Chapter VII: Preface (1)

Lest any inquisitive Reader should puzzle his Brains to find out why this _Foundling_ is thus clandestinely dropt at his Door, let it suffice him, that the _Midwife_ of a Printer was unwilling to help bring it into the World, but upon that Condition, or a much harder, that of my openly _Fathering_ it. I could make many other reasonable Apologies, if requisite: For, besides my having follow’d the modest Example of several other pious _Authors_, such as that of Εικων Βασιλικη, of the _Whole Duty of Man_, &c. who have studied rather their Country’s Publick Good, than their own Private Fame; I think, I have also play’d the Politick Part: for should my _Off-spring_ be defective, why let it fall upon the Parish. On the other hand, if accidentally it prove hopeful, ’tis certain I need be at no further Trouble. There will then be _Parents_ enough ready to own the _Babe_, and take it upon themselves. Adoption amongst the _Machiavellian_ Laws of the _Muses_ is strictly kept up, and every day put in Practice: How few of our now bright _Noblemen_ would otherwise have _Wit_? How many of our present thriving _Poets_ would else want a _Dinner_? ’Tis a vulgar Error to imagine Men live upon their own Wits, when generally it is upon others Follies; a Fund that carries by much the best Interest, and is by far upon the most certain Security of any: The _Exchequer_ has been shut up, the _Bank_ has stopt Payment, _South-Sea_ has been demolish’d, but _White’s_ was never known to fail; and indeed how should it, when almost every Wind blows to _Dover_, or _Holyhead_, some fresh _Proprietor_ amply qualified with sufficient _Stock_.

I am in some pain for the Event of this _Scheme_, hoping the _Wicked_ will find it too Grave, and fearing the _Godly_ will scarce venture beyond the Title-Page: And should they, _even_, I know they’ll object, ’tis here and there interwoven with too ludicrous Expressions, not considering that a dry Argument has occasion for the larding of Gaiety to make it the better relish and go down. Besides, finding by the exact Account tack’d to that most edifying _Anti-Heidegger_ Discourse,[6] that eighty six Thousand Offenders have been lately punish’d, and that four hundred Thousand religious Books have been distributed about _Gratis_ (not to mention the numberless Three-penny Jobs daily publish’d to no Ends, or Purpose, but the _Author_’s;) I say, finding all these Measures have been taken, and that Lewdness still so much prevails, I thought it highly proper to try this Experiment, being fully convinc’d that opposite Methods often take place. Own, _Preferment-Hunter_! when sailing on with the Tide avails nothing, does not tacking about steer you sometimes into that snug Harbour, an Employment? Speak _Hibernian Stallion_! when a meek fawning Adoration turns to no Account, does not a pert assuming Arrogance frequently forward, nay, gain the critical Minute? And say, [7] _Mesobin!_ where a Purge fails, is not a Vomit an infallible _Recipe_ for a Looseness?

[6] The Bp. of _L----n_’s Sermon against Masquerades.

[7] An able Member of the College of Physicians.

To conclude; when my Arguments are impartially examin’d, I doubt not but my Readers will join with me, that as long as it is the Nature of Man (and _Naturam expellas furca licet usque recurret_) to have a Salt _Itch_ in the Breeches, the _Brimstone_ under the Petticoat will be a necessary Remedy to _lay_ it; and let him be ever so sly in the Application, it will still be found out: What avails it then to affect to conceal that which cannot be concealed, and that which if carried on openly and above-board, would become only less detrimental, and of consequence more justifiable?

Be the Success of this Treatise as it happens, the Good of Mankind is my only Aim; nor am I less hearty or zealous in the Publick Welfare of my Country, than that Noble Pattern of Sincerity, Bishop _B----t_, who finishes his Preface with the following Paragraph. _And now, O my G--, the G-- of my Life, and of all my Mercies, I offer this Work to Thee, to whose Honour it is chiefly intended; that thereby I may awaken the World to just Reflections on their own Errors and Follies, and call on them to acknowledge thy Providence, to adore it, and ever to depend on it._

A

_Modest Defence, &c._

There is nothing more idle, or shows a greater Affectation of Wit, than the modern Custom of treating the most grave Subjects with Burlesque and Ridicule. The present Subject of _Whoring_, was I dispos’d, would furnish me sufficiently in this kind, and might possibly, if so handled, excite Mirth in those who are only capable of such low Impressions. But, as the chief Design of this Treatise is to promote the general Welfare and Happiness of Mankind, I hope to be excus’d, if I make no farther Attempts to please, than are consistent with that Design. The Practice of _Whoring_ has, of late Years, become so universal, and its Effects so prejudicial to Mankind, that several Attempts have been made to put a Stop to it; and a certain _Society_ of Worthy _Gentlemen_ have undertaken that Affair with a Zeal truly commendable, tho’ the Success does but too plainly make it appear, that they were mistaken in their Measures, and had not rightly consider’d the Nature of this Evil, which we are all equally sollicitous to prevent, however we may differ in our Opinions as to the Manner. And tho’ the Method I intend to propose, of erecting _Publick Stews_ for that purpose, may seem at first sight somewhat ludicrous, I shall, nevertheless, make it appear to be the only Means we have now left for redressing this Grievance. As this Redress is the whole Scope and Design of this Treatise, I hope to be acquitted of my Design, when I have prov’d the following Propositions: That _publick Whoring_ is neither so criminal in itself, nor so detrimental to the _Society_, as _private Whoring_; and that the encouraging of _publick Whoring_, by erecting _Stews_, will not only prevent most of the ill Consequences of this Vice, but even lessen the _Practice_ of _Whoring_ in general, and reduce it to the narrowest Bounds which it can possibly be contain’d in. But before we proceed, it is requisite that we examine what those mischievous Effects are which _Whoring_ naturally produces, that we may the better judge whether or no they will be prevented by this Scheme.

