H E L 
c’ark-coloured fibres. The ftem is from eighteen inches 
to near a yard in height, towards the bottom round, 
ilrong, naked, marked with alternate fears, the veftiges 
of former leaves; dividing and iubdividing at top into 
inany branches, producing great abundance of flowers. 
Leaves compofed of eight or nine long .harrow lobes, 
which join at their bafe, commonly four on each fide, 
united at bottom,, and one in the middle, on the centre 
of the fqot-ftalk; they are ferrate, and end in a'cirte' 
points; thofe oa the. lower part of the fialk are .much 
larger than thofe on the upper, which are fmall and nar¬ 
row : they are of a very deep green ; blit the brandies, 
ftipules, peduncles; and flowers, are of a pale yellowilh- 
green.' Native of Italy, Germany, Swifferland, France, 
and England ; as between Northfleet and Gravefend 
in Kent; near Cambridge; near Bungay’and Brundifh 
in Suffolk ; Combury flone-quarry in Oxford (hire ; abun¬ 
dantly in Suffex ; in Hamplhire, and Somerfetfliire. Ge- 
rarde fays, that it was wild in his time in many woods 
and fliadowy places in England. He calls it bear-foot. 
Jitter-wort, fetter-grafs, and oxe-heele. The three la ft names 
are from its u'fe in towelling kine, or making a feton of 
the r6ot, and putting it through the dew.lap ; this, ope¬ 
ration was called by the old farriers jittering, a corrup¬ 
tion perhaps from Jftoning. It flowers from November and 
December to March and April. Bees frequent, the flow¬ 
ers much, early in the fpring, though it is a plant fo 
remarkably fetid. This fort is always green, whereas 
the foregoirig dies down to the root every year. This 
fpecies is very frequently ufed in popular phyfic as an 
anthelmintic ; the powder of the dried leaves being the 
preparation principally made ufe of; and this in doles 
of about fifteen grains for children. The decodtion of 
about a dram of the green leaves is confideied as 
equal to fifteen grains of the dry ones : it is ufually re¬ 
peated on two, and fometimes three, fucceflive mornings, 
and fdldom fails to bring away worms, if there be any 
in tire inteftinal tube. 
In the variety (3, H. latifolius, the lobes of the leaves 
are broader, and the ftalks grow taller. It grows natu¬ 
rally in Iftria and Dalmatia, and is not fo hardy as.ours, 
infomuch that a fevere winter deftroys it. 
6. Helleborus lividus, livid, purple, or great, three- 
flowered black hellebore : Item many-flowered, leafy; 
leaves ternate. This refembles H. viridis, but differs 
from it in haying trifoliate leaves, which are broader, 
and entire ; their liirface alfo is fmoother, and the ftalks 
rife higher than either of our common forts. The native 
place or this fpecies is unknown; it flowers from Janu¬ 
ary to May. 
7. Helleborus trifolius, or fmall three-leaved helle¬ 
bore : fcape one-flowered; leaves ternate. Stem leaf- 
lefs ; flower minute, refembling that of the Parnaflia. 
Native of Denmark, Canada, Siberia, and Hudfon’s-'buy, , 
whence it was introduced by the Hudfon’s-bay company 
in 1782. In Canada it is fo abundant in the woods as to 
Cover the ground in many parts: it commonly chooles 
moffy places, that are not very wet; it is called tijfa- 
voyanne jaune by the French, all over Canada. The.leaves 
and ftalks are ufed by the Indians, for giving a fine yel¬ 
low colour to feveral kinds of work, which they make 
of (kins ; the French dye wool, &c. yellow with this 
plant. It flowers here in June and July. 
