CHAP.III.ADissertationuponGeneration; and of thePartsadministring thereunto.

I shall begin with the instruments ofGenerationin Men. All the parts ofGenerationmerit the Title of noble Parts, as well as the Brain and the Heart; and some Authors give them the preference before the other Parts of the Body, upon this consideration, that they preserve the Species, and the others only keep up the Individuum.

The Yard is call’d by Physicians theMembrum Virile, because it distinguishes a Man from a Woman: It is plac’d at the lower and external part of theAbdomen, and is fasten’d to theOs Pubis. This Situation is the more commodious, for that it does not annoy any other part in the time of enjoyment.

It has a very peculiar Substance, containing several Vessels, Muscles, Nerves, Arteries,&c.Its Skin is finer than that of any other part, to give it a more exquisite sense. It has no Fat; for if it encreas’d in Flesh in proportion with the rest of the Body; it would not only be of too large a size, but become soft, unactive, and insensible; and would cloud the Sense necessary to excite the Passion.

The Yard performs its motions by virtue of four Muscles; two for Erection, and two for Ejaculation. These last squeeze the seminal Vesicles, and convey the Seed into theUrethra,from whence it sallies out with great force: It is divided into its Body, and two Ends; as for its two extremities one of them is call’d the Glans, or head of the Yard; the other which is fastened to the Belly, is call’d the Root, and is surrounded with Hair, especially upon its upper part, which is call’d thePubis.

The Glans, or head of theMembrum Virile, is the only fleshy part in the Yard; being soft and smooth, to prevent its hurting the Matrix of the Woman, and running in some measure to a point to facilitate its Entry: It is cover’d with a thin Membrane, which renders it sensible of the Titillation occasion’d by rubbing upon the Matrix; and in the time of Erection, the Spirits and Blood repair to it vigorously, when it swells and starts out of an uncommon length, assuming a lively red Colour; but upon the retreat of the Blood, it flaggs and becomes pale and shrivell’d.

Theprepuceis the loose Skin at the utmost end of the Yard, which stretches out and covers the Nut, or draws down, to uncover it, as there is occasion: In time of Erection, it will draw down the Yard a considerable way, the easier to enter in Copulation: ’Tis tied under the Nut, with a fine Ligament call’d the Bridle, which must be cut when it is to short, and draws the orifice of the Nut downwards, by reason it hinders the Ejaculation of the Seed in a straight Line. The Prepuce enlarges the pleasure in Copulation, especially of the Women.

The Yard has two Cavernous Bodies, one on each side, taking their rise from the lower part of theOs Pubis, and the Hip-bone, and these cavernous Bodies, or Nerves have two Substances, external and internal, the external one is thick, hard, and nervous, and the internal one, is spungy, thin, and fungous.

The Erection of the Yard is owing to these cavernous Bodies, which being fill’d with Spirits, swell and extend themselves: And the arterious Blood being poured into the cavernous Bodies effects the distension of the Yard, as its lankness is occasion’d by sending of that Blood through the Hypogastrick Veins. The spungy Substance of the cavernous Bodies, stops the Blood for some time, whereby an erection is forc’d.

In all Enjoyments, the animal Spirits are rouz’d by fancy, which strikes theIdeaof Pleasure, and when the Spirits are thus rais’d, they instantly repair to the Nerves of the Organs ofGeneration, and puff them up on mixing with the Blood, convey’d thither by the Arteries; and upon the mixture of these two, a Fermentation succeeds, whereby an Erection is effected.

TheUrethrais a nervous Passage, extending from the neck of the Bladder, to the end of the Yard.It is a common passage for the Seed and Urine.

The Testicles are so call’d from the Latin WordTestes, as they witness the vigour of a Man. They are seated without the Abdomen, at the root of the Yard; and enclos’d in the Scrotum, which is a Purse consisting of two Membranes; these Vessels do not prepare or form the Seed; but their office is to import the Blood from which ’tis separated.

The Testicles are of an oval Figure, about the size of a Pigeons Egg, and in some larger: They are wrapt up in five Coats or fine Skins,viz.TheScrotum,Dartos,Eritroides,Elitroides, and theAlbuginea; the two first are call’d common, and the three last are call’d proper. The outer Coat is shrivell’d and encompass’d with thin Hair. The Substance of the Testicle, is white, soft, and loose, compos’d of several small Seminals Vessels, and Capillaries, which are the Branches of the Arteries,Veins, Nerves, and Lymphatick Vessels.

