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astronomers have supposed the heavenly bodies to be arranged,moved, &c. The principal hypotheses are the Ptolemaic, Coper-mean, and Tychonic . The Copernican is now so well warrantedby observation, that it should no longer be called a hypothesis.See Astronomy.

Hypothesis, in logic, that which is supposed to be true.False hypotheses are olten made in order to draw the antagonistinto absurdities; and even in geometry truths are often deduciblefrom false hypotheses. Every hypothetical proposition may bedistinguished into hypothesis and thesis: the first rehearses theconditions under which any thing is affirmed or denied ; and thelatter is the thing itself affirmed or denied. Thus, in the propo-sition, a triangle is half a parallelogram, if the bases and altitudesof the two be equal; the latter part is the hy pothesis, “ if thebasis,” Sec. and the former the thesis, “a triangle is half a paral-lelogram.” In strict logic, we are never to pass from the hypo-thesis to the thesis; that is, the principle supposed must be provedbefore we require the consequence to lie allowed.

Hypothesis, in physics, &c. denotes a system formed to ac-count for some phenomenon or appearar.ee of nature; such asgravity', magnetism, the deluge, the tides, &c. The real causesof natural tilings generally lie very deep ; observation and experi-ment are in most places extremely slow, and the human mind is veryimpatient: hence we often invent something that may seem likethe cause, and which appears calculated to answer the several plue-nomena, so that it may possibly be the true cause. Philosophersare divided as to the use of such hypotheses, which are much lesscurrent now than formerly. The latest and best writers are forexcluding hypotheses, and depending wholly on observation andexperiment. Whatever is not deduced from phenomena, saysSir Isaac Newton , is an hypothesis ; and hypotheses, whether me-taphysical, or physical, or mechanical, or of occult qualities, haveno place in experimental philosophy. Those who, like the Carte-sians, found thcirspeculations on hypotheses,even though they 7 arguefrom them regularly, according to the strictest laws of mechanics,may be said to compose an elegant fable ; but it is still only a fable.However, hypotheses, if not considered as established facts, havetheir use; for by means of them we often discover the truth soonerthan by random experiments; they also afford a regular arrange-ment and classification of the facts already known. The chiefdanger ot hypotheses is, that of placing too much dependence onthem.

HYPOTRACIIELION, [from iro, under, and the

neck,] in architecture, denotes a little freize in the Tuscan andDoric capitals, between the astiaga! and annulets.

HYPOXES, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, andhexandria class of plants; natural order, Coronaritc. Corolla di-vided into six parts, persisting, superior ; capsule narrowing at thebase; calyx' a bivalvcd glume. It has fourteen species.

HYPSICLES, an ancient mathematician of Alexandria, whoflourished under Marcus Aurelius . He wrote a work entitled,“ Anaphoricus, or the Book of Ascensions,” printed in Greek and..Latin, at Paris , in 1680.

HYTSICRATES, an ancient Phoenician historian, who wrote■a History of Phoenicia, in his native tongue, which was saved fromthe flames of Carthage , when that city was destroyed ; it was trans-lated into Greek.

HYPSIPYLE , in fabulous history, the daughter of Thoas, andqueen of Lemnos .

IIYPSISTARII, [from highest,] a sect of heretics in

the fouiteenth century ; so called from the profession they made ofworshipping the most high God . Their doctrine was a compoundof Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity '.

I1YPT1S, in botany, a genus of the didvnamia gymnospermiaclass and order; natural order, Verticillata:. Calyx turbinate;corolla with a very spreading border ; lower lip semibitid ; an-thers hanging down. There are two species.

11YRAX, the Saphan, or Ashkoko, in zoology, a genus ofthe mammalia class of animals, and order glires. Generic charac-ter, two broad and distant fore-teeth above ; four contiguous,broad, flat, notched, fore-teeth below ; and four large grinders oneach side in both jaws. The fore-feet have four toes, the hind-feet only three. Tail, none; clavicles wanting. There are twospecies.