The greatest Evil that attends this Vice, or could well befall Mankind, is the Propagation of that infectious Disease, called the _French-Pox_, which in two Centuries, has made such incredible Havock all over _Europe_. In these Kingdoms it so seldom fails to attend _Whoring_, now-a-days mistaken for _Gallantry_ and _Politeness_, that a hale, robust Constitution is esteem’d a Mark of Ungentility; and a healthy young Fellow is look’d upon with the same View, as if he had spent his Life in a Cottage. Our Gentlemen of the Army, whose unsettled way of Life makes it inconvenient for them to marry, are hereby very much weaken’d and enervated, and render’d unfit to undergo such Hardships as are necessary for defending and supporting the Honour of their Country: And our Gentry in general seem to distinguish themselves by an ill State of Health, in all probability the Effect of this pernicious Distemper: for the Secrecy which most People are obliged to in this Disease, makes the Cure of it often ineffectual; and tho’ the Infection itself may possibly be remov’d, yet for want of taking proper Methods, it generally leaves such an ill Habit of Body as is not easily recover’d. ’Tis to this we seem to owe the Rise of that Distemper, the _King’s-Evil_, never known till the _French Disease_ began to prevail here. But what makes this Mischief the more intolerable, is, that the Innocent must suffer by it as well as the Guilty; Men give it to their Wives, Women to their Husbands, or perhaps their Children; they to their Nurses, and the Nurses again to other Children; so that no Age, Sex, or Condition can be intirely safe from the Infection.

Another ill Effect of this Vice, is, its making People profuse, and tempting them to live beyond what their Circumstances will admit of; for if once Men suffer their Minds to be led astray by this unruly Passion, no worldly Consideration whatever will be able to stop it; and Wenching as it is very expensive in itself, without the ordinary Charges of Physic or Children, often leads Men into a thousand other Vices to support its Extravagance: Besides, after the Mind has once got this extravagant Turn, there naturally follows a Neglect and Contempt of Business; and Whoring of itself disposes the Mind to such a sort of Indolence, as is quite inconsistent with Industry, the main Support of any, especially a trading, Nation.

The murdering of Bastard Infants is another Consequence of this Vice, by much worse than the Vice itself: and tho’ the Law is justly severe in this Particular, as rightly judging that a Mind capable of divesting itself so intirely of Humanity, is not fit to live in a civiliz’d Nation: yet there are so many ways of evading it, either by destroying the Infants before their Birth, or suffering them afterwards to die by wilful Neglect, that there appears but little Hope of putting any Stop to this Practice, which, besides the Barbarity of it, tends very much to dispeople the Country. And since the Prosperity of any Country is allow’d to depend, in a great measure, on the Number of its Inhabitants, the _Government_ ought, if it were possible, to prevent any Whoring at all, as it evidently hinders the Propagation of the Species: How many thousand young Men in this Nation would turn their Thoughts towards Matrimony, if they were not constantly destroying that Passion, which is the only Foundation of it? And tho’ most of them, sooner or later, find the Inconvenience of this irregular Life, and think fit to confine themselves to One, yet their Bodies are so much enervated, by the untimely or immoderate Increase of this Passion, together with the Relics of Venereal Cures, that they beget a most wretched, feeble, and sickly Offspring: We can attribute it to nothing else but this, that so many of our ancient Families of Nobles are of late extinct.

There is one thing more we ought to consider in this Vice, and that is the Injury it does to particular Persons and Families; either by alienating the Affections of Wives from their Husbands, which often proves prejudicial to both, and sometimes fatal to whole Families; or else by debauching the Minds of young Women, to their utter Ruin and Destruction: for the Reproach they must undergo, when a Slip of this nature is discover’d, prevents their marrying in any Degree suitable to their Fortune, and by degrees hardens them to all Sense of Shame; and when they have once overcome that, the present View of Interest as well as Pleasure, sways them to continue in the same Course, till at length they become common Prostitutes.

These are the several bad Effects of Whoring; and it is an unhappy Thing, that a Practice so universal as this is, and always will be, should be attended with such mischievous Consequences: But since few or none of them are the necessary Effects of Whoring, consider’d in itself, but only proceed from the Abuse and ill Management of it; our Business is certainly to regulate this Affair in such sort as may best prevent these Mischiefs. And I must here beg pardon of those worthy _Gentlemen_ of the _Society_, if I can’t conceive how the Discouragement they have given, or rather attempted to give, to publick Whoring, could possibly have the desired Effect. If this was a Vice acquired by Habit or Custom, or depended upon Education, as most other Vices, there might be some Hopes of suppressing it; and then it would, no doubt, be commendable to attack it, without Distinction, in whatever Form or Disguise it should appear: But alas! this violent Love for Women is born and bred with us; nay, it is absolutely necessary to our being born at all: And however some People may pretend, that unlawful Enjoyment is contrary to the Law of _Nature_, this is certain, that Nature never fails to furnish us largely with this Passion, tho’ she is often sparing to bestow upon us such a Portion of Reason and Reflection as is necessary to curb it.

That long Course of Experience which most of these _Gentlemen_ have had in the World, and which is of so great Use in other Cases, may probably occasion their Mistake in this; for Age is very liable to forget the violence of youthful Passions, and, consequently, apt to think them easier curb’d: whereas if we consider the true Source of Whoring, and the strong Impulse of Nature that way, we shall find, it is a Thing not to be too violently restrain’d; lest, like a Stream diverted out of its proper Channel, it should break in and overflow the neighbouring _Inclosures_.

