Giles Jacob

“ Some Naturalists tell us, that where Nature design'd Seed in the Womb for a Male only, (as working up for the best, and aiming at the highest Perfection of its Workmanship) too much Cold and Moisture accidentally falling into the Work, before it is perfected in the Womb, at the same time there being too great a quantity of Seed and menstrous Blood, what was intended for Man in part degenerates, and renders the Infant of a double Sex or Nature, placing it in the middle of both Sexes, as seeming to participate of Male and Female. ”

“ This Matter is so different and consists of such rebellious Particles, that 'tis impossible to manage it, and the quantity of Matter is so small that it is destitute of Heat, without which the Intelligence cannot perfectly form all parts of the Body. If the Matter turns to a Male, he will be too dull and too cold to Engender, and will be imperfect in his privy Parts; if it proves a Female, she will in time be of too hot and dry a Nature, and will be Deficient of Organs for the Seed and menstruous Blood, in order to Form and Nourish a Child. ”

“ Women well furnish'd in these Parts may divert themselves with their Companions, to whom for the most part they can give as much Pleasure as Men do, but cannot receive in any proportion the Pleasure themselves, for want of Ejaculation, the Crisis of Enjoyment to the Male in the Intrigues of Venus. I am inform'd that Diversions of this nature are frequently practis'd by robust and lustful Females, who cannot with any prospect of safety to their Reputations, venture upon the Embraces of a Man, though they are never so strongly enclin'd. ”

“ That Nature having always a particular care of the Propagation of Mankind, endeavours for the most part to produce Females: And thus we may observe, the Number of Men Hermaphrodites to exceed the Women ones, Nature having chalk'd out to the first the Lines of a Woman's privy Parts. To this Opinion it is objected, that Nature being nothing but the Power of God in the production of Creatures, it never works but according to his Orders upon the Matter that is given the Female ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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 ”

“ Sometimes the Clitoris will grow out of the Body two or three Inches, but that happens not but upon extraordinary Occasions, upon violent Inclinations to Copulation, over much Heat of the Privities, &c. and by this means a Man will be hinder'd from knowing his Wife; but the larger it is, so as no way to prevent their mutual Embraces, the greater is the Pleasure, especially to the Female; and without this Part, the fair Sex would neither desire the Embraces of the Males, nor have any Pleasure in them, or Conceive by them. ”

“ Some Persons have believ'd that a Woman may Engender, without the Application of a Man's Privities. They tell us of a Woman that was got with Child in the Embraces of her She-Companion, who but a little before came from her Husband's Arms: And of a young Woman that was found Breeding by no other Cause than her Father's having by chance Polluted himself in the same Bed where she was: But these Stories seem to be contriv'd to cover the Lasciviousness of Women, and conceal the Vice of an impure Love. ”

“ The fifth Kind, are those that have neither the Use of the one nor the other Sex, and have their privy Parts confus'd, and the Temper of Man and Woman so inter-mix'd, that one can hardly say which is most predominant; but these sorts of Persons are rather a kind of Eunuchs than Hermaphrodites, their Penis being good for nothing, and their Terms never flowing. Of this Kind was the Bohemian Woman, that pray'd Columbus to cut off her Penis, and to enlarge her Vagina, that she might the more freely, as she alledg'd, join amorously with a Man. ”

“ 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 ”

“ Agreeable to the list mention'd Opinion, some Naturalists will have it, that an Hermaphrodite, which is very vigorous as to both Sexes, may Engender within himself, without the Company of another Person, having Matter to form a Child, a Place to conceive it, and proper Liquid for Nourishment: In the same manner as Jack Hares engender once in their Lives, and that Stags do the same, which is maintain'd by the learned Langius: But these Generations are both impossible and ridiculous, the Naturalists must certainly be deceiv'd, in taking some Parts of the Female for the Testicles of the Male ”

“ They had not been long in Bed before Diana began to kiss the Parson's Wife with Freedom, but she not suspecting any thing farther, and supposing it might proceed more from Wine than any thing else was pretty easy, 'till at last Diana threw her self upon her, and began an Adventure, very displeasing, which surpriz'd her to that degree, that she cried out vehemently. ”

“ This Intelligence, or the immortal Soul that works from the Beginning, in all probability about the thirty fifth Day begins to be employ'd in making the privy Parts of a Boy, for which purpose it lays hold on the Matter at first Elected for that end, and which it put in the first place, where the privy Parts ought to be. This being done, it works continually, but wanting Matter to perfect the privy Parts, it borrows of the Neighbouring Parts, chusing rather to render others Disfigur'd, than to be wanting in the compleat Forming of the Parts that must serve for Generation. ”

“ The fourth Sort of Hermaphrodites, are Women who have the Clitoris bigger and longer than others, and thereby impose upon the Vulgar, who know but little of the Parts they are compos'd of, and of these kinds of Hermaphrodites, Columbus says he examin'd all the Parts, and found no essential Difference from other Women; the only Sign that they are Women is, that they suffer the flowing of their Terms every Month. ”

“ The Seed is for the most part indifferent as to the two Sexes, and if it happens to meet with a Ball or Egg in the Horns of the Womb that is full of Spirits, and includes a hot, dry, and close Matter, it will impregnate so as to produce a Boy; but if the Seed meets with a Ball or Egg, not hot nor dry or fill'd with Spirits, tho' it will animate it, yet 'tis with less strength, so as a Girl will be produc'd. ”

