When the Termes are retained and stayed and neither Fevers nor fit of Agues doe follow and also an abhorring and refusall of meat happeneth to the woman we must understand without doubt that the woman is conceived with childe The legs begin to swell with paines aches The body is feeblished and the face waxeth pale The Pulse at first beateth swiftly by and by slowly The excrements of the belly are voided more hardly and painfully because the guts are pressed and thrust together The urine or water is white a little cloud floting or swimming aloft and many motes are seene in it as in the beames of the Sun but first of all in the first moneth when many such like things do sinck down to the bottome they are drawn out in length like unto wooll the Vrinall being moved in which they are in In the later moneths the urine is red or yellow but at length it becommeth blacke a little red cloud swimming above Hippocrates teacheth us to make triall of conception with water mingled with Hony that if the women having taken this lying downe in her bed shall feele gripings or wringings of the belly then it is a signe she hath conceived if she doe not she hath not yet conceived with child Whereas some would have this experiment to be practised by a suffumigation received underneath that maketh little or nothing to the matter For Hippocrates teacheth that so the signes and tokens of barrennesse and fruitfulnesse are to be observed and not of conception but they which attribute to fumes made underneath any thing for the searching out of conception do say that the fume made of the thing put underneath must be restrained kept that it ascend not up to the nostrills they would have such conjecture to be taken of Garlicke put underneath and Aristolochia used with it But by what probable reason they themselves know best It shall be a more certaine experiment to stop close the Vrine of the woman put into a glasse for three daies which time being ended let it be strained thorow a cleane fine linnen-cloth and if she have conceived there will appeare little living creatures like unto Lice if they be red they say they do portend and signifie a man childe if they be white they say a maiden-childe is conceived And some doe affirme this thing for a certainty If a smooth and bright needle be put into the Vrine of a woman in a brazen Bason covered close a night on the morrow if the woman have conceved that needle will be speckled with red spots if she have not it will be blacke and rusty If a woman take the juyce of Carduus and shall cast it up againe being taken it is supposed to be a certain signe of conception And so much concerning confused signes of conceptions that is to say such as concerne Male and Female both alike But whether a man-child or woman-child be conceived it is delivered and set downe to be marked observed by these signes following If it be a man-child The signes of a man-childe the right-eye is moved more often and is better affected with his naturall colour than the left The right brest is more plump and harder than the left the colour of the nipples is changed sooner Milk breedeth sooner and if it be drawne out and opposed and set against the beames of the Sun in a glasse it cleaveth together into a little cleare lump not unlike unto a cleare Pearle If the milke of the woman conceived with child be sprinkled into her urine it sinketh by and by to the bottome if Salt be put to it it doth not melt The lid of the right eye is redder and all the colour of the face is better than it was wont as Hippocrates telleth us Lesse heavinesse is felt The first moving for the most part the fortieth day is felt more quicker in the right side For Hippocrates instructing concerning the lying of children in the womb doth advertise us that male-children lie on the right side and female-children on the left because men-children have need of more heat which they attract and draw unto them from the Liver scituated and seated in the same side If the Flowers issue forth the fortieth day after conception The belly is more sharpe about the Navell The woman when she goeth a journy putteth forth her right foot first and in rising up from her seat she doth sooner stay her self and lift her self up upon her right hand than upon her left The pulse is more swift in the right hand than in the left But if they shall conceive maiden-children The signes of the conception of a maiden child all things happen otherwise and these signes for the most part are observed The first moving for the most part is made the nintieth day after conception The moving is made on the left side Women-children are carried in the wombe with great paines The legs doe swell and also the privie parts The colour is more pale The appetite is more vehement On the contrary a loathing and abhorring of meat more soone and speedy The Termes doe issue forth about the thirtieth day after conception If the powder of Aristolochia be tempered with Hony and the loynes and the secrets be annointed with it it is thought to be an easie thing to discerne the sex that if the spittle of