424 OF PUBERTY. 



temper are indicated by the moft lafcivlous ex- 

 preffions, and the moft indelicate adions. I 

 have feen, with aftonilliment, a girl at the age 

 of twelve years, who had a brown, but lively 

 and florid complexion, and, though lov/ in fta- 

 ture, was ftrong and pium.p, commit the moft 

 indecent adions upon the very appearance of a 

 man, from w^hich flie co\ild not be deterred, ei- 

 ther by the prefence or chaftifement of her mo- 

 ther. She did not, hovvever, Jofe her reafon ; 

 and the paroxyfmsof the difeafe ceafed, the mo- 

 ment fhe was left with her own fex. Ariftotle 

 alledges, that, at this age, the irritation is ftfong- 

 cft, and that girls ought then to be carefully 

 w^atchcd. The remark may be applicable to the 

 climate in which he lived ; but, in colder coun- 

 tries, the ardor of the female conftitution does 

 not appear fo early. 



When the furor uterinus increafes to a certain 

 degree, marriage will not remove it; and there 

 have been inftances of its proving fatal. Hap- 

 pily the force of nature is feldom the only caufe 

 of a paffion fo deteftible, even when there is a 

 predifpofition to it in the habit of body. Before 

 it arrives at this extremity, the imagination muft 

 be in£amed by licentious converfation, by ob- 

 fcene reprefentations, or other caufes. Amonn- 

 women, tlie oppofite temperament is infinitely 

 inore common; for, with regard to this pafTion, 

 moft of them are either cool or indifferent. 

 Ihcre are alio many men to whom chaftity is 



an 