II. Capensis, or the Cafe PIyrax, is about as large as a rab-

bit, and abounds in the mountainous districts near the Cape ofGood Hope , leaping from rock to rock with extreme agility',feeding by day', and retreating at night to the clefts and holes ofthe mountains. Its sound is a reiterated squeak. It subsists en-tirely on vegetable food, and prepares a bed for its repose andcomfort in its favourite recess. See Plate LXIX.

H. Syriacus, or the Bristly IIyrax, is found in Ethiopia and Abyssinia. It is about seventeen inches long. These ani-mals are called by the natives of these countries Ashkokos. Theyare gregarious, and occasionally seen in companies of severalscores basking before the clefts of the rocks in the open sunshine.They are gentle, weak, and fearful ; but if handled with rough-ness will bite with great severity. They are supposed to live ongrain, fruits, and roots, and when kept in confinement, they willlive upon bread and milk.

I1YRCANI A, in ancient geography, a country of the fartherAsia , lying south-east of tiie Mare ilyreanum ; with Media on theeast, Parthia on the south, and Margiana on the west, famous forits tigers, vines, figs, and olives. (P'irg. Strabo .) It is nowcalled Cliilan, or Kilan.

Hyrcania, the metropolis of the above country', thought to bethe Tape of Strabo, the Syrinx of Polybius , the Zeudracarta ofArrian, and the Asaac of Isidorus Characenus.

Hyrcania, an ancient town of Lydia, in the campus Ilyr-canus, near Thyatira ; destroyed by an earthquake in the reign" ofTiberius .

Hyrcania, a strong town of Judea , built by Ilyrcanus.HYllCANIAN SEA, or PIYRCANUM MARE, called alsothe Caspian Sea. See Caspian Sea .

HYRCiVNUS I. prince and high-priest of the Jews , succeed-ed his father Simon Maccabscus, about A. M. 3815, and afterreigning thirty-one years, died B. C. 106.

Hyrcanus II. king and high-priest of the Jews , was murderedby liis son-in-law, Herod the Great , B. C. 30, after reigning neartwenty-three years.

HYRlA, a country of Bccotia, near Aulis; with a lake, river,and town, of the same name.

IIYSSOPUS, Hyssop ; a genus of the gymnospermia order,and dydynamia class of piants ; the corolla has the lower lip with asmall crenate segment; stamina straight, distant. There are threespecies ; but only one of them, viz. the officinalis, or commonhyssop, is cultivated for use. Besides by possessing the generalvirtues of aromatics, they have been supposed useful in humoralasthmas, coughs, and other disorders of the lungs ; and are saidto promote expectoration.

HYSTERIA, or the Hysteric Affection or Passion,[from 'vreva, the womb,] a disease in women, called also suffoca-tion of the womb, and vulgarly, fits of the mother. It is a spas-modico-convulsive affection of the nervous system, proceedingfrom the womb. See Medicine.

IIYSTERON PROTERON, in grammar and rhetoric, a spe-cies of hyperbaton, wherein the proper order of construction isso inverted, that the part of any' sentence which should naturallycome first is placed last; as in this of Terence, Falct et vivit, for•civit et valet: and in the following of Virgil, Moriamur, fy inmedia arma ruarnus, for Jn media, arma ruamus, Sf moriamur.

IIYSTR1X, Porcupine, in zoology, a genus of quadrupedsof the order glires. They have two fore-teeth, obliquely dividedboth in the upper and under jaw, besides eight grinders ; body co-vered with quills or prickles ; toes, four or live on the fore-feet.There are five species. See Plate LX IX

II. Cristata, the Crested Porcupine , has four toes on thefore-feet, five on the hind-feet, a crested head, a short tail, and theupper lip is divided like that of a hare. The length of the bodyis about two feet, and the height about two and a half. Thebody is covered with prickles, some of them nine or ten incheslong, and about one-fourth of an inch thick. .Like the hedge-hog,he rolls himself up in a globular form, in which position he isproof against the attacks of the most rapacious animals. Theprickles are exceedingly sharp, and eaclt of them has five large,l black, and as many white, rings, which succeed one another alter-nately from the root to the point. These quills the animal canerect or letdown at pleasure; when irritated, lie beats the groundwith liis hind-feet, erects his quills, sltakes his tail, and makes 11considerable rattling noise with his quills. Most authors have as-serted,