the child-bearing-woman shall be sweete shee beareth a man childe if it shall be bitter shee beareth a woman-childe The age also of women availeth not a little For women which are young doe sooner conceive boyes but such as are somewhat aged doe sooner conceive girles by reason of the defect of heat in the Matrix caused by old age Likewise maiden-children are ingendred by parents moist and cold by nature of seed more moist cold and liquid than sufficeth And it may also be observed by certaine signes whether the child be in good state in the wombe or no. If the Babe be well the Paps as Hippocrates testifieth are hard If it be not in health watrish milke doth flow forth from the dugs voluntarily Againe if their Termes doe issue forth often-times which are conceived with child as Pliny averreth they signifie that the childe is not in health and lively but weake and feeble Further fat women commonly doe beare feeble children If the Hydropsie suddenly invade and take a woman with childe and her nostrills eares and lips begin to be red they portend and shew that the fruit in the wombe is dead If a woman beare Twins of which one is a man-child the maiden-childe is in great danger because they are nourished and prosper in the wombe with a diverse kind of nourishment as Aristotle witnesseth There is lesse danger if they be maiden-children For under Maximilian the Emperour a certaine woman brought forth three maiden-children at one birth all which came unto a perfect age If a woman conceive before or about the purging of her Flowers infected and venomous
of each two drams Temper them with an ounce and a halfe of the aforesaid decoction or of findive-water let a Potion be made of it Or else Take syrup of Peach-Roses one ounce syrup of Peach-flowers halfe an ounce Trochiskes of Agaricke one dram Cassia newly extracted two drams waters of Buglosse and Burrage of each one ounce mixe them and make one draught Pessaries also may be prepared and be applied underneath compounded with the juyce of Mandrake Mastick Myrrh Camphire and Gum Arabick But if the heat do not exceed but shall be more temperate then that which aboundeth shall be diminished with Plaisters laid upon the Navell and secret members as with Vnguentum Santalinum decocted in a liquid and thick forme In few words wee may proceed in the same order as wee have prescribed concerning choler and blood But if coldnesse and moistnesse shall molest and vexe the secret parts over-much First the superfluity of them shall be mollified and prepared for purgation by remedies declining from them to heat and drinesse according to the prescript of the syrup following Take of the herbes of Mugwoort Betony Bawme Penny-royall Marjoram of each one handfull roots of Enula Campana Galangal Saytrion Parsley Fennel Asarum of each two drams Anis-seed Amomum Liquorice Madder that Diers doe use wilde Carrot Siler montanum Cummine of each one dramme Raisins one ounce Fountaine-water so much as sufficeth of Sugar or clarified Hony a sufficient quantity Let them all be commixed and after the straining made let them be made odoriferous with Cinamome and let Oxymel squilliticum be added to it Take three ounces at a time Or else take Electuarium Indum one ounce Catharticum Imperiale halfe an ounce waters of Buglosse and Borrage of each one ounce temper them together and make a draught Or dissolve them with three ounces of the aforesaid decoction and in like manner make one draught There may also be use here of Pilulae Foetidae and of Pills confected of Rheubarb Purgation sufficiently made let her take Pills prepared in this manner the quantity of a dram when shee is about to goe to bed Take Lignum Aloes Xylobalsamum Siler monnum Asarum or Asara Bacca Masticke Nutmegge Anis-seede Fennel-seede of each one dram Spicke-Nard Calamus Aromaticus Galbanum of each halfe a dram Myrobalani Chebuli Bellirici of each sixe drams Aloes two ounces mingle them with syrup of Peach-Roses and make a masse of Pills let the quantity to be taken be one dram at once To be briefe you may proceed in the same manner as wee have before advised in the cure of Phlegme CHAP. VII Of certaine generall Precepts serving for the curing of the barrennesse of men and women A Great part of the Cure of the barrennesse of men and women consisteth in the use of exeternall things which by our advice must be moderate that the body doe not become grosse and fat because fatnesse doth very much hinder secundity and fruitfulnesse Also extreme leanesse cannot be without fault in this case Wherefore in both these they must use temperate nourishments which have not the Nature to inflate and to breed windy matter in the body They must use Wine but little and sparing and moderate meate But principally let women observe and consider the complexion and state of the Matrix and let them warily marke their Termes lest in the time when they issue forth or when they are cleared from them they use an inconvenient diet but that rather they use most especially such things which are knowne to have an expulsive vertue and force to expell