History affords us several Instances of this Truth; I shall mention but one, and that is of Pope _Sixtus_ the Fifth, who was so strictly severe in the Execution of Justice, if such Severity may be call’d Justice, and particularly, against Offenders of this kind, that he condemned a young Man to the Galleys, only for snatching a Kiss of a Damsel in the Street: yet notwithstanding this his _Holiness_’s Zeal, he never attempted once to extirpate Whoring intirely: But like a true _Pastor_ separated the clean Sheep from the unclean, and confin’d all the Courtezans to one Quarter of the City. It is true, he did attempt to moderate this Vice, and banish’d as many Courtezans as he thought exceeded the necessary Number; but he was soon convinc’d of the Error of his Computation, for _Sodomy_, and a thousand other unnatural Vices sprung up, which forc’d him soon to recal them, and has left us a remarkable Instance of the Vanity of such Attempts.

Let us now proceed to the Proof of our Proposition, in the first Part of which, it was asserted, That publick Whoring is neither so Criminal in itself, nor so Detrimental to the _Society_, as private Whoring.

Publick Whoring consists in lying with a certain Set of Women, who have shook off all Pretence to Modesty; and for such a Sum of Money, more or less, profess themselves always in a Readiness to be enjoy’d. The Mischief a Man does in this Case is intirely to himself; for with respect to the Woman, he does a laudable Action, in furnishing her with the Means of Subsistence, in the only, or at least most innocent way that she is capable of procuring it. The Damage he does to himself, is either with regard to his Health, or the Expence of Money, and may be consider’d under the same View as Drinking, with this considerable Advantage, that it restores us to that cool Exercise of our Reason, which Drinking tends to deprive us of. Indeed was there a Probability of a Woman’s Amendment, and of her gaining a Livelihood by some honester Method, there might be some Crime in encouraging her to follow such a Profession: But the Minds of Women are observ’d to be so much corrupted by the Loss of Chastity, or rather by the Reproach they suffer upon that Loss, that they seldom or never change that Course of Life for the better; and if they should, they can never recover that good Name, which is so absolutely necessary to their getting a Maintenance in any honest Way whatever; and that nothing but meer Necessity obliges them to continue in that Course, is plain from this, That they themselves in Reality utterly abhor it: And indeed there appears nothing in it so very alluring and bewitching, especially to People who have that Inclination to Lewdness intirely extinguish’d, which is the only thing could possibly make it supportable,

The other Branch of Whoring, viz. _Private_, is of much worse Consequence; and a Man’s Crime in this Case increases in proportion to the different Degree of Mischief done, if you consider his Crime with regard to the _Society_; for as to personal Guilt, Allowance ought to be made for the Increase of Temptation, which is very considerable in the Case of debauching _Married Women_; upon account of the Safety to the Aggressor, either with Respect to his Health, or the Charge, and, if that affects him, the Scandal of having a Bastard. On the other hand, the Injury done, is very considerable, as such an Action tends to corrupt a Woman’s Mind, and destroy that mutual Love and Affection between Man and Wife, which is so necessary to both their Happiness. Besides, the Risque run of a Discovery, which at least ruins a Woman’s Reputation, and destroys the Husband’s Quiet; nay, where Virtue does not intirely give way, if it warps but ever so little, the Consequence is shockingly fatal: for tho’ the good Man, suspicious of the Wife’s Chastity, the Wife of the Gallant’s Constancy, and the Gallant of the Husband’s Watchfulness, by being a Check upon each other, may keep the Gate of Virtue shut; yet then even all Parties must be attended with a never-ceasing Misery, nor to be imagin’d, but by those who too fatally _feel it_.

The Crime of debauching young _Virgins_ will appear much greater, if we consider that there is much more Mischief done, and the Temptation to do it much lessen’d by the fear of getting Children; which, in most Circumstances of Life, does a Man a deal of Prejudice, and keeps at least three Parts in four of our sober Youth from gratifying this violent Passion. Besides, the Methods that are necessary to be taken, before a Man can have such an Action in his Power, are in themselves Criminal; and it shows a certain Baseness of Mind to persuade a Woman, by a thousand solemn Vows and Protestations, into such a good Opinion of you, and Assurance of your Love to her, that she trusts you with all that is dear and near to her; and this with no other View but the Gratification of a present Passion, which might be otherwise vented, than at the certain Expence of her Ruin, and putting her under the Necessity of leading the Life of a _Publick Courtezan_.

From this general Consideration of Whoring, it is evident, that tho’ all the several Species of it proceed from the same Cause, our natural Love and Passion for Women, yet they are very different in their Natures, and fully as distinct Crimes as those which proceed from our Love to Money, such as Murder, Shoplifting, _&c._ And I hope I have said enough to prove, that the Publick Part of it is by far the least Criminal, and least Detrimental to the _Society_; which of itself is a sufficient Motive for the _Legislature_ to confine it to that Channel. I shall now proceed farther, and show, as I before propos’d, that the encouraging of Publick Whoring, will not only prevent most of the mischievous Effects of this Vice, but even lessen the Practice of Whoring in general, and reduce it to the narrowest Bounds which it can possibly be contain’d in.

When I talk’d of encouraging publick Whoring, I would be understood to mean, not only the erecting _Publick Stews_, as I at first hinted, but also the endowing them with such Privileges and Immunities, and at the same time giving such Discouragement to private Whoring, as may be most effectual to turn the general Stream of Lewdness into this common Channel.

I shall here lay down a Plan for this Purpose, which, tho’ it may well serve to illustrate this Point, and make good the Proof of my present Argument, would doubtless receive infinite Improvement by coming through the Hands of a _National Senate_, whose august Body, being compos’d of _Spirituals_ as well as _Temporals_, will, I hope, take into Consideration this Important Affair, which so nearly concerns both.

