Soundsj which others do by CuftomCy they know not how ^ 
it may be thought hard enough to exprefiin writing, even 
to one who uiiderftands it very well, thofe very nice Curio- 
fities and Delicacies of Motion , which muft be obferved 
(though we heed it not^) by hinij who without help of his 
Ear to guide his Tongue, (hall form that variety of Sounds 
we ufein fpeaking: Many of which Curiofities are fo nice 
and delicate, and the difference in forming thofe Sounds fo 
very fubtilc, that moft of our felves, who pronounce them 
every day, are not able, without a very ferious confidera- 
tion, to give an account, by what Art or Motion our-felvcs 
form them 5 much lefs to teach another how it is to be 
done. And if>by writing to one who underftands a Lan- 
guage, it be thus difficult to give Inftruftion, how, without 
the help of Hearing, he may utter thofe Sounds, it muflr 
needs increafe the Difficulty, when there is no other Lan- 
guage to expreft it in, but that of Dumb figns» 
Thefe Difficulties (of which I was well aware ) did not 
yet fofardifcourage me from that undertaking, but that I 
did ftill conceive it poffible that both parts of this TaCk 
might be effefted. 
As to the Birft of them $ Though I did not doubt but 
that the Ear doth as much guide the Tongue in fpeaking ^ 
as the E3fedoth the Hand in writing, or playing on tte 
Lute : and therefore thofe who by accident do wholly lofe 
their Hearing, lofe alfo their Speech^ and confequently be- 
come Dumb as well as Deaf 5 ( for it is in a manner the fame 
difficulty, for one that Hears notj to Ipeak well; asforhim 
that isblind, to writeafairhand; ) yet^ fincewe fee that 
'tis poffible for a Lady to attain lb great a Dexterity, as, in 
the dark, to play on a Lute, though to that variety of nim- 
ble motions^ the Eyes direftion , as well as the Judgment of 
the Ear, might feem neceflary to guide the Hand 5 1 did not 
thinkit impoffible, but that the Organs of Speech might be 
taught to obferve their due Poftures^though neither the Eye 
behold their Motion^ nor the Ear difcern the Sound they 
snake. 
And as to the other 5 That of Language might feem yet 
more 
