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FROM hence it is, that Children often degenerate from the Nature and Qualities of their Parents; from hence also it is, that brisk Men sometimes have stupid, and wise Men frequently beget foolish Children. This happens only because of the Indifferency, Indolence, or Coldness, either of Mind or Constitution, in their Conjugal Pleasures: The dull heavy Faculty of their Inclinations to the Act, being diffus’d and transmitted through the Seed into the Infant, according to Catullus;

“Naturæ sequitur semina quisque suæ.

BUT farther still, the Seed flowing from the principal Parts of the Body, comprehends in itself the Vigour and Quality of their respective Members: Whence it follows, that Diseases, Imperfections, Blemishes, or any other Deformity, inherent in any Part of the Parents, becomes commonly hereditary to their Children.

THIS is the Case of the whole Dutchy of upper Styria, where all the Natives have a huge Excrescence of Flesh, which grows up with the Body (however visibly increasing and decreasing with the Moon) generally lying upon the Left side from the Jaw-bone, and hanging downwards: So that the Women giving Suck of that Breast, commonly cast this carnous Excrescence (which they call Crape) over their Shoulders. This is so Natural to them, and remarkable, that in a Journey once from Venice to Vienna, passing thro’ the chief Town of that Country, call’d Judenburg, I had the Curiosity to go off the Post-Waggon, into the Church, with five other Gentlemen, Fellow-Passengers, to be better satisfy’d of the Truth of it. The People were at Mass, but the sight of us soon confounded, or at least disturb’d their Devotion; for in a Moment, the Eyes of the whole Congregation were staring upon us, wondering to see so many deform’d Men (as they call’d us) in that Place at one Time.