Here again we encounter a legend, which is not without importance for the history of the affections consequent upon the misuse of the genital organs, to wit the story of the _Plague_ that broke out amongst the Jews at Shittim in consequence of their having taken part in the worship of Baal-Peor. _Sickler_[98] was the first who, as a champion of the antiquity of the Venereal disease, made this the subject of a more precise examination. However, in order to obtain as clear an insight into the matter as possible, it will be needful to quote at length the passages of the Old Testament connected with the subject, according to the English Revised Version[99]: Numbers, Ch. 25. verses 1-18: “And Israel “abode in Shittim, and the people began to “commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab: 2) “for they called the people unto the sacrifices “of their gods, and the people did eat, and 3) “bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined “himself unto Baal-Peor: and the anger of the 4) “Lord was kindled against Israel. And the “Lord said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of “the people, and hang them up unto the Lord “before the sun, that the fierce anger of the 5) “Lord may turn away from Israel. And Moses “said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every “one his men that have jointed themselves unto 6) “Baal-Peor. And, behold one of the children “of Israel came and brought unto his brethren “a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, “and in the sight of all the congregation of “the children of Israel, while they were weeping 7) “at the door of the tent of meeting. And “when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son “of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from “the midst of the congregation, and took a 8) “spear in his hand; and he went after the man “of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of “them through, the man of Israel, and the “woman through her belly. So the plague was 9) “stayed from the children of Israel. And those “that died by the plague were twenty and four “thousand[100].... Now the name of the 14) “man of Israel that was slain, who was slain “with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the “son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among 15) “the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianitish “woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter “of Zur; he was head of the people of a fathers’ 16) “house in Midian.—And the Lord spake unto 17) “Moses, saying, Vex the Midianites, and smite 18) “them: for they vex you with their wiles, wherewith “they have beguiled you in the matter of “Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter “of the prince of Midian, their sister, which “was slain on the day of the plague in the “matter of Peor.” Numbers, Ch. 31. verses 7-24: “And they