CENTURY III. 12J) 



glass before in that ; and divers such super-reflexions, 

 till the &quot; species speciei&quot; at last die. For it is every 

 return weaker and more shady. In like manner the 

 voice in that chapel createth &quot; speciem speciei,&quot; and 

 maketh succeeding super-reflexions ; for it melteth 

 by degrees, and every reflexion is weaker than the 

 former : so that if you speak three words, it will, 

 perhaps, some three times report you the whole 

 three words ; and then the two latter words for some 

 times ; and then the last word alone for some times, 

 still fading and growing weaker. And whereas in 

 echoes of one return, it is much to hear four or five 

 words ; in this echo of so many returns upon the 

 matter, you hear above twenty words for three. 



250. The like echo upon echo, but only with 

 two reports, hath been observed to be, if you stand 

 between a house and a hill, and lure towards the 

 hill. For the house will give a back echo ; one 

 taking it from the other, and the latter the weaker. 



251. There are certain letters that an echo will 

 hardly express ; as S for one, especially being prin 

 cipal in a word. I remember well, that when I went 

 to the echo at Pont-Charenton, there was an old Pa 

 risian, that took it to be work of spirits, and of good 

 spirits. For, said he, call &quot; Satan,&quot; and the echo 

 will not deliver back the devil s name ; but will say, 



&quot; va fen ; which is as much in French as &quot; apage/ 

 or avoid. And thereby I did hap to find, that an 

 echo would not return S, being but a hissing and an 

 interior sound. 



252. Echoes are some more sudden, and chop 



VOL. IV. K 



