ONANISM 
DISPLAY’D: 
BEING,
I. An Enquiry into the true Nature of 
ONAN’S SIN. 
II. Of the Modern Onanists. 
III. Of Self-Pollution, its Causes, and Conse- 
quences; with three extraordinary Cases, 
of two Young Gentlemen and a Lady, 
who were very much Addicted to this 
Crime. 
IV. Of Nocturnal-Pollutions Natural and 
Forc’d. 
V. The Great Sin of Self-Pollution, with the 
Judgment of the most Eminent Divines 
upon this Subject. 
VI. A Dissertation concerning Generation, 
with a curious Description of the Parts, 
and of their proper Functions, &c. ac- 
cording to the latest, and most approv’d 
Anatomical Discoveries. 
Made English from the Paris Edition. 
The Second Edition. 
LONDON: 
Printed for E. CURLL, over against 
St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street. 
MDCCXIX. (Price 1s. 6d.) 



PREFACE.
THE Reader will immediately 
be sensible, that I have been 
led into the first part of this Treatise 
upon tracing the Impositions and Incon- 
sistencies of the Author of a Pamphlet 
Intitled Onania; and for the latter 
part it may he easily concluded to pro-
ceed from no other Motive, but the
Dictates of Nature. 
It was impossible for an Author 
of any Spirit, after a particular 
description of the unnatural use of
A2 the

ii The PREFACE.  
the Parts, that he could finish his 
Labours without thoroughly exa- 
mining their admiral Structure: They 
being no less curious than delightful 
to a Youthful Swain, that's fir'd with 
Imagination. 
The infinite number of fine Vessels 
are pleasing in Representation, as well 
as otherways Ravishing, and the 
Nerves and Arteries are equally 
beautiful, as they are transporting. 
The great and exquisite sense of the 
Parts of Generation, give an Enjoy- 
ment transcending all others; and the 
Wisdom of our Creator, for the support  
of the World, cannot be too suffici- 
ently admir'd, in that Man is pro- 
pagated by an excess of Pleasure. 
The following Treatise, I have by 
no means compos'd to give a loose 
to Debauchery. I have only persu'd 
the common Rules of Anatomy in 
this way of Writing, and inter- 
spers'd a great variety of curious Ob- 
servations and natural Consequences 
as yet unobserv'd, and I was natu- 
rally

iii The Preface. 
rally induc'd to it more for the In- 
formation of Mankind in general, 
than for the Sons of Æsculapius in 
particular. The Gentleman of all 
Ranks not superanuated, may find 
some Pleasure in perusing it, and the 
fair Sex will meet with such ample 
Instructions, as not to fail in the 
choice of an agreeable Person, for 
the amorous Combat, 
For my Dissertation upon the Ge- 
neration of Man, I am chiefly ob- 
lig'd to Messieurs Lamy, and Dio- 
nis, * those two excellent Anato- 
mists; and if in some parts of my Per- 
formance, I seem more Ludicrous than 
any Author that has hitherto writ 
on the Subject; you'll find on due con- 
sideration, 'tis owing to a more exact 
Enquiry; and Curiosity is not easily 
satisfied in the depth of the secrets 
* Dissertation sur la Generation de 
L’Homme. Par Monsieur Dionis, Paris 1697.
of

iv The Preface. 
of Nature. And I hope what I 
have mentiton’d from a Learned 
Casuist, † will he a sufficient Anti- 
dote against the unlawful use of those 
curious Parts I have so particularly 
described; as an Addition to which 
I farther recommend a small Trea- 
tise (not long since publish'd,) Enti- 
tled, Essays relating to the Con- 
duct of Life, which contain suffi- 
dent and easy Instructions for a re- 
gular OEconomy, not only where 
the Passions are prevalent, but in 
all the Vicissitudes incident to Hu- 
man Nature. 
In the Writing of this small Work 
I carelessly omitted a material Scru- 
tiny of a Paragraph in Onania; 
Page 16. says this Author, ‘ some 
‘ Women are with held from being 
‘ Prostitutes by their covetousness
† Traite de l'Impuritie. par Monsieur
Ostervald. 
‘ only:

v The PREFACE.     
‘ only: Others for nothing else, but 
‘ the fear of Diseases, or the having 
‘ of Children. Lascivious Widows, 
‘ who understand the World have 
‘ reason to scruple second Marriages 
‘ on many accounts; some love their 
‘ Liberty; others their Money; and 
‘ if they value their Reputation, 
‘ they'll not dare to venture on un- 
‘ lawful Embraces; whereas in Self- 
‘ pollution, neither the Cautious, 
‘ nor the Covetous imagine that they 
‘ have any thing to fear. I take 
it that this very plainly encourages 
the Sin of Self-pollution, if I may 
be allow’d to deduce the Consequences 
of the latter from the former; for 
he first says rightly, that unlawful Em- 
braces are injurious to Reputations; 
but then insinuates that Self-pollution 
may he practis'd without any Ap- 
prehensions. This and many other 
parts of his Treatise, demonstrate 
his View to he the sale of his Medi- 
cines, though with a great deal of 
Cant be pretends the contrary; be-
sides 


vi The PREFACE. 
sides the very tacking of his Apothe- 
cary's-shop, to his stupid Performance,
without any farther considerations 
sufficiently shews his real Intentions.
And I am fo far from imitating this 
ignorant Empirick, that the only Re- 
medy I prescribe, is that Infallible 
Specifick, in every ones power, 
CHASTITY.  
ONANISM            

(1) 
ONANISM 
DISPLAY’D. 
INTRODUCTION.
THE Author of a late Pamphlet 
entitled ONANIA has by a 
Bundle of Theological Phrases, Scrip- 
ture Quotations, and an affected Sim- 
plicity, attempted to possess the World 
with an Opinion, that his Designs in 
publishing that Treatise, were meerly 
with spiritual Views, and out of a 
tender regard to the preservation of 
the Healths and Constitutions of the 
degenerate part of Mankind, with- 
B out

(2)
out any the least Mercenary Ex- 
pectations; and since it may possi- 
bly bear this Construction with Per- 
sons carelesly perusing his Perfor- 
mance, and the ignorant Multitude: 
I shall make it my Business to set 
forth the Absurdity, inconsistency, 
and imposture of this supercilious 
Scribler in every part; to prove that 
his Treatise tends to the encourage- 
ment of Lewdness and Debauchery; 
that his own Medicines promote the 
very Sin, he, for Interest sake, takes 
upon him to Discountenance; and 
to demonstrate, that he is really ig- 
norant of what was the Crime of 
ONAN. But I shall premise that 
my Scheme is no ways calculated to 
propagate any manner of Unclean- 
ness, but on the contrary to discourage 
the practice of self pollution, by il- 
lustrating the Sin more particularly; 
and enumerating more extraordi- 
nary Instances than hitherto any 
Author has done on the Subject. 
I

(3)
I agree with this Author in the 
Opinion of the Divine he has 
quoted, that Self-pollution is a 
Crime in it self, monstrous and unna- 
tural; its Practice filthy and odi- 
ous, its Guilt crying, and its Con- 
sequences ruinous: It destroys con- 
jugal Affection, perverts natural In- 
clination, and tends to extinguish the 
hopes of Posterity; but I take leave 
to observe that the Author of 
ONANIA is egregiously mistaken in 
fixing this Crime upon ONAN, as 
I shall incontestably prove when I 
have gone thro’my Examination of 
his trifling Performance, which I 
purpose to do with all the exactness 
imaginable. 
And first, in Page 14. After setting 
forth Ignorance to be the first cause 
of Self-pollution, this Author goes on 
and tells you, that the second is the se-
crecy with which Self-pollution may 
be committed: All other Actions of 
uncleanness (says he) must have a 
Witness, this needs none. Some 
B3 lustful

(4)
lustful Women of sense, have made 
all the outward shew of Virtue and 
Morality that can be requir’d; they 
have had prudence enough, in the 
midst of strong Desires, to refuse 
disadvantageous Matches, and yet 
have abandon’d themselves to this 
Vice, when at the same time they 
would rather have died than betray’d 
a weakness to any Man living, as 
afterwards, becoming Penitents, they 
have confessed themselves. And a- 
gain some young Men of vicious In- 
clinations, have either naturally, or 
for want of a liberal Education been 
shame-fac’d to excess; they have not 
dar’d to look upon a Woman, and 
their Bashfulness has secur’d them 
from every act of Impurity but this. 
From all which it is evident that the 
secrecy of this Sin, has betray’d many 
into it, whom hardly any thing else 
would have tempted. 
In answer to this, tho’ it must be 
confess’d that secrecy in some mea- 
sure promotes this Vice, yet Igno- 
rance

(5)
rance and the want of a liberal Educa- 
tion can in no respect be constru’d to 
have an equal Effect: An ignorant Per- 
son may be rationally presum’d to be 
less influenc’d by impure Imaginati- 
ons, than a Person of a tolerable 
share of Sense; his Ignorance may 
be so extensive, as to cloud all man- 
ner of Enjoyments, and allow him 
no Thoughts of pursuing imagi- 
nary pleasures; whilst the Man of 
sense is perpetually devising new Di- 
versions, and proportions his Enjoy- 
ment to the extent of his Capacity; 
he vigorously pursues the Tracts of 
Lewdness and Debauchery, and is 
restless and uneasy, until he has acted 
in all Scenes, and gone thro’ the ut- 
most variety of brutal Enjoyments; 
this I take to be highly conspicuous 
in the Rakes of the Town, who are 
frequently Persons of  sprightly Wit, 
and endu’d with no small share of 
substantial Sense. 
And as for the want of a liberal E- 
ducation, I cannot easily guess at the 
B3 meaning

(6)
meaning of the Author, unless it be 
the want of being train’d up in the 
Hundreds of Drury, it being very 
certain that in a Scholastick Educa- 
tion, the perusal of ludicrous Au- 
thors, which all Youths of Spirit are 
fond of making choice of for their 
Studies, excites them to uncleanness 
infinitely beyond Ignorance; and 
that the want of Education should 
occasion such an invincible Bashful- 
ness, as to deter a Person from look- 
ing on a Woman, is such an impo- 
sition upon the illiterate part of Man- 
kind, which make up at least three 
Parts in four of the Creation, that 
nothing can be like it, when we con- 
sider that the Enjoyment of a Wo- 
man is so natural, that no bounds of 
Shame will confine it, and that Per- 
sons in all other Respect modest, 
have a strong propensity to copula- 
tion, and cannot conquer this passion, 
like others more visible to the World, 
by Shame or any other means. 
Shame

(7)
Shame I take to be more a defect 
in Nature, and want of Resolution 
to act in Publick, than to discourage 
the private Amours of Youth, which 
by a due management may be easily 
carried on with sufficient secrecy: 
And we oftentimes find a bashful 
Person more inclinable to Vice than 
the Man of assurance, tho’ he sup- 
ports the Character with more Hi- 
pocrisy; his Intrigues are carried on 
with an entire secrecy, and he can 
enter upon his Lewdness with an air 
of Gravity and Innocence, when the 
Sinner of Resolution as frankly owns 
his Experience, as he commits the 
Crime. But to go on with this Au- 
thor, in pag 17. He says, it is the 
general Opinion, that the shameless 
are the worst of People, yet shame 
when ill plac’d, has often wrought 
worse Effects, than the reverse alone 
has been able to produce. When a 
Bastard Infant is found Dead, and 
the Mother, lately deliver’d without 
Witness, is not able to prove either 
that

(8)
that she had made Provision for it, 
or during her pregnancy imparted 
the secret to another, besides the Fa- 
ther, our English Law, without any 
other Evidence, presumes the Wo- 
man to have murder’d the Child. 
From whence it is evident the Le- 
gislators must have suppos’d that 
some Women may have cruelty e- 
nough to commit the most unnatu- 
ral Murder of all, and at the same 
time want Courage to bear shame. 
This penetrating Author does not 
consider, that ’tis not so much the 
want of Courage to bear a present 
shame, as to prevent a future expence 
in the maintaining and breeding up 
a Child, which most commonly occa- 
sions these unnatural Murders; and 
where a Crime of this Nature can 
be perpetrated with secrecy, so that 
the guilty Persons may come off with 
impunity, I take it that in all Cases 
the incumbrance is more consider’d 
than the shame. 
I


