62 



3\(aturall Hijlory • 



279 



280 



281 



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Experiments 

 hi Confort 

 touching the 

 Hindr'wg or 

 Helping of the 

 Hearing. 

 283 

 284 



285 



286 



There is a Common Observation ,thatifa Lute , ox} tall, be laved upon 

 the Back, with a (mall Straw upon one fide of the Strings h And another Lute 

 or Viall be laid by it • And in the other Lute, or Vtall, the Urn [on to that 

 String be ftrucken 5 it will make the String move Which will appeare both 

 to the Eie, and by the Straws falling off. The like will be, if the Dtapafon 

 or Eight to that String be ftrucken, either in the fame Lute, or Viall, or in 

 others lying by But in none of thefe there is any Report of Sound, that can 

 be difcerned, but only Motion. 



It was devifed, that a Vtall mould have a Lay of Wire Strings-below, 

 as clofe to the Belly as a Lute « And then the Strings of Guts mounted up- 

 on a Bridge, as in Ordinary Vialls ^ To the end,that by this meanes, the up- 

 per Strings ftrucken, fhculd make the lower refound by Sympathy, and fo 

 make the Mufick the better Which,if it be to purpofe,then Sympathy work- 

 eth as well by Report of Sound, as by Motion. But this device I conceive 

 to be of no ule, becaufe the upper Strings, which are flopped in great variety, 

 cannot maintain a Diapajon or Uni[on, with the Lower, which are never 

 flopped. But if it lliould be of uieat all-, it mult be in Inftruyncnts which 

 have no Stops as Virginalls,and Harps wherein triall may be made of two 

 Rowes of Strings, diftant the one from the other. 



The Experiment of Sympathy may be transferred (perhaps) from Inftru- 

 ments of Strings toother Inftruments of Sound. As to try if there were in one 

 Steeple, two Bells of Ufflj on, whether the (hiking of the one would move 

 the other, more then if it were another Accord : And fo in Pipes, (if they 

 beofequall Bore, and Sound,) whether a little Straw or Fether would 

 move in the one Pipe, when the other is blown at an llmfon. 



It feemeth both in Ear, and Eie, the Inftrument of Settfe hath a Sympathy 

 or Similitude with that which giveth the Reflexion (As hath been touch- 

 ed before.) For as the Sight of the Eye is like a Chryftall, or Glafs=or Water-, 

 So is the Ear a finuous Cave, with a hard Bone, to flop and reverberate 

 j the Sound : Which is like to the Places that report Ecchos. 



W Hen a Man Taivneth, he cannot Hear fo well. The Caufe is for 

 thzt the Membrane of the Ear is extended And fo rather cafteth 

 off the Sound, than draweth it. to. 



j We Hear better when we hold our Breath, than contrary •, Infomuch as in 

 ; all Liftening to attain a Sound a farre off, Men hold their Breath. The Caufe 

 \ is, For that in all Expiration, the Motion is Outwards and therefore, ra- 

 ther driveth away the voice, than draweth it : And befides we fee, that in all 

 j Labour to do things with any ftrength, we hold the Breath : And liftening 

 ! after any Sound, that is heard with difficulty, is a kind of Labour. 

 ! Let it be tried, for the Help of the Hearing, (and I conceive it likely to 

 I fucceed,) to make an Instrument like a Tunned The narrow Part whereof 

 i may be of the Bignefs of the Hole of the Ear And the Broader End much 

 larger, like a Bell at the Skirts And the length half a foot, or more. And 

 let the narrow End of itbefet clofe to the Ear : And mark whether any 

 Sound abroad in the open Air, will not be heard diftindtly, from further 

 diftance, than without that Inftrument 5 being (as it were) an Ear -Speftacle, 

 And I have heard there is in Spain^ an Inftrument in ufe to be fet to the Ear, 

 that helpeth fomewhat thofe that are Thick of Hearing. 



If the Mouth be (hut Clofe, neverthelefs there is yeelded by the Ro ( of of 

 the mouth, a Murmur. Such as is ufed by dumb Men : Bat if the Nojlrills 

 be likewife ftopped,nofuch Murmur can be made Except it be in the Bot- 



, tome 



