THEREremains yet one Sort ofspuriousConception, which happens without anyvirile HelporAssistance, merely by the Force ofImaginary VENERY: Especially amongSalacious Women, aSeminal Fluxionmay happen upon many coherent occasions; which joining and incorporating with theMenstruous Blood, may be so much fomented by theUterine Calidity, and the otherFacultiesof theWomb, that theRudimentsof an imperfectAnimalmay be amassed and conceived. But——
AStheMasculineSEED(theefficient Cause) which ministers bothFormandLife, is wanting, it can assume neither of these Perfections: TheMaternal Matterserving only to bring it to a rude indigestedConsistency, or a confused fleshySubstanceof a strange and uncommonFIGURE.
THISin short, is no ways improbable, if we consider thatHENS, without theCOCK’s assistance, layEggs; however, of such aNature, that whatever Pains theHENis afterwards at tositandbroodupon them, theEggscan never be animated so as to produceCHICKENS. Or, if we consider, that tho’feminine TreesorRoots, having of themselves lessPowerandStrength, as they are only imbued with afrigidandinfœcund Humidity, may smile a little in theirSEASON; yet, because of the naturalDeficiencyofHEAT, and their innateDebilityorImpotency, they only yield an empty or imperfectRudimentof eitherFRUITorSEED, unless, by theVicinityand delectableConjunctionof theMALE, they participate of itsFœcundity, asPlinytestifies[216]of thePalm.
AGREEABLEtothis Position, the Practical Observations of many eminentPhysicians, teach us, thatWOMENhave and may conceive at this rate, without anyvirile EnergyorConcurrence; of which Dr.Burnet[217]gives us a notable Instance, concerning a certainNoble-Woman, aMatronof undoubtedVirtue, who some Years after herCourse of Naturehad alter’d, in the 56th of her Age, brought forth several fleshyMoles, as he calls them, andthatattended with a greatFlooding, and the most severePainsofLabour, as if in theCaseof aNaturalBirth. Again moreover——
DOwe not know, in fine, that thenecessitous, and such as sufferWant, may be refreshed purely by theSavourof ourDishes? And that theHunger-starvedmay be satiated merely by theOdoursof ourKitchins? As possibly thus may themarriageableGirl, but more readily however theWidow, fill her self with her own oddImagination; and being debarr’d theEnjoymentof herParamour, hug him tacitely in herBosom, and embrace him heartily, howeverabsent, in herMind. Which, if frequently done, may occasion aCollectionandCommixtureof grossHumoursin theWomb; whence adeformed Concretion, orshapelessMass, may be engendred, andthatonly byImaginaryVENERY. To whichCaseandPurpose, I think,Virgil, very pertinently alludes,[218]saying——
Scilicet ante omnes furor est insignis Equarum,Continuóque avidis ubi subdita flamma Medullis,Vere magis (quia vere calor redit ossibus) illæOre omnes versæ in Zephyrum stant rupibus altis,Exceptantque leves Auras, & sæpe sine ullis,Conjugiis vento gravidæ, mirabile dictu,Diffugiunt.——
Scilicet ante omnes furor est insignis Equarum,Continuóque avidis ubi subdita flamma Medullis,Vere magis (quia vere calor redit ossibus) illæOre omnes versæ in Zephyrum stant rupibus altis,Exceptantque leves Auras, & sæpe sine ullis,Conjugiis vento gravidæ, mirabile dictu,Diffugiunt.——
Scilicet ante omnes furor est insignis Equarum,Continuóque avidis ubi subdita flamma Medullis,Vere magis (quia vere calor redit ossibus) illæOre omnes versæ in Zephyrum stant rupibus altis,Exceptantque leves Auras, & sæpe sine ullis,Conjugiis vento gravidæ, mirabile dictu,Diffugiunt.——
Scilicet ante omnes furor est insignis Equarum,
Continuóque avidis ubi subdita flamma Medullis,
Vere magis (quia vere calor redit ossibus) illæ
Ore omnes versæ in Zephyrum stant rupibus altis,
Exceptantque leves Auras, & sæpe sine ullis,
Conjugiis vento gravidæ, mirabile dictu,
Diffugiunt.——
ANDthus at last having particularly, treated of all the distinct and differentsortsofConception, to which theWomancan be subject; I come now in thenext place, to address my self toHer, who was never yet capable of anyConception; andthatin theChapterandManner following, viz.