(9)
I am not of his Opinion In 
Page 18. that Women are equal- 
ly immodest with Men, and that 
Custom and Education only prevents 
their shewing it. For in the Infancy 
of Children, before the force of Edu- 
cation can possibly take place, or sense 
prevail, as a Guide to their Actions, 
we frequently find an abounding 
Modesty in the Female, and a large 
share of Boldness in the Male, pro- 
duc’d from the same Loins, and this I 
have observ’d is generally the Case, 
which can proceed from nothing but 
Nature. 
And in Page 19. says this Author, 
if Children were strictly forbid ne- 
ver to touch their Eyes or Nose, but 
with their Handkerchiefs, and that 
only upon very urgent Necessities; 
if likewise they saw every Body com- 
ply with this Custom, and it was 
counted abominable to touch them 
with their naked Hands, I can’t see 
why this might not be as shocking 
to them when grown up, as now the 
most

(10)
most guilty Denudations are to well 
bred People. Now this curious Ob- 
servation upon the efficacy of Custom 
being introduc’d in a Paragraph treat- 
ing of Modesty and Chastity, I ap- 
peal to all Persons of any sense or 
discernment, whether it does not im- 
ply, that all Modesty and Virtue is 
establish’d only by Custom, and whe- 
ther it does not entirely destroy the 
notion of an innate Principle. This 
concludes his first Chapter, and I 
take it to be very evident, that under 
a Cloak of Divinity, this Author 
slily propagates Doctrines fatal to 
Religion, and highly reflecting on 
the Reputations of the Virtuous. 
Chap. II, Page 25. In Women, he 
says, Self-pollution, if frequently pra- 
ctis’d, relaxes and spoils the retentive 
Faculty, occasions the Fluor Albus, an
obnoxious, as well as perplexing ill- 
ness attending that Sex, which upon 
account of the Womb, may draw 
on a whole Legion of Diseases; a- 
mong other disorders, it makes them 
look


(11)
look pale, and those who are not of 
a good Complexion, swarthy and 
hagged. It frequently is the cause 
of Hysterick Fits, and sometimes by 
draining away all the radical Moisture 
causes Consumptions. But what it 
more often produces than either, is 
Barrenness, a misfortune very afflictive 
to them, because seldom to be re- 
dress’d; He seems to make very 
little difference between the fa- 
tal Consequences of Self-pollution in 
either of the Sexes, when it must 
be allow’d to be great, on duly con- 
sidering the situation of the parts; 
the Male can with abundantly more 
ease effect a titillation on his external 
Testicles, than the Female facilitate 
the least pleasure in her Womb; and 
as the difficulty is greater, it must 
deter a constant practice, and conse- 
quently not be attended with Symp- 
toms, equally direful. And I doubt 
not, but this Author would much 
rather see a Legion of Gallants wait- 
ing upon a Female, than one single 
act

(12)
act of Self-pollution, his Interest be- 
ing more nearly concern’d in the 
vending of his Venereal Medicines. 
Agreeable to this, in Page 46. 
Treating of Repentance, he goes on, 
it is not enough for Youth to renounce 
their Crime, without renouncing like- 
wise all the approaches to it. All the 
several species of Impurity, and the 
defilements of either Body or Mind, 
all lewd Actions, wanton Glances, 
impure Thoughts and Desires, to- 
gether with such familiarities as ex- 
pose to Temptations, all obscene Dis- 
course or Expressions, and which 
are contrary to Chastity. It is true 
this Renunciation may appear diffi- 
cult at first, and will occasion no 
small trouble to those that have con- 
tracted a vicious Habit, of giving 
themselves up to all forts of Passions: 
But People must couragiously resolve 
to overcome themselves, it being far 
better to deny themselves in those 
Things, and to cross their own In- 
clinations for a time, than by pur- 
suing


(13)
suing them to perish eternally. It is 
profitable that one of their Members 
should perish, and not that their 
whole Body should be cast into Hell. 
The tacking of this Quotation 
from Scripture, by a dispenser of 
Medicines, pretending only to 
cure Venerial Maladies, seems ve- 
ry plain and demonstrable to be 
done with a design of increasing 
Whoredom and Fornication, at the 
same time he pretends to lash the 
Crime of Self-pollution; what he 
can otherwise mean by the perishing 
of one Member, is to me a mystery; 
and in many other parts of his Trea- 
tise he slily insinuates Notions and 
Comparisons no way coherent, to 
promote his Profession of Quackism. 
In Page 54. After he has incerted 
a pretended Letter from a Young 
Gentleman in the Country, setting 
forth the dreadful Miseries he la- 
bour’d under thro’ a frequent pra- 
ctice of Self-pollution, viz. repeat- 
ing it eight Times an hour; our Au- 
C thor

(14)
thor solemnly declares, that he con- 
cluded this Letter with requesting 
his Advice, and informing him that 
he never carnally knew any Person 
(I suppose meaning neither Man nor 
Woman) or defil’d himself otherwise, 
than by Self-pollution. Setting aside 
the very great suspicion of this, and 
the rest of the Letters in this Trea- 
tise being forg’d, there being no 
Names of the Writers, to whom 
directed, or any Dates to them, the 
Author Acts very inconsistently, in 
not setting forth the conclusion of 
the Letter relating to carnal know- 
ledge in the Letter it self, but instead 
thereof, he imposes upon the World, 
his own Affirmation, as the only 
Authority. If he be himself the Au- 
thor of those Letters, as I suppose 
he may, indeed it has equal sanction 
from his own Mouth deliver’d at ano- 
ther time, but if he be not the In- 
venter of those Bundles of Nonsense, 
certainly the Genuine Letter ought 
to be incerted verbatim to the end.
And 

(15) 
And why he mentions that part of 
the Letter at all, unless it be with a 
secret Design of propagating other 
uncleanness more detestable as it 
brings a double Guilt, I cannot well 
understand, since he no where takes 
notice of the calamities attending. 
Whoredom and Fornication, tho’ 
the Crimes are often repeated. 
Towards the Conclusion of this 
Treatise, in Page 74. The more easily 
to impose upon the publick, a solemn 
Declaration is made, that he neither, 
has, or ever design’d to have the 
least Interest or share in the Profits, 
that now are, or hereafter may ac- 
crue from the sale of the Medicines; 
this seems to be an Evasion equally 
contriv’d to any of the foregoing; 
is it not easy to imagine, that,
(tho’ his Performance is compos’d 
of stupidity) he is not himself the Au- 
thor, even of that? And that this 
is not his Declaration, but that of 
the Writer of his insipid Treatise; 
and whether this be not a natural 
C2 Con-


(16)
Construction, I submit to the De- 
termination of all impartial Readers. 
There are several other Fallacies and 
Impostures, which might be trac’d 
through his trifling Performance, 
but I shall content my self with the 
particulars I have already examin’d: 
And as in Page 63. He mentions the 
Advice of Boccalini, given as an 
Antidote against Whoredom, viz.
that Persons that way inclin’d should 
carry about with them, a well 
drawn Picture, of the most perfect 
and faultless Beauty that ever ap- 
pear’d in Flesh and Blood, pencil’d 
over again with rotten Teeth, blear 
Eyes, and Noseless; and that when- 
ever Desires of the Flesh stir, they 
would take a sober View of it, and 
seriously consider what they are about 
to do, and the Consequences, which 
no doubt would damp their Incli- 
nations. I shall insert some particu- 
lars of this nature, which will give 
a more lively Idea of the Folly and 
Madness, and more effectually deter
a

(17) 
a pursuit of carnal Pleasures from 
Sir Roger L’Estrange’s Translation 
of QUEVEDO’S Visions. 
In the fifth Vision of the World, 
a Dialogue is begun between a 
Young Libertine, and a grave Old 
Gentleman; ‘ says the Libertine, 
‘ there past by a Lady of Pleasure, 
‘ of so excellent a Shape, and Garb, 
‘ that it was impossible to see her 
‘ without a Passion for her, and no 
‘ less impossible to look upon any 
‘ Thing else so long as she was to 
‘ be seen: They that had seen her
‘ once, were to see her no more; 
‘ for she turn’d her Face still to new 
‘ Comers: Her Motion was grace-
‘ ful and free, one while she’d stare 
‘ ye full in the Eyes, under colour 
‘ of opening her Hood, to set it in 
‘ better order: By and by she'd steal 
‘ a look at ye with one Eye, and a 
‘ side Face, from the corner of her 
‘ Vizor; like a Witch that's afraid 
‘ to be known when she comes from
C3 ‘ a Cat- 

(18)
‘ a Catterwal; and then out comes 
‘ the delicate Hand, and discovers 
‘ the more delicious Neck and 
‘ Breasts, to adjust the Handkerchief 
‘ or the Scarf; or to remove some 
‘ other grievance that made her La- 
‘ dyship uneasy. Her Hair was most 
‘ artificially dispos’d into careless 
‘ Rings; and the best Red and 
‘ White in Nature was in her 
‘ Cheeks; if that of her Lips and 
‘ Teeth did not exceed it. In a 
‘ word, all she look’d upon were her 
‘ own; the Old Man opposing this 
‘ Romance; says the Young Gentle- 
‘ man, he must be either Blind or 
‘ Barbarous that’s proof against the 
‘ Charms of so divine a Beauty; 
‘ nor would any but a Sot let slip 
‘ the blessed opportunity, of so fair 
‘ an Encounter; that he that has her, 
‘ has all that’s lovely or desirable in 
‘ Nature: What lightning does she 
‘ carry in her Eyes! What Charms and 
‘ Chains in her Looks and Motions, 
‘ for the very Souls of her Beholders! 
‘ Was


(19)
‘ Was ever any Thing so clear, as 
‘ her Forehead? Or so black as her 
‘ Eye-brows? One would swear that 
‘ her Complection had taken a 
‘ Tincture of Vermillion and Milk: 
‘ And that Nature had brought her 
‘ into the World with Pearl and 
‘ Rubies in her Mouth, to speak all 
‘ in little, she’s the Master-piece of 
‘ the Creation, worthy of infinite 
‘ praise, and equal to our largest 
‘ Desires and Imaginations. 
‘ Here the Old Gentleman inter- 
‘ rupted the Young Libertine, and 
‘ told him he was a Man of much 
‘ Wonder and small Experience, 
‘ and deliver’d over to the Spirit 
‘ of Folly and Blindness. The Truth 
‘ of it is, said he, that this prodigi- 
‘ ous Beauty of yours, hires all by 
‘ the day; and if you did but see 
‘ this Puppet taken to pieces, you 
‘ would find her little else but Paint 
‘ and Plaister. To begin her Ana- 
‘ tomy at the head; you must know 
‘ that the Hair she wears, is bor- 
‘ row'd

(20)
‘ row’d of a Tire-Woman, for her 
‘ own was blown off by an unlucky 
‘ Wind from the coast of Naples; 
‘ or if she has any left, she keeps 
‘ it private, as a Memorial of her 
‘ Antiquity; she is beholden to the 
‘ Pencil for her Eye-brows and Com- 
‘ plection: And upon the whole 
‘ matter she’s but an old Picture re- 
‘ fresht; all that you see of her that's
‘ good, comes from distill’d Waters, 
‘ Essences, Powders, and the like; 
‘ and to see the washing of her Face 
‘ would fright the Devil: She a- 
‘ bounds in Pomanders, sweet Wa- 
‘ ters, Spanish Pockets, perfum’d 
‘ Drawers; and all little enough 
‘ to qualifie the poisonous Whiffs she 
‘ sends from her Toes and Armpits, 
‘ which would otherwise out stink 
‘ Ten Thousand Pole-Cats: She 
‘ cannot chuse but kiss well, for her 
‘ Lips are perpetually bath’d in Oil 
‘ and Grease; and he that embraces 
‘ her, shall find the better half of her 
‘ the Taylors, and only a stuffing of
‘ Cotton, 

