5/8 ON CONCEPTION. 



natural object of desire, does the natural (organic) conception 

 arise in the uterus, even as the animal conception does in the 

 brain. 



From this desire/ or conception, it results that the female 

 produces an offspring like the father. For just as we, from 

 the conception of the " form" or " idea" in the brain, fashion 

 in our works a form resembling it, so, in like manner, the "idea," 

 or " form," of the father existing in the uterus generates an 

 offspring like himself with the help of the formative faculty, 

 impressing, however, on its work its own immaterial " form." 

 In the same way art, which in the brain is the sTSog or 

 "form" of the future work, produces, when in operation, its 

 like, and begets it out of " matter." So too the painter, by 

 means of conception, pictures to himself a face, and by imitating 

 this internal conception of the brain carries it out into act ; so 

 also the builder constructs his house according to previous con- 

 ception. The same thing takes place in every other action and 

 artificial production. Thus, what education effects in the brain, 

 viz. art, with its analogue does the coitus of the male endow 

 the uterus, viz. the plastic art ; hence many similar or dissi- 

 milar foetuses are produced at the same coitus. For if the pro- 

 ductions and first conceptions of art (the mere imitations of 

 nature) are in this way formed in the brain, how much more 

 probable is it that copies (exemplaria) of animal generation 

 and conception should in like manner be produced in the 

 uterus ? 



And since Nature, all of whose works are wonderful and 

 divine, has devised an organ of this kind, viz. the brain, by the 

 virtue and sensitive faculty of which the conceptions of the 

 rational soul exist, such as the desires and the arts, the first 

 principles and causes of so many and such various works, of 

 which man, by means of the impulsive faculty of the brain, is 

 by imitation the author ; why should we not suppose that the 

 same Nature, who in the uterus has constructed an organ no 

 less wonderful, and adapted it by means of a similar structure 

 to perform all that appertains to conception, has destined it for 

 a similar or at least an analogous function, and intended an 

 organ altogether similar for a similar use ? For as the skilful 

 artificer accomplishes his works by ingeniously adapting his in- 

 struments to each, so that from the substance and shape of these 



