98 NATURAL HISTORY. 



170. All instruments that have either returns, as 

 trumpets ; or flexions, as cornets ; or are drawn up, 

 and put from, as sackbuts ; have a purling sound : 

 but the recorder, or flute, that have none of these 

 inequalities, give a clear sound. Nevertheless, the 

 recorder itself, or pipe, moistened a little in the 

 inside, soundeth more solemnly, and with a little 

 purling or hissing. Again, a wreathed string, such 

 as are in the base strings of bandoras, giveth also a 

 purling sound. 



171. But a lute-string, if it be merely unequal 

 in its parts, giveth a harsh and untunable sound ; 

 which strings we call false, being bigger in one place 

 than in another ; and therefore wire strings are never 

 false. We see also, that when we try a false lute 

 string, we use to extend it hard between the fingers, 

 and to fillip it ; and if it giveth a double species, it 

 is true ; but if it giveth a treble, or more, it is false. 



172. Waters, in the noise they make as they 

 run, represent to the ear a trembling noise ; and in 

 regals, where they have a pipe they call the nightin 

 gale-pipe, which containeth water, the sound hath 

 a continual trembling : and children have also little 

 things they call cocks, which have water in them ; 

 and when they blow or whistle in them, they yield a 

 trembling noise ; which trembling of water hath an 

 affinity with the letter L. All which inequalities of 

 trepidation are rather pleasant than otherwise. 



173. All base notes, or very treble notes, give an 

 asper sound ; for that the base striketh more air, 

 than it can well strike equally: and the treble 



