The compleat midwife's practice enlarged in the most weighty and high concernments of the birth of man containing a perfect directory or rules for midwives and nurses : as also a guide for women in their conception, bearing and nursing of children from the experience of our English authors, viz., Sir Theodore Mayern, Dr. Chamberlain, Mr. Nich. Culpeper ... : with instructions of the Queen of France's midwife to her daughter ... / by John Pechey ... ; the whole illustrated with copper plates.

CHAP. III. What course Parents ought to take that they may beget wise Children.

IT may well be admired, what the reason should be, that Nature being so wise and provident in all her actings, should nevertheless be so overseen in a work of so special regard as Mankind, that for one whom she produceth wise, solid and judicious, she bringeth so many into the World of those that are shal∣low, half witted, and void of prudence: But having seriously consider'd with my self, and searcht into the reason of natural causes of this so strange a matter; I easily found the true reason to be this, namely, that Parents apply not themselves to the act of generation, with that order and diligence that is required by nature, nor know the conditions which ought to be observed, that their Children may prove wise and judicious. Now if by art we may procure a remedy for this, we shall have brought to the Common-wealth the greatest be∣nefit she can receive. The main difficulty of this matter

chiefly consisteth herein, that we cannot discourse here∣of in terms so seemly and modest, as exact decency would require; but if for this reason I should forbear to insist upon any particular note or observation, the whole business would be of small validity; forasmuch as divers grave Authors are of opinion, that wise men ordinarily beget foolish Children, because in the act of Copulation they abstain from certain diligences, which are of importance that the Son may partake of the Fa∣thers Wisdom.

For the more Methodical proceeding, I have thought good to divide the matter of this discourse into four principal parts. The first is to shew the natural quali∣ties and temperature which Man and Woman ought to possess, that they may use Generation. The second, what diligence the Parents ought to imploy, that their Children may be male, and not Female. The third, how they may become wise and not fools. The fourth, how they are to be ordered after their birth for pre∣servation of their wit. As to the first point: Divers both ancient and modern Authors have delivered their o∣pinions to this effect, that in a well ordered Common-wealth, there ought to be assigned certain surveyors of Marriages, who should have skill and judgment suf∣ficient to look into the qualities of the persons that are to be married; and to allot to every woman a husband, and to every man a wife agreeable and proportionable to them in all respects: But whether such a thing be of absolute necessity in a State, or no, let it lye upon the care and consideration of such as take upon them to ma∣nage, and dispose the affairs of Common-wealths. Hip∣pocrates and Galen took much pains in prescribing cer∣tain Precepts about this matter, with several rules to know what sort of Women were fruitful, and what not; what men were able for generation, and what disable:

But touching all this, they deliver very little to the purpose, and that not with such distinction as is requisite for the business in hand, therefore it will be necessary to begin this discourse from its principles, and briefly to give the same its due order and method that so we may plainly and clearly demonstrate from what Union of Parents wise children are generated, and from what fools and faineants issue. To which end is needful: First to be informed of a particular point of Philosophy, up∣on the knowledge of which depends all that which is to be delivered touching this first point; and that's this, that man is different from Woman in nothing else, as Galen also observes, than in having his genital Mem∣bers without his body whereas a woman hath all the very same parts within, so that if, when nature hath fi∣nished her work in the formation of man, she would convert him into a Woman, there needs nothing else to be done, saving only to turn the Organs of genera∣tion inward, and if, having formed a woman she would transform her to a man, she may effect it by doing the contrary: But whether or no these things have hapned, as some affirm they have, and of the certainty of Her∣maphrodites being found in nature, may more commo∣diously be referred to a discourse by it self. Now what might be the cause that the genital Members are in∣gendred within, or without, and that the creature be∣cometh Male or Female, is a thing plain and evident enough to demonstrate, considering that heat extendeth and enlargeth all things, and cold retaineth and clo∣seth them up; so that it is concluded by all that are knowing in Philosophy and natural causes, that if the seed be cold and moist, a woman is begotten, not a man: And if the same be hot and dry, a man is begot∣ten, not a Woman: Whence it is to be inferred, that there is no man to be termed cold in respect of a woman, nor woman hot in respect of a man.

This therefore is to be noted as a thing without all controversie or exception, that the qualities which ren∣der a woman fruitful, are cold and moisture, the womb holding the same proportion with mans seed, that the earth doth with Corn or any other grain; and we see, that if the earth want cold and moisture, the seed will not prosper; and that those are the most fertile soyls which partake most of cold and moist: yet these two qualities ought to keep a certain measurableness, lest that, either by excess, or deficiency, generation be spoyled; for as the Corn is vitiated by excess of rain, and overmuch cold; so in conception the seed may be choaked by over-abundance of these qualities; and on the other side, if those parts in a woman should be tem∣perate as in a man, it were impossible she should con∣ceive, or be a woman: Nor could she breed that fleg∣matick blood which ingendereth milk, by which, as Galen and Hypocrates affirm, the birth is nourished while it remaineth in the mothers belly; neither could she be beardless, or void of hair, if she were overmuch inclining to hot and dry. Nevertheless, all women are not cold and moist alike, there being of these qualities several degrees, some being cold and moist in the first degree, some in the second, some in the third, and in each of these they may conceive, if a man answer them in proportion of heat. As for the signs of these seve∣ral degrees of coldness and moisture in women, though hitherto they have not been taken notice of by any, yet it will be very requisite in this place to consider them according to the several effects, which each of these de∣grees produceth. First, by the quick apprehension and acuteness of wit in women, for if they be very witty and acute, they are to be judged cold and moist in the first degree only; if very shallow and simple, in the third degree, but if they partake of a middle na∣ture

between these two extreams, it signifieth that they are in the second degree. Secondly, their Conditions; they being either curst, or good natured, according to these three degrees. Thirdly, their voice; which is either shrill, or big according as they are more or less cold and moist. Fourthly, their substance in flesh; leanness being a sign of little coldness and moisture; grosness or over much corpulency, of the redundance of those qualities: to be meanly fleshed, betokeneth the second degree. Fifthly, the colour of their face; which is either white, or swarthy, as these qualities are intense or remiss; of the second degree is composed a fresh and lively colour. Sixthly, their hair; which is also either much, or little, according to the exuber∣ance, or defect of cold and moist. Seventhly, a hand∣som form and proportion of body is the result of the middlemost degree; deformity arising from either Ex∣tream.

Now from all these Signs it may be concluded, that those women who are cold and moist in the second de∣gree, are of the perfectest temper, and in the best ca∣pacity, as to their own proper nature, of bringing forth Children.