*j8 A R I 
fophy as being above the reach of the human undcrftand- 
ing. It is faid, that, being bald, the fun burnt his head ; 
and that this caufed liis death. There is a faying of his 
recorded, which might render the doftrine of Ariftipptis 
lefs odious than it ordinarily appears. He ufed to fay, 
“ That a philofopher might do thofe of his hearers a pre¬ 
judice who put a wrong interpretation upon good mean¬ 
ings ; as for example, that the fchool of Ariftippus might 
fend out debauchees, and that of Zeno, cynics:” which 
feems to imply, that the dextrine of this philofopher never 
produced this effect but when it was mifunderftood. He 
fhpuld alfo have added, that every teacher is therefore 
obliged to forbear laying down ambiguous maxims, or to 
prevent falfe gloftes being put upon them. 
Aristo (Titus), a Roman lawyer, perfect mafterof the 
public and civil law, and of hiftory and antiquity. The 
Pande&s mention fome books of his, as does Aulus Gel- 
lius. He was cotemporary with Pliny the younger, who 
gives him a noble character, and had a great friendftnp 
for him. See Plinii Epijl. lib. i. ep. 22. 
ARISTOB'ULUS, [A§»rc- | o«A©', of a^iror, and 
counfel; i.e. beft counfel.] Names of two kings of Judea. 
ARISTO'CR ACY, f. [agi-©-, greateft, and v.^arsa.', 
to govern.] That form of government which places the 
fupreme power in the nobles, w ithout a king, and exclu- 
fively of the people.—The arijlocracy of Venice hath admit¬ 
ted fo many abufes through the degeneracy of the nobles, 
that the period of its duration feems to approach. Swift. 
Ariftocracy feems to coincide with oligarchy ; which, how¬ 
ever, is more ordinarily ufed to fignify a corruption of an 
ariftrocratical ftate, where the adminiftration is in the hands 
of too few, or where fome one or two ufurp the whole power. 
Ariftocracy has been painted as a middle-aged woman, 
richly clothed, fitting with majefty on a throne, in her 
right hand a bundle of rods, and in her left a helmet. At 
her feet heaps of gold, filver, coins, jewels. &c. and near 
them an axe. By all which are reprefented her dignity, 
liability, and power, in rewarding the good, or pimifhing 
offenders. 
ARISTOCRA'TICAL, or Aristocra'tic, adj. Re¬ 
lating to ariftocracy; including a form of government by 
the nobles.—Ockham diftinguilhes, that the papacy, or ec- 
clefiaftical monarchy, may be changed in an extraordinary 
manner, for fome time, into an arijlocratical form of go¬ 
vernment. Ayliffc. 
ARISTOCRA'TIC ALNESS,/. Anariftocratical ftate. 
ARISTO'GITON, a famous Athenian, who, w ith Ar- 
modius, killed Hipparchus the tyrant of Athens, about 
513 years before the Chriftian era. The Athenians erected 
a ftatue to him. 
ARISTOLO'CHIA, / and Ao^ia or koprsia, 
becaufe it was fnppofed to be of ufe in diforders incident 
to child-birth.] In botany, a genus of the gynandria hex- 
andria clafs, of the natural order of farmentacere. The 
generic characters are—Calyx : none. Corolla : mono- 
petalous, tubulous, irregular ; bafe fwelling, fubglobular, 
torulofe; tube oblong hexagon-cylindric; limb dilated, 
extended below into a long tongue. Stamina : filaments 
none ; anthers fix, faftened at bottom to the ftigmas, four- 
celled. Piftillum: germ oblong, inferior, angular; llyle 
fcarcely any; ftigma fubglobular,. fix-parted, concave. 
Pericarpium: capfule large, fix-angled, fix-celled. Seeds: 
feveral, deprefted, incumbent .—EJfential Charatder. Stig¬ 
mas fix ; corolla monopetalous, tongue-lhaped, entire ; 
capfule fix-celled, inferior. 
Specks. 1. Ariftolochia bilobata, or two-lobed birth- 
wort: Jeaves two-lobed, ftenv twining. Native of Domi¬ 
nica and Hifpaniola, covering the trees and Ihrubs, and 
flowering from November to January. 
2. Ariftolochia trilobata, or three-lobed birthwort: 
leaves three-lobed, ftem twining, flowers very large > bagged 
at the bafe, tongue linear, very long. The roots of this 
have a ftrong fmell, and are looked upon as warm attenu- 
ants, and active diaphoretics and ftomachics : they arc ad- 
ntiniftered in infulions, and greatly ufed among the Haves 
A R I 
in Jamaica, where they grow naturally. This fpecies is 
mod common on the north fide of the ifland, and is there¬ 
fore called there contrayerva of the north fide. It is a native 
not only of the i(lands, but alfo of the continent, of South 
America. It flowers in June and July. 
