Book I.

1 8
That a woman doth aff ord feed , ($c%
0 ,, r Rouble arifing,the colle&ions of humours are dilfipated, and'difea- is fome- ks abate and ceak by critical evacuation. Hence it is that fuch as times cured, are bit by mad-dogs, and fear the water, we caft them unawares in- by another, to the deep waterfand drive away to by fear. When fonre Ire troubled with cold difeafes, we put them into hot Feavers : for fo naturall heat being raifed, cold raw humours are conco&ed, and nature is excited to caft out the difeafe.
C
disproved by re of on 3 that a wo¬ man wants not Seed.
The danger of feed re¬ tain’d.
Maids to be married in time.
Maids by Marriage grew frefh.
Woman is greedy of copulation.
CHAP. VI.
i hat a woman doth afford feed) and is a Companion in the whole
Generation .
Hough the Seed of Man be the chief efficient and the begin- ing ol adhon, motion, and generation 5 yet that a woman af¬ fords feed, and doth eftedually lend help to the procreation of the Child is evinced by ftro.ng reafons. Firft , feminary veffels bad been given toem in vain, and genital tefticlcs 5 if a woman wanted feminal excrement, fhe fhould afford very little to the child , and fhould have no pare in it. But fince that nature doth nothing in vain, itmuftneedsbe, that they were made for ufe offeedand for procreation, and placed in their proper places, both the Tefticles and the receptacles of feed, whofe nature & force is to afford fruitful! vcrttie to the feed. And to prove this, therencedsno ftronger Argu¬ ment than this, that if women do not ufe copulation to caft out their feed they oft-times fall into great difeafes and cruel fymptoms. For you fhall lee many Widows for want of husbands, and Virgins ready for Marriage, when they do nor marry in time, though their terms keep their orderly feafons, yet are they cruelly tormented with fainting fits, and ftrangling of the Mother. For all are of opinion, that more harm comes to them by the feed being corrupted, than by their courfes being ftopr. For the feed growes to be of a veno¬ mous quality, hence arifeth that fwarrh weafil colour in Maids when they begin to be in love : hence comes their (Fort breathings, tremblings, and pantings of the heart, the expulfive faculty bcino- moved to caft out the fwelling humour. If fuch lufty Widows or Maids in years happen to be married, that theirfecd by theufe of man may be t jedled, you fhall prefently fee them look frefhas a Role, and to be very amiableand pleafant, and not fo crabbid and tefty, efpecially if their husbands be men for their turn, and can give them their due. And though the Society of the lawful bed confifts not in thefe things, yet you fhall find that this Sex is by no means better won, than when the husband often fatisfieth them this way. For fo are all things more peaceable in the Houfe, and there fall out no wranglings or janglings between them. But if the man lye but feldom with his wife, or the man be (low in doing his office, you fhall fee the houfe turn’d upfide down ; for fome of this Sex are fogreedy of copulation, that you may weary them, but never fatisfie
them :
Chap. 6. A Woman is a Companion in the whole generation.
15? '
them • which Teems to me the chief caufe why a woman in copula¬ tion doth afford Teed, and hath more pleafurc than a man hath : For fince by nature infinite delight accompanies the ejecting of the Teed by the breaking forth of the (Welling Tpirits, and the ftitfnefle of the nerves, and the woman performs a double office, and buffers both wayesj (for The drawes forth the mans Teed, and cafts her own in with it); It is very likely that line takes more delight, and is more recreated by it. Hence it is that the Child is commonly more like the mother than the Father, becaufe the Mothers conTer moft in generation ; and it is proved, becauTe women love the Children beft. For befides their eje&ing of feed, all the time they arc great with child, they nourifh the Child with their pureft blood. I find Galen to be of that mind, for he thinks that the child receives fome- thing more from the Mother than from the Father; and he refers the difference of Sex to the affluence of menftruall blood ; but the reafon of likeneffe to the force of the Teed. For as plants receive more from fruitfull ground, than they do from the Induftry of the Husbandman; To the Infant receives all things more plentifully from the Mother : Forfirft, the Teed of them both is fofter* heaped together in the womb, then it growes up with the Mothers blood, and increafech by degrees fecretly. Hence it is, that by Tym- pathy Children love their Mothers molt, for it proceeds from near- nefle of Nature, and becaufe the Mothers forces were moft cm ployed about them. Alfo Mothers are full of love to their Chill dren, and more indulgent to their young ones than the Fathers be, who are oft-times more rigid. I chink the Evangelift meant To, when he brings in Rachel lamenting for her Children, who was To wounded in her mind with grief for being deprived of them, that fhe would by no means be comforted. For there is nothing t y the opinion of Efaias more repugnant to Natures Laws, than fora wo man to forget her child, and to be cruel agamft the fruit of her womb, laying afide natural affedUon. We fee that Fathers have their natural, propenfion to their Children alfo, but it is later bef re it appears. For Fathers love them beft when they are grown up, and then they take moft care for them, when they begin to fee fome hopes of them.: But Mothers take more care of chem in their Infan¬ cy, and becaufe that age ftands in need of other’s help moft, they are then the moft loving and careful over them, and not focurft as theFathers be. For this caufethe Scriptures do To oft invite us to gratitude, which by the example of Storks, children do owe to their Parents, and we are commanded to requite them. The hke love we fee in a Hen, which loves the chickens, The hatched, more dearly; and though the Cock was the caufe chat the Eggs breed chickens, yet he takes no care for them when they are hatched. But that both yield feed, we may prove in hen-eggs; for a Hen will lay eggs without the Cock, but if fhe fit on them, they will footur corrupt than hatch : but the eggs the Hen laid when a Cock irod her, will after 19 dayes be hatched, put under a Hen; To chat the Chickens will peep before the fhcll break. This tedious Ci ild-
E 2 bearing
The rveman defires man as the mat¬ ter doth the Jom. !
