fun Dumb 2iV\d Deaf^ to Speak^and to Vf^derjlaftd a Lan- 
gnage. Of which if he could do either , the other would 
be moreeafy : But his knowing neither, makes both har- 
der. And thou'gh the Former may be thought the more 
difficult; the Latter may perhaps require as much of 
Time. For if a confiderable Time be requifite , for hi«i 
that can fpeak- One, to learn a Second Language 5 much 
more for him that knows None, to learn the Firft. 
I told yoUj in my laR^ that my /i me was now at leafc 
SemwocaUs , whereof becaufe you defTre a more parti- 
cular Information, Ithought my felf obliged to give you 
this brief Account of that whole Affair ; that you may at 
oDce perceive, as well ^ upon what confiderations I was 
induced to Attempt that Work^and what I did propofe to 
my felf as Fefible therein ^ as what Succefs hath hitherto 
attended that Effay. 
The Tafk it felf confiflrs of Two very difierent part&-; 
each of which doth render the other more difficult* For, 
befide that which appears upon the firft view. To teach 
a perfbn who canriot Hear 5 to Vronounce the Sound of 
Words : There is that other, of teaching him to Vnder- 
jland a Language ^ and know the fignification of thofe 
wordsj whether fpoken or written, whereby he may both 
exprefshis own fenfe, and underftand the Thoughts of o- 
thers ; without which latter , that former were only to 
fpeak like a Parrot 3 or to write like a Scrivener , who 
underftanding no Language but Englifh, tranfcribes a 
piece oiLatin^ Weijh^ or Irip) 5 or like a Printer of Greek 
or Arabickj who knows neither the found nor fignifica- 
tion of what he printeth. 
Now, though I did not apprehend Either of thefe im- 
polBble^ yetj that each of them doth render the other 
more hard, was fo obvious as that L could not be Igno- 
rant of it. For, how eafily the underftanding of a Lan- 
guage is attained by the benefit of Difcourfe^we (eeevery 
day 5 not onely in thofej who knowing one Language al- 
ready, are now to learn a ftcond $ but (which doth more 
refemble the prefent cafe) in Children, who as yet know- 
iog .nonej are now to learatheir Firft Language. For 
