all that the other has done is but mere sport and jeft, compared with the pranks which he will play [R]."

HELSHAM (RICHARD), doctor of phyfic, profeffor of that fcience and of natural philofophy, in the univerfity of Dublin, was author of a celebrated courfe of twenty-three lectures on natural philofophy, published after his death by Dr. Bryan Robinfon. Thefe lectures were long in high estimation, paffed through feveral editions, and are only fuperfeded now from the neceffity of keeping pace in fuch works with the progress of difcoveries. They are clear and plain, though fcientific.

HELVETIÚS (ADRIAN), a phyfician of Holland, was born in 1656. He journeyed to Paris, without any defign of fixing there, and only to fee that new world and fell fome medicines, but accident detained him very unexpectedly. The dysentery then prevailed in that city; and all who applied to him are faid to have been infallibly cured. His fuccefs was celebrated; and Louis XIV. ordered him to publifh the remedy, which produced fuch certain and surprising effects. He declared it to be Ipecacuanha, and received 1000 louis-d'-ors for the discovery. He fettled in Paris, became phyfician to the duke of Orleans, and was also made infpector general of the military hofpitals. He died in 1721, leaving fome works behind him; the principal of which is, Traité des Maladies de plus frequentes, & des Remedies specifiques pour les guerir," 2 vols. 8vo.

HELVETIUS (JOHN-CLAUDE), fon of the above, was born in 1685, and died in 1755. He was firft phyfician to the queen, counsellor of state, and greatly efteemed by the town as well as court. He was, like his father, infpector-general of the military hofpitals. He was a member of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, of the Royal Society in London, and of the Academies of Pruffia, Florence, and Bologna. He cured Louis XV. of a dangerous diforder, which attacked him at the age of seven years, and obtained afterwards the entire confidence of the queen alfo, Whenever he attended as a physician, he was regarded as a friend, fuch was the goodnefs and benevolence of his character. He was particularly attentive to the poor. He was the author of, I. "Idée Générale de l'économie animale, 1722," 8vo. 2. "Principia Phyfico-Medica, in tyronum Medicinæ gratiam confcripta," 2 vols. 8vo. This latter work, though drawn up for pupils, may yet be serviceable to masters.

HELVETIUS (CLAUDE ADRIAN), born at Paris in 1515, was fon of the preceding Helvetius. He ftudied under the famous father Porée in the college of Louis the Great, and his tutor, difcovering in his compofitions remarkable proofs of gepius, was particularly attentive to his education. An early af

[R] Terent. Eunuch, A&t. ii. Sc. iv.
C 4

fociation

fociation with the wits of his time, gave him the defire to become an author, but his principles unfortunately became tainted with false philofophy. He did not publifh any thing till the year 1758, when he produced his celebrated book "de l'Esprit," which appeared first in one volume 4to., and afterwards in three volumes, 12mo. This work was very juftly condemned by the parliament of Paris, as confining the faculties of man to animal fenfibility, and removing at once the reftraints of vice and the encouragements to virtue. Attacked in various ways at home, on account of thefe principles, he vifited England in 1764, and the next year went into Pruffia, where he was received with honourable attention by the king. When he returned into France, he led a retired and domeftic life on his estate at Voré. Attached to his wife and family, and strongly inclined to benevolence, he lived there more happily than at Paris, where, as he faid, he was obliged to encounter the mortifying spectacle of mifery that he could not relieve." To Marivaux, and M. Saurin, of the French Academy, he allowed penfions; that, for a private benefactor, were confiderable [s], merely on the fcore of merit; which he was anxious to fearch out and to affift. Yet, with all this benevolence of difpofition, he was ftrict in the care of his game, and in the exaction of his feudal rights. He was maîtred'hotel to the queen, and, for a time, a farmer-general, but quitted that lucrative poft to enjoy his ftudies. When he found that he had beftowed his bounty upon unworthy perfons, or was reproached with it, he faid, "If I was king, I would correct them; but I am only rich, and they are poor, my business therefore is to aid them." Nature had been kind to Helvetius, the had given him a fine perfon, genius, and a constitution which pro mifed long life. This laft, however, he did not attain, for he was attacked by the gout in his head and ftomach, under which complaint he languished fome little time, and died in December 1771. His works were, 1. The Treatife "De l'Efprit," "on the Mind," already mentioned: of which various opinions have been entertained. It certainly is one of those which endeavour to degrade the nature of man, too nearly to that of mere animals and even Voltaire, who called the author at one time, a true philofopher, has faid that it is filled with common place truths, delivered with great parade, but without method, and difgraced by ftories very unworthy of a philofophical production. The ideas of virtue and vice, according to this book, depend chiefly upon climate. 2. "Le Bonheur," or "happiness," a poem in fix cantos; published after his death, in 1772, with forne fragments of epiftles. His poetical style is ftill more affected than his profe, and though he produces fome fine verfes, he is more frequently

