WHENthePartsdestinated to theGeneration of Man, are in all respects well constituted,Naturein the Beginning fabricates a fair and comelyConception, and at last produces aLovely Creatureof its own kind, absolutely perfected, and compleatly furnished with all its own gracefulOrnaments: Whereas if anyDeficiency,Enormity,FaultorBlemishbe actually inThose Parts, then theconglomerated PrinciplesofGENERATIONare variously form’d into different Sorts ofprodigiousCONCEPTIONSandMonstrousBIRTHS. However——
WITHrespect to theVariety, as well as theVeracityof thisSUBJECT, that I may make short Work on’t, I refer theCurious Readerto theWorksofJacobus Ruffius,Cornelius Gamma, &c. who have not only described at large, the variousShapesandFiguresof the most remarkableMONSTERSwhichhave been Born, but also particularly noted theTimesandPlacesof theirBIRTHS; which they have authentically collected from many creditableAuthors.
INthe small Conversation, by theBy, which I have had either at Home or Abroad with theLearned, I have met with none who have deny’d theTruthof thisPOSITIONingeneral; tho’ some of mySuperiorsin this Place, have been pleas’d to contradict inparticular, what I am just now going (and chiefly for that very reason) about to publish to the World, in the next followingChapter.
BUTnotwithstanding that we all agree as to theFACT, yet I have found but few ready to discuss the properCausesofMonstrousBIRTHS: Only so far, thatsomewould have them to proceed immediately from the Commixture ofHumanewithBrutalSEED;others, directly from theINFLUXof theStars;Someagain, from a vitiousConstitution, or obliqueSituationof theWOMB; others also, from aLasciviousand enormousActofCopulation; andsomeat last, from the sordid and corruptedSEMINALMatterof thePersons Copulating. Which may be all indeed, in some respect, consentaneous toReason; but notwithstanding, in speaking to suchCauses, I think, we ought previously to consider theRequisitesconcurring to theProductionof theFOETUS; what they naturally are, and how they ought to bequalify’d.
THEFirstand chief of which is theForming Faculty; 2ly. Thetwo Instruments, by which thisFacultyoperates,viz.theSPIRITor innateSeminal Heat, and theImagination, 3ly.TheMATTER, viz. both theSEEDS, and theMenstruous Blood; 4ly. And lastly, thePLACE, namely theWomb: Whence I conclude that anyone, ormore, or (perhaps) all ofTHESE, degenerating from theirdue stateornatural Qualities, may prove theCauseorCausesof aMONSTROUS CONCEPTION, orÆquivocalGENERATION.
ASto theForming Faculty, it never errs or fails, but always performs itsDuty, as far as depends upon it self, or its ownIntention; tho’ indeed it often happens to be frustrated by theInstrumentary Causes: As the most ingeniousArtificercannot finish hisWork, however successfully begun, without a proportionableMetalto work upon, and correspondingInstrumentsto work by; So it is, in thisCase, with theForming Faculty: Hence it is thatMONSTERSare also pertinently call’d, as they undeniably are, theWorksofNATURE; however degenerating from its properEND, that it may effect something, even such aMONSTER, rather than that the indigested and unalteratedMattershould remain in theWOMB, and turn either to aMOLEor aSTONE, as has often happened[205]. Which being thus consider’d, we shall find theErrororFaultto ly either in theInstruments, in theMatter, or in thePlace.
FIRSTthen, as to theInstruments, of thetwoabove-mentioned, I take theImaginationto have the most prevalentPowerinCONCEPTION; which I hope may be readily granted, considering how common a Thing it is, for theMOTHERto mark herChildwithPears,Plums,Milk,Wine, or anything else, upon the least triflingAccidenthappening to her from thence; andthateven in the latter ripeningMonths, after theInfantis entirely formed, by theStrength of her Imaginationonly, as has been already manifestly set forth at large[206].
WHICHif so, Pray, what wonder is it, if theWomanin time ofCONCEPTION(which is by far the morecritical Juncture) should by the same reasonconceive, and at last bring forth herFOETUSwith aCalf’s,Lamb’s,Dog’s,Cat’s-HEAD, or theEffigyof any other thing whatsoever? Andthisthe more especially, considering, that not only theconceiving Woman, but also thecopulating Man, may effect the same thing; if he should imprudently set his Mind on such Objects, or employ his pervertedImaginationthat way. Now this absurdImaginationtakes even place also among the veryBRUTES, asLemniusrelates[207]of aSheepwith aSeal’s, orSea-CALF’S HEAD, having no doubt seen that Animal in the critical Time ofConjunctionorConception.