The Plan I would propose, is this: Let a hundred or more Houses be provided in some convenient Quarter of the City, and proportionably in every Country-Town, sufficient to contain two thousand Women: If a hundred are thought sufficient, let a hundred _Matrons_ be appointed, one to each House, of Abilities and Experience enough to take upon them the Management of twenty Courtezans each, to see that they keep themselves neat and decent, and entertain Gentlemen after a civil and obliging Manner. For the encouragement of such _Matrons_, each House must be allow’d a certain Quantity of all sorts of Liquor, Custom and Excise free; by which Means they will be enabled to accommodate Gentlemen handsomely, without that Imposition so frequently met with in such Houses. Besides the hundred abovemention’d, there must be a very large House set apart for an Infirmary, and Provision made for two able Physicians, and four Surgeons at least. Lastly, there must be three Commissioners appointed to superintend the whole, to hear and redress Complaints, and to see that each House punctually observes such Rules and Orders as shall be thought necessary for the good Government of this Community. For the better Entertainment of all Ranks and Degrees of Gentlemen, we shall divide the twenty Women of each House into four Classes, who for their Beauty, or other Qualifications may justly challenge different Prices.

The first Class is to consist of eight, who may legally demand from each Visitant Half a Crown. The second Class to consist of six, whose fix’d Price may be a Crown. The third Class of four, at half a Guinea each. The remaining two make up the fourth Class, and are design’d for Persons of the first Rank, who can afford to pay a Guinea for the Elegancy of their Taste. To defray the Charges of this Establishment, will require but a very moderate Tax: For if the first Class pays but forty Shillings Yearly, and the rest in Proportion, it will amount to above 10,000 _l._ a Year, which will not only pay the Commissioners Salaries, Surgeons Chests, and other Contingencies, but likewise establish a good Fund for the Maintenance of Illegitimate Orphans and superannuated Courtezans.

For the better Government of this _Society_, it will be necessary that the Mistress have an absolute Command in her own House, and that no Woman be suffer’d to go abroad without her Leave. No Woman must be suffer’d to lie in, within the House; nor any young Children admitted under any Pretence. No Musick or Revelling to be allow’d in any Room, to the Disturbance of the rest. No Gentlemen disorderly or drunk, to be admitted at an unseasonable Hour, without the Consent of the Mistress: And, in case of Violence, she must be empower’d to call the Civil Aid.

For the _Society_’s Security in Point of Health, it must be order’d, That if any Gentleman complains of receiving an Injury, and the Woman, upon Search, be found tainted, without having discover’d it to the Mistress, she shall be stripp’d and cashier’d. But if a Woman discovers her Misfortune before any Complaint is made against her, she shall be sent to the _Infirmary_, and cured at the Publick Charge. No Woman that has been twice pox’d shall ever be re-admitted. _Note_, That three Claps shall be reckon’d equivalent to one Pox.

But as no _Society_ ever fram’d a compleat Body of Laws at once, till overseen Accidents had taught them Foresight, we shall refer the farther Regulation of these Laws, with whatever new ones shall be thought necessary, to the _Wisdom_ of the _Legislature_,

The _Publick Stews_ being thus erected and govern’d by good and wholesome Laws, there remains nothing to compleat this Project, but that proper Measures be taken effectually to discourage all other Kinds of Whoring whatsoever. And here it is to be hoped, that those worthy _Gentlemen_ of the _Society_, who have hitherto distinguish’d their _Zeal_ to so little Purpose, will now exert themselves where they have so good a Prospect of Success; for altho’ a poor Itinerant Courtezan could not by any Means be persuaded to starve at the Instigation of a _Reforming_ Constable, yet a little _Bridewell_ Rhetorick, or the Terrors of a Transportation, will soon convince her that she may live more comfortably and honestly in a _Publick Stew_. If there are any so foolish as to love Rambling better, or who are not qualify’d to please Gentlemen according to Law, they ought to be transported; for _Bridewell_, as it is now manag’d, only makes them poorer, and consequently lays them under a greater Necessity than ever of continuing Prostitutes.

Let us now suppose, for Brevity sake, that the _Publick Stews_ are as much as possible favour’d and encourag’d, and that all the other Branches of this Vice have the utmost Rigour of the Laws exerted against them.

It now remains for me to show what Benefit the _Nation_ would receive thereby, and how this Project would prevent or in any Degree alleviate those Mischiefs which I have mention’d to be the necessary Consequences of this Vice. As for any Objections that may be rais’d against me, either _Christian_ or _Moral_, I shall refer them to the Close of this Discourse.

First then, I say, the _Nation_ would receive a general Benefit by having such a considerable Number of its most disorderly Inhabitants brought to live after a regular civiliz’d Manner. There is, one Year with another, a certain Number of young Women who arrive gradually, Step by Step, at the highest Degree of Impudence and Lewdness. These Women, besides their Incontinence, are commonly guilty of almost the whole Catalogue of immoral Actions: The Reason is evident; They are utterly abandon’d by their Parents, and thereby reduc’d to the last Degree of Shifting-Poverty; if their Lewdness cannot supply their Wants, they must have Recourse to Methods more criminal, such as _Lying_, _Cheating_, _open Theft_, &c. Not that these are the necessary Concomitants of Lewdness, or have the least Relation to it, as all _lewd Men of Honour_ can testify; but the Treatment such Women meet with in the World, is the Occasion of it.

