1^4- The Statural Hi jlory 



that therefore a woman muft needs be firft affe&ed with her owri 

 noxious humors) that he looktupon it as no better than a ridicu- 

 lous error, as indeed I think I fhould have done my felf, but that 

 I am otherwife perfwaded by fiber men, who well know how to 

 diftinguifh the manner of the pangs, and the circumftances of 

 them ; Nor fhould I have ventured to have made this relation, 

 but that the perfons are living, and ready to juftifie what 1 have 

 written to any perfon fit to be difcours'd with about fuch matters : 

 but how they fhould come to pafs, is fo hard to determin, that 

 I dare not yet attempt it, it being difficult not to err concerning 

 fuch myjleries of Nature. 



5 . That women may bring forth three at a birth appears evident- 

 ly by the example of the Horatii, and Curiatii ; to whom may be 

 added, though of unequal rank, the three children of a Tayler 

 here in Oxford, which he had all at a birth. But to go above 

 that number fays Pliny s , is reputed and commonly fpoken off as 

 monflrou6,and to portend fome mif-hap : for confirmation where- 

 of, he inftances in a Commoners wife of OJiia, who was delivered 

 at one birth of two boys and two girls ; but this, fays he, was a 

 moft prodigious token, and portended no doubt the famine that 

 enfued foon after : i. e. It pleafed God to vifit thofe parts with 

 famin about that time, there being no more dependence between 

 the famin and the preceding birth, than there is between the Wars, 

 Plagues, and Famins, that fomtimes follow Comets there ha- 

 ving been (no queftion) as many of them, to which nothing extra- 

 ordinary has been fubfequent, as to which there has ; and fo of 

 Births. 



6. Witnefs the four children brought all at a time by Elenor the 

 wife of Henry Deven of Watlington, An. 1675. fince which time 

 we have yet lived (thanks be to God) in as great health, peace and 

 plenty, under our good and gracious King, as ever People did, 



which God of his mercy continue to us ; whom if we ferve in fin- 

 cerity, performing unto Him an honeft, faithful, and uniform o- 

 bedience (though 'tis true our beft performances will be mixed 

 with much of weaknefs, ignorance, frailties, and recidivations) 

 we need never to fear the influence of any fuch accidents, though 

 they much exceed the ordinary courfe of nature. 



7. The fame Pliny h informs us, that many men indeed have 



Nat. Wft. lib. 7. cap. 3. * Nit- Hifi. lib. 7. cap. 1 4. 



begotten 



