THEparticularDescriptionofMONSTROUS CONCEPTIONSin the precedingChapter, leads me, of Course, to treat ofanother Sort; which I shall comprehend under theTitleofDeformedCONCEPTIONS.This Sorthappening almost inall Countriespromiscuously, tho’ insomemore frequently than inothers, becomes almost inall PartsDaily obvious to ourEyes, so that we need be at no great Pains to prove theRealityofdeformedBirths, but rather inquire into theCausesof such uncouthCONCEPTIONS.
INshort therefore as tothese, if we only look back and reflect on the three precedingChapters, we will find theCausesof thepresent Casevery evident and sufficiently manifest, if not particularly included in theLatter: Wherefore I have only farther here to observe, that all suchPræternaturalCONCEPTIONS, degenerate from theNatural, in proportion to thePrevalencyof theirCauseorCauses; So that theCausebeing less considerable inthis, than in theforegoing Case, instead of aMONSTROUS, we have only adeformedBirth: Such as aScurf-Head, adiscolour’d Skin, anugly Visage,disagreeable Features,distorted Mouth,crooked Nose,Legs, orArms, maim’d inwholeor inPart,Tumours,Pustules, orBubosabout theGroins, &c. Which, tho’theseand such likeAccidentsmay verily proceed from either of the forementionedCauses; Yet I think, the most common and ordinaryOne, in all Countries, is an impure and unseasonableCopulation: Such as is not onlyprecisely forbid by theExpress WordofGod[214], but also repugnant to rightReason, and even to commonSense.
FORwho can be so stupid as not to conceive, that thisMenstruous Contagion, will naturally (tho’ insensibly) creep into theBlood, invade the wholeHabit of the Body, and tacitely infect the verysoundest Constitution, even sometimes with theVenerealPox, or perhaps with anElephantiasis, or theLeprosyit self? Nor does thisEvilend always here, but suchBirthsare also generally as perverse in theMind, as they areHeterogeneousin thePerson; for likeBastardsofNature, they are commonly denudated, or destitute of all her laudableGiftsandGraces, which others, herLegitimateSons, are happily born with and enjoy in Abundance.
HENCEit is, that, if they become not altogetherJolt-Heads,Foolish, orDelirious, they are most ordinarily otherwaysLewd,Vitious, andLicentious Persons, if not alsoenvious Traducers, andcrafty Cozenersof Mankind: From hence likewise theItaliansandGermansderive a memorablePROVERB, which they never forget upon dealing with suchPersons, viz. to this purpose;Take Care of Him whomGodhas marked. For tho’some of Them, are capable of undertakingNothingof any Moment, much less of accomplishing any laudableWork,NATUREit self thwarting theirCareerin everyEnterprize, and the veryStars(as it were) concurring to theirFrustrations: Yetothershave subtileWittenough to scrape together (per Fas aut Nefas) Heaps of contemptibleDross, much of affinity with their own vileSubstance; which however, seldom prevents a base or ignominiousCATASTROPHEtothemselves, who are thus found established upon such apræternaturalBasisofPollution.
IFthenthesebe the direfulConsequences, how unreasonably cruel are suchParents, who thus by Enterprising the Work ofPROCREATIONwithouthumane Decency, and contrary to the veryInstitutionofNATURE, involve theirPosterity, in such miserableCalamities? But this sort ofBirths, I have also diligently observ’d, happens most frequently inHolland, andthatchiefly for theReasonsandCausesmentioned in the foregoingChapter. WhichObservationleads me to the followingMatter ofFact, which (without any intendedReflection, orReproachupon any particularCountry, or rather, asthiswould be, uponHuman Natureit self) I shall ingenuously relate, not only to clear up theMYSTERYof a certainTruth, which I have found, to becontrovertedin this Place, andthateven among some of the moreLearnedthemselves; but also forMoralityandInstructionsake to theReaderin particular, and for thecommon GoodofMankindin general,viz.——
THATtheseBirthsin thoseParts, are often attended and accompany’d with aMonstrous little Animal, the likest of any thing in Shape and Size to aMoodiwarp; having ahooked Snout,fiery sparkling Eyes, a longround Neck, and an acuminatedshort Tail, of an extraordinaryAgilityofFEET. At firstsightof the World’s Light, it commonlyYellsandShrieksfearfully; and seeking for alurking Hole, runs up and down like alittle Dæmon, which indeed I took it for, the first time I saw it, andthatfor none of thebetter Sort. Moreover——
THEfollowingaccidental Passageis so remarkable, that I cannot pass it by, in order to satisfy and convinceothersof this admirableTruth; Namely, that, not many Years ago, in coming fromGermanyover East and WestFriesland, toHolland, I took Passage in the ordinaryFare-Vessel, from the City ofHarlingenforAmsterdam, over what they call theZuyder-Zee; Which is commonly reckon’d aVoyageof 10 or 12, Hours, tho’ at this Time we happen’d to be near 36Hours on ourPassage. Amongst the better Sort of thePassengers, who possess’d theCabine, there happen’d to be aWoman big with Child, of a very creditableAspect, who afterwards told me, that She was bound forAmsterdam, on purpose to buy some Necessaries for herlying-inat the easiest rate; when in theinterim, the good ProvidentWoman, was taken all at once, aboard theShip, with a sudden and surprizingLabour: Upon which occasion, in short I immediately lent her ahelping Hand, and upon theMembrane’s giving way, this forementionedAnimalmade its wonderfulEgress; filling myEarswith dismalShrieks, and myMindwith greaterConsternation.
WHENnot immediately recollecting what I had either heard or read of thisMONSTER, I could not help continuing in my Surprize, until I heard some of ourAccidental Companycall itde Suyger, as they went about to kill it: Upon which I immediately laid theWomanof a prettyplumpGirl; who, notwithstanding all this, had noDeformityupon it, save only manydark,lividSpotsall over its Body; which I prognosticated might turn to aUniversalScurf. In the mean time I order’d theExpress’d OilofAlmondsto be diligently us’d, as soon as we landed.
AFTERWARDSI had occasion to talk with some of the mostlearned Men, of the several famous Universities in theseProvincesupon this Head; who ingenuously told me, that it was so common a Thing, among theSea-faring, andmeaner sort of People, that scarceOneof theseWomeninThreeescaped this kind of strangeBirth; which my own smallPracticeamong them afterwards also confirmed: Insomuch, that I always as much expected the Thingde Suyger, as theChildit self: And besides theWomenin like manner, make a respective suitablePreparation, to receive it warmly, and throw it into theFire; holdingSheetsbefore theChimney, that it may not getoff; as it always endeavours to save it self, by getting into somedark HoleorCorner. They properly call itde Suyger, which is (in our Language) theSucker, because, like aLeech, it sucks up theInfant’sBloodandAliment.
UPONthisHead, and to thisPurpose, I might produce theAuthoritiesof sundry goodWriters, but shall content my self here at present withOneof the sameNation, viz.[215]The most Learned and EminentLevinus Lemnius, who gives us a very remarkable and particular Account at large, of a certainBirth, which began with aMONSTROUS MOLE, succeeded by theSucker, and ended with theProductionof an excarnificatedMale-Child.
THESEthings then being so, and proceeding merely from the immediateReasonsabove-mentioned, ought to serve for a memorableCautionto allParents, that, in their conjugalDuties, they behave themselves orderly and decently, not like insatiableBrutes; but, like rationalMen, to the end that theirFamiliesmay be preserved, and theirPersonssucceeded, not by an opprobriousRace, but, by aunivocal Generationof hopefulChildren, Men ofProbityandIntegrityboth inBodyandMind.