INlike manner, supposing suchWomento conceive in their Minds, some deformedSPIRITorANIMAL, withHorns,Snout,Wings,Cloven-Feet, &c. (as has sometimes happen’d) What should hinder thisWomanto produce aBirthwith theseMonstrous Marks?THISis also therefore very possible, but more especially, when theDispositionof theMatteracquiesces, which it certainly does when theSeedandBloodare impure: For, Is it not manifest to ourEyes, that someChildrenbring with them longHairandNailsinto the World, merely from theImpurityof thesematerial Substances? Then supposing theForceof an absurdImaginationto have seconded theEfficacyof suchSordid Stuff, what aMonstermight nottheseJointly have produced? Wherefore I shall only add upon the whole ofThis, that as such impious and foolishImaginationsought to be suppressed, so both theSeedand theBloodought to be pure and temperate, to prevent suchpræternatural Productions.
NOW, as to theHeatandSpiritcontain’d in theSeed, we may easily conceive itsEffects, and such as have been inGlass-Works, and have seenGlasses, made, may readily comprehend howMonstersare formed in theWomb: For in modeling theGlass, if theWork-Manblow thePipetoo much or too strongly, theStuffis so extended, that theGlassbecomes bothlongerandwiderthan its due proportionableForm; and so it may also happen in theWomb, by animmoderate Action, or too great anExtensionorDiffusionof theSeminal Spirit, which sometimes may only affect someparticular Part, such as theHead,Nose,Mouth,Ears,&c.and sometimes thewholeFOETUSdisproportionably.
SECONDLY, Hence we may rationally conclude, that asuperfluityofSeed, andsuper-abundancyof materialHumoursmay, in like manner, produceduplicated Members, such asTwoHeads,FourHands,FourFeet,SixormoreToesorFingers,&c.andthisespecially, in case of theWoman’sstrangeImaginationconcurring; which may easily happen, by fancying herself sometimes tosee doublewith herEyes, whichDeceptionmay probably proceed from theConcourseofHumours, grossVapours, and confused or distractedSpirits. AndThisin short, it is evident, holds also good among theother Creatures(Irrationals) asLemniuswrites[208]of himself, that He saw aSheepand aCalfe, each withtwoHeads, and aHenwithfourFeetand as manyWings.
AGAIN, as from theSuperabundanceofMatter,Geminated Members, or Superfluous Particles may proceed; so from theScarcityof theseMatters,Wantof requisiteAliment, or from any partialInvalidityof theNatural Faculties, someMembersor certainParticlesmay be either maim’d and destitute of theirNatural Use, or then (which is worse) be altogetherirregular,defective, orUnnatural.
LASTLYas to thePlace, I mean theWomb, in which theConceptionis made; It ought not only to beperpendicularly seatedin thePELVIS, or in adirect linefrom theVAGINAupwards, but also to be well conform’d and proportion’d: Otherways, as an ugly or unshapely exteriourFormorMouldofWaxorClay, produces a corresponding deformedImagecast therein; so theWombmay as effectually be theCauseof aDeform’dorMonstrousBirth. And moreover not only so, but theWombought also to be in its dueTemperamentandNatural State, free of allDistempersand Inconveniencies, such as obduratedGlands,Ulcers,Cicatrices,&c.Otherways, as aTreeplanted inStony Ground, itsRootcannot diffuse or spread it self round every way, but being cramp’d and oppress’d, itcrooksandbends back; So it is with theFOETUSin theWomb, if oppos’d and resisted by theConstrictionorCoarctation of the Place, or by any inherentPræternatural Substance, itsMemberscannot possibly bearticulatelyanddistinctly form’d, much less can they attain theirNaturalGrowthandFigure.
INshort from what is here said, I think, theNotionsof such Men, as will haveMonsters, only and immediately to proceed from aCoitionwithBrutes, may evidently appear asabsurdastheyare verilygroundless[209]: And for strengthening or backing of myAuthority, I may addGalen’s own Words[210], saying,Vel semen Humanum in Utero Equæ, vel Equinum in utero Muliebri, aut non admitti, aut admissum corrumpi. Which is also farther confirm’d by Holy St.Jerom, saying,[211]non minùs absurdum est, Animal construi ex Equo & Homine, quàm Vitem Olivæ insertam, simul vinum & oleum proserre. WhichDoctrineseems also most agreeable toTruth, inthatthere can be noAffinityorConcordbetwixttheseSpecifically differentSEEDS, neither in theirNatural Actions,Aliment,Maturation,Time, orMannerofBirth, &c. to pass by all otherdisconsonantorincongruous Circumstances.
INFinetherefore, for theseReasons, I believe Nothing of the manyfabulous Relationsextant, of theHippocentauri,Onocentauri,Minotauri, &c. inhabiting theLand, nor of theTritons,Nereids,Syrens, &c. which are said to possess theSea; tho’ indeed both St.Antony[212], and St.Jerom[213], maintain the Existence of theSatyriandSylvani: But be these Things as they will, I believe, that theProductionof everyMONSTER, concurs to thePerfectionof theUNIVERSE, and that sometimes suchProdigies, or ratherDæmonical Illusions, may appear, as well asMonstrousBirthshappen, by the Will and Pleasure of the greatCREATOR, who would thereby signify and portend somethingextraordinary, or more thanNaturalto usMortals.