Volume 1

Dr. Blondel confuted, or, The ladies vindicated : with regard to the power of imagination in pregnant women together with a circular and general address to the ladies on this occasion / By John Henry Mauclerc.

  • Mauclerc, John Henry.
Date:
1747
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Blondel confuted, or, The ladies vindicated : with regard to the power of imagination in pregnant women together with a circular and general address to the ladies on this occasion / By John Henry Mauclerc. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [ *5 ] lliewn himfeJf a bad Critick, all along here, by not diftinguifhing between the genuine and fpurious Works of that great Man. II. We fhall have Occafion hereafter, to con- fider the Teftimony of the Antients. I fhall only fay here a Word in Behalf of Dr. Turner. The Advice of Hefiod to his Brother, does not indeed relate diredlly to the Imagination of Mothers; but to the Caufe of thofe Refemblances, which we obferve very commonly between near Relations. To be fure, there mu ft be fomething within us, that contributes towards it: But, if we confider how little in Reality ! What more fit to think on, than Imagination ? That this was the Notion of the Antients, I could prove from the Authority of Plutarch \ who advifes (fbmewhere) Men not to go about the Work of Generation in a Fit of An¬ ger, or Drunkennefs, leaf!; the like Difpofitions fhouJd be tranfmitted to the Offspring. I won’t jollify Dr. Turner, if he has blindly co¬ pied the Words annexed to Hefiod: But it is plain, they are a natural Comment on the Text *, and it is therefore no matter to us, whether he underftood the Original, or not. I fhould have fome fine Things to fay here, on the Moral Senfe of Hefioa’s Precepts, and their Conformity with fome of Mofes, in order to clear them from imputed Superftition 5 but I leave that Tafk to the Divines, who are Dr. Blonde!s Friends. III. There is nothing incredible in the Stratagem f Dionyfius *, and why fhould we not believe that St. Auftin has preferved us this Piece of Hiftory, as foon as any other P Soranus tells us, that Diony- fius the Tyrant would always have a beautiful Picture fet up before his Wife in the Bed-Chamber ; that by Strength of Fancy (he might conceive that Likenejs. Whether this Story be true, or not, it is certain, D z the