(21)
‘ Cotton, and Canvas to supply the
‘ defects of her Body. What do 
‘ you think of your ador’d Beauty 
‘ now? 
And in another place of the 
same Author, the following ac- 
count is given of a Visit to ill-fa- 
vour’d Women; ‘ some had their 
‘ Faces so pounc’d and speckled, as 
‘ if they had been scarified, and 
‘ newly past the cupping Glass; with 
‘ a World of little Plaisters, long, 
‘ round, square; and briefly cut out 
‘ into such variety, that it would 
‘ have posed a good Mathematician
‘ to have found out another Figure; 
‘ and you would have sworn, that 
‘ they had been either at Cats-play 
‘ or Cuffs: Others were scraping their 
‘ Faces with pieces of Glass; tearing 
‘ up their Eye-brows by the Roots 
‘ like mad; and some that had none 
‘ to tear, were fetching out of their 
‘ black Boxes, such as they could 
‘ get or make: Others were poudring 
‘ and curling the false Locks, or fast-
‘ ning 

(22)
‘ ning their new Ivory Teeth in the 
‘ place of their old Ebony ones: 
‘ Some were chewing Limmon-peal 
‘ or Cinnamon, to countenance a 
‘ soul Breath; and raising themselves 
‘ upon their Ciopines, that their 
‘ View might be the fairer, and their 
‘ fall the deeper: Others were quar- 
‘ veiling with their Looking-glasses, 
‘ for shewing them such Hags coun- 
‘ tenances; and cursing the State of 
‘ Venice, for entertaining no better 
‘ Workmen; some with their Hogs- 
‘ grease and Pomatum, were sleeking 
‘ and polishing their Faces; and in- 
‘ deed, their Fore-heads were bright 
‘ and shining, though there were nei- 
‘ ther Suns nor Stars in that Firma- 
‘ ment: And others were daubing 
‘ one another, to take away the 
‘ Heats and Buboes; so far does a 
‘ Woman’s Wit and Invention car- 
‘ ry her, to her own Destruction. 
And in another Vision lewd Wo- 
men are justly call’d, the Devil's 
Factresses.
This 


(23)
This is a small Digression from 
my Subject, but as I was naturally 
lead into it, by the Treatise I have 
been examining, and it may tend to 
the discouragement of unlawful Plea- 
sures, I hope it is excuseable. I 
now proceed to shew that the Au- 
thor is mistaken in the Sin of ONAN, 
and to demonstrate what was really 
his Crime. 
CHAP. I. 
Of ONAN'S Crime; and the Sin 
of SELF-POLLUTION. 
THE Text of Scripture runs 
thus. And Judah said unto 
ONAN, Go in unto thy Brother’s 
Wife, and Marry her, and raise up 
Seed to thy Brother. And ONAN 
knew that the Seed should not be his; 
and it came to pass, when he went in 
unto his Brother’s Wife, that he spilled 
it on the Ground, left that he should
give 


(24)
give Seed to his Brother. 38. Chap. 
Genesis, Verses 8, 9, 10. 
Though some Authors seem to 
make ONAN’s chief Crime to be 
Self-pollution, yet the learned Bishop 
Patrick, in his Commentary upon 
the 38th Chapter of Genesis, is of a 
contrary Opinion, viz. 
‘ Verse 8. Go in unto thy Bro- 
‘ ther’s Wife. This was an ancient 
‘ Custom in force by the Law of 
‘ Moses, which only exacted what 
‘ had been formerly practis’d, viz. 
‘ that when a Man died without 
‘ issue, his next Brother should 
‘ Marry his Wife. Deut. 25. 5. 
‘ And raise up Seed to thy Bro- 
‘ ther; is meant preserve thy Bro- 
‘ ther’s Name and Family, by be- 
‘ getting a Child, which may be ac- 
‘ counted his, and inherit his Estate, 
‘ For so the Law was, that the first 
‘ Born of such a Match, was not to 
‘ be look’d upon, as a Child of him 
‘ that begot him; but as his Bro-
‘ ther’s, 

(25)
‘ ther’s, who was the Mother’s first 
‘ Husband; though all the following 
‘ Children were to be his own. 
‘ Verse 9. ONAN knew that the 
‘ Seed should not he accounted his in 
‘ the first Born, but his Brothers. 
‘ And least the Child should be born 
‘ in the Name of his Brother; v. 10. 
‘ The Thing which he did displeased 
‘ the Lord. This made the Sin the 
‘ more heinous, that he acted against 
‘ the divine Promise made to Abra- 
‘ ham, concerning the multiplying 
‘ of his Seed. 
‘ The contract of Marriage was 
‘ so understood in those Days, that 
‘ if the Husband died without Issue, 
‘ the Woman was oblig’d to Marry 
‘ his next Brother, and as long as any 
‘ of his Brethren remain'd, they 
‘ were bound to Marry his wife, 
‘ and preserve their Brothers Me- 
‘ mory, or solemnly renounce, to 
‘ their very great Infamy, This 
‘ was so well known, that no new 
‘ contract was enjoyn’d in such a 
D ‘ Case;

(26)
‘ Case; for the first Husband being 
‘ dead, she and the next Brother 
‘ were Man and Wife, without any 
‘ farther Agreement or Ceremony, 
‘ by Virtue of the Original Law. 
The learned Prelate in this Com- 
ment, omits mentioning the spilling of 
the Seed, but it may be rationally pre- 
sum’d he did it not so much out of a 
regard to Modesty, as its being a 
trifling part of the Charge against 
ONAN; since he determines ONAN’s 
great Crime to be his not comply- 
ing with the Law of Moses, in the 
Marriage of his Brothers Wife; tho’ 
he adds, that his Sin was the more 
heinous for his acting contrary to 
the promise made to Abraham, in 
relation to the multiplying of his 
Seed. 
What provok’d ONAN to the 
Breach of this Law, I take to be 
evident, was his not being allow’d 
the Reputation of begetting the first
Child on his Brothers Wife, which 
in

(27)
in all Marriages is attended with 
more satifaction, than any of the 
future Progeny. 
There might be other probable 
Reasons given for ONAN’S breaking 
this Law of Moses; as envy to the 
Memory of his deceas'd Brother, 
deslike or prejudice to his Wife, &c. 
But to Comment a little farther upon 
the 38 Chapter of Genesis, in respect 
to ONAN'S Crime, it may not be 
amiss to examine Some preceding 
Verses. 
Verse. 2. And Judah saw there, 
a Daughter of a certain Cananite, 
whose Name was Shuah; and he 
took her, and went in unto her. 
And she conceiv'd, and bare a Son, 
and he call'd his Name Er. By 
this, and many other parts of the 
Scripture it is apparent, that the 
Words going in unto a Woman, 
were meant in those times actual 
Copulation, so that when ONAN
went in unto his Brother’s Wife, it 
must be constru’d, that he began 
D2 the


(28)
the pleasure of Matrimony, though, 
he did not perfect it by reason he spilt 
his Seed on the Ground; that is, 
he withdrew from his Brothers 
Wife, and did not consummate the 
Marriage; which displeas’d the Lord, 
wherefore he flew him- 
Agreeable to this in some measure, 
is the modern Custom amongst 
Persons of distinction in their amo- 
rous Intrigues; who after they are 
actually ingag’d in the pleasures of 
Venus, by a sudden ereption of the 
Privities, separate from the Female 
the instant they feel the Titillation 
in the extreme Parts, and before the 
Emissio Seminis; to prevent the effects 
of a teeming Womb, which would 
not only occasion a considerable ex- 
pence, but expose the Female, and 
very much impair the Beauty of her 
Form. And of this nature, I take 
the Sin of ONAN to be, in relation 
to his spilling his Seed on the Ground, 
though not committed with the same 
design. 
These

(29)
These particulars fully shew, that 
ONAN’s Sin was not Self-pollution, 
as laid down by the Author of 
ONANIA, and for that he had the 
Assistance of his Brother’s Wife. I 
come now to the Sin of Self-pollu- 
tion, and begin with the Causes. 
I am by no means of the Author’s 
Opinion, that Self-pollution is en- 
tirely occasion’d by Ignorance, Se- 
crecy, Shame, or other particular 
Causes mention’d in his Treatise, as 
I have already observ’d, with my 
Reasons confuting the same; to 
which I may add, this farther, that 
few, or no Persons can be ignorant, 
that Self-pollution is a Sin. I look upon 
it to be more a natural Distemper oc- 
casion’d by a vicious ferment of the 
Blood, than to proceed from any of the 
Causes set forth by the Author of Self- 
pollution, and that this may be agitated 
by lewd Company, Obscene, Pictures, 
&c. It is impossible, that ignorance can 
encrease this Crime, when it is esteem’d 
the Mother of Devotion, and in my 
D3 Opi-


(30)
Opinion, the firmest limits to Chasti- 
ty. Without some experience, no 
considerable progress can be made, 
and ’tis the highest inconsistency to 
call an experienc’d Person ignorant. 
Other Causes of Self-pollution, I 
take it may be justly attributed to 
the very great hazards Young Gen- 
tlemen are constantly expos’d to with 
Women of the Town (not that I 
allow any unlawful desires) for tho’ 
the Crime of Self-pollution be in its 
nature heinous, and the Consequences 
are to be fear’d by all considerate Per- 
sons, yet the Sin doth not in any respect 
seem so dreadful to vigorous Youth, 
as that of Whoredom, and the Cala- 
mities attending, are generally more 
remote in prospect. A Clap or a 
Pox will imedlately ensue in the most 
terrible manner (the Beauty of the 
Front, and the most valuable parts 
of the Body, being particularly in 
danger) in the case of Copulation 
with an unfound Woman, when the 
consequences of Self-pollution only
steal

(31)
steal on you by degrees, and will 
be a considerable space before the 
direful Effects shall be visible. This 
I take to be a principal Cause of Self- 
pollution, especially where Persons 
have suffer’d in their Intrigues with 
lewd Women; and what encreases 
it in this case, is the pernicious Salt 
of a transmissive Nature, oftentimes 
remaining in the center of the Blood, 
upon taking unbounded quantities of 
Mercurial Preparations; some Young 
Gentlemen have confess’d to me, that 
after the cure of the secret Disease by 
Quack-physicians, their Inclinations 
have encreas’d, with the number of 
their venerial Maladies, which can 
proceed from no other cause than a 
pollution of the Blood occasion’d by 
the Dregs of ill prepar’d Medicines. 
I have known two very remarka- 
ble Cases of this kind in the Country. 
One was a half witted young Fellow, 
being with artifice entic'd to the act of 
Fornication with an unclean Woman, 
who after a cure of the Disease he 
re-

(32)
receiv’d by her, was so strangely ad- 
dicted to Self-pollution, that at length 
there was far greater difficulty to 
preserve his impair’d Carcass, than 
in curing of his nauseous Distemper, 
notwithstanding, he had it with se- 
verity: He would sit down upon 
the Floor, and with Eyes lift up vio- 
late Nature in a seeming Transport, 
and oftentimes repeat this unnatural 
Sin, with an uncommon pleasure: 
At last he confess’d it, and on a pri- 
vate Examination declar’d, that he 
never had any inclination to Self- 
pollution, before he had receiv’d his 
venerial Injury, and largely taken of 
the Surgeons Preparations, tho’ this 
Woman was not the first that he had 
carnally known. The other Case 
within my knowledge, was, that of a 
rakish Young Gentlemen, who hav- 
ing run through his Fortune in Extra- 
vagancies, particularly on the fair Sex, 
when he could no longer splendidly 
subsist, or afford the expence of unlaw- 
ful Pleasures, being perpetually tor- 
mented