There are two Muscles call’dCremasters, which keep the Stones suspended; and if these happen to be stronger than ordinary, they’ll move the Testicles of themselves.

The most volatile part of the Blood is strain’d out from the rest by the Glandulous Pith of the Testicle, which gives passage only to the finest Particles, and obliges the rest to return to the Veins. This part of the Blood thus filtrated, is rais’d to a just degree of perfection by the length of the Pipes, through which it passes; and what adds to its refinement is the windings of these Pipes, which procure a mutual disunion, by whirling about. When the Seed is prepar’d, it is lodg’d in the expansion of theVasa Deferentia; being first put in motion by the Heat of the Vein call’d theSpermatick Artery; and when the Imagination is enflam’d by amorousThoughts, it suddenly breaks forth.

TheVasa Deferentiaare Vessels seated partly in theScrotum, and partly in theAbdomen; they convey the Seed by drops to the seminal Vesicles; the two extremities of theVasa Deferentiaare compar’d to a Bunch of Grapes, and Guts of Birds.

Two small Ducts of about an Inch in length, spring from these Vesicles; they are broad near the Vesicles, but dwindle as they approach to theUrethra, which they perforate. These Ducts are call’d Ejaculatory Vessels, because in the heat of Action, they throw the Seed of the Vesicles into theUrethra, and they are the chief Subjects of the pleasure attending Ejaculation.

These small Ducts have ten or twelve Orifices, opening to theUrethra, each of them being shut by a small Caruncle to prevent the continual efflux of Humour, which has the precedency of the Seed. Thisis alledg’d to be the seat of a Clap, by reason volatile Salts fastning near, occasion Ulcers that corrode the Caruncles, and thereupon the Orifices of the Ducts discharge their slimy Liquor.

TheProstatæare two Glandulous spungy Bodies, seated at the root of the Yard, by the head of theUrethra, and furnish’d with Arteries from thePudendæ; their use is to make a secretion of slimy oily Liquor out of the Blood, to reserve it for some time in its Vesicles, and to squeeze it out by degrees, thro’ the Pipes of the small Ducts, to theUrethra.

’Tis reported, that some Persons have three Testicles, and that others are so slenderly provided, as to have but one; tho’ either of the cases happens very rarely. And Animals which have their Testicles situated within, are always accounted more lascivious than others.

There are fourspermatick Vesselsbelonging to the Privy Parts of a Man, two whereof are Arteries, and the other two Veins. The two spermatick Arteries spring from the Trunk of theAorta; and run obliquely upon theUreters, and along theMuscle Posas, ’till they arrive at theGroin, where they are receiv’d by a production of thePeritonæum, and so conducted to the Testicles.

The two spermatick Veins branch out from the Testicles towards theVena Cava. The Right extends it self straight to the Trunk of theCava; but the Left terminates in the emulgent Vein. In their progress, they are join’d by small Veins from thePeritonæum, and the neighbouring Muscles, which are loaded with the superfluous Blood of those parts, in order to lodge it in theCava.

The spermatick Vessels are larger in Men than Women; and in both Sexes the Arteries are alwaysstronger than the Veins. For the use of these Vessels, the Blood runs in the two Arteries straight to the Testicles, each of them dividing into two small Branches, the better to penetrate its Substance, by entring at several places, and to procure an exact separation of the seminal Particles, that accompany the Arterious Blood. And when this is perfected, the remainder of the Blood enters the Branches of the Veins, in order to return to theCava.

TheValvesin the Cavity of the Veins are plac’d at certain Intervals, in order to prevent the Arterious Blood from falling down. They are serviceable in promoting the ascent of the Blood, and their natural Disposition conducts it to theVena Cava.

To pursue the method I have hitherto observ’d, I shall begin myDescription of the Privities of a Woman, with the external Parts.

The external Orifice is commonly call’d thePudendum; ’tis compos’d of several parts, as thePubes, theMons Veneris, the Lips, and the great Slit.

