Chapter I: SHALL therefore (in this Place) only touch upon That which most

_Authors_ seem to have agreed upon, and reckon the most common _Legitimate Birth_; namely, which happens (at the soonest) about the _260th_ _Day_ from _CONCEPTION_, being the _first_ of the _38th_ _Week_, or the _20th_ of the _ninth Month_; as it doth also sometimes fall out (_ten Days later_) about the _270th_, when it is neither _too soon_, nor _too late_; and which likewise (at the latest) happens before the _280th_ _Day_; that is, the _last_ of the _40th_ _Week_, or the _10th_ _Day_ of the _10th_ _Month_.

BUT _This_ (if I may be permitted to speak my Mind) depends much upon the _Time of Conception_; it being my Opinion, that if the Woman did conceive when _recently purged_, I mean shortly after the natural Flux, she may _bring forth_ in the beginning[111] of the _9th_ _Month_; whereas, if when the _Menstrua_ were almost ready to _flow_, towards _its Close_, or later: And if in the _Interval_ betwixt these Times, she may _produce her Child_ in the _middle_ of the Month: Because as _Plants_ or _Corn_ arrive much sooner to _Maturity_ after the _New_ than after the _Full-Moon_, so it may be also with the _Fœtus_, because of the more or less _Vigour_ of the _Womb_.

HOWEVER, in short, it is to be observed, that in all these _Cases_, we may commonly allow a few _more Days_ for the _GIRL_ than the _BOY_, as appears from _Sect._ I. _Chap._ 9.

AND, in fine, according to the Opinion of the most Learned and Curious _Practisers_ in _MIDWIFERY_, this _BIRTH_ happens always[112] at the _self-same Hour_ of the _Day_ or _Night_, in which the _Woman_ CONCEIV’D: So that from hence it is, that most _BIRTHS_ happen in the _Night_, or Dawning of the _Day_; wherefore they All agree, that a _Legitimate BIRTH_ requires not only a certain definite Number of _Days_, but also of _Hours_, &c. To proceed therefore to

CHAP. XXXII.
_Of an ILLEGITIMATE BIRTH._

AS an _Illegitimate BIRTH_ also respects _TIME_, so _That_ is only to be call’d so, which happens _before_ or _after_ the _TIME_ instituted by the _Law_ of _Nature_. Hence all unhappy _ABORTIONS_ belong to this _Head_; which being largely handled (apart) in the _Chapter_ just aforegoing, I shall only here cursorily touch upon _That_, which (in a distinct sense) is accounted an _Illegitimate BIRTH_.

THAT I may the better define _This Sort_ of _BIRTH_, I shall _first_ observe, that _Nature_ has instituted Nothing _rashly_, nor in _vain_, neither does it ever act by CHANCE. _She_ having then limited a certain TIME (however at large) within which all _Legitimate BIRTHS_ happen, and all _vital Children_ are born; of consequence, whatever happens _before_ or _after_ that _Time_, is an _Illegitimate BIRTH_, and seldom or never produces a _Living_ or _Lively_ CHILD.

HOWEVER, _Vallesius_[113], _Cardanus_[114], and some _Others_ relate divers strange Precedents, and affirm that they have known and seen _Children_ born in the _fifth_ and _sixth Months_, which have liv’d to the Years of Discretion; It is notwithstanding my Opinion, that _Those great Men_ giving ear to the frivolous _Relations_ and idle _Reports_ of _simple Women_, have suffer’d their _Credulity_ to impose so far upon their better _Judgments_. And I am besides the more induc’d to think so, because since _Their days_, we have not heard of any _one Example_ of this wonderful _Kind_, which deserv’d the least _Notice_ or _Credit_.

BUT there are _Others_ again; who (in a manner) ridiculing these _Instances_, fall into grosser _Absurditys_ themselves; denying the LEGITIMACY of a _seven_ or _eight-Months BIRTH_; yea, _Some_ even of a _Ten Months_, after the _Tenth Day_, as well as of all _posteriour BIRTHS_. Upon which erroneous _Mistakes_, (if it may be without Offence permitted) I would freely offer my _simple Judgment_, in manner following: and thereupon, _First_,

CHAP. XXXIII.
_Of a Seven-Months BIRTH._

TO prove the LEGITIMACY of this _BIRTH_, and the _Possibility_ of this _Month_’s producing a _vital Child_, I need not confine myself to the _Judgments_ of the most Wise and Divine _Hippocrates_, _Galen_, and _others_, nor to the _Principles_ of PHYSICK in particular: but may justly appeal to All the rest of the _Liberal Arts_ and _Sciences_, which (as far as I am duly acquainted with them) generally agree in _Defence_ of This Position.

IT is (however) certain, that the CHILD born _before_ the _Twentieth Day_ of this _Month_ is commonly _weak_ and _infirm_. And for that Reason the _later_ the _BIRTH_ happens in the _Month_, the more _brisk_ and _lively_ is the CHILD: As I have more than once observ’d, that the _Latter Part_ (about the _210th_ _Day_ from _CONCEPTION_) hath produced as sprightly vivacious _Children_ as any at All. Wherefore, in short, I cannot help having full as good an Opinion of such a CHILD born about the _last_ of the _SEVENTH_, as of any such born in the beginning of the _Ninth Month_, provided it be not expell’d by some _preternatural Cause_.

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

I. THAT (according to the best _Astrologers_) the latter of the PLANETS, (the _Moon_) influentially presides over the INFANT in this _Month_; whose frigid and humid _Qualitys_ are thought to afford the several _Parts_ of it a certain _Fatness_, thereby relaxing and easily distending the MATRIX: Which being done, and the CHILD now perfected by the whole Body of the PLANETS, that have _All_ particularly (in their order) duly discharg’d their respective _Functions_ towards its Perfection; provided it has a Competency of _Strength_ and _Vigour_, it forwardly appears about the Close of this _Month_ with great _Ease_ and _Facility_, and may continue both _Healthy_ and _Lively_ after its _Birth_.