(33)
mented with a violent inclination 
to Women; at last after a long 
continuance of Self-pollution, he 
couragiously Castrated himself, as the 
only cure of his vicious A petite. But 
the next News I heard, as indeed 
I expected, was, that he had with 
equal resolution shot himself through 
the Head. 
’Tis very certain, that Persons in 
mean Circumstances, are thereby in 
many Respects render’d unable to 
pursue their darling Vices; but 
where the Principles are vitiated, or 
the Passions prevalent, there is no 
Shield of Self-defence against ill 
Actions: The Person wholly void 
of Honesty, will commit Thefts and 
Robberies upon the Persons of others 
to enrich himself; and the lustful 
Person will satisfy his Brutal incli- 
nations by Friction, or other abomi- 
nable Enjoyments, for want of ability, 
to purchase more acceptable Crimes: 
And as the want of Circumstances 
is many times a cause of Self-pollu- 
tion,

(34)
tion, so the Person in possession of a 
large Fortune, is frequently guilty 
of the Sin of Whoredom, accompa- 
nied with more dreadful Conse- 
quences, and Nature only, under the 
severest Discipline, must in all Cases 
regulate the lustful Appetite. 
The design of providence, for the 
preservation of Mankind in a State 
of Innocence, is visible throughout 
all the works of the Creation; there 
is no condition of Life, but a Person 
may go thro’ free from Guilt and In- 
famy; and particularly in Unclean- 
ness, Nocturnal-pollution proceeding 
meerly from Nature without force, 
is certainly intended to correct lustful 
Inclinations; but when it arises from 
vicious contemplations, and impure 
Ideas conceiv’d in the Mind, it is a 
sinful Act, though not equally cri- 
minal to Self-pollution. 
Pollution by the hand of a Wo- 
man, is always attended with more 
fatal consequences to the Man than 
any other; the impure Thoughts 
are

(35)
are more strongly impress’d by the 
presence of the Female, than 
its possible in her absence, and the 
imaginations so heighten’d by her 
Touch, as to commit the greater vio- 
lence on Nature. By this, the parts 
are more considerably strain’d, and 
their natural Strength and Vigour 
abated. This naturally leads me to 
the various ways of Self-pollution in 
wanton Females, which are so in- 
tolerable, that Modesty forbids a 
particular Description. I shall only 
mention, that a Lascivious Woman, 
by the use of a pleasurable Toy, and 
an injection of Milk, or other Moi- 
sture, may possibly continue Self-pollu- 
tion for alonger space than copulation 
with a Man, no Spirits being drain’d 
or Strength exhausted by the means 
herein applied; and ’tis reported 
that some lewd Females will com- 
mence this vile practice, before their 
Privities are fledg’d with Matu- 
rity. 
To

(36)
To demonstrate the consequences 
of a lewd Conversation in regard 
to the Crime of Self-pollution, I 
shall here present you with an ample 
account of a Club of Young Gen- 
tlemen, I have been inform’d, 
was not many Years ago establish’d 
in, or near Long-Acre; the most 
abominable Nursery of Lewdness 
and Debauchery, perhaps, that ever 
was heard of in any Country, un- 
less it be in the remote parts of Eu- 
rope amongst the vile Sects of in- 
cestuous Adamites, whom Histories 
mention, when the Words increase 
and multiply, were repeated in their 
religious Service (which was very 
common) they immediately extin- 
guish’d their Candles, and promis- 
cously mix’d in carnal Enjoyments. 
This Club ’tis said, was held thrice 
a Week at the House of a noted 
Victualler, who was a Stranger to 
the Actions of his Guests for a con- 
siderable time; they had a Supper 
and plenty of strong Liquors con- 
stantly

(37) 
stantly provided to their no small 
Expence; they were govern’d by a 
President of the Night, who was 
commonly elected after Supper, and 
the whole Assembly struggled for 
this Honour: The method of E- 
lection was thus; every one ac- 
cording to his Seniority advanc’d 
himself in turn upon a high Joint- 
stool plac’d against a Wall, and with 
a fort of Emulation, there practis’d 
Self-pollution as long, as his strength 
would permit, and he that repeated the 
Sin the greatest number of times, 
was immediately declar’d their Chief 
for the next time of meeting: And 
to facilitate their unnatural Pleasures; 
their Eatings generally consisted of 
strong Soops, Gravies, Fish, Jellies, 
and other provocatives to Lust; and 
their whole Conversation turn’d on 
their Excellency and Perfection in this 
most detestable Crime. This Ac- 
count I have had of this Club, with 
this Addition, that a Member of it 
might be known by his spindle Shanks, 
E fallen


(38)
fallen Jaws, and pale wither’d Coun- 
tenance, but as it is not within my 
own knowledge, I cannot aver it to 
be fact, and to me it seems so mon- 
strous as not to be credited in the 
whole, what ever it may in part; 
however I thought fit to insert it, 
to, render the Crime the more odious 
and hateful to all. 
And to this I may add other perni- 
cious Consequences proceeding from 
this Crime, as an irrecoverable Im- 
potency, which renders a Man in- 
animate, intoxicates his reason, and 
debases Nature, so as to occasion the 
Diabetis and other fatal lingring Dis- 
eases; for the aliment of the Blood 
is so far vitiated and impair’d by a 
frequent repetition of this Sin, that 
it is wholly unable to perform its 
office of Circulation with any regu- 
larity. 
Thus I have detected the several 
Fallacies, Inconsistencies, and Impo- 
sitions of the Author of ONANIA; 
prov’d that he is mistaken in the 
Crime


(39)
Crime of ONAN; that the design, 
of his Book was to encourage Lewd- 
ness, and thereby promote the sale 
of destructive Medicines, which 
many times occasion a conflux of 
Humours, and incurable Diseases; 
shewn that Quack Preparations pro- 
mote the very Sin he with views 
of Interest pretends to discounte- 
nance, set forth the real Crime of 
ONAN, and the Causes and fatal 
Consequences of Self-pollution: I 
now proceed to the heinousness of 
the SIN.
E2 CHAP. II. 

(40)
CHAP. II. 
The SIN OF SELF-POLLUTION, 
the means to avoid it, and to 
attain CHASTITY. 
THE Learned Ostervald treat- 
ing of the several Species of 
Uncleanness, says it is easy to discern 
‘ that impure Actions are forbidden 
‘ for two Reasons. First, because 
‘ they are likely means of carrying 
‘ Men to the grosser Crime: Peo- 
‘ ple don’t ordinarily arrive at the 
‘ height of Wickedness all at once, 
‘ but by certain Steps and Degrees. 
‘ They begin with what they think 
‘ lawful;

(41)
‘ lawful; they accustom themselves 
‘ to violate the rules of Chastity in 
‘ such Instances, as they persuade 
‘ themselves, can have no great hurt 
‘ in them: But then from these les- 
‘ ser Offences, they proceed to others, 
‘ whose Wickedness they cannot but 
‘ be sensible of; and so at length 
‘ they fall into the more horrid 
‘ Crime. But in the second place, 
‘ though we should never come thus 
‘ far, and our unchast Actions should 
‘ never push us on to the utmost 
‘ Licentiousness, they however de- 
‘ file the Soul,; they increase the 
‘ inclination to Uncleanness, and
‘ withdraw from God; as a very 
‘ little Observation will inform those, 
‘ who allow themselves in these sort 
‘ of Liberties. 
‘ To impure Actions, may be sub- 
‘ join’d such Looks, as are contrary 
‘ to Chastity, inasmuch, as a Man 
‘ may be guilty also of Sin in this
‘ respect, whether in beholding such 
‘ Objects, or in reading such Books,
E3 ‘ as 


(42)
‘ as may be apt to beget unlawful 
‘ Desires. It is an undoubted Truth, 
‘ that impure Passions are chiefly 
‘ rais’d and inflam’d by the fight, 
‘ and that it is impossible to continue 
‘ Chast without a diligent care to 
‘ govern the Eyes, and to turn them 
‘ away from whatsoever might reduce 
‘ the Heart. Let but any one en- 
‘ quire into the Objects I am speak- 
‘ ing of, and the Impressions they 
‘ are apt to make upon the Mind, 
‘ and this will presently convince 
‘ him of the Evil and Danger of 
‘ suffering his Eyes to dwell upon 
‘ them: These Objects pollute the 
‘ Imagination, filling it with lustful 
‘ Thoughts; and it is only through 
‘ the Temptation of sensuality, that 
‘ any can fix their Eyes upon them, 
‘ or take any manner of pleasure in 
‘ them. The holy Scriptures suffi- 
‘ ciently caution against these undue 
‘ Liberties; it was by the fight 
‘ that David was entic’d to commit 
‘ Iniquity: And Job, who liv’d at 
‘ a time

(43)
‘ a time when moral Chastity was 
‘ less known, than it has been since, 
‘ had yet learn’d, that the principal 
‘ Duty of Chastity was to regulate 
‘ the Sight. 
There are many Things conducive
to Chastity, as the pious example 
of Superiours, a Godly Conversa- 
tion, Books of Devotion, a firm Re- 
solution, Temperance, &c. And at 
all Seasons, Persons ought to use 
their utmost Endeavours for over- 
coming their inclinations to Impuri- 
ty; but there are some times, and 
opportunities, wherein it is done far 
more easily than at others. In mat- 
ters of Salvation, as well, as in all 
others, a great deal depends upon 
a choice of proper Seasons: No-bo- 
dy, but must have found, that he is 
not always equally well disposed: 
Upon some occasions a thing will 
appear almost insuperable, which yet 
will not be so at another time: Take 
a Man given to any particular pas-
sion, 

(44)
sion, and in the instant, when he is 
seiz’d and transported with it: All 
you can say to the contrary, will 
make no Impression upon him; yet 
take the same Person out of his pas- 
sion, when his Blood is cold, 
and you will see him very different. 
The Impure have their intervals, 
and these longer or shorter, and 
more or less frequent, according as 
the Habit they have contracted is 
stronger or weaker; there are some, 
over whom this passion has so great 
an Ascendency, that they are almost 
perpetually employ’d by it; yet such 
as these have some more favourable 
Moments, wherein they are capable 
of reflection, and wherein their Pas- 
sion allows them some respite with- 
out opposition. 
But there is nothing to be done 
without Resolution and Confidence; 
and we may be assur’d, that God’s 
enjoyning of Chastity, is an incon- 
testable proof, that People may at- 
tain it: It is by no means to be pre- 
sum'd

(45)
sum’d, that our great Creator, who 
is all Justice, would under pain of 
Damnation command the observance 
of such Duties, as he knows to be 
entirely out of our power: No, there 
are means of performing what he in- 
joins, not attended with unconquera- 
ble difficulties: And as it is he, who 
has ordered these means; so has he 
engaged himself to second them 
with his blessing, whenever we 
commence a sincere obedience to his 
Laws. 
It would be strange to find any 
make a Question of this; but it must 
be granted, that as this Duty is not 
to be acquir’d with equal ease at all 
times, so it is not alike easy to all 
sorts of Persons; and some find con- 
siderable trouble in it; and so it is 
in all the other Duties of Morality; 
There are some, who whether from 
their natural Tempers and Con- 
stitutions, or from the bad Habits 
they have contracted, are violently 
press’d on to certain Passions, and 
must

(46)
must encounter Self-difficulties be- 
fore they can make the least conquest 
over them: An eagerness of Tem- 
per, and fullness of Heat, with an 
ill Habit too long indulg’d, will 
render Persons so prone to anger, 
that they must: be very diligent and 
watchful, and always upon their 
guard, or they will not be able to 
avoid it; but it will very ill become 
these to offer this for their excuse; 
for by this means, there is no Per- 
son but would be able to vindicate 
himself; So in a temporal Sense, 
were Criminals allow’d to plead a 
strong inclination and proneness of 
Nature, to the committing of 
Crimes, there would be no such thing 
as Justice or Government in the 
World. 
Tho’ many Persons are strongly 
press’d to Impurity, yet it cannot 
be concluded from hence, that there 
are no methods of Preservation from 
this Passion: If they brought them- 
selves into this State by their own 
fault,