Propagation and Culture. The firft fpecies flowers very 
early in the fpring, which renders it worthy of a place 
in all curious gardens, efpecially As it requires but little 
room. It is propagated by offsets, which the roots fend 
out in plenty ; tlvefe toots may be taken up and tranf- 
planted, any time after their leaves decay, w hich is ge¬ 
nerally by the beginning of Jiuie, till Ortober ; wlien 
they will begin to put out new fibres ; .but, as the roots 
are fmall, and nearly of the colour of tlie ground; if 
care is not taken to learch thbm, many of them w ill be 
left in the ground. Thefe roots flVould be planted in 
fmall clwfters, otherwise they will not make a good ap- 
H E L 333 
pearance ; for Angle flowers, fcattered about the bor¬ 
ders; of thefe fmall kinds, are fcarcely feen at a diftattce; 
but, when thefe and the fnowdrops are alternately plant¬ 
ed in bunches, they will have a good effetff, as they 
flower at the fame time, and are much of a fize. From 
the iparlinefs of its flowering, the winter aconite is liable 
to be cut oft; by fevere frofts. The third fort is propa- 
ated by parting the roots in autumn, for thje feeds lei- 
om ripen in England : in order to have it flpw.er well, 
it IhOtild have a more (helterefl fituation than the com¬ 
mon forts. Like moll alpine plants, it loves a pure air, 
a fituation moderately moift, and a foil uninanured. The 
flowers being injured by froft, in order to have them in 
beauty, the plants fhould be covered during winter with 
hand-glades; or preferved in pots in a common hot-bed 
frame. Neither this nor the firft fort thrive very near 
London.' 
4, 5. If the feeds of .thefe be permitted to fcatter, 
or fown foon after they are ripe, the plants will come 
up early in the following fpring, and, when they have 
obtained fufficient ftrength, may be tranfplanted into 
woods or wildernefs quarters, where.they will thrive 
and flower very welkin the (hade, and make a good 
appearance at a feafon when very few other plants are 
in flower. The fixth IpecieS it has been ufu'al to treat 
as a greenhoiife plant, or at lead to. ftielter it under a 
franie in tlfe winter; probably it.is more hardy than we 
imagine. It is propagated by parting its roots in au¬ 
tumn, and by feeds: but few of the latter ripen in ge¬ 
neral, nor do the roots iriake much ihcreafe. To thefe- 
caufes we muft doubtlefs attribute its prefent compara¬ 
tive fcarcity. On account of its early flowering (in Fe¬ 
bruary), as well as its Angularity, it is a defirable plant 
in collections. See Adonis, Astrantia, and Iso= 
PYRUM. 
Helleborus albus; fee Veratrum. Helle¬ 
borus Flore globoso ; fee Trollius. 
HELL'ELANDS, a town of Norway, in the diocefe 
of Chriftianland: twenty-fix miles fouth of Stavanger. 
HEL'LEN, fon of Deucalion arid Pyrrha, reigned in 
Phthiotis about 1495 years before the Chriftan era, and 
gave the name of Helleniaris id his TubjeCts. He had, by 
his wife Orfeis, three foils; vEolu.s, Dorus, andXuthus, 
who gave their names to the three different nations 
known under the name of Aolians, Dorians, and Ionians. 
Thefe laft derive their name from Ion, fon ofXiithus, 
and from the difference either of expreffion or pronun¬ 
ciation in their refpeftive languages, aroie the different 
dialedls well known in the Greek language,. Pauj'anias. 
Mr. Bryant, iri his “ Ancient Mythology,” fays, that 
Hellen was the fame as Ion; the lame alfo as Heiius, 
Ofiris, and Apollo : by which titles were fignified the 
Sun, Deity of Light and of Science.. 
RELL'ENES, an ancient tribe of Cuthite (hepherds. 
The Grecians were alfo, among'other titles, llyied Hel~ 
lenes, being the reputed defeendants of Hellen : but the 
name of this perfonage is of greater antiquity ; and the 
etymology foreign. To whom the Greeks alluded, may 
be'found from tne hiftories which they have tranfmitted 
concerning him. . Tspofia.},h ex -Ilvjjffls? A£vxaAi&m 
‘EXToiir/ASK TOQuloq, op £)-. At0? yeyirncbcu Aeyovcrt,—$vyalyg He 
Tlgvioystetx ; lays Apollotlorus, Li.p.aor By Protogeneia, 
is fignified jirjl-born of women. By others he is fuppoled 
to have been the Ion of Prometheus, but by the lame 
mother. Now Deucalion, Prometheus, Xuth, and Zeuth, 
were the fame perlqu; fo the hiftories are of the lame 
amount; and relate to the head of the Amonian family, 
who was one of the fons.of the perfon called Deucalion. 
He is made coeval with the deluge ; and reprefented as 
the brother to the firft-born of mankind : by which is 
meant the firft-born from that great event: for the de-i 
lijge ( was always' the ultimate, to which tliey referred. 
The Hellenes, fay’s Mr. Bryant, were the fame as the 
Ionnn or I^es. The lame is to be laid of the ./Ealiuhs, 
and Dorians; they were all from one fource, being 