Those Females, who either by the Frigidity of their Constitutions, a lucky Want of Temptation, or any other Cause, have preserv’d their Chastity; and the Men, in general, Chaste or Unchaste, are so outrageous against these Delinquents, that they make no Distinction: all of them are branded with the same opprobrious Title, they are all treated with the same Contempt, all equally despis’d; so that let them be guilty of what other Crimes they please, they cannot add one Jot to the Shame they already undergo. Having thus remov’d the Fear of worldly Reproach, which is justly esteem’d the greatest _Bulwark_ of _Morality_, it is no wonder if these Women, insensible of Shame, and prick’d on by Want, commit any Crimes, where they are not deter’d by the Fear of corporal Punishments. But the Case now will be quite alter’d; these Women, as soon as they have attain’d a competent Share of Assurance, and before they are pinch’d with the Extreme of Poverty, will enter themselves in some of the abovementioned Classes of profess’d Courtezans; where, instead of being necessarily dishonest, they will have more Inducements to Honesty than any other Profession whatsoever. The same Money defends, as well as it corrupts a _Prime Minister_: A _Churchman_ takes Sanctuary in a Gown, and who dare accuse a Mitre of _Simony_? Accuse a _Colonel_ of Injustice, he is try’d by his Board of _Officers_, and your Information is false, scandalous, and malicious. A _Lawyer_ cheats you according to Law; and you may thank the _Physician_, if you live to complain of him. _Over-reaching_ in Trade, is _prudent Dealing_; and _Mechanick Cunning_, is stiled _Handicraft_. Not so fares the poor Courtezan; if she commits but one ill Action, if, for Instance, she should circumvent a Gentleman of a _Snuff-Box_, she can hardly escape Detection; and the first Discovery ruins her; she is banish’d the _Publick Stews_, mark’d out for Infamy, and can have no better Prospect than a Transportation. On the other hand, the Motives to Honesty will be as great here as any where: It is natural for Mankind to regard chiefly the good Opinion of those with whom they converse, and to neglect that of Strangers: Now in this Community, Lewdness not being esteem’d a Reproach, but rather a Commendation, they will set a Value on their good Name, and stand as much upon the Puncto of Honour, as the rest of Mankind; being mov’d by the same commendable Emulation, and deter’d by greater, or at least more certain Punishments. Besides this Reformation in Point of Honesty, the Publick will receive another Benefit in being freed from those nocturnal Disorders, Quarrels and Brawlings, which are occasion’d by vagrant Punks, and the Number of private Brothels dispers’d throughout the City, to the great Disturbance of its sober Inhabitants.

We have already mention’d the _French Disease_ as one of the worst Attendants upon Lewdness, and with good Reason; for in the Enjoyment of this Life, Health is the _sine qua non_: _i. e._ the greatest Happiness. And this Distemper has one Thing in it peculiarly inveterate, as if it came out of _Pandora’s_ worst Box; there is no other Disorder, but what at some Age, or in some particular Constitution, will abate of itself without the Application of Medicines; but this is such a busy restless Enemy, that unless resisted, he is never at a Stand, but gathers Strength every Day, to the utter Disquiet of the Patient. Now it is so evident that the _Publick Stews_, when well regulated, will prevent the Spreading of this Plague, that a prolix and tedious Proof of it would look like Declaiming. As this Disease has its Spring and Source entirely from publick Whoring, and from thence creeps into private Families; so it likewise receives continual Supplies and Recruits thro’ the same Channel: When this Source is once dry’d up the Nation will naturally recover its pristine Health and Vigour: And this cannot fail to happen, if due Care be taken to keep the _Stews_ free from Infection; for what young Fellow will be so industriously mad, as to take Pains to run his Head into an Apothecary’s Shop, when he may with so much Ease and Conveniency, and without the Fear of a _Reforming Officer_, both secure his Health and gratify his Fancy with such a Variety of Mistresses.

’Tis true, the keeping of the _Publick Stews_ so very safe, will appear a difficult Task, at first Sight; but not so if we consider the Case a little nearer. This Disease is propagated reciprocally from the Woman to the Man, and from the Man to the Woman; but the first is the most common for several Reasons: We are not like Cocks or Town-Bulls, who have a whole Seraglia of Females entirely and solely at their Devotion; on the contrary, one industrious Pains-taking Woman, who lays herself out that Way, is capable of satisfying several rampant Males; insomuch, that a select Number of Women get a handsome Livelihood by being able to oblige such a Number of Customers. Now, if but a few of these Women are unsound, they can infect a great many Men; whereas these Men have neither Power nor Inclination to infect the like Number of Women. I say, Inclination; for a Woman, to raise Money for the Surgeon’s Fee, may counterfeit Pleasure when she really receives Pain; nay, she may even venture to complain of being hurt: for the Man will attribute the Pain he gives her, either to her Chastity, or his own Vigour; not dreaming, perhaps, that he has molested a _Shanker_. This a Female may do, as being only passive in the Affair, but a Man must have real Fancy and Inclination before he is qualify’d to enter upon Action: And how far this Fancy to Woman may be cool’d by a stinging _Gonorrhœa_, I leave the experienc’d Reader to judge; and whether a Man won’t rather employ his Thoughts upon his _round Diet_, _i. e._ Pills, how to digest 2 at Night, and 3 in the Morning; what Conveyance to find out when poach’d Eggs grow nauseous, and how to preserve his Linnen from being speckled; with a Thousand other Particulars that occur to a Man in this Distress: but these are sufficient, with the Assistance of a _Cordee_, to _bridle_ any moderate Passion. So that from the whole we may safely draw this Conclusion; That since the Men are so seldom guilty of transgressing in this Kind, the spreading of this Distemper must be owing to the Neglect of Cure in the Women. Now the _Publick Stews_ will be so regulated, that a Woman cannot possibly conceal her Misfortune long; nay, it will be highly her Interest to make the first Discovery; so that whatever Damage the _Society_ may sustain at first, when Claps are most current, it will be soon repair’d, and this Distemper, in Time, entirely rooted out. But of this enough.