(47)
fault, and for want of using the 
means proper in order to Chastity, 
this is no Evidence that these means 
are not sufficient for their purpose: 
The Case is the same here, as if a 
Man had fallen into a dangerous In- 
disposition for not using certain Pre- 
servatives or Remedies, which does 
not shew that he had no means of 
preventing his Sickness, but only 
that he did not make a right use of 
them: Those who are entangled in 
this dangerous Passion, and whose 
return to Chastity appears very diffi- 
cult, may yet be assur’d, that they 
may recover themselves: It is true, 
they may find it troublesome at first, 
but then they ought to remember, 
that it is but reasonable for them to 
cross their own Inclinations, and 
bear with some inconvenience to pre- 
serve themselves from fatal ruin: The 
trouble will daily lessen, and what 
at first seem’d insuperable, will be- 
come at length pleasant in the per- 
formance. There are certainly means 
of

(48)
of being Chast, and whosoever 
makes the Trial, will quickly find 
the benefit of them: As for those 
that will not use them, who will do 
nothing to fortify themselves, will 
not keep out of the way of Temp- 
tations, nor cross their vicious In- 
clinations in any thing; I confess it is 
my Opinion, that they will never at- 
tain any degree of Chastity, but then 
they have none but themselves to blame 
for it; it is their own fault, and not 
any defect in Religion, that they are 
in this Condition: And to such the 
Almighty has ordain’d a proper Re- 
medy, whereby to avoid the excesses 
of the Flesh, which is Marriage. 
Meditation is an excellent means 
to Parity, it excites and recalls into 
the Mind, divers good Reflections, 
and abates the force of Temptations: 
There is no matter of Religion and 
Piety, which may not be revolv’d 
in our Minds to advantage; and 
there are many particular Medita- 
tions, that have a peculiar Virtue 
for

(49) 
for dissuading from pollution; such 
as the presence of our Creator, Death, 
Resurrection, Judgment, &c. The 
thoughts of Death, which puts an 
end to all our Enjoyments here, 
must necessarily abate the allure- 
ments of sensual Pleasures. The 
thoughts of our Resurrection will 
force us to have a regard to Purity: 
And the thoughts of our Saviours 
Sufferings, are a powerful Motive, 
not to seek our own ease, and the 
satisfaction of our Senses in this 
World. 
One of the chief means of defence 
against Temptations to Impurity, is 
a distrust of our selves. This di- 
strust proceeds from an Opinion and 
Sense of our own Weakness, and 
thereby a fear of being surpriz’d and 
ensnar’d by Temptations; distrust 
will produce Vigilance, which is a 
second means of defence against im- 
pure Thoughts. Persons ought to 
lie very exact and scrupulous, as to 
every thing that leads to Impurity, 
F and

(50)
and not to take too great liberty 
under any vain pretences. Mortifi- 
cation and Exercise are very good 
guards against Pollution; Idleness 
makes People wanton and vicious, 
and High-feeding very much heigh- 
tens unlawful Desires. Curiosity is 
frequently a cause of the wandrings 
of the Mind and Heart; and a de- 
sire of satisfying it, proceeding from 
a secret Passion, being a great occa- 
sion of Pollution, this also is to be 
guarded against: And lastly, when 
Persons are under any manner of 
Temptations, the instant they are 
sensible of impure Thoughts in the 
Soul, they should be strenously re- 
sisted. The first reception of im- 
pure Thoughts into the Soul, shews 
them to be pleasing to it; and the 
longer they are entertain’d there, 
the more this Pleasure encreases; 
and when this Pleasure once prevails, 
the Man is no longer in a capacity 
to defend himself: And there is no 
surer way to prevent a Conflagration, 
than


(51)
than by thoroughly extinguishing 
the first spark of Fire, on its immedi- 
ate appearance. 
Thus much for the means to avoid 
Impurity, and to attain Chastity, I 
shall conclude this part of my Trea- 
tise, with what Mr. Ostervald ob- 
serves of the Sin of Uncleanness in 
general, and with a few Reflecti- 
ons of my own, which may be of 
service to those, who make Chastity 
a difficulty. ‘ All Uncleanness is 
‘ a palpable Violation of our Baptist 
‘ mal Covenant, wherein we have 
‘ solemnly oblig’d our selves to re- 
‘ nounce the Flesh (that is to say, 
‘ all sensuality and voluptuousness) 
‘ as well as the World and the De- 
‘ vil. For there is no living up to 
‘ this Profession and Obligation, 
‘ without being continually upon 
‘ our guard against all those sinful 
‘ Lusts, which we have thus re- 
‘ nounc’d. And indeed, what an 
‘ affront is it to God, and what vile
F2 ‘ Trea-

(52) 
‘ Treachery and breach of Cove- 
‘ nant, when Persons have thus gi- 
‘ ven up their Names to Christ, and 
‘ promis’d to obey his holy Laws; 
‘ and in particular, to abstain from 
‘ all Impurity, if they shall yet 
‘ draw back, and professing to know 
‘ the Almighty shall in works de- 
‘ ny him, living in wantonness and 
‘ unlawful Pleasures, like the Gen- 
‘ tiles, who knew him not, or ra- 
‘ ther in such detestable Lewdnesses, 
‘ as the Wiser amongst these would 
‘ have abominated? We cannot 
‘ doubt, but that we are all strictly 
‘ engag’d to cleanse our selves from 
‘ Filthiness, both of Flesh and 
‘ Spirit, and to perfect Holiness. 
‘ And what a monstrous Incongrui- 
‘ ty must it be, for such to indulge 
‘ themselves in any carnal and sensu- 
‘ al Immoralities, in direct oppo- 
‘ sition to the Vow, so Solemnly made
‘ against them! This must necessa- 
‘ rily argue a great Stupidity, and 
‘ regardlessness of their Duty, which 
‘ were 

(53)
‘ is sufficiently blameable in any,
‘ but in Christians, who pretend 
‘ to tread in their Saviour’s Steps, 
‘ and to obey all his Commandments, 
‘ is most exceedingly provoking. 
Though the Sin of Uncleanness 
be heinous in it self, as appears by 
what has been said, and is oftentimes 
attended with a train of Crimes, 
as Lying, Quarrelling, and others of 
a flagitious Nature, yet are many Per- 
sons so estrang’d to Religion, and 
even to rational Ethicks, as to be en- 
tirely supine and negligent in the 
surpressing of Impure Cogitations; 
and on the contrary entertain them 
with indulgence; so that by degrees, 
illimitable Passions are establish’d, 
and the tide of Impurity, at last 
grows so strong and rapid, that it 
is not to be repell’d; whence all man- 
ner of Evils succeed. 
Having Theologically discuss’d the
several particulars relating to Self- 
pollution, and other Uncleanness:
F3 I

(54)
I come now to my last head, treat- 
ing of Generation, and the sensitive 
Parts effecting it; but I would by no 
means have my Reader think, that 
I examine these particulars with a 
design to excite Persons to Lewdness, 
when my Intentions are only to 
shew the fineness and Beauty of 
the Parts, whereby will appear how 
easily they may be violated and 
impair’d by an unnatural use.
CHAP. III.

(55)
CHAP. III.
A DISSERTATION upon Gene-
ration; and of the Parts admi- 
nistring thereunto.
I shall begin with the instruments 
of Generation in Men. All the 
parts of Generation merit the Title 
of noble Parts, as well as the Brain 
and the Heart; and some Authors 
give them the preference before 
the other Parts of the Body, upon 
this consideration, that they preserve 
the Species, and the others only keep 
up the Individuum.
The

(56) 
The Yard is call’d by Physicians 
the Membrum Virile, because it di- 
stinguishes a Man from a Woman: 
It is plac’d at the lower and external 
part of the Abdomen, and is fasten’d 
to the Os Pubis. This Situation is 
the more commodious, for that it 
does not annoy any other part in 
the time of enjoyment. 
It has a very peculiar Substance, 
containing several Vessels, Muscles, 
Nerves, Arteries, &c. Its Skin is 
finer than that of any other part, 
to give it a more exquisite sense. It 
has no Fat; for if it encreas’d in 
Flesh in proportion with the rest of 
the Body; it would not only be of 
too large a size, but become soft, 
unactive, and insensible; and would 
cloud the Sense necessary to excite 
the Passion. 
The Yard performs its motions by 
virtue of four Muscles; two for E- 
rection. and two for Ejaculaton. 
These last squeeze the seminal Vesicles, 
and convey the Seed into the Urethra, 
from

(57)
from whence it fallies out with great 
force; It is divided into its Body, and 
two Ends; as for its two extremities 
one of them is call’d the Glans, or 
head of the Yard; the other which 
is fastened to the Belly, is call’d the 
Root, and is surrounded with Hair, 
especially upon its upper part, which 
is call’d the Pubis. 
The Glans, or head of the Mem- 
brum Virile, is the only fleshy part 
in the Yard; being soft and smooth, 
to prevent its hurting the Matrix of 
the Woman, and running in some 
measure to a point to facilitate its 
Entry: It is cover’d with a thin 
Membrane, which renders it sensible 
of the Titillation occasion’d by rub- 
bing upon the Matrix; and in the 
time of Erection, the Spirits and 
Blood repair to it vigorously, when 
it swells and starts out of an uncom- 
mon length, assuming a lively red 
Colour; but upon the retreat of the 
Blood, it flaggs and becomes pale 
and shrivell’d.
The 

(58)
The prepuce is the loose Skin at 
the utmost end of the Yard, which 
stretches out and covers the Nut, 
or draws down, to uncover it, as there 
is occasion: In time of Erection, 
it will draw down the Yard a con- 
siderable way, the easier to enter 
in Copulation: ’Tis tied under the 
Nut, with a fine Ligament call’d 
the Bridle, which must be cut when 
it is to short, and draws the orifice 
of the Nut downwards, by reason 
it hinders the Ejaculation of the 
Seed in a straight Line. The Pre- 
puce enlarges the pleasure in Copu- 
lation, especially of the Women. 
The Yard has two Cavernous Bo- 
dies, one on each side, taking their 
rise from the lower part of the 
Os Pubis, and the Hip-bone, and 
these cavernous Bodies, or Nerves 
have two Substances, external and 
internal, the external one is thick, 
hard, and nervous, and the internal 
one, is spungy, thin, and fungous. 
The

(59)
The Erection of the Yard is ow- 
ing to these cavernous Bodies, which 
being fill’d with Spirits, swell and 
extend themselves: And the arte- 
rious Blood being poured into the 
cavernous Bodies effects the disten- 
sion of the Yard, as its lankness is 
occasion’d by sending of that Blood 
through the Hypogastrick Veins. 
The spungy Substance of the caver- 
nous Bodies, stops the Blood for some 
time, whereby an erection is forc’d. 
In all Enjoyments, the animal 
Spirits are rouz’d by fancy, which 
strikes the Idea of Pleasure, and 
when the Spirits are thus rais’d, they 
instantly repair to the Nerves of the 
Organs of Generation, and puff them 
up on mixing with the Blood, con- 
vey’d thither by the Arteries; and 
upon the mixture of these two, a 
Fermentation succeeds, whereby an 
Erection is effected. 
The Urethra is a nervous Pas- 
sage, extending from the neck of 
the Bladder, to the end of the Yard.
It

(60)
It is a common passage for the Seed 
and Urine. 
The Testicles are so call’d from 
the Latin Word Testes, as they wit- 
ness the vigour of a Man. They 
are seated without the Abdomen, 
at the root of the Yard; and en- 
clos’d in the Scrotum, which is a 
Purse consisting of two Membranes; 
these Vessels do not prepare or form 
the Seed; but their office is to import 
the Blood from which ’tis separated. 
The Testicles are of an oval Fi- 
gure, about the size of a Pidgeons 
Egg, and in some larger: They are 
wrapt up in five Coats or fine Skins, 
viz. The Scrotum, Dartos, Eritroides, 
Elitroides, and the Albuginea; the 
two first are call’d common, and the 
three last are call’d proper. The 
outer Coat is shriyell’d and encom- 
pass’d with thin Hair. The Sub- 
stance of the Testicle, is white, soft, 
and loose, compos’d of several small 
Seminals Vessels, and Capillaries, 
which are the Branches of the Ar- 
teries,

