CHAP. V. By what signs it may be known, whether the woman have conceived, or not.
IF the seed in the time of copulation, or presently after be not spilt, if in the meeting of the seeds the whole body do somewhat shake, that is to say, the womb drawing it self toge∣ther for the compression and entertainment thereof, if a little feeling of pain doth run up and down the lower belly, and about the navel; if she be sleepy, if she loath the em∣bracings of a man, and if her face be pale, it is a token that she hath conceived.
In some, after conception spots or freckles arise in their face,* 1.1 their eies are depressed and sunk in, the white of their eyes waxeth pale, they wax giddy in the head, by reason that the va∣pors are raised up from the menstrual blood that is stopped, sadness and heaviness grieve their minds, with loathing and waywardness, by reason that the spirits are covered with the smoaky darkness of the vapors: pains in teeth and gums, and swounding often-times commeth: the ap∣petite is depraved or overthrown, with aptness to vomit, and longing, whereby it happeneth, that they loath meats of good juice, and long for and desire illaudable meats,* 1.2 and those that are contrary to nature, as coles, dirt, ashes, stinking salt-fish, sowr, austere and tart fruits, pepper, vi∣negar, and such like acrid things, and other, altogether contrary to nature and use, by reason of the condition of the suppressed humor abounding and falling into the orifice of the stomach. This appetite so depraved or over-thrown, endureth in some untill the time of child-birth; in others it cometh in the third month after their conception, when hairs do grow on the child: and lastly, it leaveth them a little before the fourth month; because that the child, being now greater and stronger, consumes a great part of the excremental and superfluous humor. The suppressed or stopped terms in women that are great with childe, are divided into three parts: the more pure portion maketh the nutriment for the child, the second ascendeth by little and little into the dugs, and the impurest of all remaineth in the womb about the infant, and maketh the secondine or after-birth, wherein the infant lieth as in a soft bed. Those women are great with child, whose urine is more sharp, fervent, and somewhat bloody, the bladder not only waxing warm by the compression of the womb; fervent, by reason of the blood contained in it, but also the thinner portion of the same blood being expressed, and sweating out into the bladder.* 1.3 A swelling and hardness of the dugs, and veins that are under the dugs in the breasts and about them, and milk comming out when they are pressed, with a certain stirring motion in the belly, are certain infalli∣ble signs of greatness with child. Neither in this greatness of child-bearing, the veins of the dugs only, but of all the whole body, appear full and swelled up, especially the veins of the thighs and legs; so that by their manifold folding and knitting together, they do appear varicous,* 1.4 where∣of commeth sluggishness of the whole body, heaviness and impotency, or difficulty of going, especially when the time of deliverance is at hand. Lastly, if you would know whether the wo∣man have conceived or not, give unto her when she goeth to sleep, some mead or honied water to drink; and if she have a griping in her guts or belly, she hath conceived; if not, she hath not conceived.