HOWEVER, Vallesius[[113]], Cardanus[[114]], and some Others relate divers strange Precedents, and affirm that they have known and seen Children born in the fifth and sixth Months, which have liv’d to the Years of Discretion; It is notwithstanding my Opinion, that Those great Men giving ear to the frivolous Relations and idle Reports of simple Women, have suffer’d their Credulity to impose so far upon their better Judgments. And I am besides the more induc’d to think so, because since Their days, we have not heard of any one Example of this wonderful Kind, which deserv’d the least Notice or Credit.

BUT there are Others again; who (in a manner) ridiculing these Instances, fall into grosser Absurditys themselves; denying the Legitimacy of a seven or eight-Months BIRTH; yea, Some even of a Ten Months, after the Tenth Day, as well as of all posteriour BIRTHS. Upon which erroneous Mistakes, (if it may be without Offence permitted) I would freely offer my simple Judgment, in manner following: and thereupon, First,

CHAP. XXXIII.
Of a Seven-Months BIRTH.

TO prove the Legitimacy of this BIRTH, and the Possibility of this Month’s producing a vital Child, I need not confine myself to the Judgments of the most Wise and Divine Hippocrates, Galen, and others, nor to the Principles of Physick in particular: but may justly appeal to All the rest of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, which (as far as I am duly acquainted with them) generally agree in Defence of This Position.

IT is (however) certain, that the Child born before the Twentieth Day of this Month is commonly weak and infirm. And for that Reason the later the BIRTH happens in the Month, the more brisk and lively is the Child: As I have more than once observ’d, that the Latter Part (about the 210th Day from CONCEPTION) hath produced as sprightly vivacious Children as any at All. Wherefore, in short, I cannot help having full as good an Opinion of such a Child born about the last of the SEVENTH, as of any such born in the beginning of the Ninth Month, provided it be not expell’d by some preternatural Cause.

TO examine this nice Matter a little more clearly, let us inspect into the Nature and Quality of the Month: In order to which, I hope, we may rationally observe,

I. THAT (according to the best Astrologers) the latter of the Planets, (the Moon) influentially presides over the Infant in this Month; whose frigid and humid Qualitys are thought to afford the several Parts of it a certain Fatness, thereby relaxing and easily distending the Matrix: Which being done, and the Child now perfected by the whole Body of the Planets, that have All particularly (in their order) duly discharg’d their respective Functions towards its Perfection; provided it has a Competency of Strength and Vigour, it forwardly appears about the Close of this Month with great Ease and Facility, and may continue both Healthy and Lively after its Birth.

II. THIS is universally acknowledged to be a perfect and compleat Number; from whence Cicero calls it NODUS OMNIUM, or the Knot of all Things. As the Wise Pythagoreans justly term it otherwise the Vehicle of Man’s Life: Not only because that, according to the Violence of any Disease, and the Strength of the Patient, a CRISIS happens either in the Seventh, or the multiply’d Seventh Day; but also because, as Conception is certain upon Seven-Hours Retention; and the Work of Coagulation perfected in Seven Days, so may That of full Maturity be in Seven Months, and accordingly this MONTH may very reasonably produce vital Children. But by the way,

HOWEVER fictitious such things as savour of Astrology, may be reckon’d by Some, yet who knows not that the Seventh Hour, and Seventh Day after its BIRTH, determines the Child either to Life or Death? Who does not well know, That in the Seventh Month, its Teeth begin to break out and appear? That in the Seventh Year (according to Plutarch) it changes its Teeth? Who does not find, That[[115]] the Age of Man depends upon SEPTENARY Mutations? That the First Seven Years conclude his Infancy; as the Second finish his Pueritia, or Childhood; and the Third compleat his Adolescentia, or Youthful Growing Age? To which his Juventus, or more vigorous Youthfulness, succeeds; which is absolv’d in twice Seven Years more: For in This Juvenile Age, the Body attains to its full Stature; as the Bones, Membranes, and Fibres arrive to their due Solidity.