Of Marks—the imaginary Confequences of Frights and Longings. A candid Enquiry into the Merits of this Doctrine. From Letters to Married Women. PRejudices which have been imbibed in our early days, received from those we esteem and reverence, and supported by the authority of paft ages; muft needs make impreffions upon the moft candid and ingenuous minds: particularly when almost every day produces ftrange and wonderful stories to corroborate the fuppofed fact. The various blemishes frequently difcovered upon children at the birth, have been generally confidered as the effect of a fright, or a difappointment of the mother's longings; and indeed this opinion has fo far prevailed, that it has been, for a long time paft, looked upon as inconteftible. Should any one therefore prefumptuously dare to deny this amazing peculiarity in pregnant women, and the confequent effect upon the embryo, he must expect nothing less than the general cenfures of the female world. Befides, the many pofitive affertions upon this head, from the moft fenfible perfons of undoubted veracity, will naturally lead a prudent man to speak with caution against the doctrine. Nevertheless it furely cannot be improper to make a candid enquiry into fo wonderful a phenomenon. It is a fubject by far the most interesting to the ladies: it comes indeed particularly under their cognizance; for the dreaded evil affects the fair fex much more effentially than it does ours. With my female friends therefore I beg leave to discuss this important point. It is by every one allowed, to the honour of this nation, and let particular commendation be given to the daughters of Great Britain themselves, that in the education of young women, letters, and the polite improvements, are much more attended to in this age than formerly; accomplishments which not only render their manners more engaging, but qualify them likewife for the happy domeftic life; and contribute much to adorn these amiable and sweetly-endearing companions of the focial hour. How effentially neceffary is fuch a friend to make life comfortable and happy! What a luftre does every good and accomplished woman add to the matrimonial ftate! She muft by every reasonable man be confidered not only as the partner of his bed, but of his very foul. I can at this time readily call to mind many fuch exalted characters, to whom in a moft particular manner I now addrefs myself:Women, whofe enlarged minds are capable of a much greater depth of reasoning than thefe fpeculations will afford; and in whofe company I have oftentimes enjoyed the happiness ef friendly conversation-with whom, upon VOL, II, different occafions, I have, in part, entered into this fubject. It is indeed at the request of feveral of thefe my worthy female friends that I have been induced to collect my thoughts, in order to deliver them to the public. Ignorance, my fair readers, is the parent of credulity and fuperftition. Knowledge is the conqueror that triumphs over fuch terrible foes. How much is the understanding enlightened and improved by the ufe of letters? When therefore we confider that the art of printing was not discovered until the fifteenth century, and it was a long time after that before it be came universal in Europe, we fhall not greatly wonder at the bigotry and rudeness of manners in our ancestors; and we shall cease to reflect upon thofe credulous times. To the fcore of ignorance we are to place the many and hideous stories which have been formerly related of apparitions, goblins, and witches, that have at times infefted different parts of Europe; and even in England have claimed the attention of civil and ecclefiaftical power: inftances of which are to be found in our history. At this period I believe there are but few who give credit to fuch romances. The Spectator and his cotemporaries pretty well cleared the country of witches. As to ghofts, the laft that made its appearance was the notorious Fanny of Cock-lane, and this arch spirit was effectually laid, as it is called, in a court of juftice; where the gentlemen of the law carefully collected her ashes, and, like alchymifts, turned them into gold, fo that there is no feat of any more spirits rifing from her urn. We are now, my intelligent fair, fully convinced of the ridiculous fallacy of fuch bugbears, and at this time there is fcarcely female but can enjoy, without one dreadful apprehenfion, a cool and filent walk by moonlight, a pleasure their mothers could hardly be perfuaded to partake of; for not longer than half a century ago, if a dauntless virgin had thus prefumptuously ventured, the affrighted parents would have been apprehenfive for their daughter, left she should, fome time or another, be punished for fuch impious audacity. Thus we fee prodigies and wonders daily vanishing in proportion as literary knowledge, and the general improvement of the understanding are cultivated. To fome future feafon perhaps we must postpone the elucidation of marks, the fuppofed confequences of frights and longings: yet if this matter fhould be a fubject of difpute with the ladies for the prefent, I doubt not that a little time, and