Why chil¬ dren are mo ft life the Mo¬ ther,
Lib. 2. de fem.
A Simile f rom Plants andthein- duftriuies husband¬ man.
why Chil¬ dren love their Mo¬ thers be(K
Math. r-. Jer 3*. .
Ch. 4?.
Math. 2?. f.io love their d ■ms.
A Hens (it- iag.
v * V
A Hen lays e is wi: fr¬ ont a Cocfe
20
i Vomtn are not idle in mailing the child.
JEneid. 6.
God the chief caufe of fruitful - nejfe.
Gen. a 7.
i Re g. u 4 Kings 4» Luc. 1,
The force of feed.
The force cf the men- flniall blood.
whether Minor Women is the caufe of a Male or Female Child. Bock I.
bearing ttme ot the Mother in which for 9. moneths (he feeds the Child with her pureft blood, and then her love toward her Child newly born, and the ufual likeneffeof the Child to the iV other do dearly prove, that women afford feed, and that womc » do more to ward making the Child, than nun do, who onely injedmg their iced are gone, and neither further the woman, nor help the child anymore. Yet info many moneths the woman mull do much to frame the child and nourifn it. For it cannot be,that it fhould grow up from that congealed lump, but by a wondcrfull way.
CHAP. VII.
Whence growes the Sex and Kindi that is, whether of the two Man or Woman is the caufe of a male or female Child.
T Hough all things are juftly aferibed to God that made a!!, yet many things go in order by Natures rules, and are carried by their imbred motion. God being the Author of all thcle things, he uleth to alter many of them, and to change the order ot thingland to bring forth feme things in other forms and orders contrary to Na¬ tures Lawes. For example, a woman defiring a Man-child, prayes unto God earncftly for it, and God hears her prayers. For example, Sarah being pall children , and her comics long fince flaydfyee fhe concerveu Ifaac by Acraham that was a very old man ; in which child God would nave to be placed all hopes of his pofteri.y, and 1 n 1CAC5a ^ Nations fhould take the beginning ot their hanpi- nciie. Mlo being much aHiidcd with heMong barrennefTe y earneft and conflant prayer fhe obtained Samuel jfromGod. Alio £////? A offiaoifs Landlady, by the prayers of the Prophet had a Child given her from God, and afterwards he raifed this Child that was dead to life again. So Zacharies being old, by Gods di- fpenfation had a Child by Elizabeth, that was flrickcn in years and uncurably barren, which was John the fore-runner of ChrKt So many others have pray’d to God fora Child to be their Heir in the^r EiiaccF, and God hath granted them their requeft. None can doubt but this is Gods work, and thefe things have a peculiar effort from the divine Will. But we ihall fpeakof things that proceed irom natural caufes, and that nature ufeth to work by her imbred force. For flic prepares a body fit for the Souls condition, and gives every thing its temper. But fince there are two principles out of which the body of man is made, and which make the Child like tne progenitors, and to be of this or that Sex ; Seed, common to both lexes; and Menftrual blood, proper to the woman.- The fimi- lituae confifts in the force of the male or female feed, fo that it proves like to cl cone or the other, as the feed is more plentifully afforded by one or the other. But the difference of fex is not refer- red to the feed, but to the menftruall blood, which belongs onely to the woman. For, were that force in the feed, fince the mans feed
Chap. 7. Whether Man or Woman is th-e caufe of a Male cr Female Child .
