he Secrets of Nature have in all Ages been particularly examin'd by Anatomists and others, and this of Hermaphrodites is so very wonderful, that I am perfectly assur'd my present Enquiry will be entirely acceptable to all Lovers of curious Discoveries; and as it is my immediate Business to trace every Particular for an ample Dissertation on the Nature of Hermaphrodites, (which obliges me to a frequent Repetition of the Names of the Parts employ'd in the Business of Generation) so, I hope, I shall not be charg'd with Obscenity, since in all Treatises of this Kind it is impossible to finish any one Head compleatly, without pursuing the Methods of Anatomical Writings.
Though in Ovid's Metamorphosis, Salmacis's being in Love with Hermaphroditus, and not succeeding in her amorous Wishes, her praying to the Gods to join their Bodies in one, has no Weight in it; yet, that the Notions of Hermaphrodites are not entirely fictitious, I need only mention the Servant of Montuus, who took his Hermaphrodite to be a Male when he lay with his Maids, and for a Female when she lay with her Husband to propagate their Species, the two Hermaphrodites of Licetus, and the Story of Ausonius, which he relates of an Hermaphrodite of Bonavento in Italy; and Histories are full of Confirmations, that many Persons in the World have had the privy Parts of both Sexes.
For the Definition of the Word Sex, it is no other than a Distinction of Male and Female, in which this is most observable, that for the Parts of the Body, there is but little Difference between them; but the Females are colder than the Males, and abound with more superfluous Moisture; wherefore their spermatick Parts are more soft and humid, and all their natural Actions more vigorous than those of Men: But Hermaphrodites are a mixture of both Sexes, and to both incompleat.
In all Ages Hermaphrodites have been talk'd of, though particular Vouchers have been many times wanting, which is generally the Case where a Deficiency of the Secrets of Nature is to be detected; the amorous Parts are certainly more valuable than any other principal Parts of the Body, as they afford the greatest pleasure of Life; and there is always the greatest Difficulty attends the Discoveries of Impotency, (which is less obnoxious) and nothing but the Force of the Law executed by a lascivious Female, in the State of Matrimony, will occasion a Record of a want of Substance for the amorous Adventure.
It is natural to suppose, that these Persons of a mix'd Nature call'd Hermaphrodites, have had generally more Prudence and Conduct than to marry under such Incapacities, which would prevent an agreeable Consummation in the amorous Embrace, (however they may sport and dally with each other) as they must expect nothing but the greatest Resentment and highest Indignation from the Persons they have presumptuously espous'd, and must inevitably tend to their being expos'd to the World, as Prodigies and Monsters; and they have in Times past been the more effectually deterr'd from engaging in Matrimony, as they were immediately on their Discovery cast into the Sea or some large Rivers, or banish'd into some desolate Island, as presages of dire Events, and the worst of Calamities.
But the Civil Law does not regard Hermaphrodites as Monsters, it permits them to make a Choice of either of the two Sexes for the Business of Copulation, either in the Capacity of Men or Women; but if the Hermaphrodite does not perform his Part agreeable to Nature, the same Law inflicts the Punishment due to Sodomy, because he has abus'd one Part, contrary to Matures Laws. This must be determin'd by the Predominancy of the Parts, for there are some Hermaphrodites so very vigorous as to embrace Women, and others whose Parts are so dispos'd as to receive with pleasure the Caresses of Men; and where there is nothing to hinder the amorous Action, but that they are capable of enjoying mutual Pleasure, it would be a piece of injustice to prohibit their Nuptials.
Monsieur Venette[[A]] tells us, that there are five kinds of Hermaphrodites: The first have the privy Parts of a Man very entire; they make Water and Engender like other Men, but with this difference, that they have a pretty deep Slit between the Seat and the Cod, which is of no Use in Generation.
The second Sort have also the Parts of a Man very well proportion'd, that serve either the Functions of Life or Generation; but they have a Slit not so deep as the first Sort, which being in the midst of the Cods, presses the Testicles on each side.