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LETTER

Humbly addreffed to the

ROYAL SOCIETY;

IN WHICH

Is proved, by moft Inconteftable EviDENCE, drawn from Reason and Practice, that a WOMAN may conceive, and be brought to Bed, without any Commerce with MAN.

Ore omnes verfæ in Zephyros ftant rupibus altis,
Exceptantque leves auras, et fæpe fine úllis
Conjugiis vento gravida (mirabile dictu)
Saxa per, et fcopulos et depreffas convalles
Diffugiunt, &c.

VIRG. Georgic. iii.

Cur ego defperem fieri fine conjuge mater,
Et parere intacto, dummodo cafta, viro?
OVID, Faft. V.

Or, as other Authors fing,

The frolic Wind that breathes the Spring,

Zephyr with Aurora playing,

As he met her once a Maying,

Fill'd her with thee a Daughter fair,

So buxom, blithe, and debonnair.

MILTON'S L'Allegro.

First Printed in 1750.

LETTER

Humbly addreffed the

ROYAL SOCIETY.

GENTLEMEN,

T

HE great Encouragement you fhew to all learned Investigations of Nature (witnefs those excellent Treatifes published every Year in your Philofophical Tranfactions) emboldens me to lay before you a Difcovery, which, I believe, is entirely new, and which I am fure will equal any thing that has been offered to the World fince Philofophy has been a Science. Excuse my Presumption, and forbear your Cenfures, till you have read my Narrative. No lefs than fifteen Years of my Life have been spent in bringing this Arcanum to a Maturity. And when both Theory and Practice had confirmed me in it, my first Thoughts inclined me to go over into France, and put up for the Prize at Bourdeaux, where Philofophers fhew Problems, as Gardeners do Carnations at a Florist's Feaft. But confidering with myself, that your illustrious Society might, probably, efteem yourselves affronted, if

you

you had not the Maidenhead of my Secret, and at the fame time difdaining to come in Competition with the lower Race of Philofophers, who write about Tides and Eclipfes, and Laws of Gravitation, the trivial Amusements of idle Speculatifts, and Almanack-makers! I fay, out of Reverence for your eminent Body, and fome Degree of Pride in Conjunction, I refolved to appeal at once to the Public, and more particularly to address myself to your Worships. Not to keep you any longer in Sufpence, I have found out, and am going to prove, by most inconteftable Evidence, that a Woman may conceive, and be brought to Bed, without any Commerce with Man. This, Gentlemen, I dare fay, you will allow to be a very wonderful Difcovery; and though I might easily fatisfy People of your penetrating Insight into the Works of Nature, with a mere phyfical Account of human Seed, and the Anatomy of a Female Womb; yet, as I am to combat the Simplicity of the Ignorant, and the Prejudices of the Perverfe, I will defcribe at large what first suggested this Thought to me, and how I proceeded afterwards from Conjecture to Demonstration.

The Lot which Providence affigned me in Life, was to practise Phyfick in a Country Town; to which I united the fifterly Science of Man-Midwifry. And though it ill becomes any one to boast of his own Merit, yet I will venture to affert, that, in the Course of my Practice, I have helped near as many People into the World as ever I helped out of it; which rendered my Fame 和

so great for obstetric Operations, that I engroffed the Custom of all the Breeding Women in the fruitful County of. But not to trouble you with more of my private History than is neceffary, as I was fitting alone one Afternoon, fmoking my Poftmeridian Pipe, I received a Meffage from a neighbouring Gentleman, informing me that his Daughter was dangerously ill, and defiring my immediate Attendance. When I was arrived, and had examined the young Lady concerning her Complaints, I was surprised to find in her all the Symptoms of Pregnancy; but as I know very well how tenderly Ladies value their Reputation, even after they have lost them, I withdrew the Father afide into a feparate Room, for the Sake of Privacy, and here, with great Concern, told him what my Office obliged me to declare; that his Daughter was apparently with Child, and very near the Time of her Labour. The old Gentleman was ftruck with Horror at the News; and immediately rushing into the Chamber, upbraided both his Wife and Daughter in the bittereft Terms, for concealing fo important a Secret from him, and bringing fuch a Difgrace on the Family. The young Lady turned up a Face of inexpreffible Innocence and Amazement, and immediately fainted away into her Mother's Arms. 'Tis ufually obferved, I know, that all Profeffions, which delight in Blood, from the Phyfician down to the Butcher (who are employed to difburthen Nature of her Numbers, left the World ould grow too populous) outlive the Senfations of Humanity, and never fuffer their

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