ThePubesis seated on the forepart of the Share-bone, just above thePudendum; and to keep off the annoyance that might arise from the hardness of the Bones in the amorous Adventure, it is rais’d and consists of Fat, which serves as a Cushion.

Mons Veneris, rises like a little Hill about the great Lips, and is cover’d, as well as thePubes, with a pretty good quantity of rough curling Hair, which begins to spring when the Female enters her Thirteenth or Fourteenth Year: It is seated a little lower than thePubes.

The greatLabia, or great Lips, descend from theMons Veneris, and meet in thePerinæum; they consist of doubled Skin, Fat and spungyFlesh; they are cover’d with Hair, but it is not so strong, as that of thePubesandMons Veneris. In Girls they are firm, but in those who have been enjoy’d, they are flaggy.

The great Slit is the space between the two Lips; it is call’d the great Slit, as being much larger than the entry of the Neck of the Womb.

Upon separating the Thighs, and drawing aside the two Lips, are discover’d two soft and spungy Excrescences call’dNymphæ; they resemble the Thrills, that hang under a Cock’s Throat; and their Colour is red, like that of a Cock’s Comb; their Substance is partly fleshy, and partly membranous, consisting of the doubled, and the inner Skin of theGreat Labia. TheNymphæconduct forth the Urine; and of Virgins are so vigorous, that they discharge their Water with a Noise like hissing.

Above theNymphæwithin the great Cleft is situated theClitoris,a long round and glandulous Body. This is said to be the principal seat of Pleasure, being endow’d with an exquisite Sense. In the heat of Enjoyment, it swells like unto a Mans Yard on an Erection, by virtue of the Blood and Spirits, that croud into it. For this reason it is call’d the Female Yard, and indeed, it appears like unto that of a Man in many particulars. This is the part for Friction.

There are two Cavernous Nerves coming from the Hip-bone, call’d the Legs of theClitoris; and there are four Muscles in theClitoris, two for Erection, and two for Ejaculation; the two first run from the Hip-bone under the Cavernous Nerves; and the two others call’dPudendi, take their rise from the Sphincter of theAnus. These Muscles serve to straighten the Orifice of theVagina. TheArteriæ Pudendæfurnish theClitoriswith Blood, and the Veins of that Namecarry off the same Blood into theCava.

Under theClitorisis the urinary Passage, larger and shorter than that of a Man, whereby Women send forth their Urine with the greatest violence and dispatch. This Passage is surrounded with a Sphincter, which is a Muscle that serves to confine, or give passage for the Urine at pleasure.

Between the fleshy Fibres of theUrethra, and the Membrane of theVagina, lie theProstates, having several Channels which terminate in the lower part of theVulva, and thereby discharge a slimy matter, which mixes with the seed of the Male, in the time of Enjoyment.

And between the two greatLabia, appear the four Caruncles call’dMyrtiformesfrom the resemblance they bear toMirtle-berries. They are small fleshy Eminences surrounding the small Slit, made of the fleshy Wrinkles of theVagina, which renderthe Passage so much the straighter. Their use is to heighten the mutual pleasure of Enjoyment, by clinging round and locking up the Yard; and to facilitate the egress of the Child by extension. They are reddish firm and high in Virgins, and join’d sideways to one another by small Membranes, which tie them together, and make them resemble a Rose-bud half blown: But in other Women they are separated by the entry of the Yard.

The uniting of the Membranes of theCarunculæ Myrtiformes, straighten the Passage, and afford the true mark ofVirginity, (if there be any such.) The pain of the first Adventure is owing to the forcing of the Passage through, and tearing off those small Membranes; and a Mans Inclinations being always heighten’d in the first Nights Enjoyment, the pain to the Female is encreas’d by his ardent struggles; her Virgin Sufferings augmenting withhis affection: But in some Females theCarunclesare rang’d in such a manner, that the Yard may enter without violence, so that there is no certain Evidence of a Maiden-head.

SomeAnatomistsmention a Membrane call’dHymen, seated near theCarunclesin theVagina, which continues stretched over the Passage, ‘till the approach of a Man rends it; and that thisHymenis a mark ofVirginity; but this is more imaginary than proceeding from any Demonstration.

