she became with Child. But Monsieur _Dionis_ is not
of this Opinion: He will not allow the Womb an attractive Faculty, so as
to suck up from the outer Extremity of the Neck, and oblige it to repair
to its Cavity. And the Seed being a Liquor, would be so blended with the
Water, that 'tis impossible all its particles should rally, and continue
their Activity and prolifick Quality, till their Arrival in the Womb.

And the History reported by _Riolanus_ favours the Opinion against those
who maintain that Generation may be perform'd by shedding of the Seed on
the Cabia of a Woman's Privities. The _Vagina_ of the Woman mention'd by
this Writer, was shut up with Scars after a troublesome Child-birth, to
such a Degree as only to leave a small Hole for the passage of the Terms
and Urine, through which also pass'd the Husband's Seed that got her
with Child; this might not hinder these two Persons from Copulating
strictly; nay, there must have been a strict Alliance and the Womb, by
contracting of the Passage, must in this Case have drawn the Seed as
greedily as an hungry Stomach attracts the Victuals by the Mouth.

Some Persons have believ'd that a Woman may Engender, without the
Application of a Man's Privities. They tell us of a Woman that was got
with Child in the Embraces of her She-Companion, who but a little before
came from her Husband's Arms: And of a young Woman that was found
Breeding by no other Cause than her Father's having by chance Polluted
himself in the same Bed where she was: But these Stories seem to be
contriv'd to cover the Lasciviousness of Women, and conceal the Vice of
an impure Love.

There is a Story in some Authors, that having put Human Seed into a Viol
close stopp'd, and plac'd it for some time in a Dunghill that was
moderately hot; they observ'd that the Particles drew up themselves in
such Order, as to assume the Form of a Child. This (say they) comes to
pass after the same manner as the Forming of a Chick in an Egg, which
requires only a temperate Heat to Hatch it. But they agree, that 'twas
impossible to Nourish this Infant, which according to them, perish'd
before 'twas intirely Form'd. If this Observation were true, it would
make us believe that the whole Matter of which the Child is Form'd
proceeds from the Man. But this Story wants Confirmation, as does
likewise the following Relation Communicated in a Letter by Mr. _Donat_
Surgeon to the Army in _Italy_, relating to a Man's Conception.

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