Now therefore, although we deny not these several mutations, and do allow that hares may exchange their sex,2 yet this we conceive doth come to pass but sometimes, and not in that vicissitude or annual alternation as is presumed: that is, from imperfection to perfection, from perfection to imperfection; from female unto male, from male to female again, and so in a circle to both, without a permansion in either. For beside the inconceivable mutation of temper, which should yearly alternate the sex, this is injurious unto the order of nature, whose operations do rest in the perfection of their intents, which, having once attained, they maintain their accomplished ends, and relapse not again into their progressional imperfections. So if, in the minority of natural vigour, the parts of seminality take place, when upon the increase or growth thereof the masculine appear, the first design of nature is achieved, and those parts are after maintained.

But surely it much impeacheth this iterated transexion of hares, if that be true which Cardan and other physicians affirm, that transmutation of sex is only so in opinion; and that these transfeminated persons were really men at first, although succeeding years produced the manifesto or evidence of their virilities: which, although intended and formed, was not at first excluded; and that the examples hereof have undergone no real or new transexion, but were androgynally born, and under some kind of hermaphrodites. For though Galen do favour the opinion, that the distinctive parts of sexes are only different in position, that is inversion or protrusion, yet will this hardly be made out from the anatomy of those parts; the testicles being so seated in the female, that they admit not of protrusion, and the neck of the matrix wanting those parts which are discoverable in the organ of virility.

The second, and most received acception is, that hares are male and female by conjunction of both sexes, and such as are found in mankind, poetically called hermaphrodites; supposed to be formed from the equality, or non victorie of

2 sex.] Why may not the sex seem to change in hares rather than in men? Frequent storyes wee have of some taken for maydes till ripe age or marriage have discovered the instruments of the male to have been but hidden.- Wr.

either seed; carrying about them the parts of man and woman although with great variety in perfection, site, and ability, not only as Aristotle conceived, with a constant impotency in one, but as later observers affirm, sometimes with ability of either venery. And therefore the providence of some laws have thought good, that at the years of maturity they should elect one sex, and the errors in the other should suffer a severer punishment. Whereby, endeavouring to prevent incontinency, they unawares enjoined perpetual chastity; for being executive in both parts, and confined unto one, they restrained a natural power, and ordained a partial virginity. Plato, and some of the rabbins, proceeded higher, who conceived the first man an hermaphrodite; and Marcus Leo, the learned Jew, in some sense hath allowed it; affirming that Adam in one suppositum, without division, contained both male and female. And therefore, whereas it is said in the text, that " God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them :" applying the singular and plural unto Adam, it might denote, that in one substance, and in himself he included both sexes, which was after divided, and the female called woman. The opinion of Aristotle extendeth farther, from whose assertion all men should be hermaphrodites; for affirming that women do not spermatize, and confer a place or receptacle rather than essential principles of generation, he deductively includes both sexes in mankind; for from the father proceed not only males and females, but from him also must hermaphroditical and masculo-feminine generations be derived, and a commixion of both sexes arise from the seed of one. But the schoolmen have dealt with that sex more hardly than any other; who, though they have not much disputed their generation, yet have they controverted their resurrection, and raised a query, whether any at the last day should arise in the sex of women; as may be observed in the supplement of Aquinas.

Now, as we must acknowledge this androgynal* condition in man, so can we not deny the like doth happen in beasts. Thus do we read in Pliny, that Nero's chariot was drawn by four hermaphroditical mares; and Cardan affirms, he also beheld one at Antwerp. And thus may we also concede, that * Consisting of man and woman.

hares have been of both sexes, and some have ocularly confirmed it; but that the whole species or kind should be bisexous or double-sexed, we cannot affirm, who have found the parts of male and female respectively distinct and single in any wherein we have enquired; and the like success had Bacchinus in such as he dissected.* And whereas it is conceived, that being an harmless animal, and delectable food unto man, nature hath made them with double sexes, that actively and passively performing, they might more numerously increase, we forget an higher providence of nature whereby she especially promotes the multiplication of hares, which is by superfetation; that is, a conception upon a conception, or an improvement of a second fruit before the first be excluded; preventing hereby the usual intermission and vacant time of generation, which is very common and frequently observable in hares, mentioned long ago by Aristotle, Herodotus, and Pliny; and we have often observed, that after the first cast, there remain successive conceptions, and other younglings very immature, and far from their term of exclusion.

