636 H Y L 
fpace is far from being identical with the maximum of 
moifture ; this depending confiderably, though with the 
conftant exigence of the other, on the temperature com¬ 
mon to the fpace and the water that evaporates. It has 
fhown, that the cafe of extreme moifture exifting in the 
open tranfparent air in the day, even when it rains, is 
extremely rare; M. de Luc has only found it once in this 
ftate, the temperature being 39 0 . Meffrs. de Sauffure 
and de Luc have proved by the hygrometer, that the air 
is drier and drier as we afcend in the atmofphere ; fo 
that, in the upper attainable regions, it is conftantly very 
dry, except in the clouds. M. de Saufi'uve has fhown, 
that, if the whole atmofphere palled from extreme dry- 
nefs to extreme moifture, the quantity of water thus eva¬ 
porated would not raile the barometer half an inch. 
Laftly, in chemical operations on the air, the greateft 
quantity of evaporated water that may be fuppofed in 
them at the common temperature of the atmofphere, even 
if they were at extreme moifture, is not fo much as the 
one-hundredth part of their mafs. The two laft very im¬ 
portant propofitions have been demonftrated by M. de 
Sauffure. See Adams's LeBures, vol. iv. 
HY'GROSCOPE, f. [from vygo?, Gr. moift, and wovea, 
to view.] An inftrument to fhow the different degrees of 
moifture in the air. It is commonly ufed in the fame fenfe 
with Hygrometer. Wolfius, however, regarding the 
etymology of the word, makes fome difference. Accord¬ 
ing to him, the hygrofcope only fhows the alterations of 
the air in refpedt of humidity and drynefs, but the hy¬ 
grometer meafures them. A hygrofcope therefore is only 
an indefinite or lei's accurate hygrometer. 
HYGROSCOP'IC, adj. Having affinity to water.— Hy- 
grofcopic fubftances have their humidity always propor¬ 
tionable to the places they are in. Adams. 
HYGROSTAT'IC, adj. [from vygos, Gr. moift, and 
yarnti?, the fcience of weights.] Belonging to the art of 
determining the fpecific weight of moift bodies. 
HYGROST AT'ICS, [vygo f , Gr. and raTl ^.] The fci¬ 
ence of comparing degrees of moifture.—Meafures and 
equations of time by accurate pendulums, and other mo¬ 
tions ; hydro and hygrojlatics ; divers engines, powers, and 
automata. Evelyn. See Hygrometry. 
HY'LA, or Hy'las, a river of Myiia, where Hylas was 
drowned. Virgil .—A colony of Phocis. 
HYLAR'CHICAL, adj. [iAu, and Gr.] Prefix¬ 
ing over matter. 
HYL'ARET (Maurice), a French divine and preacher 
of great celebrity, born at Angouleme in 1539. He en¬ 
tered early among the Cordeliers, and went through his 
courfe of philofophy at Paris. He was admitted into 
prieft’s orders at the age of nineteen, and in 1562 was ap¬ 
pointed to the philofophical chair in his order. After¬ 
wards he was nominated to the profeflbrlhip of theology, 
the duties of which he dil'charged till the year 1571. In 
the preceding year, he had been admitted a doftor of the 
faculty of the Sorbonne. The fame of his great popula¬ 
rity occafioned his being invited to Orleans in 1572, where 
he died in 1591. He was the author of a number of Ho¬ 
milies, in Latin, publilhed at different times at Paris and 
Lyons, in 5 vols. 8vo. 
HY'LAS, in fabulous hiftory, a fon of Thiodamus, 
king of Myfia and Menodice, itolen away by Hercules, 
and carried on-board the ffiip Argo to Colchis. On the 
Afiatic coaft the Argonauts landed to take a fupply of 
freffi water ; and Hylas, following the example of his com¬ 
panions, went to the fountain with a pitcher, and fell into 
the water and was drowned. The poets have embelliftied 
this tragical ftory, by faying, that the nymphs of the ri¬ 
ver, enamoured of the beautiful Hylas, carried him away ; 
and that Hercules, difconlolate at the lofs of his favourite 
youth, filled the woods and mountains with his com¬ 
plaints: and, at laft, abandoned the Argonautic expedi¬ 
tion to go and feek him. Apollod. Virgil. 
HYLE, f. [from ttfoj, Gr. matter.] The firft matter; 
the original chaos. 
