following occurrence took place a few years since. A gentleman had occasion to wish to borrow money upon annuity to be secured upon some income depending upon his wife's existence, which made it necessary that her life should be insured. The wife assented cheerfully, the negociation with the Assurance Company was concluded, and the gentleman with his wife attended at the Life Assurance Office; she was examined as to her state of health by the medical adviser of the establishment, when lo! after all had been prepared, and though the wife was actually in good health, and not more than thirty-five years of age, the husband's object was defeated on the ground that the state of health of the wife rendered her life not insurable. The vexation of the husband was great, and on the way home "chewing the cud of bitter disappointment" and ruminating on circumstances, he pressed his wife closely as to what had passed. The wife

at length told him that "her doctor" had advised her not to lend her aid to encumber her income, and in order to avoid doing so, had recommended her to answer certain medical questions, in a certain manner, so as to induce belief of constitutional malady; and thereby to thwart, without appearing to do so, her husband's object. Boiling with indignation and rage at this disclosure, the husband returned to the village of his residence (not many miles from Epsom), went straight to the doctor's house, entered his parlour, and knocked him down! a desperate struggle and fight ensued, neighbours rushed in and parted the husband and his wife's friend, the doctor-the wife upon this withdrew from her home, and the doctor went to law for the assault; but he went not to trial, for he at length became sensible that he had advised the wife upon affairs not within his province.

The many considerations which have

been adduced in the preceding pages of this chapter, involving the influence of principle,-(in question as to its affording in whatever quality or degree it may exist, or to whatever extent it may be supposed to prove influential, a sufficient ground of reliance to justify the tolerance of man-midwifery ?)-need not be noticed by recapitulation, or summary. Whatever force of conviction the arguments carry, must already have had effect, according as the mind of the reader may have admitted convictions, or his feelings have received impressions. From the arguments which have been presented, taken into consideration collectively, no doubt can possibly exist to this extent, viz. that "some threads of love and desire" are entangled with the web of our nature, that our natures have "the blood and baseness of sensuality" incorporated in us tending towards "most preposterous conclusions," and that, whatever may be our situation, we feel

the movements which rise out of it and

which belong to us as men: and although, assuredly, it is "no trespass' that man should have the natural impulses of his sex, it may afford very sufficient reason against admitting men, so naturally constituted, into situations and placing them in circumstances where, in force thereof, and of the natural impulses of the female sex, liable to a reciprocating influence, they may trespass in "preposterous conclusions!" Is it not a preposterous conclusion to admit men to the general practice of midwifery, even although there may be some with clay-cold heads and luke-warm hearts" who 66 can argue down or mask their passions?" Or though, haply, there may be of the general body, one here and there, of superior order, who in the trials of his virtue, feeling the movements which belong to him as a man, governs them as a good one?

It is for individuals then to consider

whether they will continue to rely so implicitly as hitherto upon the supposed influence of principle, or rather in many cases, upon mere pretensions? for, again to apply a preceding quotation from Shakespeare, the moral principle in men,

is an essence that's not seen;

They have it very oft, and have it not."

In fact, to judge from experience, it appears to be getting out of fashion, and growing obsolete; for, albeit, rulers and governors, statesmen and legislators, magistrates and other functionaries, one and all, lay claim to the observance of a religious veneration for it, and aver that it is ever the rule of their conduct; a shrewd suspicion may be justified that it is abjured in practice as an inconvenient incumbrance, and expediency substituted in its place: why then suppose that men-midwives hold it always on duty to subdue the naughty promptings of the blood?