To put a Stop therefore to these clandestine Practices, and prevent young Men from laying _violent Hands_ upon themselves, we must have Recourse to the _Publick Stews_, which cannot fail to have the desired Effect: For which of these private Practitioners can be so brutish, as to prefer this boyish solitary Amusement before the actual Embraces of a fine Woman, when they can proceed with the same Convenience, Safety, and Privacy in the one, as well as the other.
In the next Place, Men are often weaken’d, and sometimes contract almost incurable Gleets by too frequent and immoderate Enjoyment. This seldom or never happens but in private Whoring, when some particular Mistress has made such a strong Impression upon a Man’s Fancy, that he exerts himself in an extraordinary Manner beyond his natural Ability, and thereby contracts a Seminal Weakness, which is generally more difficult to cure than a virulent Running. Now this Danger will be pretty well remov’d by the Encouragement given to _Publick Whoring_, which, as I shall show more particularly hereafter, will divert Men’s Minds, and turn their Thoughts very much from private Intrigues: And it will be readily granted me, that no such Excess is to be fear’d in _Publick Stews_; where a Man only acting out of a general Principle of Love to the whole Sex, will be in no Danger of proceeding any farther than he is prompted by Nature, and the particular Disposition of his Body at that Time.
As for the third Cause of Impotency, the Venereal Disease, we have already prov’d that this Institution of the _Stews_ is the best and surest Remedy against it; and shall only observe here how happily this Project provides against the various ill Effects of Lewdness, in whatever Light we consider them.
Thus, I think, the first Part of my Proposition pretty well clear’d, _viz._ That the _Publick Stews_ will preserve Mens Constitutions so well, that they will have a sufficient Stock of corporal Ability, and consequently Inclination left to persuade them, sooner or later, to enter into the Marriage-State.
I say farther, that these Men, having thus preserv’d their Constitution, will answer all the Intents and Purposes of that State, rather better than if they had lived perfectly chaste.