If the old Doctrine[46] of Males being proper to the Right-sides, and Females to the Left, of both Sexes, in the Act of Generation, were true, (which cannot but seem obsolete before even a Capacity of the lowest Class) this crossing the Strain, in the Manner he relates, might hold, and would not be an unpleasant Method of explaining the Nature of the Growth of these Androgyni; but I believe, that Notion is so much exploded already, as not to need taking pains to Invalidate.
Let us, however, accept it as this Author’s Opinion, and a Variety from that of any other; and proceed to shew, that Lemnius has mistaken Avicenna, when he ascribes to him the Opinion contained in the following Words[47].
‘When the Menses have come down, and the Uterus is cleansed, which happens about the fifth or seventh Day, if a Man cohabits with a Woman any time from the first to the fifth after they have ceased, a Male will be begotten; from thence to the eighth a Female; again from that to the twelfth a Male; but after that an Hermaphrodite.
For the Words of Avicenna according to Gerrard’s Translation, are very different from the above quoted by Lemnius, tho’ they import the same thing; yet they are far from being his Opinion, because he plainly rejects it as unreasonable, having it from another[48] Author, thus Avicenna[49]:
‘And some of them say, who speak without Reason, &c.’
Now since he absolutely declares, they who think thus are without Reason, it follows that Lemnius had no right to quote him, for the only Opinion he dislikes, of those contained in the whole Chapter; but to whomsoever the Opinion belongs, there is a Necessity for the following Animadversions upon it.
If a limited Time was necessary thus for the procreating of the different Sexes, as, that for the first five Days after the Cessation of the menstrual Discharge, Males only are begotten, it should have been universally known by Experience long ago, since the Opinion was as early as Avicenna; and none of those that we daily see very anxious for Male Heirs, would ever want them, if their Consorts were breeding Women, and this the Case. Again, no Lady that languishes for a little Daughter amongst her Sons, would be long in Pain about it, if she could by Coition at any certain Time be capable of chusing one; nor in fine, would any such Appearance happen in human Nature, as is erroneously reputed Hermaphrodital, if such were never produced, but after the twelfth Day from those times of the Menses; for Mankind would, at such Seasons, avoid the Act of Generation; lest Beings so infamous, as they are superstitiously thought, should be the Product of their Embraces.
‘Yet, notwithstanding Avicenna (says Lemnius[50]) does not account for this Doctrine, I will endeavour to reason upon it, and support it;’ which is an Evidence that he was so fond of it, that besides laying it down as the Opinion of the former, in order to gain the more Credit for the Notion, he runs into an anatomical Way of enlarging on it; the bare Recital of which, without the least Animadversion on it, will be sufficient to shew every judicious Reader, how Errors beget Errors, and may successively do so, to the End of time, whilst an implicit Credit is given to Mysteries of this kind[51].