(61)
teries, Veins, Nerves, and Lympha- 
tick Vessels. 
There are two Muscles call’d Cre-
masters, which keep the Stones sus- 
pended; and if these happen to be 
stronger than ordinary, they'll move 
the Testicles of themselves. 
The most volatile part of the 
Blood is strain’d out from the rest by 
the Glandulous Pith of the Testicle, 
which gives passage only to the finest 
Particles, and obliges the rest to re- 
turn to the Veins. This part of the 
Blood thus filtrated, is rais’d to a just 
degree of perfection by the length 
of the Pipes, through which it passes; 
and what adds to its refinement is 
the windings of these Pipes, which 
procure a mutual disunion, by whirl- 
ing about. When the Seed is prepar’d, 
it is lodg’d in the expansion of the 
Vasa Deferentia; being first put in 
motion by the Heat of the Vein call’d 
the Spermatick Artery; and when 
the Imagination is enflam’d by amo-
G rous

(62)
rous Thoughts, it suddenly breaks 
forth. 
The Vasa Deferentia are Vessels 
seated partly in the Scrotum, and 
partly in the Abdomen; they con- 
vey the Seed by drops to the seminal 
Vesicles; the two extremities of the 
Vasa Deferentia are compar’d to a 
Bunch of Grapes, and Guts of Birds. 
Two small Ducts of about an 
Inch in length, spring from these 
Vesicles; they are broad near the 
Vesicles, but dwindle as they ap- 
proach to the Urethra, which they 
perforate. These Ducts are call’d 
Ejaculatory Vessels, because in the 
heat of Action, they throw the Seed 
of the Vesicles into the Urethra, 
and they are the chief Subjects of 
the pleasure attending Ejaculation. 
These small Ducts have ten or 
twelve Orifices, opening to the Ure- 
thra, each of them being shut by a 
small Caruncle to prevent the con- 
tinual efflux of Humour, which has 
the precedency of the Seed. This 
is

(63)
is alledg’d to be the seat of a Clap, 
by reason volatile Salts fastning near
occasion Ulcers that corrode the Ca- 
runcles, and thereupon the Orifices 
of the Ducts discharge their slimy 
Liquor. 
The Prostatœ are two Glandalous 
spungy Bodies, seated at the root of 
the Yard, by the head of the Ure- 
thra, and furnish’d with Arteries 
from the Pudendœ; their use is to 
make a secretion of slimy oily Li- 
quor out of the Blood, to reserve 
it for some time in its Vesicles, and 
to squeeze it out by degrees, thro’ 
the Pipes of the small Ducts, to the 
Urethra. 
’Tis reported, that some Persons
have three Testides, and that others- 
are so slenderly provided, as to 
have but one; tho’ either of the 
cases happens very rarely. And A- 
nimals which have their Testi-
cles situated within, are always, 
accounted more lascivious than o- 
thers.
G2 There 

(64)
There are four spermatick Vessels 
belonging to the Privy Parts of a Man, 
two whereof are Arteries, and the 
other two Veins. The two sperma- 
tick Arteries spring from the Trunk 
of the Aorta; and run obliquely 
upon the Ureters, and along the 
Muscle Posas, ’till they arrive at the 
Groin, where they are receiv’d by 
a production of the Peritonœum, and 
so conducted to the Testicles. 
The two spermatick Veins branch 
out from the Testicles towards the 
Vena Cava. The Right extends 
it self straight to the Trunk of the 
Cava; but the Left terminates in 
the emulgent Vein. In their pro- 
gress, they are join’d by small Veins 
from the Peritonœum, and the 
neighbouring Muscles, which are 
loaded with the superfluous Blood of 
those parts, in order to lodge it in 
the Cava. 
The spermatick Vessels are larger 
in Men than Women; and in both 
Sexes the Arteries are always 
stronger

(65)
stronger than the Veins, For the 
use of these Vessels, the Blood runs 
in the two Arteries straight to the 
Testicles, each of them dividing in- 
to two small Branches, the better 
to penetrate its Substance, by entring
at several places, and to procure an 
exact separation of the seminal Par- 
ticles, that accompany the Arterious 
Blood, And when this is perfected, 
the remainder of the Blood enters 
the Branches of the Veins, in order 
to return to the Cava. 
The Valves in the Cavity of the 
Veins are plac’d at certain Intervals,
in order to prevent the Arterious 
Blood from falling down. They are 
serviceable in promoting the ascent of 
the Blood, and their natural Disposi- 
tion conducts it to the Vena Cava. 
Of the Privy Parts of a WOMAN. 
To pursue the method I have hi
therto observ’d, I shall begin my 
G3 De-

(66) 
Description of the Privities of a 
Woman, with the external Parts. 
The external Orifice is commonly 
call’d the Pudendum; ’tis compos’d 
of several parts, as the Pubes, the 
Mons Veneris, the Lips, and the 
great Slit. 
The Pubes is seated on the fore- 
part of the Share-bone, just above 
the Pudendum; and to keep off the 
annoyance that might arise from the 
hardness of the Bones in the amo- 
rous Adventure, it is rais’d and consists 
of Fat, which serves as a Cushion. 
Mons Veneris, rises like a lit- 
tle Hill about the great Lips, and 
is cover’d, as well as the Pubes, 
with a pretty good quantity of rough 
curling Hair, which begins to spring 
when the Female enters her Thir- 
teenth or Fourteenth Year: It is 
seated a little lower than the Pubes. 
The great Labia, or great Lips, 
descend from the Mons Veneris, and 
meet in the Perinœum; they consist 
of doubled Skin, Fat and spungy
Flesh; 

(67)
Flesh; they are cover’d with Hair, 
but it is not so strong, as that of the 
Pubes and Mons Veneris, In Girls 
they are firm, but in those who have 
been enjoy’d, they are flaggy. 
The great Slit is the space be- 
tween the two Lips; it is call’d the 
great Slit, as being much larger 
than the entry of the Neck of the 
Womb. 
Upon seperating the Thighs, and 
drawing aside the two Lips, are dis- 
cover’d two soft and spungy Ex- 
crescences call’d Nymphœ; they re- 
semble the Thrills, that hang under 
a Cock’s Throat; and their Colour is 
red, like that of a Cock’s Comb; 
their Substance is partly fleshy, and 
partly membranous, consisting of the 
doubled, and the inner Skin of the 
Great Labia. The Nymphœ conduct 
forth the Urine; and of Virgins are 
so vigorous, that they discharge their 
Water with a Noise like hissing. 
Above the Nymphœ within the 
great Clest is situated Clitoris,
a 

(68)
a long round and glandulous Body. 
This is said to be the principal seat 
of Pleasure, being endow’d with an 
exquisite Sense. In the heat of En- 
joyment, it swells like unto a Mans 
Yard on an Erection, by vir- 
tue of the Blood and Spirits, that 
croud into it. For this reason it is 
call’d the Female Yard, and indeed, 
it appears like unto that of a Man
in many particulars. This is the 
part for Friction. 
There are two Cavernous Nerves 
coming from the Hip-bone, call’d 
the Legs of the Clitoris; and there 
are four Muscles in the Clitoris, two 
for Erection, and two for Ejacula- 
tion; the two first run from the 
Hip-bone under the Cavernous 
Nerves; and the two others call’d 
Pudendi, take their rise from the 
Sphincter of the Anus. These Mus- 
cles serve to straighten the Orifice 
of the Vagina. The Arteriœ Pu-
denda furnish the Clitoris with Blood, 
and the Veins of that Name 
carry

(69)
carry off the same Blood into the 
Cava. 
Under the Clitoris is the urinary 
Passage, larger and shorter than that 
of a Man, whereby Women send 
forth their Urine with the great- 
est violence and dispatch. This 
Passage is surrounded with a Sphin- 
cter, which is a Muscle that serves 
to confine, or give passage for the 
Urine at pleasure. 
Between the fleshy Fibres of the 
Urethra, and the Membrane of the 
Vagina, lie the Prostates, having se- 
veral Channels which terminate in 
the lower part of the Vulva, and 
thereby discharge a slimy matter, 
which mixes with the seed of the 
Male, in the time of Enjoyment. 
And between the two great La- 
bia, appear the four Caruncles call’d 
Myrtiformes from the resemblance 
they bear to Mirtle-berries, They 
are small fleshy Eminences surround- 
ing the small Slit, made of the fleshy 
Wrinkles of the Vagina, which ren-
der 

(70)
der the Passage so much the straighter. 
Their use is to heighten the mutual 
pleasure of Enjoyment, by clinging 
round and locking up the Yard; and 
to facilitate the egress of the Child 
by extension. They are reddish 
firm and high in Virgins, and join’d 
sideways to one another by small 
Membranes, which tie them toge- 
ther, and make them resemble a 
Rose-bud half blown: But in other 
Women they are seperated by the en- 
try of the Yard. 
The uniting of the Membranes of 
the Carunculœ Myrtiformes, straighten 
the Passage, and afford the true 
mark of Virginity, (if there be 
any such.) The pain of the first 
Adventure is owing to the forcing 
of the Passage through, and tearing 
off those small Membranes; and a 
Mans Inclinations being always 
heighten’d in the first: Nights Enjoy- 
ment, the pain to the Female is en- 
creas’d by his ardent struggles; her 
Virgin Sufferings augmenting with 
his


(71)
his affection; But in some Females 
the Caruncles are rang’d in such a 
manner, that the Yard may enter 
without violence, so that there is no 
certain Evidence of a Maiden-head. 
Some Anatomists mention a Mem- 
brane call’d Hymen, seated near the 
Caruncles in the Vagina, which con- 
tinues stretched over the Passage, ’till 
the approach of a Man rends it; 
and that this Hymen is a mark of 
Virginity; but this is more imagina- 
ry than proceeding from any Demon- 
stration. 
The Vagina is the neck of the 
Womb, a round Passage between 
the outer and inner Orifice, which 
receives the Yard like a Sheath. In 
Women that never bore Children, 
this Neck is about four Inches long, 
and an Inch and a half broad, but 
after Child-bearing, its capacity can- 
not be limited. It is nervous, and 
somewhat spungy, consisting of two 
Membranes; the Wrinkles of its 
inner Membrane empower it to pro- 
long,

(72)
long, dilate or contract, in order to 
fit the Yard, of any length or size, 
and to afford a Passage to the Fœtus. 
The Body and Neck of the Womb, 
make the Figure of a Bottle turn’d 
upside down, or rather a proud Flask. 
The inner Orifice of the Womb, 
is a perforation like the Head of a 
Man’s Yard; ’tis the beginning of 
a narrow Passage, which enlarges 
to afford a way for whatever enters 
or comes from the Womb; it opens 
to receive the Seed in the moment 
of Ejaculation; and upon Conception 
shuts close, and so continues till to- 
wards the last Month of the Wo- 
man’s Reckoning: It is compos’d of 
Membranes wrinkled and furl’d up, 
capable of diliating themselves to a 
great extent. This is the part which 
gives the Woman pain in Child 
Birth, the Orifice being small, and 
opening but gradually, pursuant to 
the Efforts of the Fœtus, which re- 
tards the Birth. After the Child is 
past,


(73)
past; this Orifice is lost, and the 
whole Womb is only one large Ca- 
vity reaching from the entry of its 
Neck to the bottom; but this is of 
very short duration, for these parts 
very soon contract themselves like 
an empty Purse, and resume their 
natural posture. The Action of this 
inner Orifice is purely natural. 
The Substance of the bottom of 
the Womb is Membranous, and a- 
bout a Fingers breadth thick, so that 
it dilates its self very commodiously: 
The inner Surface is interlac’d with 
a great many small Pores, and lit- 
tle Vessels which distil the menstrual 
Blood in Monthly Quanties. 
The Womb has Nerves, Arteries, 
and Veins, dispers’d. The Nerves 
give it a sense of Pleasure and Pain, 
and a sympathy with all parts of the 
Body: The Arteries and Veins are 
call’d the Spermatick and Hypoga- 
strick, and consist of an infinite number 
of Branches springing from all parts of 
the Womb, exporting the Blood to the
H Trunk 


