x px The Natural Hiflory 



T 



CHAP.. VIII. 

 Of Men and Women. 



H E fubjeft matter of this Chapter being very narrow, ex- 

 tending it felf only to Man, whom God created Male 

 and Female, and them only in his own Image, little 

 lower than the Angels '. It cannot be expefted, that the methods 

 of the other Chapters can be obferved here, there being no new 

 ffecies of Men to be produced, or not fufficiently noted already. 

 All therefore that remains concerning them to be handled here, 

 will be only the unufual Accidents that have attended them,where- 

 of, though I have not met with over many in this County, yet 

 they are enough to be diftributed into fuch as have attended 

 them, 







rat or before their birth. 

 either <in their courfe of life. 

 C/Vz their death or grave. 



2. Before the birtb ofMan,tht Vagitm uterinu^or crying of the 

 child in the mothers womb, is not ordinarily to be met with, 

 though we find many examples of the thing in Authors c , to 

 which may be added one more that lately happened at Heyford 

 Purcel, where there was a child cryed very audibly in its mothers 

 womb fomtime before the birtb. For the performance of which 

 aftion, whether there be a neceffity of the Infants having refpi- 

 ration whil'ft included in the Amnion ; or whether it may not be 

 done without it? let the Phyfitians difpute : The matter offaft 

 fufficeth me at prefent that there was fuch a thing, the people 

 being frighted with it, and expecting fome calamity fhould foon 

 attend fuch a Prodigie, pernicious (forfooth) not only to the 

 place where heard, but to the State it felf. Whereas the learn- 

 ed Bartholin more rightly notes, that the ruin of Kingdoms de- 

 pends rather on the wickednefs of the people, living in con- 

 tempt of God and his Laws, than any fuch vagitvs ; which por- 

 tends nothing but happinefs to the Infant, the Mother, and State 



c Tho.Bi.nholin.HiJl.Anatom.rar. Cent. l. fflft.i. 



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