CENTURY II. 107 



dispersing : and although, as was formerly said, a 

 sound articulate, already created, will be contracted 

 into a small cranny ; yet the first articulation re- 

 quireth more dimension. 



197. It hath been observed, that in a room, or 

 in a chapel, vaulted below and vaulted likewise in 

 the roof, a preacher cannot be heard so well, as in 

 the like places, not so vaulted. The cause is, for that 

 the subsequent words come on before the precedent 

 words vanish : and therefore the articulate sounds 

 are more confused, though the gross of the sound be 

 greater. 



198. The motions of the tongue, lips, throat, 

 palate, &c. which go to the making of the several 

 alphabetical letters, are worthy inquiry, and perti 

 nent to the present inquisition of sounds : but be 

 cause they are subtle, and long to describe, we will 

 refer them over, and place them amongst the expe 

 riments of speech. The Hebrews have been diligent 

 in it, and have assigned which letters are labial, 

 which dental, which guttural, &c. As for the Latins 

 and Grecians, they have distinguished between semi 

 vowels and mutes ; and in mutes between &quot; mutae 

 &quot; tenues, mediae,&quot; and &quot; aspiratae ;&quot; not amiss, but 

 yet not diligently enough. For the special strokes 

 and motions that create those sounds, they have 

 little inquired : as, that the letters B, P, F, M, are 

 not expressed, but with the contracting or shutting 

 of the mouth ; that the letters N and B, cannot be 

 pronounced but that the letter AT will turn into M ; 

 as &quot; hecatonba&quot; will be &quot; hecatomba.&quot; That M and 

 T cannot be pronounced together, but P wilj come 



