102 NATURAL HISTORY. 



of the string, as in harps, virginals, &c. Both these 

 have one and the same reason ; for they cause the 

 string to give a quicker start. 



182. In the straining of a string, the further it 

 is strained, the less superstraining goeth to a note ; 

 for it requireth good winding of a string before it 

 will make any note at all : and in the stops of lutes, 

 &c. the higher they go, the less distance is between 

 the frets. 



183. If you fill a drinking-glass with water, 

 especially one sharp below, and wide above, and 

 fillip upon the brim or outside ; and after empty 

 part of the water, and so more and more, and still 

 try the tone by filliping ; you shall find the tone fall 

 and be more base, as the glass is more empty. 

 Experiments in consort touching the proportion of treble 



and base tones. 



The just and measured proportion of the air per 

 cussed, towards the baseness or trebleness of tones, 

 is one of the greatest secrets in the contemplation 

 of sounds. For it discovereth the true coincidence 

 of tones into diapasons ; which is the return of the 

 same sound. And so of the concords and discords 

 between the unison and diapason, which we have 

 touched before in the experiments of music ; but 

 think fit to resume it here as a principal part of our 

 inquiry touching the nature of sounds. It may be 

 found out in the proportion of the winding of strings ; 

 in the proportion of the distance of frets ; and in the 

 proportion of the concave of pipes, &c. but most 

 commodiously in the last of these. 



