54 Natural Magick.

who had a great desire to be the njother of a fair Son, that heard of it, a nd put: lein practi e; for she procured a white boy carved of maible, 'well proportioned eve-ry wayjand him she had always before her eyessfor such a Sen it was that she muchdesired. And when she lay with her Husband, and likewise afterwar , when shewas with child, still she would look upon that image, and her eyes and heartwere continually fixed upon it: whereby it came to paste, that when her breedingtime was expired . she brought forth a Son very like in all points, to that marbleimage, but especially in colour, being as pale and as white, as if he had been verymarble indeed. And thus the truth of this experiment was manifestly proved. Ma-ny other women have put the like course in practise, and their skill hath not failedthem. Opptamu mentions this kind of practise, that it is usual amongst the Lace-dæmonians: for they, faith he, when they perceive that their wives are breedingyoung bones, hang up fine pictures, and place goodly images in their sight; some,ot the most beautiful and handsome young men that ever mankind afforded , asof Nireui, N^rci/taj tnd valiant Hyacinths, and of other young lusty gallants thatwere most comely and beautiful in face, and very sightly fpr all the parts of theirbody; and some, of such excellent gods as was Apollo crowned with a garl»»d offresh coloured Bay, and Evan that had a Diadem of Vine-leaves about his head,andgoodly hair hanging down under it: and this they did, that while their Wivesstood gazing continually upon such brave pictures, and comely portraitures, theymight breed and bring forth children of the fame comli»este and beauty.

Chap. XXI.

How we may procure either males or females to be generated.

JUMpedocles was of opinion, That males or females were generated according to■the heat or cold that was in them • and thence it is, faith he, that the first malesare reported to have been generated in the Eastern and Southern parts of the earth,but the first females in the Northern parts. But Parmenides quite contrary affirm-ed, That males were especially generated towards the North, as having in themmore solidity and chickntffe . and females especially towards the South, as bein®mere loote and open, according to the disposition of the place. Hipponax held.That miles and females are generated, according as the feed is either strong and so-lid, or fluid, weak and feeble, Jnaxagortu writes, that the seed which isluethout of the right parts of the body, is derived into the tight parts of the wornhe;and likewise that which istueth out of the left parts of the body, falleth into theleft parts of tbewombe: but if they change courses, and the right seed fall intothe left cell or receit in the wombe, or the left seed into the right cell, then it ge-nerates a female. Lcucippw field, That there was co cause either in the seed orheat, or solidity, or place, that they should be different sexes, but only as it pleasesnature to mark the young ones with different genitories, that the male hath a yard,and the female a wombe. Democrittu affirms, that either sex in every part proceedsindifferently from either parent ; but the young one takes in sex after thac parentwhich was most prevalent in that generation. Hipponax faith, if the feed whereofthe young is begotten, prevail most, then it is a male; but if the nourishmentwhich it receives in the breeding, prevail more then the seed, then it is a female.But all Physitians with ohe consent affirm, that the right side hath most heat in it;wherefore if the woman receive and retain the generative seed in the right side ofher wombe; then that which she conceives, is a male ; hut if in the left side, it is afemase. The experience whereof may be evidently seen in such living Creaturesas bring forth many at one burthen : for if ycu cut open a Sow that is great withPig, you shall find the Boar-pigs lying in the right side, and the Sow*pigs in the leftside of her wombe.' And hence it is, that Physitians counsel women, as soon asthey have taken in mans seed, to turn them presently on their right side. And henceit is, tbat-if you knit up a Rams right stone, he begets Ewe-lambs only, as Pliny wri-tech. A Bull, as soon as he hath rid a Cow, gives evident signs to any man to con-jecture