10 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



hath made me transgress the bounds of modesty so far as 

 to desire of her in writing her own observations of her 

 malady, together with the alterations she hath found in 

 her pudendis; which, not without much difficulty, she did 

 send me yesterday after many importunities. I hope God 

 will forgive me my curiosity, being chiefly led thereunto 

 by an opinion, or secret impulse, that you, with the advice 

 and information of what you may meet withal abroad, 

 may be the author of her recovery. She says, in her own 

 letter, to me thus : that she hath grown bigger and bigger 

 this two years, as I told you before, and that her belly is 

 constantly very hard ; she did ywaiKodrjvai hoc est per 

 menstrua purgare more debito, until the beginning of last 

 summer, when she was advised to drink Epsom waters ; 

 which she did for some time, until she found great incon- 

 veniences by them, for ever since she hath had suppres- 

 sionem mensium; and, moreover, presently after her coming 

 from Epsom, she felt a thing come down just like a blad- 

 der, and bigger than her fist, and hath lain upon the neck 

 of her womb ever since ; and upon the least walking or 

 straining comes out fuller, and when she lies down goes 

 in further than a woman's reach ; so are her own words. 

 She saith she is free from any pain in those parts, only 

 she hath a great weakness, so that she cannot stand much, 

 especially after purging. Her navel is puffed up bigger 

 than a little egg clear above the skin. She says that the 

 doctors and midwives cannot determine what it is that 

 comes down so; some say it is the mother. She saith, 

 moreover, that she feels no pain either in her belly or 

 back, only stitches fly up and down that are ready to take 

 away her breath. She seldom or never breaks wind 

 downward. This is all she tells me in her letter, and I 

 do believe you have a larger account of her disease than 

 her own physicians ; her bashfulness is so much, that it 

 will not suffer her to discourse with her own sex in this 

 matter freely. I have most exactly, according to the 

 meaning of her letter, transcribed her sense, and chiefly 

 her words, where modesty will give me leave, I know I 