candid obfervation, will com mit mit the very idea of fuch romantic opinions, together with that of frights, and every other fuperftitious error, to eternal oblivion. A fright is generally believed to have the fame unlucky effect upon pregnant women, as a difappointment of their wishes will produce. Hence they are perpetually racked between hope and fear, to the torment of themselves, and every body about them; and are fometimes fo extravagant with regard to a wish or longing as not to be fatisfied but at an immenfe expence for we have heard that these ftrange cravings are not altogether confined to the palate, they fometimes extend themselves to equipage, jewels, drefs, baubles, &c. a proof that fuch chimerical notions even at this time prevail, the reader is defired to attend to the following relation. As The author happened to dine, in company with a pregnant lady totally free from fuch prejudice, at the houfe of an intimate female friend, who has an heart truly good and fympathetic. Her teeming vifiter took notice of a toy; it was a pigeon-house made of Staffordfhire ware, and in a baby-house would appear a proper ornament: yet, the forbodings of this good matron, left her friend fhould have entertained a longing for it, operated fo ftrongly that the kindly ordered it to be put into her vifiter's carriage. The pregnant lady ftrongly objected to it indeed, but to no purpose; infomuch that she was obliged to take the pigeon house home. But not to dwell upon fuch like particulars, which nevertheless have been frequently introduced in fupport of whimfical defires, and which are always magnified in the relation, we fhall confine our remarks to the general manner in which this magic operates. As I have been generally thought an infidel in matters of this kind, the ladies have treated me accordingly; nay frequently when I have begged quarter it has been cruelly denied, which cautions me at this time to be modeftly humble and diffident. I fhall affert nothing, but by fair and impartial enquiry endeavour to fearch out the truth. In confequence of my fuppofed want of faith in these affairs, there is scarcely a female I am acquainted with, who does not treasure up every surprising story of this kind that the hears, to tell it me with all the advantages that a perfuafive tongue can give, in order to bring about my converfion. I verily believe, that by the affiftance of thefe my good friends I could furnish a large folio volume of fuch hiftories. It is a fpacious field for the fancy to rove in. A variety of preternatural marks in living perfons may be produced every day: nor can the exiftence of thefe extraordinary appearances be denied, for that is inconteftible,, as every one can vouch. The true caufe of fuch wonders therefore is the fubject of our pursuit. In the first place, I shall make bold to declare, that I never met with one of these ble mishes, which altogether ftruck my fancy with respect even to the imaginary likeness; or which, as to the fuppofed caufe, engaged my rational confidence. I have been fhewed a mark that was compared to the rhind of bacon, and told a strange ftory of the mother's longing for a gammonI fancied it to be like the tinge of a Mulatto, and congratulated the parents that the child was not altogether swarthy. A lady of my acquaintance has oftentimes declared that fhe is marked with a perfect pig, but I never could obtain the fight of this rarity, it not being conveniently fituated for public infpection. A little while ago I was in company with her mother, an elderly woman, and quite a ftout champion, as I found, for marks and blemishes, in confequence of frights and longings. Upon a particular enquiry it appeared that he was unacquainted with the accident until fome confiderable time after the birth; and then from the appearance of the mark the very well remembered the occafion of it-which was this. When he was very near her time, her husband and self were invited to the house of a relation living at fome, diftance, who, the knew, had fome very fine fucking pigs. They both thought the ride would be too much for her; but the recollects her having said that she would go at all events, if he was fure they would drefs one of the pigs for dinner. However, the husband went alone, and returned in the evening with a quarter of a pig that had been dreffed on purpofe for their dinner, her relation knowing fhe was fond of it. But alas! as her evil genius would have it, when the fat down to fupper fhe could eat but very little; and at that time unluckily rubbed the part with her hand where her daughter is marked, which fhe is very certain occafioned the form of a pig. I asked her how the child could be marked, fince fhe had her defire? No matter for that, answered fhe, though I had the pig, the child to be fure must be marked; because I longed for it nice and hot, with good plumb fauce and gravy, but was obliged to eat it cold. We all laughed heartily at the conclufion, though, as the reader may judge, from different motives; but the old laly thought fhe had obtained a complete victory. I have given this little hiftory to fhew the abfurd manner