Century 1 1 1. 



When a Sound is created in a Wind-Inftrument,hetween the Breath and the 

 Air, yet if : the Sound be communicate with a more equall Body of the Pipe, 

 it meliorates^ the For(no doubt)there would be a differing Soimd in a 



Trumpeter P/p? of Wood- 7 And again in a T rumpet or P//><? of Zfr^/f.' Itwere 

 good to try Recorders and Hunters Horns olBrajs, what the £<?#W would be. 



Sounds are melisratedhy the Intenfion of the S-enfe, where the Common 

 Senje is collected moft, to the particular Senfe of Hearing, and the S/g-Af 

 fufpended : and therefore, are fweeter, (as well as greater,) in the 



iVr^than in the D/*y 5 And I fuppofe, they are fweeter to blind Men, than 

 to Others: And it is manifeft, that between Sleeping and Waking, (when 

 alltheSwjifjare bound and fufpended) Muftck is farre.fweeter, than when 

 one is//*//) waking. 



IT is a Thing ftrange in Nature, when it is attentively confidered $ How 

 Children, and fome Birds, learn to imitate Speech. They take no Markfat 

 all)of the Motion of the Mouth of Him that fpeaketh 5 For Birds-, are as well 

 taught in the Dark,as by Light. The Sounds of Speech are very Curious and 

 Exquifite : So one would think it were a Lejflfon hard to learn. It is true, 

 that it is done with time, and by little and little, and with many Effays and 

 Proffers : But all this difchargeth not the Wonder. It would make a Man 

 think (though this which we lhall fay may feem exceeding orange) that 

 there is fome Tranfmijjion of Spirits • and that the Spirits of the T eacher put 

 in Motion,fhould work with the Spirits of the Learner, a Pre-difpofition 

 to offer to Imitate, And fo to perfect the Imitation by degrees. But touching 

 operations by T ranjmijjions of Spirits, (which is one of the higheft fecrets in 

 jsjature/) we mall fpeak in due place Chiefly when we come to enquire 

 of Imagination. But as for Imitation, it is certain, that there is in Men,and 

 other Creatures, a pre-difpofition to Imitate. We fee how ready Apes and 

 Monkies are, to imitate all motions of Man : .And in the Catching of Dot - 

 trells, we fee, how the Foolifh Bird playeth the Ape in Geftures : And no 

 Man (in effect) doth accompany with others, but he learneth (ere he is 

 aware, ) fome Gefture, or Voice, or Fafliionof the other. 



In Imitation of Sounds, that Man mould be the T eacher, is no Part of the 

 Matter 5 For Birds will learn one of another And there is no Reward, by 

 feeding, or the like, given them for the Imitation 5 And befldes, you mall 

 have parrets, that will not only imitate Voices, but Laughing, Knocking, 

 Squeaking ofaDoore upon the Hinges, or of a Cart-wheele •, And (in ef- 

 fect) any other Noijc they hear. 



No Be aft can imitate the Speech of Man, but Birds only - f For the Ape it 

 felf, that is fo ready to imitate otherwiie, attaineth not any degree of Imita- 

 tion of Speech. It is true,that I have known a Dog, that if one howled in his 

 bar, he would fall a howling a great while. What fhould be the Aptnefs 

 of Birds, in comparifon of Beafts, to> imitate the Speech of Man, may be fur- 

 ther enquired. We fee that Beafts have thofe Parts, which they count the 

 Inftruments of Speeches Lips, Teeth, &c) liker unto Man, than Birds. As 

 for the Neck, by which the Throat paffethj we fee many Beafts have it, 

 for the Length, as much as Birds. What better Gorge, or Attire, Birds 

 have, may be further enquired. The Birds that are known to be Speakers, 

 are, Parrets, Pyes, J 1 ayes, Dawes, and Ravens. Of which Parrets have an a- 

 dunque Bill,but the reft not. 



But I conceive, that the Aptneftdi Birds, is not fo much in the Confor- 

 mity of the Organs of Speeches in their Attention . For Speech mutt come by 



Hearing 



