1
                                                                    Exhibit 23.1


                       CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statement of
Hercules Incorporated on Form S-8 [Registration No. 33-37279 (which includes
Registration No. 33-21668), No. 33-14912, No. 33-15052, No. 33-21667, No.
33-47664, No. 33-51178, No. 33-52621, No. 33-66136, No. 33-62314, No. 33-65352,
No. 333-38795, and No. 333-38797] and on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-63423)
of our report, which includes an explanatory paragraph regarding a change, in
1997, in the company's method of accounting for costs incurred in connection
with an enterprise software installation, dated February 19, 1999, on our audits
of the consolidated financial statements of Hercules Incorporated and subsidiary
companies as of December 31, 1998 and 1997 and for each of the three years in
the period ended December 31, 1998, which report is included in this Current
Report on Form 8-K.



PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 5, 1999