A mechanical and critical enquiry into the nature of hermaphroditesParsons, James
History
A mechanical and critical enquiry into the nature of hermaphrodites
Parsons, James
Intersexuality -- Early works to 1800
both by the _Greeks_ and _Arabians_.
It will not be improper here to observe, that all these Changes in the
Sex were most commonly said to be made from Women to Men; and I never
could hear any Account whatsoever of Mens being chang’d into Women, but
two or three, one of which happened here in _London_; the Story will not
only be of use to our Purpose, but a merry one, and therefore take it
briefly as follows: At a great Tavern in _London_[39], there lived, some
few Years ago, two Drawers who were a considerable Time Servants in the
House, and always lay together; one of them gets the other with Child,
who was with a great deal of Shame and Confusion turn’d away, and oblig’d
then to put on Womens Clothes. The Rumour of the Drawer’s being chang’d
into a Woman made a great Noise all over the Neighbourhood, and very
likely would have been recorded for Truth, if it had happen’d in an Age
little earlier.
Here was a poor Girl whose Parents ignorantly believing she was a Boy
from the Length of the Clitoris, dress’d her up, and employ’d her as
such in the Business of Life; she no doubt believ’d herself so, until
she was better instructed by her Fellow-Servant; and here is Matter and
Foundation, altogether as probable and sufficient for Poets or Historians
to build upon, as any heretofore taken notice of; and, in fine, hence it
plainly appears, that it is with equal right, that human Nature may be
said to be capable of admitting of two Natures Male and Female, in one
Body, and of changing from one Sex to the other.
Another is told by[40] _Caspar Bauhin_. of a Child who was baptized as
a Male, and was brought up a Taylor by Trade, went afterwards into the
Army, and serv’d as a Soldier both in _Hungary_ and _Flanders_, marry’d
a Wife, and liv’d seven Years with her, at the End of which, our Soldier
one Night rose from the Wife, complaining of great pains in the Belly,
and in half an Hour, was delivered of a Daughter. When the Story came
before the Magistrates, an Examination was made, and the poor Female
Soldier confess’d herself of both Sexes, and that a _Spaniard_ had
cohabited with her once (only) in _Flanders_, by which she proved with
Child; that the Wife had concealed her want of what might be expected
from a Husband, with whom she never was able to act in any wise, during
their (seven Years) living together.
The Author introduces this Story in the following Words[41]. ‘As the
following History is of no small Importance in explaining the Nature of
Hermaphrodites, I have translated it thus from the _German_ Language.’
From which Words it appears, that he had a very just Notion concerning
them, and was so far from making such things Prodigies, being well versed
in the Knowledge of the Animal Structure, that he counts the History
of this, and another Soldier whom _Keckermannus_ gives an account of,
sufficiently explicatory of the Nature of Hermaphrodites in general.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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