TheVaginais the neck of the Womb, a round Passage between the outer and inner Orifice, which receives the Yard like a Sheath. In Women that never bore Children, this Neck is about four Inches long, and an Inch and a half broad, but after Child-bearing, its capacity cannot be limited. It is nervous, and somewhat spungy, consisting of two Membranes; the Wrinkles of its inner Membrane empower it to prolong,dilate or contract, in order to fit the Yard, of any length or size, and to afford a Passage to theFœtus. The Body and Neck of the Womb, make the Figure of a Bottle turn’d upside down, or rather a proud Flask.

The inner Orifice of the Womb, is a perforation like the Head of a Man’s Yard; ’tis the beginning of a narrow Passage, which enlarges to afford a way for whatever enters or comes from the Womb; it opens to receive the Seed in the moment of Ejaculation; and upon Conception shuts close, and so continues till towards the last Month of the Woman’s Reckoning: It is compos’d of Membranes wrinkled and furl’d up, capable of dilating themselves to a great extent. This is the part which gives the Woman pain in Child Birth, the Orifice being small, and opening but gradually, pursuant to the Efforts of theFœtus, which retards the Birth. After the Child ispast; this Orifice is lost, and the whole Womb is only one large Cavity reaching from the entry of its Neck to the bottom; but this is of very short duration, for these parts very soon contract themselves like an empty Purse, and resume their natural posture. The Action of this inner Orifice is purely natural.

The Substance of the bottom of the Womb is Membranous, and about a Fingers breadth thick, so that it dilates its self very commodiously: The inner Surface is interlac’d with a great many small Pores, and little Vessels which distil the menstrual Blood in Monthly Quantities.

The Womb has Nerves, Arteries, and Veins, dispers’d. The Nerves give it a sense of Pleasure and Pain, and a sympathy with all parts of the Body: The Arteries and Veins are call’d theSpermatickandHypogastrick, and consist of an infinite number of Branches springing from all parts of the Womb, exporting the Blood to theTrunk of theVena Cava: The Womb is sprinkled on all sides with Blood imported by the Arteries. These Arteries not only furnish the Womb with a proper Nourishment, but also pour in Blood upon thePlacenta, in order to be sent through the Navel String to theFœtus. When a Woman is not with Child, this Blood slips away thro’ the several Vessels into the Cavity of the Womb, and from thence it passes theVaginaevery Month. In teeming Women these Branches sometimes discharge Blood, when there is a greater quantity than is necessary for the Nourishment of the Child.

The spermatickArterydivides it self into two Branches, one repairing to the Testicle, and the other to the Womb. It carries Blood in one of its Branches to the Testicle, in order to the secretion of Seed, and by the other Branch it furnishes the Womb with Blood for its Nourishment, and the superfluousBlood is carried back by two Branches of Veins, one from the Testicle, and the others from the Womb.

The Testicles of a Woman are call’dOvaria; and they differ in Situation, Figure and Substance from those of Men. They are seated within theAbdomenupon the sides of the bottom of the Womb. Some Writers are of opinion, that Nature plac’d the Testicles of Women within to heat the Seed and work it up to a degree of perfection: Others tell us, that the design of this Situation was to excite Women to Generation. The use of the Testicles is to filtrate the Seed and reserve it; and to perform at once the office of a Man’s Testicles.

Their Figure is broad and flat, (seldom exceeding the Substance of a small Pigeons Egg) they are tied and held fast by some part of the Flag of the Trumpet; and they are knit to the spermatick Vessels, whichgrow larger after the Egg has taken Root in the Womb. For their Substance, they are a collection of Vesicles, commonly took for Eggs. In theOvariumof a Woman are a Million of fine small Blood Vessels dispers’d upon the Tunicles; and small imperceivableGlandules, that strain out a white milky Liquor, which attains perfection in the cavity of these Vesicles, and then composes the matter of the Egg, which includes the Sperm that contains theFœtus.

The more volatile part of the Seed of a Man passes through theTubæto theOvarium, in order to fecundate the Eggs. TheTubæare of the form of a Trumpet, which gives them their Name: They take rise from the bottom of the Womb, and their Orifice, which is continually open, is lac’d round with small Membranes like a Fringe, and is call’d theDevil’s-bit, or the Flag of the Trumpet. The office of theTubæ,is to facilitate the descent of the Egg into the Womb. The seminal Spirit puts theTubæin motion, whereby the jagged part embraces theOvarium, and the Egg fermented by the Spirits of the Seed, insensibly, disengages it self from theOvarium, and breaking its Membrane, enters theTubæ, in order to descend into the Cavity of the Womb: And in case of Twins, or where two or three Children are Born; they always spring from the like number of Eggs, disengag’d from theOvariumat the same time. The extremities of theTubæinserted into the bottom of the Womb are call’d theHorns.