in which these things are ufually accounted for. It will be alfo proper in this place to remark the notorious diffimilarity be-. tween fuch blemishes, and their fuppofed originals. We are to take notice likewife of the eafe with which the fancy is impofed upon, or impofes on itself in fuch cafes, even to infatuation: magnifying the moft trifling conjectures into the ftrongest confirmations. How often Of Marks the imaginary Confequences of Frights and Longings. often do women rack their minds to find out thefe marks? which evidently proceeds from their averfion to be thought capable of producing an offspring with any imperfections, and their fervants and nurfes, confidering it actually as their bufinefs, are always ready to help them out upon thefe occafions. Fruit, wine, boiled lobsters, fresh falmon, and fuch like things of a red colour, are the most common marks, and there is scarcely a family in the kingdom but fome one or more of them can produce inftances of this fort. Thefe ftrange effects, we are told, not only happen to the human race, but also, how wonderful to relate!-to brutes. There is a worthy family, whofe veracity is not to be doubted, that are firmly perfuaded of the following fact, of which they were all fpectators. I shall deliver the account, as nearly as poffible, in the lady's words, who favoured me with the relation. Her father's favourite cat happened to produce a kitten, which to the furprise of all the family was marked upon the back with a rat. As the kitten grew, the rat encreased likewife; till at the end of fome months, it dropped off the kitten quite perfect in its form;-and the lady had it in her own hand. I was questioned very particularly whether I could any longer doubt the confequences of longings and frights, fince it even extended to brutes-for, continued fhe, what could be the saufe of this, but the creature being difappointed of fome rat fhe was pursuing? - Thus closely preffed, I begged her yet to pardon my want of belief-As to the caufe I was filent about it; that there was a fubftance upon the kitten, which fell off as related, I had no doubt-what then could I doubt? That their own imaginations deceived them. How was that poffible? Much more fo than they were aware of-where is the rat, madam ?--Thrown away long ago that is unlucky, for had I feen it, probably it might have ftruck me as resembling an owl, or fome other thing altogether as extravagant. It was downright obftinacy in me, for I would not believe any thing-I further faid, had it been a rat I thought the would have wanted courage to touch it-even fuppofing it to be dead; and had it been alive, it would certainly have run away and prevented her. This pleasantry abated fomewhat of the earnestness of our argument, and a laugh made us very good friends-but I was an incredulous man. I have heard of a woman surprised in the ftreet, when he was very near her time, by a perfon with a withered arm; upon her return home the fright threw her into labour, and he was delivered of a child with a withered arm.-How can we poffibly believe fuch an immediate effect as this to be produced? Is it to be credited that the mother's terror fhould blast 19 the arm of the child, thus rendering it fimilar to the object of horror? And if this be rejected, how can we allow the total lofs of a limb from a fimilar caufe?Could it be annihilated? This no one will affert. If not, fuppofing the effect to take place, and the arm or the leg fhould be feparated from the body, what becomes of it? Such divided parts are never to be found upon thefe occafions. On the contrary, where there is an addition to the form, proceeding alfo as we are told, from fright; fuch for inftance as a toe or finger extraordinary, an arm or a leg; in the name of wonder, from what source can thofe exuberances be fo immediatly produced? Is it not aftonishing that fuch credulous infatuations should thus beguile our reafon? Not to trouble my fair readers with any more of these relations, which by prejudiced perfons are accounted undeniable, I shall juft mention a few facts for the confideration of the candid. A lady of my particular acquaintance, during the time of her pregnancy, was unfortunately overturned in a coach, by which accident, as the endeavoured to get out, the first joint of her fecond finger was intirely broken off. This was an alarming circumftance to all her friends, and the dreadful apprehenfions of the child being born a cripple difturbed every one; but to the great aftonishment of her acquaintance, fhe was delivered of a fine and perfect boy. An eminent practitioner relates a story to this effect, which is equally to be credited, as happening under his own obfervation. A lady of quality being in convulfions, the family fent for the doctor in great hafte. He found her upon the bed extremely ill indeed. When her ladyfhip came a little to herself, the cried out the black cat! the black cat!her well known particular averfion to this domeftic animal feemed to point out the cause of the difafter, of which till now they were intirely ignorant, and the fervants diligently fearched for the object; when in a tub, placed