“And if he” (the Man-midwife) “is at all to answer for their conduct, is, I think, only to be reckoned with for recovering them so early, and so putting it in their power to go abroad and coquet it the sooner.”—The author is pleased to be facetious with the ladies! I do not at all wonder that those men who have such foundation for censuring their conduct, presume thus to ridicule them for their eagerness to visit, in order to receive the homage of their criminal admirers! I should have thought, however, that the subject was not of a nature which could authorize such indecent raillery. It verifies the old proverb, “too much familiarity breeds contempt.”
As to the assertion, that “the faculty employ men to their own wives”—I know very many instances to the contrary—and even if this was otherwise, it would be by no means conclusive. Men who have such choice of fine women to take the most licentious liberties with, most probably cannot remain long faithful to their own wives—they may therefore easily be supposed soon to become so indifferent about them, as to be very ready to suffer their own brethren to lay them, by way of keeping up the farce, and blinding the world. I take for granted however they permit no private examinations. They are too much in the secret.
The gentleman concludes with telling us a story of Dr. Ford’s having attended a poor woman for three days and nights, who had been ill used by a woman.⸺What then?—It only proves that Dr. Ford is not destitute of humanity, and that there is one woman who interfered with nature, and of course did mischief.—I know he “is a favourite with many women of distinction”—but those ladies best know how he has recommended himself to their favour. Neither Dr. Ford, nor Dr. Hunter, can presume to affirm, that they never take the most intimate freedoms with ladies, when there is no chance for labour.⸺Indeed, the ladies make no secret of it—they now can submit to those examinations on the morning of an assembly, tell their company of it at dinner, and go to a tavern to supper!
And now, Mr. Printer, allow me to take my leave of you, and the public on this theme.—The unprejudiced will be convinced—at least it was this flattering, this most pleasing hope, that stimulated me to write on this subject.—I can have no sinister views—the conduct of the world will not interfere with my happiness—for I never will marry any woman, unless I know her sentiments correspond with mine. The public are now in possession of all I can think on the subject—The good sense of the people of England will decide how far my hints may conduce to their domestic happiness.—I leave to other pens to proceed on it, in answer to any writer who may enter the lists against me. Whoever wishes to know my sentiments may review these three letters. I should be an hypocrite, if I attempted to conceal, that, as I took up my pen for the benefit of the community, so I shall be most highly gratified, if I hereafter find my time has been employed to purpose, in opening the eyes of the thoughtless, informing the ignorant, and warning the virtuous. I despair of shaming the immodest!
While I live, I shall think no woman modest who employs
A MAN-MIDWIFE.
[4] I take for granted, Old Chiron is a Man-midwife.
APPENDIX.
As I do not wish to bewilder the Judgments of my Readers, but to convince their Understandings,—and as I have, throughout my Letters, laid so much Weight on the Dangers which attend hurrying the Labours of Women, I cannot dismiss this Pamphlet into the World without endeavouring clearly to demonstrate the Utility of allowing Nature to adhere strictly to her own Period for accomplishing the Birth.