. Since the cession of the grand-duchy to Russia, 

 Helsingfors lias been made the capital, on account of 

 its commodious situation and its vicinity to Peters- 

 burg. October 1, 1819, all the higher offices of the 

 government were transferred hither from Abo. This 

 lias promoted the growth of the place. Lat. 60 10' 

 N. ; Ion. 20 17' E. 



HELST, BARTHOLOMEW VAN DER ; a painter, born 

 at Haerlem, in 1613. Without having studied the 

 great masters of the Italian school, he attained to a 

 high degree of excellence as a portrait painter. 

 " Before I had seen the works of this painter," says 

 Falconet, " I found it difficult to credit those who 

 thought him superior to Rembrandt, Van Dyke, and 

 similar masters. Since I have examined them closely, 

 I believe that, without prejudice, Heist is, in some 

 respects, superior to those great painters, for his 

 style is more true to nature," &c. All his works 

 show a grand manner ; there is nothing frigid nor 

 stiff. His drapery is flowing j his figures well drawn; 

 the accessory parts are closely copied from nature. 

 The year of his death is unknown ; it is only certain 

 that he lived in Amsterdam, and that his son was also 

 a good portrait painter. 



HELVETIA. Between the Rhone and the Rhine, 

 the Jura and the Rhaetian Alps (in the canton of the 

 Grisons), lived the Helvetica Gallic or Celtic nation, 

 more numerous and warlike than the neighbouring 

 Gallic tribes. They were not known to the Romans 

 until the time of Julius Caesar, who, as governor of 

 Gaul, prevented their intended emigration, and after 

 many bloody battles, in which even the Helvetian 

 women fought, pressed them back within their 

 frontiers. Helvetia, which was less extensive than 

 the present Switzerland, was divided into four dis- 

 tricts, which had an entirely democratical constitution. 

 Cassar subjected the country to the dominion of the 

 Romans, who established several colonies there, the 

 names of which only have remained (for example, 

 Augusta Rauracorum in the Frickthal), and intro- 

 duced Roman civilization. C hristianity was afterwards 

 introduced into Helvetia. See Switzerland. 



HELVETIUS, CLAUDE ADRIEN, a celebrated 

 metaphysician, was bom at Paris, 1715, and received 

 a careful education. The tales of Lafontaine delight- 

 ed his childhood, as Homer and Curtius captivated 

 his youth. The study of Locke's Essay on the 

 Human Understanding, at the college of Louis-le- 

 Grand, inspired him with a love of philosophy, to 

 which he remained faithful. After the termination 

 of his law studies, he was placed by his father, a cele- 

 brated physician, Adrien Helvetius, at Caen, for the 

 purpose of acquiring a practical knowledge of finance. 

 At the age of twenty-three years, he obtained, through 



the patronage of the queen, the honourable and 

 lucrative post of a farmer-general. Alive to all the 

 pleasures of society, which were now placed within 

 Ins reach, he did not suffer himself to be alienated 

 from the muses. He kept up his early intimacy with 

 many distinguished men of letters, and, with a noble 

 liberality, supported several young men of talents. 

 As farmer-general, he was distinguished by liis mild- 

 ness and indulgence from his colleagues, whose base 

 practices filled him with indignation. He thereto: 

 resigned his office, and purchased the place of mail 

 cChiitel to the queen. So ambitious was he of evei 

 sort of applause, that he even danced on one occa^- 

 sion at the opera. He aspired no less after litera 

 fame. At first he directed his efforts to the math 

 matics, because he once saw a circle of the m 

 beautiful ladies surrounding the ugly geometrician 

 Maupertuis, in the garden of the Tuileries. He 

 next attempted to rival Voltaire by a number of 

 philosophical epistles, and he is also said to have 

 written a tragedy. The brilliant success of Montes- 

 quieu's Esprit des Lois, then inspired him with the 

 bold resolution of preparing a similar work. He 

 therefore determined to retire into solitude. But he 

 wished to sweeten his retreat by the society of a wife 

 and, in 1751. he married Mademoiselle de Ligniville, 

 no less distinguished for her beauty than her wit. 

 In the retirement of his estate of Vore, he devoted 

 himself entirely to the happiness of his dependents, 

 to domestic enjoyments, and to study. In 1758, he 

 published his book De VEsprit, the materialism of 

 which drew upon him many attacks. Objectionable 

 as the doctrines in this work may be, it undeniably 

 contains the most various information. Helveti 

 went, in 1764, to England, and, the year afterwards, 

 to Germany, where Frederic the Great and other 

 German princes received him with many proofs of 

 esteem. After his return to France, he published 

 his work De I'Homme, which is to be considered as a 

 continuation of the former, and contains a fuller 

 development of the doctrines laid down in it ; but, 

 at the same time, many new ones, particularly such 

 as relate to the science of education. Helvetius 

 died in 1771, in Paris. Besides the above-mentioned 

 works, he wrote epistles in verse, and an allegorical 

 poem, Le Bonheur. There are several comple 

 editions of his writings. His wife, daughter of tl 

 count Ligniville, was one of the most excelle 

 women of her time. After his death, she retired to 

 Auteuil, where her house, like that of Madame Geof- 

 frin, became the rendezvous of the most distinguished 

 literati and artists of her time. She died Aug. 12, 

 1800, at Auteuil. 



HELVIG, AMALIA VON ; one of the most distinguish- 

 ed female poets of Germany, was born at Weimar. 

 Aug. 16, 1776. Her father travelled in France, 

 England, Holland, and resided seven years in the 

 Indies ; and the mind of the lively girl was early 

 awakened by his narratives of what he had seen ami 

 heard in foreign countries. When eight years old, 

 she spoke English and French fluently, besides her 

 mother tongue. She had just reached the age of twelve 

 years, when she lost her father ; and the lady who 

 now had charge of her education kept her so closel; 

 employed, that her poetic spirit found no oppoi 

 tunity to develope itself. She had already begun t 

 make rhymes before she was seven years old. I 

 her fifteenth year, she went to reside at Weimar, and 

 soon after became acquainted with Burgar, Holty, 

 Stolberg, and other poets of the time. At this 

 period she began to learn Greek, and, four weeks 

 after entering on the study, was able to commence 

 the reading of Homer. A little poem, written by 

 her, was presented to Louisa, duchess of Weimar, 

 and found its way to Schiller, who invited the fair 