3. Ariftolochia pentandra, or five-ftamened birthwort: 
leaves cordate, haftate-fubtrilobate, ftem twining, braCte 
cordate, embracing. The flowers of this are linaller. It 
is a native of America. 
4. Ariftolochia peltata, or peltated birthwort : leaves 
kidney-fhaped, fubpeltate, ftem twining. Root woody, 
corky, perennial. Native of St. Domingo, in very dry 
coppices, flowering there in February and March ; alfo 
of the continent of South America. 
5. Ariftolochia maxima, or greateft birthwort : leaves 
oblong, acuminate, ftem twining, peduncles many-flowered. 
Stem corky next the root; flowers curved; fruit like a 
purle, very large, fix-valved, cohering at the top, open¬ 
ing at the bafe even in the peduncle ; it is all interwoven 
with tranfverfe threads. It has ftrong climbing ftalks, by 
which it mounts up to the top of the tailed trees ; the 
leaves are four inches long and two broad, of an oval fhape, 
rounded at their ends, and nearly as thick as thofe of the 
common laurel ; the flowers come out in loofe clufters at 
the ends of the (hoots, each (landing on a very long pe¬ 
duncle; the feed-veffels are four inches long, and as much 
in circumference, with fix longitudinal ribs, which are very 
prominent: feeds heart-fhaped. This fort was difeovered 
and fent to England by Mr. Robert Millar, from Cartha- 
gena in New Spain. It has been found alfo fince by pro- 
feflor Jacquin, who has given an elegant figure of it. 
6 . Ariftolochia bilabiata, or two-lipped birthwort: leaves 
cordate-tongue-fhaped obtufe, ftem twining, corollas two¬ 
lipped. Native of Hifpaniola, in hedges, on a calcareous 
foil ; alfo of South America : flowering in fpring. 
7. Ariftolochia erecta, or upright birthwort: leaves lan¬ 
ceolate, feflile, fubhirfute ; ftem eredt, peduncles folitary, 
one-flowered, flowers very long. This rifes with an up¬ 
right ftalk to the height of three feet. Leaves long, nar¬ 
row, hairy, growing ctofe to the branches, having fcarcely 
any foot-ftalk. The flowers come out fingly from the axils, 
are near four inches long, of a dark purple colour, and 
grow ereCt; thefe are fucceeded by (lender veftels, about 
one inch long, filled with flat heart-fhaped feeds. It was 
difeovered at La Vera Cruz in New Spain, by the late 
Dr. Houftoun, who fent the feeds to Europe; and was 
cultivated by Mr. Miller before 1733, * n which year the 
dodtor died. 
8. Ariftolochia arborefeens, or tree birthwort: leaves 
cordate-lanceolate, ftem eredl, ftmibby. This rifes about 
two feet high. The branches are not very woody, but are 
ftrorrg enougfi to fupport themfelves. The flowers come 
out fingly at the axils. Grows naturally in North America. 
9. Ariftolochia caudata, or tailed birthwort : leaves 
cordate obtufe, emarginate at the tip, lbbes incumbent, 
lip tailed. The lobes of the leaves lap over each other at 
the bafe. Native of America. 
ro. Ariftolochia odoratiffima, or fweet-feented birthwort: 
leaves cordate, ftem twining, fhrubby, peduncles folitary, 
lip of the corolla very large. This has a long, round, 
geniculated root, as thick as a finger; whence rifes a round, 
green, climbing, ftem, taking hold of any tree or fhrub it 
comes near, to the height of fix or eight feet, covering 
them with its numerous branches, and putting forth leaves 
at every two or three inches. The whole plant fmells 
very ftrongly, and very gratefully. This is a native of 
Jamaica, where it is called contrayerva of the fouth fde, to 
diftinguifb it from the fecond fpecies. It lias the fame 
qualities with that, and is ufed for the fame purpofes, 
11 ..Ariftolochia (iplio, or broad-leaved'birthwort .-leaves 
cordate, petioled ; flowers folitary, border trifid, equal, 
braCte ovate; ftem twining, fhrubby. This is a tall twi¬ 
ning fhrub. Root woody, fparingly branched, fragrant, 
having the fmell of camphor. This fpecies is diftinguifheti 
by the form of its flower,, bent like a liphon, or fome to¬ 
baccos- 
