cre ee er eee)” eer ee ee “Shoe ae 
aa . Re ik Sa Od ’ 
= Ceonmy TTL | 62 
the original Sound: But we {ce what a number of exquifire Inftruments 
mult concur in {peaking of words, whereof there is no fuch matter inthe 
returning of them, buronely a plain ftop, and repercuffion, - 
| The exquifite Differences of Articulate Sounds, carried alonginthe| 238, 
_ | Air, fhew that they cannot be Signatures or Impreffions in the Air, as hath 
_ | been well refuted by the Ancients. For itistrue, that Seals make excellent 
~ | Inipreffions ; and fo it may be thought of Sounds in their firft generation : 
| But then the Delationand Continuance of them, without any new fealing, 
thew apparently they cannot be Impreffions. i 
~~ All Sounds are fuddenly made,and do fuddenly perifhs but neither that, | 239- 
nor the exquifite Differences of them, is matter of fo great admiration: For 
| the Quaverings, and Warblings of Lutes, and Pipes are as {wift ; and che | 
| Tongue (which is no very fine Inftrument) doth infpeech, make no fewer 
motions, than there be letters in all the words whichareuttered. But that 
Sounds fhould not oncly be fo fpeedily generated, but carried fo far every 
way, m fuch a momentany time, deferveth moreadmiration, As for ex. 
ample, If a manftandinthe middle of a Field, and fpeak aloud, he fhall be. 
heard a Furlong inround, and that fhall bein articulate Sounds, and thofe 
fhall be entire in every little portion of the Air ; andthis fhallbedonein the 
{pace of lefs thana minute. 
~The fudden Generation and Perifhing of Sounds, muft be one of thefe 
two ways: Eicher, that the Air fuffereth fomeforce bySound,; and thenre- 
ftoreth it felf as Water doth; which being divided, maketh many circles, 
tillicreftoreit felf tothe Natural confiftence ; or otherwife, that the Air doth 
willingly imbibe the Sound as grateful, butcannot maintain ic; for that the 
| Air hath (as it frould feem) a fecret and hidden Appetite of receiving the 
| Soundat the firft; butthen other grofs andmoremateriate qualities of the 
| Air ftraight ways fuffocate it, like unto Flame which is generated with 
| alacrity, but ftraight quenchea by the enmity of the Air, or other Ambient 
| Bodies. ie : OWS nt 
yak rake cade en 
290. 
There be thefe differences (in general) by which Sounds are divided: 
1. Mufical, Immufical: 
. Trebble, Bafe. 
. Flat, Sharp. 
. Soft, Loud. 
. Exterior, Interior. 
. Clean, Harfh, or Purling. 
7. Mrticulate, Inarticulate. 
AnWBw nv 
S | 
We have labored (as may appear) in this Znquifiszon of Sounds diligeritly ; 
both becaufe Sound is one of the moft hidden portions of Nature, (as 
we faid inthe beginning) and becaufe it is a Vertue which may be called 
‘Facorporeal and Immateriate, whereof there be in Nature but few. Be- 
fides, we were willing (now in thefe our firlt Centuries) to make a pattern 
or prefident of an Exact Inquifition; and we fhall do the like hereafter in } 
fome other fubje&ts which require it. For we defire that Men fhould 
‘learn and perceive how feverea thing the true Inquijstion of Nature is 3 
and fhould accuftom themfelves by thelightof particulars, to enlarge 
their mindes to theamplitude of the World; and nor toreduce the 
W orld tothe narrownefs of their Mindes. ' | 
G 2 Metals } 
° 