“ Others believe, that the Man and the Woman having equally contributed to Generation, the forming Power which endeavours to render the Matter whereon it works like unto those it came from, imprints the Characters of Man and Woman upon it: And that some have been able to engender in a double Capacity, as to have a Child with one Breast resembling that of a Woman, and the other that of a Man ”

“ Hard is the Case (says she) that Leander, one of the finest young Gentlemen of Naples, should be sacrific'd to a mercenary Wretch, a Wretch, that in the midst of plenty is poor and miserable, and who, tho' he has all Things to compleat his Happiness, his avaricious Temper will not permit him to enjoy the common Necessaries of Life: The Pleasures of living he's a Stranger to, he lives despis'd, and will die unpitied: But such is the inequality of Fortune's Favours, that Merit must stoop and Ideots be advanc'd to the highest Pomp and Magnificence. ”

“ Hermaphrodites being Monsters in Nature, it is no more than what may be reasonably expected that my Account of their Generation, should be follow'd with some very extraordinary unnatural Births, monstrous Productions of another Kind, and wonderful Conceptions.
The Heathen Philosophers, were so prejudic'd to the Opinion of Woman's being an imperfect Animal, (alledging that Nature always propos'd to herself the Generation of Males as being the most accomplish'd piece of Workmanship;) that they look'd upon Woman as a Monster in Nature ”

“ Leo Africanus tells us, That what is attributed to Devils, is committed by Lascivious Men, and Lecherous Women, who perswade others, that they are Caress'd by Devils. The Witches of the Kingdom of Fez, according to History, are very desirous that People should beleive them to be familiar with Devils, and for that Reason endeavour to tell surprizing Stories to those that consult them; they do not require any Fees from handsome Women that come to see them, but only intimate the Desire their Master has to Caress them for a Night. ”

“ Sometimes by a corruption of Seed, Monstrous Shapes are form'd, which by some is ascrib'd to the bad Influence of the Planets, that were predominant at the time of Conception; and sometimes the straightness of the Womb is attended with many Inconveniencies, for Nature not having sufficient room to frame her Work in, the Child is rumpled up, which occasions some to have hump'd Backs, crooked Arms, and Legs, round Shoulders, Wry Necks, and the like. ”

“ A Person that is bold and sprightly, having a strong Voice, much Hair on the Body, particularly on the Chin and privy Parts, with the rest of such Signs as discover Manhood, are certain Demonstrations that the Hermaphrodite has the privy Parts of a Man in a more predominant manner than those of the other Sex ”

“ This Birth, in the Opinion of the Learned, proceeded from a Redundancy of Seed beyond what was sufficient for one Child, but not enough for Twins, wherefore Nature Form'd what she could. There might be many other particular Instances given of Monstrous Births, as some sticking together by the Bellies, others by the Breech; some Born without Arms or Legs others without Heads, yet have they liv'd for some time, till want of Sustenance made them pine away and Die, as having no place to receive it, and others with Heads like Dogs, Wolves, Bears, and other Beasts. ”

“ Men are more easy to be limited in the Pleasures of Venus than Women; as they are endu'd with more Reason, so they are generally easily satisfied in those Enjoyments, which were chiefly design'd for the propagating of their Species.
If two Persons, being Hermaphrodites, should Marry with an expectation of pleasing each other, as Male and Female by turns, they'll meet with a Disappointment, for the Reasons already mention'd, viz. ”

“ I doubt not but there are many Persons in the World of both Species, particularly of the Female Sex, who would willingly assume to themselves the Parts belonging to Hermaphrodites, if they could have a vigorous Use of the Members of both Sexes, upon any lustful Inclination; a lascivious Female would be transported at the Thoughts of acting the Part of a Man in the amorous Adventure, and a lecherous Male would propose equal Pleasure in receiving the Embraces he use to bestow ”

“ Embraces the fair one closely, and Enjoys her instead of the Devil. If this Ignorance and Superstition prevail'd in this Kingdom, I doubt not but it would very much Pleasure the frolicking Libertines. ”

“ In order to this, on a Time, this Servant, call'd Nicolini, with a piercing Instrument of Iron, and the Assistance of an Artificer, ingeniously made a Communication for the Sight into the next Room, by working a small Hole through the Wainscot, opposite to the Bed, in the Chamber wherein the two Masculine Ladies accustom'd to solace themselves. At the next Meeting, Nicolini, to his no small surprise, had a Prospect of the two Females embracing each other, with a succession of Kisses of no short Duration. ”

“ And if any Persons shall presume to Censure my Accounts, grounded on a Probability of Truth, I shall be sufficiently reveng'd in proclaiming them, what my HERMAPHRODITES are found to be in the Conclusion—Old Women.
I confess, all Histories of extraordinary Conceptions from these Intrigues, or by Women without actual Copulation, are equally fabulous with those of the Engendring of Men: It would be as surprizing to find a Man with a teeming Belly, as to see a Woman increase there meerly by her own Applications. ”

“ Several Bottles of Champaign and Burgundy, and of fine Italian Wines being drank, the Bride and Bridegroom were put to Bed with a great deal of Solemnity; afterwards Diana and the Parson's Wife were lighted to their Apartment, and he and his Brother repair'd to theirs.
Diana observing the Parson's Wife to be a beautiful Woman, particularly as she undress'd her self, had a very strong Inclination for her usual Sportings; and in order to carry on an Intrigue with safety, she softly bolted the Chamber Door, which being done, they both went to Bed, the Parson's Wife putting out the Candle. ”

“ The Clitoris in Women suffers erection and falling in the same manner as the Penis in Men; and the Vagina likewise swells to make the Passage streight and easy, for the reception of the Penis in the Time of Enjoyment. ”