140 NATURAL HISTORY. 



instrument in use to be set to the ear, that helpeth 

 somewhat those that are thick of hearing. 



286. If the mouth be shut close, nevertheless 

 there is yielded by the roof of the mouth a murmur, 

 such as is used by dumb men. But if the nostrils 

 be likewise stopped, no such murmur can be made, 

 except it be in the bottom of the palate towards the 

 throat. Whereby it appeareth manifestly, that a 

 sound in the mouth, except such as aforesaid, if the 

 mouth be stopped, passeth from the palate through 

 the nostrils. 



Experiments in consort touching the spiritual and Jine 

 nature of sounds. 



287. The repercussion of sounds, which we call 

 echo, is a great argument of the spiritual essence of 

 sounds. For if it were corporeal, the repercussion 

 should be created in the same manner, and by like 

 instruments, with the original sound : but we see 

 what a number of exquisite instruments must concur 

 in speaking of words, whereof there is no such mat 

 ter in the returning of them, but only a plain stop 

 and repercussion. 



288. The exquisite differences of articulate 

 sounds, carried along in the air, shew that they can 

 not be signatures or impressions in the air, as hath 

 been well refuted by the ancients. For it is true, 

 that seals make excellent impressions ; and so it 

 may be thought of sounds in their first generation ; 

 but then the delation and continuance of them with- 



