the odd Conception of Danaë in her Imprisonment? Some old Oracle had foretold, that her Father Acrifius fhould have his Throat cut by a Grandfon; and to defeat this Prediction, he locked up his only Daughter in a brazen Tower, under fuch close Confinement, that it was impoffible for any thing but Wind to get Access to her; yet in these Circumstances the Lady was brought to Bed of the most mighty Perfeus, who accom◄ plished the Oracle in putting Acrifius to Death. The Poets indeed tell us a ftrange improbable Story of Jupiter's raining himself through the Tiles of the House in a golden Shower; but this is plainly a poetic Fiction, invented to account for a puzzling Phænomenon. The Story of Boreas running away with a young Heiress out of a Garret Window, and getting her with Child (as Ovid defcribes it in his Metamorphofis) is more immediately to our Purpose, and directly points out the Manner of her Conception. We all know, that it is the Profeffion of Poetry to personalise all its Objects, and if a Lady found herself impregnated with Wind, nothing was fo natural as to make a God of that Element, and impute the Effects to fupernatural [e] Power; though I confefs there is an Impropriety here according to my System, but that may be owing to [e] In this Manner we must interpret what Ovid puts into the Mouth of Flora, where he tells us fhe was ravished by Zephyrus: Ver erat, errabam; Zephyrus confpexit, abibam: Lib. v. Fast, 201. et dehinc. the the Looseness of poetic Defcription, or, perhaps, the Lady mistook the Quarter of the Wind in tel ling her Story. In general we may conclude, whenever we read of Virgins got with Child by Rivers, by Dragons, by golden Showers, &c. that it was Wind, nothing in the World but Wind; only for want of knowing the real Cause, they were glad to affign imaginary ones; and the Poets getting hold of such improveable Topics, fo overloaded them with Additions of their own, that in the End they were all confidered in the Light of Fable and Romance. If we defcend from thefe allegoric Ages to fucceeding Times, when Hiftory had learnt a fober Style, and was contented to tell Truth without Disguise, we shall find fome few Examples here alfo to our Purpofe. Diodorus Siculus informs us, in an old Edition of his Works, communicated to me by my learned and induftrious Friend the Rev. Dr. Tr, that a certain Sorcerefs of Egypt, pretended, among other fupernatural Claims, to be able to breed without the Help of Man; and under Colour of thefe Pretences, would have perfuaded People to believe her the celebrated Ifis, returned to vifit her native Country; but at last a Priest of Taautus, or Mercury, was found in Bed with her, and fo the Affair was at an End. Polybius has a Story more explicitly to our Purpofe; but he speaks of it with fo much Diftrust himself, that I will not venture to produce it, left it should give an Air of Romance to this Perform ance [f]. [f] Θεωρων δε της Κελίες δυσκεραιονίας, κ. τ. λ. Polyb. lib. iii. p. 230. Among Among the Roman Hiftorians, I can only produce an Example from Livy, of a Woman who was reported to have been delivered of Twins in a defolate uninhabited Ifland, where fhe was caft away, and had not seen a human Face for the Space of Nine Years before her Labour. He tells us fhe was brought to Rome, and examined before the Roman Senate; but the Particulars of this Story are so very prolix and tedious, that I' choose to refer the Reader to the Original, in the fiftieth Book of that incomparable Historian. This is all I have been able to meet with in my reading, which I was willing to produce, as it may give fome Light and Confirmation to my Hypothefis; but I appeal to the illuftrious Mr. W-ra b-n, that great Decider of old Problems and modern Controverfies, who well knows the Zeal of Authors to have their Works thought original, whether notwithstanding any thing here quoted the Merit of this great Arcanum does not of right belong to me? I mention that Gentleman's Name, who now unquestionably ftands foremost in the Catalogue of British Writers, with the most profound Refpe&; and it would afford me infinite Pleasure, if he would give this Subject a Difcuffion in the next Volume of the Divine L-g-n, whenever he pleafes to oblige the World with that long-expected Work: Or if, by Chance, he fhould happen not to have room for it, being already furnished with his Complement of Digreffions (and to be fure one Book can hardly contain every thing) ftill I have the Vanity to expect a Letter from him by the first Post, to thank me, according - according to Cuftom, for the honourable Mention I have made of him, and with fome Compliments Con my Performance, to make an Overture of his Acquaintance... i 7`, It now remains, before I conclude, to explain the great Advantages that will flow from the Publication of this Treatife; for this it is, which must redeem me from the reproachful Name of a Projector, and rank me in the Number of those illuftrious Worthies, who have invented ufeful Arts for the better Accommodation and Happinefs of human Life. [g] : And, in the first Place, I hope I shall merit univerfally the Thanks of all the Fair Sex, for difabufing Mankind on the Subject of Conception, -and.teaching them how a Woman may be with Child in a fingle State, confiftently with the pureft Virtue. Cur ego defperem fieri fine Conjuge Mater, Et parere intacto, dummodo cafta, vire ? But before this was known, when the World was foolish enough to fuppofe Coition always previous to Conception, how many Ladies have innocently loft their Reputation? How many unhappy Creatures have fallen under the Cenfures of a malicious World, been excluded from Vifits, left out of Card-Parties, and pointed at by Prudes, only for the flight Inconvenience of happening to be brought to Bed before Marriage? Whereas, when once this Difcovery is fpread, it will be eafy for a young Lady to lofe her Maidenhead, without [g] Inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes. VIRG. Quoted for the Sake of a Quotation. lofing lofing her Character, and to take the Air without any Dread of Calumny and Reproach in Confequence of fo innocent a Gratification. Jam redit et virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna, Another great Benefit refulting from this Difcovery, will be the utter Abolition of Matrimony, which has long been complained of by all the polite World, as a Nuifance grievous and intolerable, inconfiftent with all the Articles of modern Pleafure, and deftructive of that Freedom, which of Right belongs to Gentlemen. In confequence whereof, we fee Dukes and Dutcheffes, Lords and Ladies, and all the Great, whoring, divorcing, poisoning one another, ftarving one another, cutting one another's Throats, and practising every other genteel fashionable Art to break loofe from their Fetters, and refcue themselves from this worse than Egyptian Bondage. Now as I am a moft devoted Admirer of the Great, apt to esteem. every thing wife, lawful and right, that comes from the Mouth of a Nobleman, I account myself happy to be Author of a Scheme, that falls in fo naturally with their Defires, and will deliver them from that most pernicious Inftitution, supported by no other Authority than that of the Scriptures, an Authority long obfolete and out of Date with the politer Part of Mankind! And as I cannot doubt but all Women for the future will choofe to propagate the Species upon the Plan here recommended, I can affure them for their Com fort, |