to receive the rain water, near her ladyship's dreffing room window, poor pufs was dif Juft about the fame time it happened that the fame gentleman delivered another perfon of a boy alfo. The child had a small darkish fpot upon the forehead, He was curious enough to interrogate the mother about it, and fhe most ingenuously declared that he was neither fenfible of any fright or longing during the whole time of her breeding. Had this blemish happened to the child of the noble parent, the doctor truly obferves, the black cat would undoubtedly have occafioned a remarkable anecdote in the hiftory of her ladyfhip's houfe-for by all her family and friends it would have been looked upon as an inconteftible proof of these prodigies. And give me leave to add, with much more feeming plaufibility too than the generality of thefe ftories; because the lady had declared her apprehenfions at the time of the fuppofed injury. I fall here add another inftance of an apprehenfion altogether as fruitless as that of the noble lady. It was made known to me in confequence of reading the above to a particular friend, who immediately replied, that he was under great anxiety for his wife, upon account of her being terrified at the fight of a person who had a very unhappy blemish on her face. The wife of this gentleman, by chance going to St. Paul's church, was placed in a ftall exactly oppofite to the unfortunate object, which affected her fo much that her devotion was entirely loft; and fhe talked of this poor woman continually after the left the church. In a few weeks this lady went again to St. Paul's, and was unluckily placed oppofite the fame perfon, which fo diftreffed her that fhe dared not to venture there any more. Surely this is as ftriking an inftance as we can fuppofe. I told my friend I was glad he acquainted me of it before his wife was brought to bed, and that I should pay great attention to the confequence. But at the fame time defired he would endeavour to make both himfelf, and wife very eafy, affuring him, on the obfervation of myself and others, how little room there was to be under any difmal apprehenfion on this account. To finish the ftory, his wife was foon after delivered of a fine and perfect child. Since which this lady has de, clared her apprehenfions fo terrified her, she dared not to look at the child, till fhe collected from the converfation of her attendants that the boy's face was free from blemish. What a cruel fufpenfe and painful fufferance must this have been to a mother! Not long ago I was in the chamber of a lady newly delivered; her mother being prefent took me to the window, and in great distress acquainted me the child had a large mark upon the right fide of its face, that he was terrified at the thoughts of breaking it to her daughter, and begged me to acquaint her of it. Accordingly, after congratulating the good. lady in the ftraw, upon her own health, and a fine baby, in the courfe of conversation, I jocofely told her that we were at a lofs to account for a pretty spot upon the child's face, and must defire her to inform us of the occafion of it. After a very minute recollection, she frankly confeffed fhe did not remember any one thing that the longed for during her pregnancy, neither could the any how account for the accident. A variety of other circumftances might be enumerated to difcredit, though many stories are related to confirm this wonderful affair. I fhall not, however, introduce further particulars, though divers have happened within my notice, but conclude this letter with remarking, that in every instance before related, where the misfortune of a blemish was apprehended, it did not happen; and in the other cafes, where marks appeared, they were entirely unexpected, and the caufe of them totally unknown to the mothers: which, I may venture to fay, has always been the cafe. If therefore women would wish to be credited in these ftories of frights and longings, let them declare, before they are delivered, like the two ladies mentioned in this letter, that they have marked the child, and made known the caufe of it. Nothing lefs can prove this fact, and till then even the poffibility of it may very reasonably be doubted-for furely we may conclude, that so remarkable an effect of sympathy can never take place without the immediate and most certain knowledge of the mother. On the Paintings of Vandyke. WE have often demanded, and are every day demanding, who is the greatest Painter? For myself, I believe, without comparifon, that it is Vandyke. My love for this great man is not founded upon any prejudice. I am neither his countryman, nor his cotemporary; it is therefore merely his talents which determinc me to place him above all the Italian, By the Marquis d'Argens. I am fenfible French, and Flemish Painters. there may be fouud fome painter of each of thofe three nations, who are more excellent in particular parts of painting, than Vandyke ; but then fuch painter offends in many others; but Vandyke poffeffes all the parts of painting in a very high degree: for example; Raphael defigned with more elegance, and correctness, than The