H Y M 
HY'LEG,/ in aftrology, the planet which, according 
to its polition at a nativity, becomes the giver of life ; in 
contra-diftinftion to the anareta, or deftroying planet. 
HYLEGFACAL, adj. Belonging to the liyleg. 
HYL'IAS, in ancient geography, a river of Magna 
Grascia. 
HYL'LUS, in fabulous hiftory, a fon of Hercules and 
Dejanira, who, foon after his father’s death, married Iole. 
He, as well as his father, was perfecuted by the envy of 
Euryltheus,. and obliged to fly from the Peloponnefus. 
The Athenians gave a kind reception to Hyllus and the 
reft of the Heraclidae, and marched again ft Euryltheus. 
Hyllus obtained a victory over his enemies, and killed" 
with his own hand Euryltheus, and fent his head to Alc- 
mena, his grandmother. Some time after he attempted to 
recover the Peloponnefus with the Heraclidte, and was 
killed in fingle combat by Echemus, king of Arcadia. 
HYLO'BII, / [from vM, Gr. wood, and £iof, life.] 
Philofophers who retired into the woods and defert places 
for the purpofes of contemplation. 
HYLON'OME, the wife of Cyllaras, who killed herfelf 
the moment her hulband was murdered by the Lapithse. 
Ovid. 
HYLOZO'ISTS, [formed of v\vi, Gr. matter, life.] 
The name of a fed: of atheifts among the ancient Greek 
philofophers, who held matter to be animated; maintain¬ 
ing that matter had fome natural perception, without ani¬ 
mal fenfation or reflection, in itfelf confidered ; but that 
. this imperfeft life occafioned that organization whence 
fenfation and reflection afterwards arole. 
HY'MEN, or Hymen/e'us, the god of marriage amono- 
the Greeks, was fon of Bacchus and Venus, or, according 
to others, of Apollo and one of the mufes. HymenEeus’ 
according to the more recfeived opinions, was a yount* 
Athenian of extraordinary beauty, but ignoble origin. 
He became enamoured of the daughter of one of the rich- 
eft and nobleft of his countrymen ; and, as the rank and 
elevation of his miftrefs removed him from her prefence 
and converfation, he contented himfelf to follow her 
wherever ftie went. In a certain proceffion, in which all 
the matrons of Athens went to Eleufis, Hymenams, to 
accompany his miftrefs, difguifed liimfelf in woman’s 
clothes, and joined the religious troop. His youth, and 
the fairnefs of his features, favoured his difguife. A great 
part of the proceffion was feized by the ludden arrival of 
fome pirates; and Hymenaeus, who fliared the captivity of 
his miftrefs, encouraged his female companions, and affaf- 
finated their ravilhers while they were afleep. Immediately 
after this, Hymenaeus repaired to Athens, and promifed to 
reftore to liberty the matrons who had been enflaved, pro¬ 
vided he was allowed to marry one among them who\vas 
the objeCl of his paffion. The Athenians confented ; and 
Hymenaeus experienced fo much felicity in his marriage 
ftate, that the people of Athens inftituted feftivals in l?is 
honour, and folemnly invoked him at their nuptials, as 
the Latins did their Thalaffius. Hymen was generally re- 
prefented as crowned with flowers, chiefly with marjoram 
or rofes, and holding a burning torch in one hand, and in 
the other a veft of a purple colour. 
HY'MEN, / [vp it, Gr. a membrane; from Hymen , the 
god of marriage.] The membrane which appears in the 
form of a crefcent, lituated at the entrance of the vagina, 
called alfo claujlrum virginitatis, eugeos, and buBon ; fup¬ 
pofed to be torn in the firft intercourfe with man. When 
this membrane is ruptured, it is ffirivelled up, and forms 
the caruncu/a myrtiformes. It naturally (brinks with years, 
or is torn by draining, and fometimes difappears before 5 
the age of twenty; it can, therefore, be no proof of vir¬ 
ginity. In infants this membrane is ffirivelled, and ap¬ 
pears a mere rugofity, fo that De Graaf thought it want¬ 
ing ; in others it doles up the urethra, that the urine can¬ 
not be voided ; or the vagina, that the menfes cannot 
flow ; and an operation is neceflary. When the mark of 
perforation cannot be ieen, the cure was thought imprac¬ 
ticable ; but a trochar and canula have been found" to 
fucceed, 