2 I
isaiwaies Itronger and hotter era’ll the womans, chilurcn would be all b ;yes. Wucrcfore the kind of the creature is attributed to the Temperament of the active qualities, which confift in heat and cold, and co the lubftance or nature of the matter under them ; thac is, to the flowing of the menftruaMolood. Now the feed af¬ fords both force to beget and form the child , and matter for its generation: alio in the menftrual blood there is both matter and iorce. For as the feed moll helps to the material principle, fo doth the menftrual blood to the potentials Seed is, faith Cjalen, l. z. de blood well conco&ed by the veflels tnatcontairtlc, fo chat blood is not ondy the matter of generating the child, but it is alfo feed in poflioiiity. Now tiiac menftrual blood hath both principles, that is, both matter, and faculty of efft&ing any thing, is conkfled by all. But feed is the if rongeft efficient, the matter of it being very ffiiall in quantity 5 butthc menftrual blood is much in quantity; blood !tf- but the potential or efficient faculty of it is very feeble. Now if the fad* mat* materia,! principle of generation, according to which the fex is ™ t0J^cl made, were onely in the menftrual blood, then ihould all children begirles; as if all the efficient force were in the feed, they would all he boys. Bu ft nee both have both principles, and in menftrual blood, matccr predominates in quantity, and in the feed force and venue; defer vedly, faith Galen, the child receives its fex rather from the Motner than from the Father, though his feed do afford fomc- thing to the material principles, but more weakly. But fimilitude, though Imagination be of great force therein, is referred rather to the Father tnan the Mother; for there is more force in the mans feed. But the womans feed receiving faculty from the menftruall blood for 9. monethsfdoth as much exceed the man’s, as the man's did the womans at firfi copulation. Fur it is proper to the womans feed, toftr.ngthen and increafe her own fublfance more than the ->•, mans. So the woman not.cncly affads matter to make theChild,but forceanb vertue co ported toe conccp ion, though the womansleed be fit nutriment for the mans feed by reafon of the moyfture and ihinneffeof it, and is more fit to frame and make up the concep¬ tion thereby. For as or foft running vvax, and moyft clay, the A shniiu workman can work what he will with his hand ; fo the mans feed %def^d mixed with the womans feed, and the menftruall blood, helps ef- moyft -day. fc&ually to make the term, and ptrfcbts the par. s of a man. Or if you would have a comparifonof cheic things from Natural things; as the Earth is to plants, ibis the womb for conception. For as the Acompxrb feeds of Plants need the Earth, to nourifh and increafe them; fo the ^*.tf feed of man requires the womo, which is affeded with a beftreot tfcyyojM\ ancdffpru'g. For by the moyfture thereof, and by blood running forth at die veins to water the child, it doth grow and increafe.
Hence you may conjecture what art nature ufeth in conceiving and framing a child, which by an innate force gtowes up by degrees, andfecretly increaling comes rojts fuliftrerrgth ; wherein I think that worth the Enquiry, by what force the nature of the woman makes a man or a woman ; what faculty feems to be aieribed rather
to
22
Of Prodigious and CMonflrous Births. Book I,
to the woman than to the man, byrcafonof more matrer coming from her, which confifts in the blood and feed of the woman • whereby the Child all the time it is in the womb is nourifhcd and increaicd. For as mans feed is the chief caufc of motion, and the Inftrurnent and Artificer, .whereby Man is made; yet the womans feed with the plenty of her menflrual blood affords more matter than the man doth, and by help thereof the child is perfected, and is di- ftinguifhed for its fex ; for that is it makes a child a male or a fe¬ male.
CHAP. VIII.
Of Prodigious and Monftrm Births , and by the way what is the mean¬ ing of the Proverb, Thofe that are born in the fourth Moon.
