n should never come from her, and
the more she can curb his ardour by tactful suggestion, the healthier will
he and the happier will she be, for nothing causes such an irritable,
nervous state as excessive coitus.

She will often have to give way in this matter, but must be firm on the
necessity for preventing conception, for she can only bear a tainted child;
her responsibility is great, and she must _insist_ that her husband use
those simple methods which prevent conception, thereby ending in himself
one branch of a worthless tree. This must be done at any cost, for her
happiness is nought compared to the welfare of future generations. Bitter
though it be that no fruit of her womb may call her blessed, it is less
bitter than hearing her children call themselves accursed.

"So many severall wayes are we plagued and punished for our father's
defaultes, that it is the greatest part of our felicity to be well
born, and it were happy for humankind if only such parentes as are
sounde of body and mind should be suffered to marry. An Husbandman will
sow none but the choicest seed upon his lande; he will not reare a bull
nor an horse, except he be right shapen in all his parts, or permit him
to cover a mare, except he be well assured of his breed; we make choice
of the neatest kine, and keep the best dogs, and how careful then
should we be in begetting our children? In former tyme, some countreys
have been so chary in this behalf, so stern, that if a child were
crooked or deformed in body or mind, they made it away; so did the
Indians of old, and many other well gouverned Commonwealths, according
to the discipline of those times. Heretofore in Scotland, if any were
visited with the falling sickness, madness, goute, leprosie, or any
such dangerous disease, which was like to be propagated from the father
to the son, he was instantly gelded; a woman kept from all company of
men; and if by chance, having some such disease, she was found to be
with child she with her brood were buried alive; and this was done for
the common good, lest the whole nation should be injured or corrupted.
A severe doom, you will say, and not to be used among Christians. Yet
to be more looked into than it is. For now, by our too much facility in
this kind, in giving way to all to marry that will, too much liberty
and indulgence in tolerating all sorts, there is a va