(74)
Trunk of the Vena Cava: The Womb 
is sprinkled on all sides with Blood 
imported by the Arteries. These 
Arteries not only furnish the Womb 
with a proper Nourishment, but also 
pour in Blood upon the Placenta, 
in order to be sent through the Na- 
vel String to the Fœtus. When a 
Woman is not with Child, this Blood 
slips away thro’ the several Vessels 
into the Cavity of the Womb, and 
from thence it passes the Vagina 
every Month. In teeming Women 
thee Branches sometimes discharge 
Blood, when there is a greater 
quantity than is necessary for the 
Nourishment of the Child. 
The spermatick Artery divides 
it self into two Branches, one re- 
pairing to the Testicle, and the 
other to the Womb. It carries 
Blood in one of its Branches to the 
Testicle, in order to the secretion of 
Seed, and by the other Branch it 
furnishes the Womb with Blood for 
its Nourishment, and the superfluous 
Blood

(75)
Blood is carried back by two 
Branches of Veins, one from the 
Testicle, and the others from the 
Womb. 
The Testicles of a Woman are 
call’d Ovaria; and they differ in Si- 
tuation, Figure and Substance from 
those of Men. They are seated 
within the Ahdomen upon the sides 
of the bottom of the Womb. Some 
Writers are of opinion, that Nature 
plac’d the Testicles of Women 
within to heat the Seed and work 
it up to a degree of perfection: O- 
thers tell us, that the design of this 
Situation was to excite Women to 
Generation. The use of the Testi- 
cle is to filtrate the Seed and reserve 
it; and to perform at once the office 
of a Man’s Testicles. 
Their Figure is broad and flat, 
(seldom exceeding the Substance of 
a small Pigeons Egg) they are tied 
and held fast by some part of the 
Flag of the Trumpet; and they are 
knit to the spermatick Vessels, which 
H2 grow

(76)
grow larger after the Egg has taken 
Root in the Womb. For their Sub- 
stance, they are a collection of Vesi- 
cles, commonly took for Eggs. In 
the Ovarium of a Woman area Mil- 
lion of fine small Blood Vessels di- 
spers’d upon the Tunicles; and small 
unperceiveable Glandules, that strain 
out a white milky Liquor, which 
attains perfection in the cavity of 
these Vesicles, and then composes 
the matter of the Egg, which in- 
cludes the Sperm that contains the 
Fœtus. 
The more volatile part of the Seed 
of a Man passes through the Tubœ
to the Ovarium, in order to secundate 
the Eggs. The Tubœ are of the form 
of a Trumpet, which gives them 
their Name: They take rise from 
the bottom of the Womb, and their 
Orifice, which is continually open, 
is lac’d round with small Membranes 
like a Fringe, and is call’d the 
Devil’s-bit, or the Flag of the 
Trumpet. The office of the Tubœ,
is 


(77) 
is to facilitate the descent of the Egg 
into the Womb. The seminal Spi- 
rit puts the Tubœ in motion, whereby 
the jagged part embraces the Ova- 
rium, and the Egg fermented by the 
Spirits of the Seed, insensibly, disen- 
gages it self from the Ovarium, and 
breaking its Membrane, enters the 
Tubæ, in order to descend into the 
Cavity of the Womb: And in case 
of Twins, or where two or three 
Children are Born; they always 
spring from the like number of Eggs, 
disengag’d from the Ovarium at the 
same time. The extremities of the- 
Tubæ inserted into the bottom of the 
Womb are call’d the Horns. 
The Womb is cover’d with the 
Peritonœum; and a peculiar Mem- 
brane which lines the whole inside; 
and the bottom is generally smooth 
and even, but the Neck is always 
furl’d; The Ligaments are nothing else  
but Productions of the Peritonœum, 
which come from the Loins, and 
are inserted in the bottom of the 
H3 Womb 

(78)
Womb to prevent its falling down 
upon the Neck: They likewise keep 
the Womb from mounting too high: 
When these Ligaments are unbent, 
they resemble Bats Wings. 
There are several Lymphatick Ves- 
sels belonging to the Womb, which 
creep along its outer part, and after 
a reuniting into large parts, empty 
themselves into the Cistern of the 
Chyle. 
The Womb has a short Neck, di- 
stinguish’d by that Name from the 
Vagina; it is the Passage which 
reaches from the inner Orifice to the 
principal Cavity of the Womb: It is 
about an Inch long. 
In the Cavity of the Womb, the 
two Horns dilate themselves, and 
form particular Bags, each of which 
contains a Fœtus. This Cavity en- 
larges it self more or less in proportion 
to the bigness of the Fœtus, or the 
number of Children, as in case of 
Twins. 
The

(79) 
The Womb is seated in the lower 
part of the Hypogastrium, between 
the straight Gut and the Bladder. 
The Cavity where ’tis lodg’d, is 
call’d the Pelvis or Basin, and is 
larger in Women than in Men, so 
as to give the Womb liberty to di- 
stend it self upon Impregnation; it 
is tied fast at the bottom, and at the 
Neck. The Neck is knit before to 
the Bladder, and the Share-bone, and 
behind to the straight Gut and the 
Os Sacrum. The bottom is not tied 
so fast as the Neck, it requiring more 
liberty to move and dilate it self; but 
to prevent the shifting of its Seat, 
the Ligaments are equipp’d, being 
four in Number, two above, and 
two below. 
Having describ’d the Privities of 
Man and Woman: I come now to 
my dissertation upon the Generation 
of Man, and the more particular use 
and dimensions of the Parts employ’d 
therein. 
Of

(80)
Of the Generation of MAN. 
An Animal cannot be produc’d 
without a Couple, viz. a Male and 
a Female, each of which performs 
its part in the work of Generation. 
Their entring on this work is call’d 
Copulation, which is the joining of 
the Male to the Female: And both 
of them are equally transported with 
a furious and restless Passion, occa- 
sion’d by a mix’d motion of pleasure 
and pain in the Genitals, which 
strongly excites a desire for each 
other. 
As this Enjoyment is natural, there 
needs no Instruction; Instinct in all 
Animals directs the way of acting, 
that is most convenient for propa- 
gating their Species; And a Man, 
though brought up in never so great 
Ignorance, at his Age of Maturity 
naturally enclines to it, and needs 
no other Guide but the dictates of 
Na-

(81)
Nature to find out the center of 
Enjoyment. 
But if Nature had not planted 
in the Genitals a sense of extraordi- 
nary pleasure in the amorous En- 
gagement. Man would seldom give 
himself the trouble of Copulation; 
The cause of this pleasure some im- 
pute to the mixing of Spirits with 
the Seed, which give a pleasing tick- 
ling; and that this is encreas’d by 
the fineness and bending of the Ner- 
vous Fibres of the parts: Others are 
of opinion, that the Salt in the 
Seed, and the Spirits accompanying, 
prick the parts through which they 
pass and occasion such an agreeable 
Titillation: And some give this 
reason for the pleasure, that as in 
Eating we have an Enjoyment, 
which no part but the Tongue and 
Palate partake of; so in Copula- 
tion a peculiar pleasure a rises, of 
which the Generation Organs are 
only sensible; and that Animals are
mov'd 

(82)
mov’d to the Act of Generation, as 
they are to Eating. 
The tickling Pleasure which af- 
fects Women, proceeds from the E- 
motion, that is excited when the Seed 
disengages it self from the Testicle, 
and passes through the Cavities of 
the ejaculatory Vessels, in order to 
be darted into the Womb. When a 
Woman is not with Child, the Seed 
is thrown into the Womb by the 
shortest Vessel, and when she is preg- 
nant, the Seed is thrown into the 
Neck of the Womb by the longest 
Branch: And for this reason, big- 
belly’d Women are more passionately 
fond of Embraces than others; for 
the Seed spending more time in its 
intricate Passage, raises a more tran- 
sporting and lasting Titillation. 
In respect to the Parts of a Man 
employ’d in the work of Generation, 
the Yard when lank cannot go a- 
bout it; and it may be so stiff, as 
not to be proper: And sometimes 
the erection of the Yard is so strong, 
that

(83)
that it is always bent: A large Yard 
does not stand so readily, as a small 
one: and when it does it cannot 
subsist so long, by reason it requires 
more Blood to fill it; and when full, 
it is heavier, and consequently apt 
to fall in a veiy little time: And the 
business of Generation suffers no al- 
teration from the shortness or length 
of the Yard within the Neck of the 
Womb; for the office of the two 
round Ligaments, is to enforce the 
bottom of the Womb to approach 
the head of the Yard, in order to re- 
ceive the Seed in time of Ejaculation: 
But ’tis as difficult a matter to per- 
swade some Lascivious Females, that 
a Yard of small Dimensions is equally 
useful and pleasurable to one of a 
considerable Longitude and Circum- 
ference, as it is to perswade a Club 
of Ravenous Stomachs, that a thin 
shrivell’d Shoulder of Mutton is of 
equal Goodness with a Haunch of 
well-fed Venison. 
The


(84) 
The parts of Women frequently 
differ in their Extent and Furniture; 
a great many Husbands are such 
Fools, as to covet difficulty in their 
first Approaches; and to measure the 
Virtue of their Wives, by the labour 
of their consummating Attack; not 
considering Nature has so order’d, 
that the Privy Parts are in the same 
Condition with the Mouth and the 
Eyes; some are little, and others are 
large; so that those who have natu- 
rally the larger size, may be unjustly 
charg’d with Lewdness; and on the 
other hand, those, who by the na- 
tural disposition of the Parts are 
straighter, may after Copulation be re- 
puted Virgins. A Little Woman may 
have a large Mouth, &c. and a large 
Woman a little one, whereby the 
lesser Person may have the more ca- 
pacious Privities: And the same rule 
may be observ’d in Men, in respect 
to the Nose, which seems to have 
equal Authority in determining the 
Dimensions nature has provided in 
the

(85)
the Male, as the Mouth or Eyes in 
the Female. 
Nature does not always observe 
an exact rule of Symmetry, the vi- 
sible Limbs and Parts are often- 
times disproportion’d; we frequent- 
ly see a large personable Man, sup- 
ported with slender Legs, and a 
Dwarf equip’d with large nervous 
Calves; and the same want of pro- 
portion is certainly to be found in 
the Privities. 
I have known a wanton Female 
marry a Person of an extraordinary 
Stature, in expectation of a large 
Pleasure, with Sorrow confess she 
was greatly mistaken. And as a 
strong Soil does not constantly afford 
the most plentiful Crop of productive 
Grain; so the Privy Parts of a robust 
Person, are not always stock’d with 
the greatest quantity of surrounding 
Ornaments. 
But to return to the Privy Parts 
of Women; in some extraordinary 
cases, the Lips of the Matrix, may 
I be 


(86)
be so closely join’d, that a Yard of 
the smallest Size, cannot possibly 
enter (when they are to be artfully 
seperated by a Surgeon:) And in 
other Females the Passage is so 
wide, that the largest Member will 
make its way without the least di- 
fficulty: And I at this time know 
a Gentleman very well provided in 
the parts of Generation (beyond 
what is common) that has had three 
Wives, all of them of unspotted Re- 
putations, and the oldest not above 
Nineteen; who affirms that the 
Nights of consummation with each 
of his Spouses; he was in quite to 
the Testicles in his first penetrating 
attempt. 
The same Gentleman has declar’d, 
that in his Youth, when his Curiosi- 
ty led him to the utmost variety; 
he has sometimes met with a Lady 
of Pleasure, whose Parts must be 
suppos'd to be extented to the ut-
most latitude of Nature, and to 
which upon Examination, no binding 
Prepa-

