tes one of them; which, being conveyed by the oviducts to
the bottom of the womb, presently begins to swell bigger and bigger, and
drinks in the moisture that is so plentifully sent hither, after the
same manner that the seed in the ground suck the fertile moisture
thereof, to make them sprout.

But, notwithstanding what is here urged by modern anatomists, there are
some late writers of the opinion of the ancients, viz., that women both
have, and emit seed in the act of copulation; and even women themselves
take it ill to be thought merely passive in the act wherein they make
such vigorous exertions; and positively affirm, that they are sensible
of the emission of their seed in that action, and that in it a great
part of the delight which they take in that act, consists. I shall not,
therefore, go about to take away any of their happiness from them, but
leave them in possession of their imaginary felicity.

Having thus laid the foundation of this work, I will now proceed to
speak of conception, and of those things which are necessary to be
observed by women from the time of their conception, to the time of
their delivery.

* * * * *

CHAPTER II

_Of Conception; what it is; how women are to order themselves after
Conception._

SECTION I.--_What Conception is, and the qualifications requisite
thereto._

Conception is nothing but an action of the womb, by which the prolific
seed is received and retained, that an infant may be engendered and
formed out of it. There are two sorts of conception: the one according
to nature, which is followed by the generation of the infant in the
womb; the other false and wholly against nature, in which the seed
changes into water, and produces only false conceptions, moles, or other
strange matter. Now, there are three things principally necessary in
order to a true conception, so that generation may follow, viz., without
diversity of sex there can be no conception; for, though some will have
a woman to be an animal that can engender of herself, it is a great
mistake; there can be no conception without a man discharge his seed
into the womb. What they allege of pullets laying eggs without a cock's
treading them is nothing to the purpose, for those eggs should they be
set under a hen, will never become chickens because they never received
any prolific virtue from the male, which is absolutely necessary to this
purpose, and is suffi