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The next Thing that comes to be consider’d in this Vice, is the Expence it occasions, and the Neglect of worldly Business, by employing so much of our Time and Thoughts; for let a Man have ever so much Business, it can’t stop the Circulation of his Blood, or prevent the Seminal Secretion: for Sleeping or Waking, the _Spermaticks_ will do their Office, tho’ a Man’s Thoughts may be so much employ’d about other Affairs, that he cannot attend to every minute Titillation. A Man of Pleasure, indeed, may make this copulative Science his whole Study; and, by Idleness and Luxury, may prompt Nature that Way, and spur up the Spirits to Wantonness: but then his Constitution will be the sooner tired; for the Animal Spirits being exhausted by this Anticipation, his Body must be weaken’d, and his Nerves relax’d; neither will his irregular effeminate Life assist them in recovering their former Force. Besides, those Parts which more particularly suffer the Violence of this Exercise, are liable to many Accidents; and Men of Pleasure, though otherwise pretty healthy, are often troubled with Gleets and Weaknesses, either by a former Ulceration of the _Prostrates_, or else some violent Over-straining, which occasions this Relaxation. These Men, ’tis true, will talk very lusciously of Women; but, pretend what they please, they can never have that burning Desire which they had formerly, when their Vessels were in full Vigour. The Truth is, their Lust lies chiefly in their Brain, kept alive by the Impression of former Ideas, which are not so easily rubb’d out as the Titillation which created them; and this Passion comes to be so diminished, that, in Time, it changes its Residence from the _Glans Penis_ to the _Glandula Penealis_. A Man of Business, on the contrary, or one who leads a sober regular Life, will seldomer be attack’d by these wanton Fits, but then they will come with double the Violence; for though it is a common received Opinion, that the longer a Man refrains, the better he is able to refrain, yet it is only true in one Sense, and amounts to no more than this: That if a Man has been able, for such and such Reasons, to curb this Passion, for Instance, a Month, he will, if the same Reasons hold, and without an additional Temptation, be able to curb it a Month longer; but, nevertheless, he may have Desires much stronger than a Man who, for want of these Motives to Abstinence, gratifies them every Day. If there are some Men of a particular Constitution, whose puny Desires may be easily block’d up with the Assistance of _three small Buttons_: or else endow’d with such an extraordinary Strength of Reason, that they can master the most _rampant_ Sallies of this raging Passion; I heartily congratulate their happy Conquest, but have nothing more to do with them at present, the _Publick Stews_ not being design’d for such: I am here speaking of those Men of Business, who, notwithstanding their Abstinence or the Regularity of their Lives, are sometimes prevailed upon to quench these amorous Heats; and, I say, in such Men the Passion is much stronger than in Men of Pleasure, and that their Abstinence contributes to heighten the Violence of the Desire, and make it the more irresistible: for the Fancy not being cloy’d with too frequent Enjoyment, presently takes fire; and the _Spermaticks_, not being weaken’d with forc’d Evacuations, are in their full Vigour, and give the Nerves a most exquisite Sensation: so that upon the least toying with an alluring Wench, the Blood-Vessels are ready to start; and to use _Othello_’s Words, _The very Sense aches at her._

Now, what shall this Man do, when he has once taken the Resolution to make himself easy? He must either venture upon the Publick, where, it is Odds, he may meet with a Mischance that will either drain his Pocket, and make him unfit for any Business, at least without Doors; or else he must employ both his Time and Rhetoric, and perhaps too his Purse, in deluding some modest Girl; which, besides the Loss of Time in carrying on such an Intrigue, is apt to give the Head such an amorous Turn as is quite inconsistent with Business, and may probably lead a Man into After-Expences, which at first he never dreamt of.

Now to remedy all these Inconveniences, the _Publick Stews_ will be always ready and open, where a Man may regulate his Expences according to his Ability, from Half a Crown to a Guinea; and that too without endangering his Health: And besides, which is chiefly to be consider’d, if a Man should be overtaken with a sudden Gust of Lechery, it will be no Hindrance to him even in the greatest Hurry of Business, for a ready and willing Mistress will ease him in the twinkling of an Eye, and he may prosecute his Affairs with more Attention than ever, by having his Mind entirely freed and disengag’d from those troublesome Ideas which always accompany a wanton Disposition of the Body. But to proceed:

Another ill Consequence of Whoring, is the Tendency it has to dispeople a Nation; and that both by the Destruction of Illegitimate Infants, and by ruining young Men’s Constitutions so much, that, when they marry, they either beget no Children, or such as are sickly and short-liv’d. The first of these, indeed, is almost unavoidable, especially in modest Women, who will be guilty of this Cruelty as long as Female Chastity carries that high Reputation along with it, which it really deserves: However, in common Women, it may and will be, in a great measure, prevented by this Scheme; for every profess’d Courtezan, that is legally licens’d, will have an Apartment allotted her in the Infirmary when she is ready to lie in, and will be obliged to take Care of her Child; by which means a considerable Number of Infants will be reared up, that otherwise might probably have perish’d. Besides, there are a great many ordinary Girls, such as Servant-Maids, who are chiefly mov’d to this Action, by the fear of losing their Services, and wanting Bread. Now this handsome Provision that is made for them, will be a great Inducement for such to enter themselves in the _Stews_, rather than commit such an unnatural Action, especially when the Discovery is Death.