The Womb is cover’d with thePeritonæum; and a peculiar Membrane which lines the whole inside; and the bottom is generally smooth and even, but the Neck is always furl’d. The Ligaments are nothing else but Productions of thePeritonæum, which come from the Loins, and are inserted in the bottom of theWomb to prevent its falling down upon the Neck: They likewise keep the Womb from mounting too high: When these Ligaments are unbent, they resemble Bats Wings.

There are severalLymphatick Vesselsbelonging to the Womb, which creep along its outer part, and after a reuniting into large parts, empty themselves into the Cistern of the Chyle.

The Womb has a short Neck, distinguish’d by that Name from theVagina; it is the Passage which reaches from the inner Orifice to the principal Cavity of the Womb: It is about an Inch long.

In the Cavity of the Womb, the twoHornsdilate themselves, and form particular Bags, each of which contains aFœtus. This Cavity enlarges itself more or less in proportion to the bigness of theFœtus, or the number of Children, as in case of Twins.

The Womb is seated in the lower part of theHypogastrium, between the straight Gut and the Bladder. The Cavity where ’tis lodg’d, is call’d thePelvisorBasin, and is larger in Women than in Men, so as to give the Womb liberty to distend it self upon Impregnation; it is tied fast at the bottom, and at the Neck. The Neck is knit before to the Bladder, and the Share-bone, and behind to the straight Gut and theOs Sacrum. The bottom is not tied so fast as the Neck, it requiring more liberty to move and dilate it self; but to prevent the shifting of its Seat, the Ligaments are equipp’d, being four in Number, two above, and two below.

Having describ’d the Privities of Man and Woman: I come now to my dissertation upon theGenerationof Man, and the more particular use and dimensions of the Parts employ’d therein.

Of theGenerationofMan.

An Animal cannot be produc’d without a Couple,viz.a Male and a Female, each of which performs its part in the work ofGeneration.

Their entring on this work is call’d Copulation, which is the joining of the Male to the Female: And both of them are equally transported with a furious and restless Passion, occasion’d by a mix’d motion of pleasure and pain in theGenitals, which strongly excites a desire for each other.

As this Enjoyment is natural, there needs no Instruction; Instinct in all Animals directs the way of acting, that is most convenient for propagating their Species: And a Man, though brought up in never so great Ignorance, at his Age of Maturity naturally enclines to it, and needs no other Guide but the dictates ofNature to find out the center of Enjoyment.

But if Nature had not planted in theGenitalsa sense of extraordinary pleasure in the amorous Engagement, Man would seldom give himself the trouble of Copulation: The cause of this pleasure some impute to the mixing of Spirits with the Seed, which give a pleasing tickling; and that this is encreas’d by the fineness and bending of theNervous Fibresof the parts: Others are of opinion, that the Salt in the Seed, and the Spirits accompanying, prick the parts through which they pass and occasion such an agreeable Titillation: And some give this reason for the pleasure, that as in Eating we have an Enjoyment, which no part but the Tongue and Palate partake of; so in Copulation a peculiar pleasure arises, of which theGenerationOrgans are only sensible; and that Animals aremov’d to the Act ofGeneration, as they are to Eating.

The tickling Pleasure which affects Women, proceeds from the Emotion, that is excited when the Seed disengages it self from the Testicle, and passes through the Cavities of the ejaculatory Vessels, in order to be darted into the Womb. When a Woman is not with Child, the Seed is thrown into the Womb by the shortest Vessel, and when she is pregnant, the Seed is thrown into the Neck of the Womb by the longest Branch: And for this reason, big-belly’d Women are more passionately fond of Embraces than others; for the Seed spending more time in its intricate Passage, raises a more transporting and lasting Titillation.