THe Nature of Man and his parts deftinated to the Generation of man, ifthey be rightly difpofed, and there be no defe them, will beget a perfea man. But if they be defedive, or faulty. Whence or the feed beconfufedly mixed, or the principles of Generation be ftKw‘ otherwife involved than they fhould be, it falls out that prodigious and monftrous births are made. Some fay that thefe things happen from the influence and afpeds of the Stars, and as juft judgments for fins. And I think it very confonant to truth. For they com¬ monly happen from a faulty conftitution of the Womb, from filthy rA fimlie corrupt feed, and difordcrly copulation. For, as in the art of mel-
fromFoun- ting mettals, if the matter be not pure and well cleanfed, if the vellel or receiver be oblique, full of windings, ill joyoted, hath corners, is fet awry, oris full of chinks or plaits, is unloofed, ot holds ill together, we fee that men caft ridiculous and improper figures: fo if the places be ill appointed, if the womb inclines to one fide, or the matter be unfit, or ill tempered, nature (hall never make a fit and decent form : So the Low Countrey Women, chief¬ ly thofe that live near the Sea-fide, being reftleffe and troubled in ?beMM?.af copulation, they have ftrangemirtiapenEmbrio’s, and do not onely tax. bring forth rude and deformed burdens, not made up, that no fword will cut, but alfofomething deformed that pants and is alive and is like the imperfeft draught of a figure that Artifts ufe to draw?with arudePenfil. For Marrincrs, which they commonly marry, when theycomefrom long voyages, run mad upon their wives with full intempe- fail, never regarding their menftrual courfes, nor the Conjun
or new Moon, at which time by reafon of their terms copulation
bunstbt ufeth tobehurtfull, for the feed cannot flick together, nor be fitly united with the womans blood, whence it comes to pafle, that the feed either runs forth, or if it chance to flick together, nature cannot make up any thing rightly of a copfufed matter that flicks not fo as it fhould do. And notonely the mens incontinence is to be found fault with 5 but alfo of the women, who having waited fo long in
their
• /
Chap. 8.
2 3
Of Prodigioui and Monjtrout lir tbs.
their abfence, do voluntarily put themlelves upon their husbands, and {natch the feed from them as hungry dogs do a bone," or Cerbe- miiis bait. Whence it comes that the taculcy of the Womb lofeth ' its force to generation and lucceffc of breeding a child. Or if it try to do any thing, it makes fome monfirous form that is nothing like to the fhapeofa man : fometimes after three Moneths fpace,thac filthy matter runs forth, and an undigefted heap comes out by pie- ces,as filthy water out of a Ship by the Pump. Notunlike to this is an efflux that troubles women with many heavy torments : our women, becaufe this conception begins in the fourth Moon, when fhe ism Conjunction, by whole force the terms flow down, call it a Moon birth, or Mane kind:. Sometimes this falfe conception is a birth made without the help of man, by Imagination onely in thofe that not naU^i are very lafeivious, ioasby often feeing their Husbands, and but \onh. touching them, the womans feed will mix together with the blood, and the neat of the Womb will begin to frame fomething like to a living Creature 5 But the formal caule, the mans Iced being wan- , j ting, that is like the Wcrk-maftcr, the matter the woman affords, \s the for- obtains a ftrange deformed fhape; (ometimes the like is made by the mer of the help of the man, when in the fourth and filent Moon he copulates chlld' with his wife, and on the fourth day after the Moons Conjunction, when her courfes run, not obferving natures rules ; for he drives againft the flux, and fails againft the dream. Our people by a proverb™ Proverb call it pilling againd the Moon, theLatines call them. Born Me bgM in the fourth Moon. Becaufe they have unhappy beginnings of tbc Moon' their life, and had their fird entrance by generation contrary to na- tures order, whence it happens that they arc very unlucky in bufi- nefle they undertake. For when a man iyeth with his wife that hath her courfes, he dops her flux, and the blood is forced back again, you may fee the fame in vdfeis,and Cask of Wine, and by blood running from your nofe, in which we dop the liquor running forth by thruding in a dople, or fome rag that is wound together. Yet it is not neceflary nor fit to dop the blood running forth, when as the mans feed mingled wichiuch filthy moidurc, cannot make a per- feCtman. For the matter is naught and unfit to receive a decent and proper figure. And therefore Afofes had good reafon, by Gods command to lorbid pien to lie with women during their unclean- nede. For it can hardly be exprefied what contagion and mifehief r°uch not comes thereupon, when men do not reiram from women that are t^at un. impure. For this contagion will by degrees feize upon the whole cleanof habit of the body, and fecretly breeds the Lcprofie and the Pox. bcT blood\ And it doth this the fooncr, if the woman bedileafed of fome con¬ tagious difeafe, as whores commonly are. For then fhe will pre- fentjy communicate her infedioti. Wherefore no man need much whence*™ admire that there are fo many monftrous births, or from whence monfimm come fo many ftrange fhapes, that there arc fo many feald heads, maimed and crooked people, with bow’d and bent legs, that there Mdmnd» are fo many fwellings about the fundament and the groins, fo many Bubo’s, fo many fwoln Etnrods • and as for the mind, that there are tkcgmns-
fo -
24