out of the body such as are parsley Stone-parsley Fennel the herbe which the Germans call commonly Pimpinella with the like herbes and roots of the same nature and quality But that every one may be instructed concerning every case wee will give an Antidote and Medicine contrary to the complexion of every corrupted Matrix And verily first of all when the Matrix shall be distempered and troubled with immoderate coldnesse there is caused a stopping of the Flowers bred and ingendred by reason of an evill diet observed in meat and drinke whereby continuall paines are felt about the loynes kidnies secrets along the backe and other members of the body and ever and anon horrible cold doth vex and molest them When things are come to this passe the use of those things is profitable whatsoever are of a hot Nature specially hot baths abounding with Brimstone such as are the bathes of the Helvetians or Swissers especially named the bathes of Badena a City in Helvetia in Germany But it shall be very profitable to use this syrup or potion for a preparative of the mattet to be purged Take of the syrup of Mugwoort on ounce Oxymel compound halfe an ounce waters of Mugwoort and Bawme of each one ounce By mixing them together make one draught But this drinke following must be used for a purgation Take Benedicta Laxativa Cassia newly extracted of each three drams water of Penny-royall and Mugwoort one ounce and a halfe mingle them and let one draught be made Also the confection of Diacastoreum is approved for this use Likewise all their meats are to be seasoned with these spices which have the Nature to heat as with Peper Ginger and such like To be short they must proceed in the same order as wee have taught before in curing sterility comming from a phlegmaticke humour Further if the Matrix shall be grieved with intemperate heat and drinesse the Termes will issue forth often but so sharpe that often times the secret parts are diseased and exulcerated In this case the diet medicines and use of all outward things is to be reduced and brought to a cold and moist temperature as it is in like manner declared before in the Cure of barrennesse proceeding from superfluity of choler But because oftentimes conception is hindred of wind inclosed within the body they must use meate and drinke which doth not puffe up and breed wind in the body but such as doth dissipate and disperse the same and proceed in the same order as we have taught before in curing the false windy conception named Mola And let these things be sufficiently spoken concerning those things which rectifie and remedy barrennesse Now in this discourse those things are not to be omitted Helps of frutfulnesse which further and cause fecundity and fruitfulnesse In this behalfe many excellent profitable things are delivered of the ancient and latter Physicians of which those which are chiefest we have thought it a profitable thing to gather together and to publish abroad to the profit and commodity of many Suffumigation These Fumes first made upon the coales and directed to the Matrix doe please very many Take Cypresse-nuts Nutmegge Masticke Frankincense Ladanum Myrrh Galbanum Bdellium Bay-berries of each one dram Styrax-calamita Styrax liquida of each two scruples Cloves Carui of each halfe a dram Amber two graines Saffron one scruple Muske five graines
of the whole Feature although it be crude and indigested which is form'd fashion'd by the seed of man received into it the same seed being turned into vitall spirit which like a workman doth proportion and fashion this matter like a Smith plating and smoothing his rude piece of Iron upon the Anvill But Galen declareth Galens opinion that both the seedes confused and mingled together in the Matrix are the first matter of the Feature and so truly that with out the due mixture of these nothing can be conceived nor ingendred Yet although the mixture of these may be made equall notwithstanding it is out of all doubt that the quality of them is not alike The seede of man more hot and thick than womans for the seed of man doth exceed womans seed in heate and thicknesse which incomparison of mans seed is more moist and cold and therefore also it is manifest that it is more waterish yea in respect of the temperature The womans seed affordeth the like helpe as mans doth in framing the Feature But neverthelesse although they differ so much in quality the womans seed doth yeeld and afford the like help and furtherance in framing the Feature that the seede of man doth so that the seeds doe mutually grow and increase at once together by the vertue of both of them Further when as menstruous blood is the matter of womans seed that as well the beginning of this as of mans seede may be evident unto us we must understand What the Termes are that the Termes named in Latin Menstruum are no other thing a naturall consideration being had of them than the excrement of the third concoction or digestion gathered together and voyded every moneth named the monethly Purgation of the Latine words Every woman of a sound constitution ought to