In respect to the Parts of a Man employ’d in the work ofGeneration, the Yard when lank cannot go about it; and it may be so stiff, as not to be proper: And sometimes the erection of the Yard is so strong,that it is always bent: A large Yard does not stand so readily, as a small one; and when it does it cannot subsist so long, by reason it requires more Blood to fill it; and when full, it is heavier, and consequently apt to fall in a very little time: And the business ofGenerationsuffers no alteration from the shortness or length of the Yard within the Neck of the Womb; for the office of the two round Ligaments, is to enforce the bottom of the Womb to approach the head of the Yard, in order to receive the Seed in time of Ejaculation: But ’tis as difficult a matter to perswade some Lascivious Females, that a Yard of small Dimensions is equally useful and pleasurable to one of a considerable Longitude and Circumference, as it is to perswade a Club of Ravenous Stomachs, that a thin shrivell’d Shoulder of Mutton is of equal Goodness with a Haunch of well-fed Venison.

The parts of Women frequently differ in their Extent and Furniture; a great many Husbands are such Fools, as to covet difficulty in their first Approaches; and to measure the Virtue of their Wives, by the labour of their consummating Attack; not considering Nature has so order’d, that the Privy Parts are in the same Condition with the Mouth and the Eyes; some are little, and others are large; so that those who have naturally the larger size, may be unjustly charg’d with Lewdness; and on the other hand, those, who by the natural disposition of the Parts are straighter, may after Copulation be reputed Virgins. A Little Woman may have a large Mouth,&c.and a large Woman a little one, whereby the lesser Person may have the more capacious Privities: And the same rule may be observ’d in Men, in respect to the Nose, which seems to have equal Authority in determining the Dimensions nature has provided inthe Male, as the Mouth or Eyes in the Female.

Nature does not always observe an exact rule ofSymmetry, the visible Limbs and Parts are oftentimes disproportion’d; we frequently see a large personable Man, supported with slender Legs, and a Dwarf equip’d with large nervous Calves; and the same want of proportion is certainly to be found in the Privities.

I have known a wanton Female marry a Person of an extraordinary Stature, in expectation of a large Pleasure, with Sorrow confess she was greatly mistaken. And as a strong Soil does not constantly afford the most plentiful Crop of productive Grain; so the Privy Parts of a robust Person, are not always stock’d with the greatest quantity of surrounding Ornaments.

But to return to the Privy Parts of Women; in some extraordinary cases, the Lips of theMatrix, maybe so closely join’d, that a Yard of the smallest Size, cannot possibly enter (when they are to be artfully separated by a Surgeon:) And in other Females the Passage is so wide, that the largest Member will make its way without the least difficulty: And I at this time know a Gentleman very well provided in the parts ofGeneration(beyond what is common) that has had three Wives, all of them of unspotted Reputations, and the oldest not above Nineteen; who affirms that the Nights of consummation with each of his Spouses; he was in quite to the Testicles in his first penetrating attempt.

The same Gentleman has declar’d, that in his Youth, when his Curiosity led him to the utmost variety; he has sometimes met with a Lady of Pleasure, whose Parts must be suppos’d to be extended to the utmost latitude of Nature, and to which upon Examination, no bindingPreparations had been applied; that he could not possibly enter in the most encountering Embrace, which sufficiently shews the incertainty of Nature, and the difficulty attending the proof of Virginity. And this Gentleman is of the same Opinion with many others, that a narrow entrance to the Privy Parts of a Female, very much impedes a mutual Enjoyment.

Thus much for the Dimensions of the Privities: I now proceed toGeneration. When the Fancy warm’d with anIdeaof Pleasure, occasions a diffusion of the Animal Juice, of Consequence ensues Erection: An Erection being effected, and the Yard lodg’d in the Neck of the Womb; the Seed taking leave of the seminal Vesicles, passes through the Ejaculatory Vessels, and enters theUrethra; from whence ’tis squirted out with a Jirk, by vertue of the Convulsions that then seize the Yard: And as Ejaculation the last point of theMan’s Action, is the critical moment of pleasure, so ’tis the principal aim, he has in View, and all the Circumstances that usher it in, have an eye upon that Instant: The sanguine Person is the most amorous, and produces the greatest quantity of laudable Seed.