[s] To the former 2000, to the latter 3000 livres; near 100 and 150l. fterling.

ftiff and forced. His poem on happiness is a declamation, wherein he makes that great object depend, not on virtue, but on the cultivation of letters and the arts. 3. "De l'Homme," 2 vols 8vo. another philofophical work, not lefs bold than the first. A favourite paradox, produced in this book, under a variety of different forms, is, "that all men are born with equal talents, and owe their genius folely to education." This book is even more dangerous than that on the mind, because the ftyle is clearer, and the author writes with lefs referve. He speaks fometimes of the enemies of what he called philofophy, with an afperity that ill accords with the general mildnefs of his character.→ HELVICUS (CHRISTOPHER), profeffor of the Greek and Eaftern languages, and of divinity, in the univerfity of Gieffen, was born in 1581, at Sprendlingen, a little town near Frankfort, where his father was minifter. He went through his ftudies in Marpurg, where he took his degree of M. A. in 1599, having taken his bachelor's in 1595. He was a most early genius, composed a prodigious number of Greek verfes at 15; and was capable of teaching Greek, Hebrew, and even philofophy, before he was 20. The Hebrew he poffeffed fo entirely, that he spoke it as fluently as if it had been his native language. He thoroughly read the Greek authors; and even ftudied phyfic for fome time, though he had devoted himself to the ministry. In 1605, he was chosen to teach Greek and Hebrew, in the college which the landgrave had lately established at Gieffen and which the year after was converted into an university by the emperor, who endowed it with privileges. Having discharged for five years the feveral duties of his employment with great reputation, he was appointed divinity profeffor in 1610. He married this year; yet continued as affiduous as ever in the of fices of his profeffiom. A church was offered him in Moravia in 1611, and a profefforfhip at Hamburg with a confiderable sti pend: but he refufed both thofe offers. In 1613, he took the degree of D. D. at the command of the landgrave; who fent him to Frankfort, that he might view the library of the Jews, who had been lately driven away by popular tumults. Helvicus, fond of reading the rabbins, bought feveral of their books on that occafion. He died in the flower of his age, in 1617; and his lofs was bewailed after a very peculiar manner. All the German poets of the Augsburg confeffion compofed elegies, to deplore his im mature death. A collection was made of his poems, which were printed with his funeral fermon and fome other pieces, under the title of " Cippus Memorialis," by the care of Winckleman colleague to Helvicus.

;

He was reputed to have had a moft skilful and methodical way of teaching languages. He was a good grammarian; and published several grammars, as Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee,

Syriac:

Syriac but they were only abridgements. His Hebrew and Latin Lexicons were only, by way of effay, calculated for youth. He was not only a good grammarian, but also an able chronoJoger. His chronological tables have gone through feveral editions, and been greatly efteemed, though they are not, as it is difficult to conceive they fhould be, quite free from errors. He published them in 1609, under the title of "Theatrum Historicum, five Chronologiæ Syftema Novum, &c." and brought them down from the beginning of the world to 1612; but they were afterwards revifed and continued by John Balthafar Schuppius, fon-in-law to the author, and profeffor of eloquence and hiftory in the univerfity of Marpurg. Helvicus had projected writing a great number of books; and it is plain by the books he actually publifhed, that, had he lived threefcore years, his works might have made several volumes in folio. They are not in'e cfting enough to make a particular and minute account of them neceflary: his chronology being the only one, whofe ufe has not been fuperfeded.