Let us now consider the Affair of Matrimony. Since the World is now no longer in a State of Nature, but form’d into several Societies independent of one another, and these Societies again divided into several Ranks and Degrees of Men, distinguish’d by their Titles and Possessions, which descend from Father to Son; it is very certain that Marriage is absolutely necessary, not only for the regular Propagation of the _Species_, and their careful Education, but likewise for preserving that Distinction of Rank among Mankind, which otherwise would be utterly lost and confounded by doubtful Successions. And it is no less certain and indisputable, that all Sorts and Kinds of Debauchery whatever are Enemies to this State, in so far as they impair the natural Vigour of the Constitution, and weaken the very Springs of Love.

This necessary Passion is, indeed, of such a ticklish Nature, that either too much or too little of it is equally prejudicial, and the _Medium_ is so hard to hit, that we are apt to fall into one of the Extremes. We are naturally _furnish_’d with an extraordinary _Stock_ of Love; and, by the _Largeness_ of the Provision, it looks as if Nature had made some Allowance for _Wear and Tear_. If young Men were to live intirely chaste and sober, without blunting the Edge of their Passions, the first Fit of Love would turn their Brains Topsy-turvy, and we should have the Nation pestered with Love-Adventures and Feats of Chivalry: By the time a _Peer’s_ Son came to be Sixteen, he would be in danger of turning Knight-Errant, and might possibly take a Cobler’s Daughter for his _Dulcinea_; and who knows but a sprightly young _Taylor_ might turn an _Orlando Furioso_, and venture his Neck to carry off a Lady of Birth and Fortune. In short, there are so many Instances every day of these ruinous disproportion’d Matches, notwithstanding our present Intemperance, that we may justly conclude, if the Nation was in a State of perfect Sobriety, no Man could answer for the Conduct of his Children.

It must, indeed, be confess’d, as Matters now stand, the Excess of Chastity is not so much to be fear’d as the other Extreme of Lewdness, tho’ there are Instances of both; and many Fathers, now living, would gladly have seen their Sons fifty times in a _Stew_, rather than see them so unfortunately married. The other Extreme is equally, or rather more dangerous, as it is more common; for most young Men give too great a Loose to their Passions, and either quite destroy their Inclination to Matrimony, or make their Constitutions incapable of answering the Ends of that State.

To avoid therefore these two dangerous Extremes, we have erected the _Publick Stews_, which every considerate Man must allow to be that Golden Mean so much desired: For, in the first Place, we avoid the Inconvenience of too strict a Chastity. When a Man has gained some Experience by his Commerce in the _Stews_, he is able to form a pretty good comparative Judgment of what he may expect from the highest Gratifications of Love; he finds his Ideas of Beauty strangely alter’d after Enjoyment, and will not be hurry’d into an unsuitable Match by those romantick chimerical Notions of Love, which possess the Minds of unexperienced Youth, and make them fancy that Love alone can compleat the Happiness of a married State. But this will be so readily granted, that I shan’t insist upon it farther.

In the next Place, the _Publick Stews_ will prevent the ill Effects of excessive Lewdness, by preserving Men’s Constitutions so well, that although they may defer Matrimony some time for their special Advantage, yet they will have a sufficient Stock of Desire left to perswade them, one time or other, to quit the Gaiety of a Single Life: and when they do marry, they will be able to answer all the Ends and Purposes of that State as well, and rather better, than if they had lived perfectly chaste.

This may seem a bold Proposition, but the Proof of it is nevertheless obvious. However, to proceed methodically, there are three Ways by which lewd young Men destroy their natural Vigour, and render themselves Impotent: First, By Manufriction, _alias_ Masturbation. Secondly, By too frequent and immoderate Enjoyment. And, Lastly, By contracting Venereal Disorders, as Claps or Poxes.

The first lewd Trick that Boys learn, is this Manual Diversion; and when they have once got the knack of it, they seldom quit it till they come to have actual Commerce with Women: The Safety, Privacy, Convenience, and Cheapness of this Gratification are very strong Motives, and chiefly persuade young Men to continue the Practice of it.

If these Pollutionists were so abstemious as to wait the ordinary Calls of Nature, this Action, however unnatural, would be no more prejudicial, when prudently managed, than common Copulation; but, instead of this, they are every Day committing _Rapes_ upon their own Bodies; and though they have neither real Inclination nor Ability to attack a Woman, yet they can attack themselves, and supply all these Defects by the Agility of their Wrists; by which means they so weaken their Genitals, and accustom them to this violent Friction, that, tho’ they have frequently Evacuations without an Erection, yet the common and ordinary Sensation which Females afford to those Parts, is not able of itself to promote this Evacuation: so that they are impotent to all Intents and Purposes of Generation.

To put a Stop therefore to these clandestine Practices, and prevent young Men from laying _violent Hands_ upon themselves, we must have Recourse to the _Publick Stews_, which cannot fail to have the desired Effect: For which of these private Practitioners can be so brutish, as to prefer this boyish solitary Amusement before the actual Embraces of a fine Woman, when they can proceed with the same Convenience, Safety, and Privacy in the one, as well as the other.

In the next Place, Men are often weaken’d, and sometimes contract almost incurable Gleets by too frequent and immoderate Enjoyment. This seldom or never happens but in private Whoring, when some particular Mistress has made such a strong Impression upon a Man’s Fancy, that he exerts himself in an extraordinary Manner beyond his natural Ability, and thereby contracts a Seminal Weakness, which is generally more difficult to cure than a virulent Running. Now this Danger will be pretty well remov’d by the Encouragement given to _Publick Whoring_, which, as I shall show more particularly hereafter, will divert Men’s Minds, and turn their Thoughts very much from private Intrigues: And it will be readily granted me, that no such Excess is to be fear’d in _Publick Stews_; where a Man only acting out of a general Principle of Love to the whole Sex, will be in no Danger of proceeding any farther than he is prompted by Nature, and the particular Disposition of his Body at that Time.