The Seed of a Man being syring’d into the Privy Parts of a Woman by the Yard, it repairs to the bottom of the Womb, and its inner Orifice shuts it self close: ‘After which the Seed being embrac’d and press’d by the Womb, all its Particles begin to take their respective Posts; the subtilest continue in the Center, and consequently the grosser and superfluous Parts are thrust towards the Surface, where they produce the After-birth, the Navel-string, and the Membranes, in which theFœtusis wrapt. In the mean time all the Particles calculated for forming thedifferent parts of the Body, disengage themselves by the force of their motion, and either part or join according to their mutual Disparity or Conformity; so that those design’d for the head Assemble in the place where they ought to be; and those for the rest of the Body do the like: And at the same time among those calculated for the Head, the Particles qualify’d for forming the Eyes, Ears,&c.rendezvous in their proper places: The same may be said of the Particles of which the Breast, Belly, and Limbs are compos’d. The Form, Structure, Order and Connection of all these parts, depends chiefly upon the Spirit enclos’d within the Seed; which by the meer necessity of its Motions, and without any Knowledge or Understanding, unravels theChaoswhere the Particles lay confus’d, and ranks them in the same Order, that they had when lodg’d in the Body of the Animals,from which they sprung. The parts of theFœtusbeing thus form’d, the subtilest part of the Spirit continues in the Center of the new-form’d Body,i. e.the Heart; and there makes a sort of Fire without Light (being the natural Heat that gives Life) which is fed by the circular motion of the Blood that passes there incessantly.’ This is the most probableIdeaof forming theFœtus, and what passes in the Womb, that is given by any Ancient or Modern Writers.

Some are of Opinion, that theFœtusis form’d of a mixture of the Male and Female Seed; and that these two Seeds impregnated with the Spirit of Life, are the agent and matter ofGeneration. Some alledge that the Male Seed is sufficient of it self to form aFœtus; and that the Woman only gives it a lodging, and furnishes the necessary Blood for its nourishment in the Womb: The Male being in this sense, look’d uponas an accomplish’d and perfect piece of Work, and the Female only a fertile Ground, which produces good Seed where the Labourer sows it well: And others are of opinion, that the Woman’s Seed contains the first, and the true Model of theFœtus; there being small seminal Vesicles in the Testicles of a Woman, call’d the Eggs; which contain within themselves, all that is necessary to give theFœtusa Being.

But the most common and rational Opinion is, that of theFœtusbeing form’d by the mixing of the two Seeds in the Womb; that Man and Woman are equally perfect; and that both of them being furnish’d with Testicles, which make a secretion of Seed, both of them must supply; and a Woman cannot be got with Child, unless she and the Man ejaculate their Seed at the same time.

Those enclining to believe, that the Male Seed is sufficient of it self to form aFœtus, plead that the Seedof a Man differs vastly from that of a Woman: That the former is white, and of a thick consistence, compos’d of all the parts that are capable to form a Body; and that the latter is only a sharp and yellowish serosity, which cannot contribute any thing towards the form of theFœtus. But this is esteem’d by other Persons a groundless fancy; for the Structure of a Woman’s Testicle is more admirable than that of a Man, which shews that the Seed separated by it, is of considerable use: And several Children have their Mothers Features and Humour, which demonstrates that the Father, to whom they oftentimes bear no resemblance, does not furnish all himself.

Those Persons who pretend that the Woman’s Seed contains the first, and the true Model of theFœtus, compare the Female Testicles to a bunch of Grapes, or a Bee-hive; consisting of Vesicles, each of which contains a little Animal, almost compleatedin all its Parts, after the same manner as the Egg of a Fowl: And that Man’s Seed contributes toGeneration, no otherwise than as it animates the Egg: But the Opinion which is generally receiv’d, is that both the Male and the Female Seed contain such Particles, as are qualify’d to form a Body and a Spirit capable of all the Motions perform’d by the Animal, from which they have Being; and thatGenerationdepends upon an exact mixture of the two Seeds.

The Opinions relating to the matter whereof the Seed is compos’d, are no less various than those of the forming of theFœtus; some Anatomists say, ’tis prepar’d by the concoction and conversion of Blood, effected in this manner. The Blood imported to the Testicles by four spermatick Vessels, two Arteries and two Veins: The Vein and Artery of the same side, having a mutual Communication, blend the arterious and venousBlood together; and this mixture of arterious and venous Blood boyl and convert into Seed by the peculiar faculty and virtue of the Organs of the Testicles: This was the Opinion of the Antients.