HELYOT (PIERRE), perhaps Elliot, properly, as he was of British extraction. He was a religious of the order of Picpus near Paris, which is a branch of that of St. Francis. His fame is founded on a large work, the toil of twenty-three years, in eight volumes quarto, which is, "A Hiftory of Monaftic Orders, religious and military, and of fecular congregations of both fexes," &c. &c. He was born in 1660, and died in 1716. His work is full of learned research, and more correct than any thing on that fubject which had then appeared. He was a man of exemplary piety, and a neat, though not elegant, or natural writer.

HEMELAR (JOHN), a very learned man, born at the Hague, was a fine poet and orator; and to be compared, fays Gronovius [T], with the Roman Atticus for his probity, tranquillity of life, and abfolute difregard of honours and public employments. He went to Rome, and spent fix years in the palace of cardinal Cefi. He wrote there a panegyric on pope Clement VIII. which was fo graciously received, that he was offered the poft of librarian to the Vatican, or a very good benefice. He accepted the latter, and was made a canon in the cathedral at Antwerp. Lipfius had a great esteem for him, as appears from letters he wrote to him. He was Grotius's friend, and published verfes to congratulate him on his deliverance from confinement. He was uncle by the mother's fide to James Golius, the learned profeffor at Leyden, who gained fo vaft a reputation by his profound knowledge in the Oriental languages: but Golius, who was a zealous proteftant, was greatly difaffected to him, for

[T] Joann. Fred. Gronov. in Orat. Funeb. Jacobi Golii, p. 7.

having converted his brother Peter to popery. He applied himfelf inuch more to the study of polite literature and to the science of medals, than to theology. He publifhed, fays Gronovius, extremely useful commentaries upon the medals of the Roman emperors, from the time of Julius Cæfar down to Juftinian, taken from the cabinets of Charles Arschot and Nicholas Rocoxius: wherein he concifely and accurately explains by marks, figures, &c. whatever is exquifite, elegant, and fuitable or agreeable to the history of thofe times, and the genius of the monarchs, whether the medals in queftion be of gold, filver, or brafs, whether caft or ftruck in that immortal city. It is a kind of storehouse of medals; and nevertheless in this work, from which any other perfon would have expected prodigious reputation, our author has been fo modeft as to conceal his name. This work of Hemelar's, which is in Latin, is not eafily to be met with, yet it has been thrice printed: firft at Antwerp, in 1614, at the end of a work of James Biæus; fecondly, in 1627, 4to; and thirdly, in 1654, folio. The other works of this canon are fome Latin poems and orations. He died in 1640. He is fometimes called Hamelar.

HEMMINGFORD (WALTER DE), a regular canon of Gifborough-abbey, near Cleveland in Yorkshire, flourished in the XIVth century in the reign of Edward III. He had a strong genius for learning, which by his industry was improved to a great degree. History was his particular inclination; and upon this fubject it was that he became an author. He begins from the Norman conqueft, and continues to the reign of king Edward the IId. from the year of our Lord 1066 to 1308. The work is written with great care and exactnefs, and in a style good enough confidering the time. Gale enumerates five copies of his hiftory, two at Trinity-college, Cambridge, one at the Herald's-office, one in the Cotton library, and one which he had himself. This author died at Gifborough in 1347.

HEMSKIRK, or HEEMSKIRK (MARTIN), an eminent painter, was a peasant's son, and born at a village of that name in Holland, in 1498. In his youth he was extremely dull, and nothing was expected from him; but afterwards he became a correct painter, eafy and fruitful in his inventions. He went to Rome, and intended to stay there a long time; but at the end of three years, returned to his own country. He fettled at Haerlem, and lived there the remainder of his days. Most of his works were engraved. Vafari gives a particular account of them, commends them, and fays, Michael Angelo was fo pleased with one of the prints, that he had a mind to colour it. Nevertheless it is visible from the prints of Hemfkirk's works, that he did not understand the chiaro ofcuro, and that his manner

of