Nor need any man to question this in hares, for the same we observe doth sometime happen in women: for although it be true, that upon conception the inward orifice of the matrix exactly closeth, so that it commonly admitteth nothing after, yet falleth it out sometime, that in the act of coition, the avidity of that part dilateth itself, and receiveth a second burden; which if it happen to be near in time unto the first, they do commonly both proceed unto perfection, and have legitimate exclusions, periodically succeeding each other: but if the superfetation be made with considerable intermission, the latter most commonly proves abortive; for the first being confirmed, engrosseth the aliment from the other. However, therefore, the project of Julia seems very plausible, and that way infallible, when she received not her passengers before she had taken in her lading, yet was there a fallibility therein; nor indeed any absolute security in the policy of adultery after conception: for the matrix (which some have called another animal within us, and which is not subjected unto the law of our will), after reception of its proper tenant, may yet receive a strange and spurious inmate: as is con* Bacch. de Hermaphroditis.

firmable by many examples in Pliny; by Larissæa in Hippocrates, and that merry one in Plautus urged also by Aristotle; that is, of Iphicles and Hercules, the one begat by Jupiter, the other by Amphitryon upon Alemæna; as also in those superconceptions, where one child was like the father, the other like the adulterer; the one favoured the servant, the other resembled the master.

For

Now the grounds that begat, or much promoted the opinion of a double sex in hares, might be some little bags or tumours, at first glance representing stones or testicles, to be found in both sexes about the parts of generation; which men observing in either sex, were induced to believe a masculine sex in both. But to speak properly, these are no testicles or parts official unto generation, but glandulous substances that seem to hold the nature of emunctories. herein may be perceived slender perforations, at which may be expressed a black and fæculent matter. If therefore from these, we shall conceive a mixtion of sexes in hares, with fairer reason we may conclude it in beavers; whereof both sexes contain a double bag or tumour in the groin, commonly called the cod of castor, as we have delivered before.

Another ground were certain holes or cavities observable about the siege; which being perceived in males, made some conceive there might be also a feminine nature in them. And upon this very ground, the same opinion hath passed upon the hyæna, and is declared by Aristotle, and thus translated by Scaliger: Quòd autem aiunt utriusque sexus habere genitalia, falsum est; quod videtur esse fæmineum sub cauda, est simile figura feminino, verùm pervium non est; and thus is it also in hares, in whom these holes, although they seem to make a deep cavity, yet do they not perforate the skin, nor hold a community with any part of generation; but were (as Pliny delivereth) esteemed the marks of their age, the number of those deciding their number of years. In which opinion what truth there is we shall not contend; for if in other animals there be authentic notations, if the characters of years be found in the horns of cows, or in the antlers of deer; if we conjecture the age of horses from joints in their docks, and undeniably presume it from their teeth, we cannot affirm, there is in this conceit any affront

unto nature; although, whoever enquireth shall find no assurance therein.

:

The last foundation was retromingency or pissing backward; for men observing both sexes to urine backward, or aversely between their legs, they might conceive there was a feminine part in both; wherein they are deceived by the ignorance of the just and proper site of the pizzle, or part designed unto the excretion of urine which in the hare holds not the common position, but is aversely seated, and in its distention inclines unto the coccyx or scut. Now from the nature of this position, there ensueth a necessity of retrocopulation, which also promoteth the conceit: for some observing them to couple without ascension, have not been able to judge of male or female, or to determine the proper sex in either. And to speak generally, this way of copulation is not appropriate unto hares, nor is there one, but many ways of coition, according to divers shapes and different conformations. For some couple laterally or sidewise, as worms: some circularly or by complication, as serpents some pronely, that is, by contaction of the ventral parts in both, as apes, porcupines, hedgehogs, and such as are termed mollia, as the cuttle-fish and the purple; some mixtly, that is, the male ascending the female, or by application of the ventral parts of the one, unto the postick parts of the other, as most quadrupeds: some aversely, as all crustacious animals, lobsters, shrimps, and crevises, and also retromingents, as panthers, tigers, and hares.4 This is the constant law of their coition, this they observe and transgress not only the vitiosity of man hath acted the varieties hereof; nor content with a digression from sex or species, hath in his own kind run through the anomalies of venery; and been so bold, not only to act, but represent to view, the irregular ways of lust.

3 retrocopulation.] Which is true in lions alsoe, and partlye in dogs. -Wr.

4hares.] Hares and lions: which I sawe at the tower, and remember itt is specified expresly by Aristotle of them.—Wr.