have her naturall and monethly purgation mensis Lunaris for every woman being of that age which may indure this Purgation so that her body be of a sound and healthfull constitution ought naturally to be Purged and cleansed from this superfluous matter every moneth And for the same cause the Germans do name this Purgation Flowers because even as the trees which doe not blossome and send forth flowerrs either through age or corruption of Nature doe not fructifie nor bring forth fruit Without naturall purgation in due seâ—ion women cannot conceive nor ingender so also every woman deprived of these Flowers I say of this purging in her due season by the course of Nature can neither conceive nor ingender being like unto an unfruitfull and a barren man destitute and deprived of the same vertue and faculty of ingendring either by some defect or corruption or because naturall heat is exhausted and wasted by his over-over-moist and cold complexion CHAP. III. Of the three Coates wherewith the Feature is invironed defended and covered THe little roome or coffin being ingendred after the conception the vitall Spirit inclosed in the same rouseth and putteth forth it selfe and then the defences or caules are ingendred to the Feature conceived And first truely of the uttermost face and superficies of the seede because of the waterish moisture and humidity of womens seede is ingendred a thin and slender membrane or caule which by reason of his moist quality is extended and stretched abroad at the first being so transparent and cleare that we may see thorow it The first coat or caule of the Feature is named Chorion but after the birth it is contracted and drawne together into a little heape named Chorion or Secundae Besides of the superfluous humidity and moisture of this there are ingendred also two other little coats or caules which doe protect and defend the Feature from superfluous and noisome things as from the Termes retained and stopped after conception Two little coats or caules ingendred which defend the Feature from hurt and also from other superfluities which neither serve nor are profitable to the nourishment nor increase of the Feature but doe rather hurt and offend yet neverthelesse they are retained in the Matrix betweene the caules named Secundae even untill the time of the birth then they issue forth a breach being made by themselves or they are set at liberty by the helpe of the Midwife Therefore the second coat or caule The second coat or caule is named Biles named of the Arabians Biles of the Grecians Allantoides adjacent and lying neere to the connexed and united parts of the Feature incloseth and infoldeth all inferiour things from the Navell which caule is wrinckled and somewhat pleated not unlike to a pleated garment into which the urine and sweats doe distill and also other sharpe and eager humors if any doe flow and issue from the nature and ripe Feature and are detained there even untill the time of birth For now the Infants growne to greater maturity and ripenesse doe not void and expell urine by the urine-pipes and conduits to the privie parts out of this vault but by certaine passages thorow the Navell Therefore the Feature is fortified and defended from the urine and other noysome humours by that coat or infolder lest he should be molested and grieved with the acrimony and sharpnesse of them or else gather some impurity or uncleanesse unto him CHAP. IIII. Of the three faculties disposing and governing the body and of the spirit it selfe NOw the Seedes both of man and woman being mingled blended and inclosed together eft-soones the force or faculty the power and might I say of the soule essentially attributed to it to performe and accomplish her actions in the body doth appeare and shew forth it selfe and beginneth to worke conveniently almost in a three-fold manner The first faculty is naturall The first faculty and vertue is naturall being the mover and foundation of the other faculties common both to living Creatures and to Plants This by and by from the time of Generation doth worke even untill the perfection of that which is ingendred namely by augmenting and nourishing And it hath his place and seat in the Liver and from thence is dispersed and sent abroad by veines into the whole body But the operation of it at first appearance is found to be three-fold Thy altering or changing faculty the which some doe call the immutative faculty which first generally immuteth and altereth the substance of the Seede and also converteth and digesteth it 1. The altering or changing faculty from that which it was before into the substance of the severall parts that every one of them may be distinctly composed and made and particularly inclining againe into that substance by those mixed qualities and elementary faculties by heat and moisture effecteth and frameth the softer substance such as flesh is in living Creatures but in Plants or Herbes the flowers and the pith by heate and drinesse it frameth the heart is living Creatures in Plants or Herbes is maketh the roots by cold and moisture in