The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. II. Of monsters caused by too great abundance of seed.

SEeing wee have already handled the two former and truely finall causes of monsters, we must now come to those which are the ma∣tereall, corporeall, and efficient causes, taking our beginning from that we call the too great abundance of the matter of seed. It is the opinion of those Philosophers which have written of monsters, that if at any time a creature bearing one at once, as man, shall cast forth more seed in copulation than is necessary to the generation of one body, it cannot be that onely one should bee begot of all that; therefore from thence either two or more must arise: whereby it commeth to passe, that these are rather judged wonders, because they happen seldome, and contrary to common custome. Super∣fluous parts happen by the same cause, that twinnes, and many at one birth, contrary to natures course, doe chance, that is, by a larger effusion of seed than is required for the framing of that part, that so it exceeds either in number or else in greatnesse. So Austin tells that in his time in the East an infant was borne, having all the parts from the belly upwards double, but from thence downewards single and simple: for it had two heads, foure eyes, two breasts, foure hands, in all the rest like to another child, and it lived a little while. Caelius Rhodiginus saith he saw two monsters in Italy, the one male, the other female, handsomly & neatly made through all their bodies, except their heads, which were double; the male died within a few daies after it was borne; but the female (whose shape is here delineated) lived 20. five yeers, which is contrary to the common custome of monsters; for they for the most part are very * 1.1 short lived, because they both live and are born, as it were, against natures consent; to which may be added, they doe not love themselves, by reason they are made a scorne to others, and by that meanes lead a hated life.

[illustration]

The effigies of a maide with two heads.

But it is most remarkeable which Ly∣costhenes telleth of this woman-monster, for excepting her two heads, shee was framed in the rest of her body to an exact perfection: her two heads had the like desire to eat and drinke, to sleepe, to speake, and to doe every thing; she beg∣ged from dore to dore, every one giving to her freely. Yet at length she was banisht Bavaria, lest that by the frequent looking upon her, the imaginations of women with childe, strongly moved, should make the like impression in the infants they bare in their wombes.

[illustration]

The effigies of two girles whose backes grew together.

In the yeere of our Lord 1475. at Vero∣na in Italy, two Girles were borne with their backes sticking together from the lower part of the shoulders unto the very buttockes. The novelty and strangenesse of the thing moved their parents, being but poor, to carry them through all the chiefe townes in Italy to get mony of all such as came to see them.

In the yeere 1530. there was a man to bee seene at Paris, out of whose belly ano∣ther, perfect in all his members except his head, hanged forth as if he had been graf∣ted there. The man was forty yeeres old, and hee carried the other implanted or growing out of him, in his armes, with such admiration to the beholders, that many ranne very earnestly to see him.

[illustration]

The figure of a man with another growing out of him.

[illustration]

The effigies of the horned or hooded monster.

At Quiers, a small village some ten miles from Turine in Savoy, in the yeere 1578. upon the seventeenth day of January, a∣bout eight a clocke at night, an honest ma∣tron brought forth a childe having five hornes, like to Rams hornes, set opposite to one another upon his head: he had also a long piece of flesh, like in some sort to a French-hood which women used to wear, hanging downe from his forehead by the nape of his necke almost the length of his backe: two other pieces of flesh, like the collar of a shirt, were wrapped about his necke: the fingers ends of both his hands somewhat resembled a Haukes talons, and his knees seemed to be in his hammes: the right leg and the right foot were of a very red colour; the rest of the body was of a tawny colour: it is said he gave so terrible a scritch when he was brought forth, that the Midwives, and the rest of the women that were at her labour, were so frighted that they presently left the house and ran away. When the Duke of Savoy heard of this monster, he commanded it should be brought to him, which performed, one would hardly think what various censures the Courtiers gave of it.

[illustration]

The shape of a monster found in an egge.

The monster you see here deline∣ated, was found in the middle and innermost part of an egge, with the face of a man, but haires yeelding a horrid representation of snakes; the chinne had three other snakes stret∣ched forth like a beard. It was first seene at Autun, at the house of one Bancheron a Lawyer, a maide brea∣king many eggs to butter: the white of this egge given a Cat, presently killed her. Lastly, this monster com∣ming to the hands of the Baron Se∣necy, was brought to King Charles the ninth being then at Metz.

[illustration]

The effigies of a monstrous childe, having two heads, two armes & foure legs.