As for the third Cause of Impotency, the Venereal Disease, we have already prov’d that this Institution of the _Stews_ is the best and surest Remedy against it; and shall only observe here how happily this Project provides against the various ill Effects of Lewdness, in whatever Light we consider them.

Thus, I think, the first Part of my Proposition pretty well clear’d, _viz._ That the _Publick Stews_ will preserve Mens Constitutions so well, that they will have a sufficient Stock of corporal Ability, and consequently Inclination left to persuade them, sooner or later, to enter into the Marriage-State.

* * * * *

I say farther, that these Men, having thus preserv’d their Constitution, will answer all the Intents and Purposes of that State, rather better than if they had lived perfectly chaste.

When a Man and a Woman select one another out of the whole Species, it is not merely for Propagation; nay, that is generally the least in their Thoughts: What they chiefly have in View, is to pass the Remainder of their Lives happily together, to enjoy the soft Embraces and mutual Endearments of Love; to divide their Joys and Griefs; to share their Pleasures and Afflictions; and, in short, to make one another as happy as possible. As for Children, they come of Course, and of Course are educated according to their Parents Abilities.

Now all these Enjoyments depending upon the mutual Affection of these two, Man and Wife; whenever this Affection fails, either in the Woman or the Man, that Marriage is unhappy, and all the good Ends and Designs of this State entirely frustrated. To give the Women their Due, they must have the Preference in Point of Constancy; their Passions are not so easily rais’d, nor so suddenly fix’d upon any particular Object: but when this Passion is once rooted in Women, it is much stronger and more durable than in Men, and rather increases than diminishes, by enjoying the Person beloved. Whether it is that Women receive as much Love as they part with, and that the Love they receive is not entirely lost, but takes Root again by Conception; whereas what a Man parts with never affects him further, than just the Pleasure he receives at the time of parting with it: or whether this Difference is owing to the different Turn of Mens Fancies, which are more susceptible of fresh Impressions from every handsome Face they meet, or perhaps that their Heads are so much employ’d in worldly Affairs, that they only take Love _en passant_ to get rid of a present Uneasiness, whereas Women make it the whole Business of their Lives: Whatever the Reason is, I say, it is experimentally true, that a Woman has but a very _slippery Hold_ of a Man’s Affections after Enjoyment. Let us see therefore which of these two, the chaste or the experienc’d Man, will be least liable to this Failure of Affection, and consequently which of the two will make the best married Man.

The first great Cooler of a Man’s Affections after Marriage, is the Disparity of the Match. When a Man has married entirely for Love, and to the apparent Detriment of his worldly Affairs, as soon as the first Flash of it is over, he can’t help reflecting upon the Woman as the Cause, and, in some Sense, the Author of his Misfortunes; This naturally begets a Coldness and Indifference, which, by Degrees, turns to an open Dislike. Now it is these sorts of Marriages that chaste Men are always in danger of falling into, as I have already proved; neither is there any effectual Way to convince a Man of this Folly, and secure him against it, but by giving him some Experience in Love-Affairs. Again, as chaste Men seldom marry for any thing but sheer Love, so they have framed to themselves such high extravagant Notions of the Raptures they expect to possess in the Marriage-Bed, that they are mightily shocked at the Disappointment. A chaste unexperienc’d Man is strangely surprized, that those bewitching Charms should make such a faint Impression upon him after a thorow Perusal; he can scarce believe that the Woman is still possessed of the same Charms which transported him formerly; he fancies he has discover’d abundance of little Faults and Imperfections, and attributes his growing Dislike to this Discovery, not dreaming that this Alteration is entirely in himself, and not in the Object of Desire, which remains still the same. The Truth is, when a Man is full fraught with Love, and that his Pulse beats high for Enjoyment, this peccant Love-Humour falls down upon the Eye, which may be observ’d at such a time to be full brisk and sparkling: ’Tis then the Beauty of every Feature is magnified. and _Parthenope_ is no less than a Goddess. But when this dazzling Humour is drawn downwards by a Revulsion, as in the Case of Marriage, a Man’s Eyes are perfectly open’d; and though they may look languid, sunk, and environ’d with blueish Circles, yet he actually sees much better than before; for _Parthenope_ will now appear to him a Mortal, such as she really is, divested of all those false Glosses and Appearances.

The chaste Man is surprized at this Change; he is apt to lay the Fault upon the Woman, and generally fixes his Affections on some other Female, who, he imagines, is free from those Faults: then farewel happy Wedlock. The experienc’d Man, on the contrary, has try’d several Women; he finds they all agree in one Particular, and that after a Storm of Love there always succeeds a Calm: When he enters into Matrimony, he is prepar’d against any Disappointments of that Nature, and is ready to make Allowance for those Faults and Imperfections which are inseparable from Human Kind. This is so true, that Women have establish’d a Maxim, that Rakes make the best Husbands; for they are very sensible how difficult it is to monopolize a Man’s Affections; that he will have his Curiosity about those Affairs satisfied one time or other: And tho’ this Experience is useful before Marriage, it is very dangerous afterwards.

Besides, to compleat the Happiness of the Marriage-State, or indeed to make it tolerably easy, there must be some Agreement in the Temper, Humour, and Disposition of the two Parties concern’d. If, for Instance, the Man can’t endure the Sight of a _Metropolis_, and the Woman can’t enjoy herself out of it; if the Man is grave, serious, and an Enemy to all jocular Merriment, when his Wife is a profess’d Lover of Mirth and Gaiety, these two can never agree: Differences will arise every Day, and Differences in Wedlock are as hard to reconcile as those in Religion: We may guess at the Reason from a parallel Instance.