(87)
Preparations had been applied; that 
he could not possibly enter in the 
most encountering Embrace, which 
sufficiently shews the incertainty of 
Nature, and the difficulty attending 
the proof of Virginity. And this 
Gentleman is of the same Opinion 
with many others, that a narrow en- 
trance to the Privy Parts of a Fe- 
male, very much impedes a mutual 
Enjoyment. 
Thus much for the Dimensions of 
the Privities: I now proceed to Ge- 
neration. When the Fancy warm'd 
with an Idea of Pleasure, occasions a 
diffusion of the Animal Juice, of Com 
sequence ensues Erection: An Ere- 
ction being effected, and the Yard 
lodg’d in the Neck of the Womb; 
the Seed taking leave of the seminal 
Vesicles, passes through the Ejacu- 
tory Vessels, and enters the Urethra; 
from whence ’tis squirted out with a 
Jirk, by vertue of the Convulsions 
that then seize the Yard: And as 
Ejaculation the last point of the 
I2 Man's

(88)
Man’s Action, is the critical mo- 
ment of pleasure, so ’tis the principal 
aim, he has in View, and all the 
Circumstances that usher it in, have 
an eye upon that Instant: The san- 
guine Person is the most amorous, 
and produces the greatest quantity of 
laudable Seed. 
The Seed of a Man being syring’d 
into the Privy Parts of a Woman 
by the Yard, it repairs to the bot- 
tom of the Womb, and its inner 
Orifice shuts it self close: ‘ After 
‘ which the Seed being embrac’d 
‘ and press’d by the Womb, all its 
‘ Particles begin to take their re- 
‘ spective Posts; the subtilest con- 
‘ tinue in the Center, and conse- 
‘ quently the grosser and superfluous 
‘ Parts are thrust towards the Sur- 
‘ face, where they produce the Af- 
‘ ter-birth, the Navel-string, and the 
‘ Membranes, in which the Fœtus 
‘ is wrapt. In the mean time all the 
‘ Particles calculated for forming the
‘ different 

(89)
‘ different parts of the Body, dis- 
‘ engage themselves by the force of 
‘ their motion, and either part or 
‘ join according to their mutual Dis- 
‘ parity or Conformity; so that those 
‘ design’d for the head Assemble 
‘ in the place where they ought to 
‘ be; and those for the rest of the 
‘ Body do the like: And at the same 
‘ time among those calculated for the 
‘ Head, the Particles qualify’d for 
‘ forming the Eyes, Ears, &c. ren- 
‘ dezvous in their proper places: The 
‘ same may be said of the Particles 
‘ of which the Bread, Belly, and 
‘ Limbs are compos’d. The Form, 
‘ Structure, Order and Connection of 
‘ all these parts, depends chiefly up- 
‘ on the Spirit enclos’d within the 
‘ Seed; which by the meet necessity 
‘ of its Motions, and without any 
‘ Knowledge or Understanding, un- 
‘ ravels the Chaos where the Parti- 
‘ cles lay confus’d, and ranks them 
‘ in the same Order, that they had 
‘ when lodg’d in the Body of the Ani- 
I3 ‘ mal,

(90)
‘ mals, from which they sprung. The 
‘ parts of the Fœtus being thus form’d, 
‘ the subtilest part of the Spirit conti- 
‘ nues in the Center of the new-form’d 
‘ Body, i. e. the Heart; and there 
‘ makes a sort of Fire without Light 
‘ (being the natural Heat that gives 
‘ Life) which is fed by the circular 
‘ motion of the Blood that passes 
‘ there incessantly. This is the most 
probable Idea of forming the Fœ- 
tus, and what passes in the Womb, 
that is given by any Ancient or 
Modern Writers. 
Some are of Opinion, that the 
Fœtus is form’d of a mixture of the 
Male and Female Seed; and that 
these two Seeds impregnated with 
the Spirit of Life, are the agent and 
matter of Generation. Some alledge 
that the Male Seed is sufficient of 
it self to form a Fœtus; and that the 
Woman only gives it a lodging, and 
furnishes the necessary Blood for its 
nourishment in the Womb: The 
Male being in this sense, look’d upon
as 

(91)
as an accomplish’d and perfect piece 
of Work, and the Female only a 
fertile Ground, which produces good 
Seed where the Labourer sows it 
well: And others are of opinion, 
that the Woman’s Seed contains the 
first, and the true Model of the 
Fœtus; there being small seminal 
Vesicles in the Testicles of a Woman, 
call’d the Eggs; which contain with- 
in themselves, all that is necessary 
to give the Fœtus a Being. 
But the most common and rational 
Opinion is, that of the Fœtus being 
form’d by the mixing of the two Seeds 
in the Womb; that Man and Woman 
are equally perfect; and that both of 
them being furnish’d with Testicles, 
which make a secretion of Seed, 
both of them must supply; and a 
Woman cannot be got with Child, 
unless she and the Man ejaculate 
their Seed at the same time. 
Those enclining to believe, that 
the Male Seed is sufficient of it self 
to form a Fœtus, plead that the Seed 
of

(92) 
of a Man differs vastly from that of 
a Woman: That the former is white, 
and of a thick consistence, compos’d 
of all the parts that are capable to 
form a Body; and that the latter is 
only a sharp and yellowish serosity, 
which cannot contribute any thing 
towards the form of the Fœtus. But 
this is esteem’d by other Persons a 
groundless fancy; for the Structure 
of a Womans Testicle is more admi- 
rable than that of a Man, which 
shews that the Seed separated by it, 
is of considerable use: And several 
Children have their Mothers Fea- 
tures and Humour, which demon- 
strates that the Father, to whom 
they oftentimes bear no resemblance, 
does not furnish all himself. 
Those Persons who pretend that 
the Womans Seed contains the first, 
and the true Model of the Fœtus. 
Compare the Female Testicles to a 
bunch of Grapes, or a Bee-hive; con- 
sisting of Vesicles, each of which 
contains a little Animal, almost com- 
pleated

(93)
pleated in all its Parts, after the same 
manner as the Egg of a Fowl: And 
that Man’s Seed contributes to Gene- 
ration, no otherwise than as it ani- 
mates the Egg: But the Opinion 
which is generally receiv’d, is that 
both the Male and the Female Seed 
contain such Particles, as are quali- 
fy’d to form a Body and a Spirit ca- 
pable of all the Motions perform’d 
by the Animal, from which they 
have Being; and that Generation de- 
pends upon an exact mixture of the 
two Seeds. 
The Opinions relating to the mat- 
ter whereof the Seed is compos’d, are 
no less various than those of the form- 
ing of the Fœtus; some Anatomists 
say, ’tis prepar’d by the concoction 
and conversion of Blood, effected in 
this manner. The Blood imported 
to the Testicles by four spermatick 
Vessels, two Arteries and two Veins: 
The Vein and Artery of the same 
side, having a mutual Communica- 
tion, blend the arterious and venous 
Blood


(94) 
Blood together; and this mixture 
of arterious and venous Blood boyl 
and convert into Seed by the pecu- 
liar faculty and virtue of the Organs 
of the Testicles: This was the Opi- 
nion of the Antients. 
Others say, that the Seed is a Juice 
imported by the Nerves to the Or- 
gans of Generation; and that it di- 
stills from the Brain to the Privities; 
that in the time of Ejaculation one 
may feel it trickling along the Spina 
of the Back; that when the Ad- 
venture is over, the Animal is feeble 
and dejected through the great Dissi- 
pation of the Spirits that are hur- 
ry’d along with the Seed; and that 
the Seed is of the same colour with 
the animal juice of the Nerves. 
Other Anatomists tell ye the Seed 
is compos’d of an infinity of little 
Animals, which they call seminary; 
that these swim and flutter about in 
the Liquor, and may be easily dis- 
cover’d with a Miscroscope; that 
these seminal Animals are so many
Seeds 

(95)
Seeds of Men, which being convey’d 
to the Ovarium, strike at the first Egg 
they meet with; upon which one of 
them perforates the Membrane, or 
gets into the Egg by a suppos’d Ori- 
fice, and presently shuts it self up, 
leaving the rest to perish without 
Doors, unless some of them have the 
good Fortune to slip into another 
Egg. The Animal that enters the 
Egg, serves for Sperm, which by 
swelling it up, prompts it to disen- 
gage it self from the Ovarium, and 
tumble into the Tuba, which con- 
ducts it to the Womb. 
But the most substantial reasons 
given for the composure of the Seed 
are grounded upon Circulation, that 
the seminal Particles are separated 
and filtrated from the Blood by the 
Testicles; and Anatomists acquainted 
with the Structure of the Testicles, 
say, that the Seed is produc’d by a 
continual Filtration of several Par- 
ticles, which being gather’d into a
Body,

(96)
Body, make a Liquor that is qualify’d 
for the forming of a Man, 
Mr. Lamy in his Anatomical Dis- 
courses, says, that the same necessity 
which obliges Plants after a set period 
of time to put forth the Seeds which 
give being to others, does likewise 
influence Animals at a certain Age 
to produce prolifick Seed, which he 
explains thus: The moisture of In- 
fancy being consum’d by the over- 
powering Heat, the Blood is crouded 
with a greater number of Corpuscu- 
lums qualified to nourish the Parts 
and repair their Losses, than there is 
occasion for; so that a great number 
of these nutritious Particles meeting 
with no reception in the respective 
Parts, return along with the Blood. 
The Head sends back such Particles 
as are proper for recemposing all the 
different Parts it is made of; and so 
do the other parts. Now all these 
various sorts of Particles being mix’d 
with the Blood, are strain’d through 
the Testicles; after which they rally
and

(97)
and compose a Humour which is the 
sensible and corporeal part of the 
Seed of Man. 
Seed is a very sweet Liquor when 
’tis in a regular State, but when 
’tis long under confinement, it turns 
perfectly sower, and causes very per- 
nicious effects in both Male and Fe- 
male. Men are harsher in their 
Tempers, and frequently attack’d 
with Vapours to a degree; and Wo- 
men are thrown into a deplorable 
Condition, which will find no abso- 
lute Cure, till the stagnating Seed is 
evacuated by Marriage: The Seed 
mixing with the Blood breaks it Tex- 
ture and changes its Consistence; so 
that by rendring it more serous, li- 
quid and cold, and by flattening the 
Redness of the Blood, it makes the co- 
lour of the Skin less lively; and at length 
occasions the Virgins Distemper. 
Monsieur DIONIS is of opinion, 
that most of the Nuns and other 
Girls that are taken to be possess’d 
with Devils, were subject to Va-
K pours 

(98)
pours only when they acted the 
awkard extravagancies that History 
is full of. And I have been inform’d 
by the learned Dr. C—n, and other 
eminent Physicians, that Vapours 
will so powerfully prevail in some 
Young Females, by a stagnation of 
the Seed, that they are oblig’d to 
prescribe extraordinary Remedies, 
and sometimes Friction to procure 
relief; and to prevent Convulsions, 
irregular Imaginations, &c. which 
would otherwise ensue, if not a per- 
fect Lunacy for a time. 
An early Marriage is the most 
effectual Preservative against the nu- 
merous Disorders proceeding from 
quantities of Seed unnaturally con- 
fin’d; and will render a perfect 
Health and Tranquility; unless it be 
in the case of Impotency; or in some 
Countries where a Man by tying a 
Knot upon his Codpiece, when the 
Priest pronounces such and such 
Words on the day of Marriage; 
lays claim to a right of preventing
its 

(99) 
its Consummation: But if a Man 
cannot consummate his Marriage, 
you’ll always find it proceed from 
a natural Cause; and that the De- 
vil has no hand in it. 
To conclude my Subject of Gene- 
ration, and the Parts employ’d there- 
in: I shall here insert an Observa- 
tion of St. Augustin. The Instru- 
ments of Generation (says he) 
are a call’d Pudenda, because they 
speak our Shame in this, that he who 
commands all the other Parts, cannot 
reduce these to Obedience, 
FINIS.