Hiftory of Maria Mortimer. Written by Herself. shan Vandyke; he had a greater genius; but Vandyke defigned in a very good tafte. M. de Piles fays, that the defign of his heads and hands, is of the laft perfection; and speaking of his manner of defigning figures, he made no difficulty of afferting, that his hiftorical pieces hold a rank among thofe of the first clafs of painters in the esteem of connoiffeurs. In refpect of genius, if Vandyke's was not fo fublime as Raphael's, it was nevertheless very extenfive; and he made very great compofitions, in an admirable tafte. We fee this in a confider. able number of his pictures with which the churches in the low countries are enriched; and above all in the great work which he painted for the grand altar of the Jefuits at Anvers this picture représents the aflumption of the Virgin, and contains more than twenty-four figures; and is beyond contradiction the fineft in the world. It is there we fee how much Vandyke excells Raphael, for colour, pencil, clear, obfcure, force, truth of detail in the heads, freshness of carnation, and beauty of landscape. Titian's portraits are very fine; but Vandyke painted fome which yield not to the others: befides the hands of thofe of the Flem 21. ing are much better defigned, than those of the Italian, of a much finer character, and the folds of his draperies much better difpofed. The hiftorical pieces of the beft Venetian painters, are perfectly coloured; but they offend all in point of defign, and coftume, The fine hiftorical pictures of Vandyke are exempt from these defects; and the Flemings, with reafon, call Vandyke Rubens purified In fine, I know of no painter who has affembled all the great parts of painting equal with, Vandyke in his excellent works (for we must allow he has not always performed with the fame fpirit) for those in which he employed all his talents are without contradiction fuperior to the pictures of other painters, fince they are abfolutely exempt from all the defects which we find in their pictures. Almost all the painters think what I here maintain; but they dare not openly avow it, because they fear the wounding prejudices contrary to their fentiments. They refemble certain modern critics, who have nothing to oppose to the extravagant admirers of the ancients, not daring to rank Moliere above Ariftophanes, nor Racine with Euripides. The Hiftory of Maria Mortimer. Written by Herself. IT is a common obfervation, but a very juft one, that children do not know the duty which is owing to their parents, till they come to have a progeny of their own; then indeed the numberless hours of folicitude, which they experience for the happiness of their little ones, wake them into the full fenfibility of a filial affection, if they are not wholly callous to the fineft feelings of humanity; and they learn a juft knowledge of the obligations they lie under to the authors of their being, by the reverence and love which they expect from thofe en whom they have conferred the bleffing of exiftence themselves. me, when I condefcended to accept a token of his tenderness, and refented as an abfolute indignity to my merit any neceffary document which he gave on the glaring improprieties of my behaviour. I myself am a melancholy proof of the fore going obfervation. My father is a man of family and fortune, who, though he had several other children, equally entitled to his attention, yet treated me with fuch an extraordinary thare of affection, that I was generally diftinguished by the name of the Favourite; this diftinction, however, instead of giving me a laudable ambition of deferving the parental partiality, filled me only with a fhameful inclination to abuse it; the continual indulgence which should excite my gratitude, ferved entirely to fwell my pride; and the favours which I ought to have received with the deepest refpect, I looked upon as fo many actual debts to my fuperior accumplishments.-Nay, I frequently thought my father much obliged to Volatile and vain, my regards were folely centered in myself, and I imagined him either unnatural or kind, as he confulted the gratifieation of my wishes; yet though I expected he would upon all occafions comply with the particular turn of my temper, I never recollected that any thing was due to his peace ; I never remembered that his happiness materially depended upon my prudence, nor confi dered how cruelly an act of difobedience muft ftab him to the heart; on the contrary, to my everlasting difgrace be it mentioned, I always wanted his repofe facrificed to my own humour, and even found an exquifite pleasure in revenging on the good, the venerable man, every oppofition which he had made to the arrogance of my will; that is, in other words, every affectionate anxiety which he manifefted for the advancement of my felicity. The hand, the upright hand of Heaven, however, has juftly punished my ingratitude; and the very difobedience in which I triumphed, is now, by the wife difpenfation of Providence, a rod of fcorpions to itself. If I can, I will purfue my unfortunate ftory. Yet the recollection of my guilt, almoft ftings me into madness; |