120 Additional Notes. 



trived a wooden mouth with lips of soft leather, and with a valve 

 over the bacK. part of it for nostrils, both which could be quickly 

 opened or closed by the pressure of the fingers, the vocality was given 

 hy a silk ribbon about an inch long and a quarter of an inch wide 

 stretched between two bits of smooth wood a little hollowed ; so that 

 when a gentle current of air from bellows was blown on the edge of 

 the ribbon, it gave an agreeable tone, as it vibrated between the 

 wooden sides, much like a human voice. This head pronounced 

 the p, b, m, and the vowel a, with so great nicety as to deceive all 

 who heard it unseen, when it pronounced the words mama, papa, 

 map, andpam; and had a most plaintive tone, when the lips were 

 gradually closed. My other occupations prevented me from proceed- 

 ing in the further construction of this machine; which might have re- 

 quired but thirteen movements, as shown in the above analysis, unless 

 some variety of musical note was to be added to the vocality produced 

 in the larynx; all of which movements might communicate with the 

 keys of a harpsichord or forte piano, and perform the song as M'ell 

 as the accompaniment; or which if built in a gigantic form, might 

 speak so loud as to command an army or instruct a crowd. 



I conclude this with an agreeable hope, that now war is ceased, the 

 active and ingenious of all nations will attend again to those sciences, 

 which better the condition of human nature; and that the alphabet 

 will undergo a perfect reformation, which may indeed make it more 

 difficult to trace the etymologies of words, but will much facilitate 

 the acquisition of modern languages; which as science improves and 

 becomes more generally diffused, will gradually become more distinct 

 and accurate than the ancient ones; as metaphors will cease to be ne- 

 cessary iu conversation, and only be used as the ornaments of poetry. 



THE END. 



