MADNESS: A genus of the di-gynia order, belonging to the pentandra clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 45th order, Umbellatae. The fruit is elliptical, emarginated, comfied, and striated, with a thin border. The corolla is difform, inflexed, and emarginated; the involu-crum dropping off. There are five species, of which the most remarkable is the spondylium, or cow-parsnip. This is common in many parts of Britain, and other northern parts of Europe and Asia.—Gmelin, in his Flora Siberica, p. 214, tells us, that the inhabitants of Kamchatka, about the beginning of July, collect the footstalks of the radical leaves of this plant, and, after peeling off the rhind, dry them separately in the sun, and then, tying them in bundles, dry them carefully in the shade; in a short time afterwards, these dried stalks are covered over with a yellow saccharine efflorescence, tasting like liquorice; and in this state they are eaten as a great delicacy.—The Ruffians not only eat the stalks thus prepared, but procure from them a very intoxicating spirit. They first ferment them in water with the greater bilberries (vaccinium uliginosum), and then distil the liquor to what degree of strength they please; which Gmelin says is more agreeable to the taste than spirits made from corn. This may therefore prove a good succedaneum for whisky, and prevent the consumption of much barley, which ought to be applied to better purposes.—Swine and rabbits are very fond of this plant. In the county of Norfolk it is called hogweed.

HERACLIDÆ, the descendants of Hercules, greatly celebrated in ancient history. Hercules at his death left to his son Hyllus all the rights and demands which he had upon the Peloponnesus, and permitted him to marry Iole as soon as he came of age. The posterity of Hercules were not more kindly treated by Eurystheus than their father had been, and they were obliged to retire for protection to the court of Ceyx, king of Trachinia. Eurystheus pursued them thither; and Ceyx, afraid of his resentment, begged the Heraclidae to depart from his dominions. From Trachinia they came to Athens, where Theseus the king of the country, who had accompanied their father in some of his expeditions, received them with great humanity, and assisted them against their common enemy Eurystheus. Eurystheus was killed by the hand of Hyllus himself, and his children perished with him, and all the cities of the Peloponnesus became the undisputed property of the Heraclidae. Their triumph, however, was short; their numbers were lessened by a pestilence; and the oracle informed them, that they had taken possession of the Peloponnesus before the gods permitted their return. Upon this they abandoned Peloponnesus, and came to settle in the territories of the Athenians, where Hyllus, obedient to his father's commands, married Iole the daughter of Eurytus. Soon after he consulted the oracle, anxious to recover the Peloponnesus; and the ambiguity of the answer determined him to make a second attempt. He challenged to single combat Atreus, the successor of Eurystheus on the throne of Mycenæ;