THEPREFACE.
If the following Sheets are not thought so methodically digested, as some Criticks would require, yet, it is to be hoped, they may conduce, in some Measure, to the reforming of an Opinion, which, in general, is the Result of Doctrines, founded by the Ancients upon the most absurd Principles; and though (if I may use the Words of the great DrMead) “[1]I do not promise methodicaland finished Treatises, but only some short Hints of Natural History, and rude Strokes of Reasoning;” yet I have this for my Plea, that the Expulsion of superstitious Mysteries and Errors, occult Causes, and, in fine, the Promotion of Truth, in some Parts of Natural Knowledge, to the utmost of my Power, are my sole Intention.
At first I only designed myself the Honour of laying a few Thoughts before theRoyal Society, concerning the Nature of such as are generally calledHermaphrodites; with a Description of a female Fœtus that came to my Hands, which is hereafter mentioned; but upon communicatingmy Design to some Gentlemen of Learning, they were of Opinion, that it was quite necessary to examine what Authors had said on that Head; which, indeed, opened a larger Field than I could have imagined, and lead me on to swell this Essay to it’s present Size.
Some, perhaps, may ask what I have said in this Treatise, that they did not already know? or may pretend, they did not believe there were Hermaphrodites in the World; to this I answer, that tho’ there are some who will give their Reason leave to interfere when a mysterious Matter comes before them, yet of those few who may be called the learned among Men, how many are there that follow thePath of vulgar Errors, rather than take the Trouble of thinking seriously about such a Subject? and, consequently, how few must they be, that ever had a Notion of what appears, in the following Introduction, to have been transacted concerning Hermaphrodites in all Ages and Nations, by the wisest and most learned among them? so far therefore this Undertaking cannot be quite useless.
The Quotations through the whole are genuine and faithful, taken for the most Part from the Authors themselves, very few excepted, which, for want of the Originals, I was obliged to others for, who had cited them on different Occasions, but, however,were Authors of good Credit; and which are madeEnglishhere, for the Benefit of such Readers as have not had a due Instruction in the Languages of the several Authors from whom they are taken.
As some Words are often repeated through the whole Essay, I could not avoid taking the Liberty of forming the adjective WordMacroclitorideus; which, tho’ not in Use before, as I could find, is highly necessary here for two Reasons; first, because it is a short Way of expressing what, inEnglish, would be a considerable Sentence; and, secondly, a much more decent Term, which I have endeavoured to keep up to all along, where theEnglishWordmight be less agreeable; therefore since it is calculated for these Ends, the Freedom of adopting it may be excusable, if it should amount to a Crime in any one’s Opinion.
The Introduction sufficiently points out the Necessity of exhausting this Subject, in the Conviction of those erroneous Notions, propagated from Time to Time, and so long entertained in the World; and the best Manner that occurred to me of proceeding in it, in Hopes to succeed, was, after exhibiting such Reasons as seemed best to deny the Existence of Hermaphrodites in human Nature, to bring together the Opinions of several Authors, and make comparative Animadversions onthem; by which Means, I hope, it will not be doubted, but that the Truth, which hitherto has been so clouded and obscured on this Head, may be said at least to begin to dawn, and by abler Hands may hereafter be brought to a clearer Light.
To judge alone of any Performance is somewhat less difficult, than to perform and judge together; it is therefore that the World in general are better Judges than Performers, the Majority of whom will snarl at a Word or Sentence, as the Standers-by often do at a Gamester’s Manner of playing a Cast, they would have played themselves another Way, though perhaps not so well; and, therefore,however imperfect this little Work may be, as it means only to search for Truth, I hope the Reader will be so kind as to make some Allowance for it’s Imperfection; for if it should meet with Censure, that can amount to no more than a Condemnation of some particular Thing, in a Work which in general is, at least, well intended.