In the yeere 1546. a woman at Paris in her sixt moneth of her account, brought forth a childe having two heads, two armes and foure legges: I dissecting the body of it, found but one heart, by which one may know it was but one infant. For you may know this from A∣ristotle, whether the monstrous birth bee one or more joined together, by the principall * 1.2 part: for if the body have but one heart, it is but one, if two, it is double by the joyning to∣gether in the conception.

[illustration]

The portraiture of Twinnes joyned toge∣ther with one head.

In the yeere 1569. a certaine woman of Towers was delivered of twinnes joyned toge∣ther with one head, and mutually embracing each other. Renatus Ciretus the famous Chi∣rurgian of those parts, sent mee their Sceleton.

[illustration]

The effigies of two girles, being Twinnes, joyned together by their fore-heads.

Munster writes that in the village Bristant, not farre from Wormes, in the yeere 1495. he saw two Girles perfect and entire in every part of their bodies, but they had their fore-heads so joined together that they could not be parted or severed by any art: they lived together ten yeeres; then the one dying, it was needfull to separate the living from the dead: but she did not long out-live her sister, by reason of the malignity of the wound made in parting them asunder.

In the yeere 1570. the twentieth of July, at Paris, in the street Gravilliers, at the signe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Bell, these two infants were borne, distering in sexe, with that shape of body ••••at you see expressed in the figure. They were baptized in the Church of St. Nichlas of the fields, and named Ludovicus and Ludovica, their father was a Mason, his n••me was Peter German, his surname Petit Dieu (i) little-God, his mothers name was Mathea Petronilla.

[illustration]

The shape of the infants lately borne at Paris.

[illustration]

The figure of two girles joyned together in their breasts and belly.

In the yeere 1572. in Pont de See, neare An∣gers a little towne, were borne upon the tenth day of July, two girles, perfect in their limbs, but that they had but foure fingers apiece on their left hands: they clave together in their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 parts, from their chin to the navell, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but one, as their heart was also but one; their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was divided into foure lobes: they lived ha•••• an houre, and were baptized.

[illustration]

The figure of a child with two heads, and the body as bigge as one of fore moneths old.

Caelius Rhodiginus tells that in a ••wn of his country called Sarzano, Italy being roubled * 1.3 with civill warres, there was born monster of unusual bigness; for he had two heads, ha∣ving all his limbs answerable in gr••ness & tallnesse to a child of foure months old: be∣tween his two heads, which were bo••h alike, at the setting on of the shoulder, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had a third hand put forth, which did not ••••ceed the eares in length, for it was not all •…•…n: it was born the 5. of the Ides of March 〈◊〉〈◊〉 14.

[illustration]

The figure of one with foure legges and as manyarmes.

Jovianus Pontanus tells in the yeere 1529. the ninth day of January, there was a man childe borne in Germany, having foure armes and as many legges.

[illustration]

The figure of a man out of whose belly another head shewed it selfe.

In the yeere that Francis the first King of France entered into league with the Swisses, there was borne a monster in Germany, out of the midst of whose belly there stood a great head; it came to mans age, and this lower, and as it were inserted head, was nourished as much as the true and upper head.

In the yeere 1572. the last day of February, in the parish of Viaban, in the way as you goe from Carnuta to Paris, in a small village called Bordes, one called Cypriana Girandae the, wife of James Merchant a husbandman, brought forth this monster whose shape you see here delineated, which lived untill the Sunday following, being but of one onely sexe, which was the female.

[illustration]

The shape of two monstrous Twinnes, being but of one onely Sexe.

In the yeere 1572. on Easter Munday at Metz in Loraine, in the Inne whose signe is the Holy-Ghost, a Sow pigged a pigge, which had eight legges, foure eares, and the head of a dogge; the hinder part from the belly downeward was parted in two as in twinnes, but the foreparts grew into one; it had two tongues in the mouth, with foure teeth in the upper jaw, and as many in the lower. The sexe was not to be distinguished, whether it were a Bore or Sow pigge, for there was one slit under the taile, and the hinder parts were all rent and open. The shape of this monster, as it is here set downe, was sent me by Borgesius the famous Physitian of Metz.

[illustration]

The shape of a monstrous Pigge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Monste. seldome lo••. lived.
• * 1.2

  Arist. in problem.
• * 1.3

  〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 3.