Читать книгу The Female Physician онлайн

100 страница из 123

“Simúlque concrescentibus,

“A mente Matris insitam

“Natus refert imaginem.

“Quum tot abesses millibus,

“Dum gignit Uxor quatuor,

“Quòd esset admodum tui

“Secura, dissimiles parit.

“Sed unus omnium hic Puer

“Tui refert imaginem,

“Quòd mater hunc dum concipit,

“Sollicita de te plurimùm,

“Te tota cogitaverat,

“Dum pertimescit anxia,

“Ne tu, Sabine, incommodus,

“Velútque lupus in fabulâ

“Supervenires interim.

HOWEVER, as to what relates to the Tempers, Dispositions, Miens, Manners, Qualities, and Propensions of the Mind, daily Examples convince us, that Children, after all, generally much resemble Those of their Progenitors; which proceeds merely from the Efficacy of the Seed, containing the Power of the natural Faculties of their Minds and vital Spirits, which are thence infus’d into their Posterity.

BUT I take this Matter to depend much upon the Passion, Indolence, or Indifferency of the Mind, with which the Act of Copulation is perform’d. For as the Ardour and Fervency of the Parents, and their plentiful prolifick Contribution, tend much to the CHILD’s affecting the same Behaviour, Gestures, Actions, Tempers, and Motions of Body and Mind; even sometimes to their representing the very Nature, and treading the very Foot-Steps of their Parents, to so nice a degree, of an exact Resemblance, that I’ve more than once observed a Mole-Mark of a Father plainly impress’d on his Child. Which, I think, is also conformable to^[49] Horace’s Meaning;