Others say, that the Seed is a Juice imported by the Nerves to the Organs ofGeneration; and that it distills from the Brain to the Privities; that in the time of Ejaculation one may feel it trickling along theSpinaof the Back; that when the Adventure is over, the Animal is feeble and dejected through the great Dissipation of the Spirits that are hurry’d along with the Seed; and that the Seed is of the same colour with the animal juice of the Nerves.

Other Anatomists tell ye the Seed is compos’d of an infinity of little Animals, which they call seminary; that these swim and flutter about in the Liquor, and may be easily discover’d with a Microscope; that these seminal Animals are so manySeeds of Men, which being convey’d to theOvarium, strike at the first Egg they meet with; upon which one of them perforates the Membrane, or gets into the Egg by a suppos’d Orifice, and presently shuts it self up, leaving the rest to perish without Doors, unless some of them have the good Fortune to slip into another Egg. The Animal that enters the Egg, serves forSperm, which by swelling it up, prompts it to disengage it self from theOvarium, and tumble into theTuba, which conducts it to the Womb.

But the most substantial reasons given for the composure of the Seed are grounded upon Circulation, that the seminal Particles are separated and filtrated from the Blood by the Testicles; and Anatomists acquainted with the Structure of the Testicles, say, that the Seed is produc’d by a continual Filtration of several Particles, which being gather’d into aBody, make a Liquor that is qualify’d for the forming of a Man.

Mr.Lamyin his Anatomical Discourses, says, that the same necessity which obliges Plants after a set period of time to put forth the Seeds which give being to others, does likewise influence Animals at a certain Age to produce prolifick Seed, which he explains thus: The moisture of Infancy being consum’d by the overpowering Heat, the Blood is crouded with a greater number of Corpusculums qualified to nourish the Parts and repair their Losses, than there is occasion for; so that a great number of these nutritious Particles meeting with no reception in the respective Parts, return along with the Blood. The Head sends back such Particles as are proper for recomposing all the different Parts it is made of; and so do the other parts. Now all these various sorts of Particles being mix’d with the Blood, are strain’d through the Testicles; after which they rallyand compose a Humour which is the sensible and corporeal part of the Seed of Man.

Seed is a very sweet Liquor when ’tis in a regular State, but when ’tis long under confinement, it turns perfectly sower, and causes very pernicious effects in both Male and Female. Men are harsher in their Tempers, and frequently attack’d with Vapours to a degree; and Women are thrown into a deplorable Condition, which will find no absolute Cure, till the stagnating Seed is evacuated by Marriage: The Seed mixing with the Blood breaks its Texture and changes its Consistence; so that by rendring it more serous, liquid and cold, and by flattening the Redness of the Blood, it makes the colour of the Skin less lively; and at length occasions theVirginsDistemper.

MonsieurDionisis of opinion, that most of the Nuns and other Girls that are taken to be possess’d with Devils, were subject to Vapoursonly when they acted the awkward extravagancies that History is full of. And I have been inform’d by the learned Dr.C——n, and other eminent Physicians, that Vapours will so powerfully prevail in some Young Females, by a stagnation of the Seed, that they are oblig’d to prescribe extraordinary Remedies, and sometimes Friction to procure relief; and to prevent Convulsions, irregular Imaginations,&c.which would otherwise ensue, if not a perfect Lunacy for a time.

An early Marriage is the most effectual Preservative against the numerous Disorders proceeding from quantities of Seed unnaturally confin’d; and will render a perfect Health and Tranquility; unless it be in the case of Impotency; or in some Countries where a Man by tying a Knot upon his Codpiece, when the Priest pronounces such and such Words on the day of Marriage; lays claim to a right of preventingits Consummation: But if a Man cannot consummate his Marriage, you’ll always find it proceed from a natural Cause; and that the Devil has no hand in it.

To conclude my Subject ofGeneration, and the Parts employ’d therein: I shall here insert an Observation of St.Augustin. The Instruments of Generation (says he) are a call’dPudenda, because they speak our Shame in this, that he who commands all the other Parts, cannot reduce these to Obedience.

FINIS.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTESSilently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling.Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

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