178 
fays, that if the mediafinum, which, is 
naturally a fingle membrane, be divided 
into two parts, the fpeech will feem to 
come out of the breaft. Thefe, fir, are 
great diificulties in our way, when we 
attempt to fix the place where the voice 
is formed. Here you have the abdomen, 
and the peéfus, and I have no doubt that 
moft parts of the body will, at times, 
appear to be parts of fpeech; that men 
May often argue with their elbows and 
fifis, or, ina very warm debate, take to 
their heels, a mode of reafoning which 
I have always found to be conclufive. 
Another difficulty arifes from comparing 
the cafes quoted by Scrutator with thofe 
I have juftrow advanced. In the latter, 
the body fpoke independently of the 
head ; in the former, the cafe was exaétly 
the reyerfe. 
I have premifed that Scruziator is not 
to expe& full fatisfaétion from me on 
this important queftion. All I -pre- 
tend to do, is, to offer fome remarks 
which may be ferviceable to thefe who 
purpofe to confider this queftion as phi- 
lofophers or anatomifts. Could it be de- 
termined, could we exaétly fay where 
the voice is formed, it might lead to 
another difcovery, which is a great 
Gefideratum, I mean, the feat of the 
foul or mind. Philofophers have de- 
bated this point with great warmth, at 
great length, and with abundance of 
learning; but, as far as I know, the 
queition is yet undetermined. Some have 
argued againft the brain, becaufe they 
have known inftances of men living in 
good health after lofing fome of their 
brains. But the force of this argument 
IT never could difcover, nay, if puthed 
as far as it can go, what will it prove, 
but that man may live in good health, 
and rife to great preferment and riches, 
Without brains? This, you perceive, 
Mr. Editor, is nothing to the prefent 
purpofe ; at beft, it is only an bifforical 
fact, and not an anatomical difcoyery. 
In perufing the labours of thofe phi- 
lofophers who have attempted to trace 
the formation-of the voice, and to dif- 
cover the feat cf the foul, we are much 
interefted; light is thrown cafually upon 
fubjeéis which were before obfcure; 
our curiofity is excited, and in fome 
points gratined ; we are alternately ftruck 
by ove or other theory, as it feems moft 
plaufible, but cat boxe? When we leave 
the itillnefs of our libraries for the bufile 
of ative life, how. eafily are all our 
thecries overturned! Alas! fir, in the 
vifidle world, we find as many feats for 
the foul as for the body. This man talks 
New Lphorifms. 
[April 
loudly in praife of public virtue, and 
peopie think he talks from the heart. 
No, fir, he talks from s¢col. a year. 
Another pleads like an ange! ** trumpet- 
tongued” for the proteétion of our reli- 
gion and property. You think you fee 
his very /ovl;. and fo you might, fir, if 
you faw the grant which is juft about to 
be feaied in his favour. A third 1s fo 
vociferous in the fayour of the juftice and 
neceflity of a war, that I fhould fuppofe 
he fpoke from the vigour of a gallant 
{pirit, if I did not fee the commuffion 
peeping out of his pocket. oe 
If Scrzta‘or can-derive any hints from 
what I have taken the liberty to advance 
in this letter, he: is heartily welcome tq 
them. ‘They are thrown out in a leofe 
manner, forthe fubjeét is too grave and 
important for any thing fhort of a vo- 
lume. One thing, however, I muft not 
omit to mention ; it appears, from the 
infrances of the pippin-woman, &e. that 
the head ‘poke a fomething, which the 
perfon would probably have fpoken, if 
he had not fo foon been bereaved of that 
“part of the body. This is the only cir- 
cumftance which prevents my giving all 
the credit to thefe itories which fome may 
think they deferve ; and my reafon is, 
if you will allow it to be any reafon at 
all, that the language and fentiments of 
people before and after the lofs of their 
heads mutt be effentially different. This 
is not a notion of mine cnly. Several 
very well-informed perfons have been 
of the fame opinion. I ama little ftag- 
gered, therefore, to find that Orpheus 
called on Eurydice, or that the pippin- 
woman fhould think of her commodities 
when fhe had them no longertofell. The 
Brabancon gentleman, who invoked a 
facred name, was much more in charac-_ 
ter, and therefore I throw the full weight 
of my belief into his feale. Ina word, 
fir, 1 am of opinion that the lait words 
of people in this world will not be the 
firft they ufe in the next. 
Iam, Mr. Editor, your’s, &c. 
DEMOCRITULUS,; 
—=E ee 
APHOR!sMs ON MIND AND 
MANNERS. 
E, who after a lofs, immediately, 
without ftaying to lament it, fets 
about repairing it, has that within him; 
felf which can control fortune. 
The youth who can fneer at exalted 
Virtue, needs not wait for age and expe- 
rience to commence a confummate knave. 
He whofe firft emotion onthe view of 
an excellent produétion, is to undervaiue 
it, will never have one of his own to on 
? e 
=A 
ad 
7 
