Observation. 1.

THe first thing observable that oc­curres in this Relation is, that this Spanish Lord was taught to hear the sound of words with his eye, if that expression may be permitted. Indeed the exploit and expression both, are very new, and may seem exceeding strange to those who ei­ther know not that there is a community among the Senses; or have not well thought upon it. It being admirable how the objects of one Sense may be known by another; and how one Sense will oftentimes supply the office and want of another: for light may be felt, odours may be tasted, the relish of meates may be smelt, magnitude and figure may be heard, and sounds may be seen, felt, or tasted. Examples and Experiments of all which Exchanges I am able to pro­duce upon occasion: so that to exercise Sense is, our brain to receive an im­pression from the externe object, by the [Page 65] operation or mediation of some one of those which we call an externe Sense, yet there seemes to be no absolute ne­cessity that Sensation must be made by an organical part made for that purpose, but one sense may be exercised by the Organs of another, by changing the offices of the Senses, which well exa­mined would keep the most Sceptical from doubting of a community among them, if not of degree, at least of the whole kinde: for we see the touch is the ground worke of all the rest. And there­fore Campanella in his ingenious Book De sensu rerum proves, that all the Sen­ses are but Tact: but the sensories and manner of sensation differ, which he makes good through all the Senses, prov­ing that al sensation is performed by con­tact. By looking into the causes where­of we shall discerne these strange effects to fal within the observation of Art, and to deserve a further enquiry. That odours should be tasted and the relish of meates, smelt, is not strange, if we consider the conformity betwixt the two Senses of smelling and tasting: for, Phisicians that write of these Senses, finde them very [Page 66] conformable: and therefore it happen­eth that the loosing of one of them, is the losse also of the other. And accord­ingly the very names which men have imposed to expresse the affections of both, do many times agree: as savour, which is common both to the smell and taste; and sweet likewise: the strongest of which we see oftentimes do make themselves known as well by the one as by the other Sense; and either of them in excesse will turne a mans stomacke: and therefore deafnesse which Marcel­lus cals Surdiginem, the Greeks call [...] which word as Herotianus notes (with Hippocrates) doth not only denote a privation of Hearing, but also some­times a privation of sight; after the same manner (almost) as we finde a­mong the Latines, that surditas doth oft signifie a privation or obtusion of divers senses, but howsoever one sense through a sympathetical league more naturally and strictly observed between it and some other sense may be impaired or suffer damage upon the defect of that other sense: yet there is seldom any decay in Nature, but will be by this community [Page 67] someway supplyed. For if all the senses should be defective except the touch (which cannot be utterly lost without the privation of life) the virtue of all the Senses would run into the touch, and make that not to be deposed King of the senses so accurate, it shal be able to of­ficiate for all the rest. And indeed the ex­pressions are somewhat remarkable, that men defective in their Senses often use, which seem to acknowledge no defect, but what they have an equivalent re­compence for; it being ordinary for blinde men to use words as if they saw: which I remember Montaigne in his Essayes takes great notice of, who was once visited by a blinde Gentleman, who took upon him confidently to commend the Architecture and contri­vance of his Mansion-house: What a fair lightsome room, saith he, is this? What a goodly prospect this house hath? What a fair & beautifull childe is this? Taking upon him to judge of colours and all manner of beauty and propor­tion. And this day I followed a blinde man in Red-crosse-street, who being near a Brew-house made a stand; Oh, [Page 68] saith he, This is a Brew-house, I see it; to whom I: It is will guessed, Are you sure you see it? I, replied he; That I do, I smell it. Two Gentlemen passing by, smiled at the blinde mans expression, Nay, I assure ye Gentlemen, said I, He is in the right, for he does see it, so I passed on leaving them two behinde me blaming the sobriety of my justificati­on of that, as they thought impropriety of Speech used by the blinde man, which put me in minde of a passage in Servius in his Tractate de Ʋnguent. A [...]mario, of a man that having lost his eyes, saw not­withstanding through his nose. And I believe men accidentally deaf, who can speak and perceive any thing by the mo­tion of mens lips, wil be apt (to the great justification of occular Audition) now and then to say I hear, or I have heard: and being the other day in company of one Master Oxwyth a Spanish Merchant to whom I am much beholding for some intelligence out of Spain, and he tel­ling me somwhat of the rare qualities of this Spanish deaf Lord, which his Factor had sent him intelligence of, (to satisfie my curiosity who had formerly intreat­ed [Page 69] that favour from him. He began to tell me somewhat of the most remark­able properties of M. Crispe, who is wel known to be deaf, and among the rest he said, that a while ago he walking with him in the company of others, one asked him how his Brother did? My Brother (replied he presently) is very well, I heard from him but the other day: and whether his intelligence came by word of mouth, or from the mouth of a pen; in transitory or fixed words; He that had an Ear in his Eye, might well say, He heard from his Brother. and that the defect of the Ear in deaf men, may be supplied by the office of the Eye, or the defect of the Eye in blinde men by the office of the Ear; so that the Ear also may see; will not appear so pa­radoxical, if we consider the consent of visibles and audibles, as it is elegantly set forth by my Lord Bacon in his Natural History, Cent. 3. from Exper. 255. to Exper. 267. which being long to recite, I referre to the inquisition of the curi­ous. And with good judgement for de­monstrations sake, did that Heroe of learning use in divers instances, the ex­amples [Page 70] of the sight and things visible, to illustrate the nature of sounds, pro­secuting it to a more full comparison, since the hearing hath a great affinity with the Organ of sight, for they have both one common faculty, and the ex­tremity of the auditory passage, where the Nerve dilated is conjoyned with the included aire, doth answer to the Chrystalline: in like manner those parts which are about the involution of the Eare are correspondent to the sight of the Eye, and the other parts about the Chrystalline. And I would fain know why Gordonius a lear­ned Phisician, as appeareth by his Workes, in his Description of the In­struments of Hearing, where he writes of the Diseases of the Ear, attributes a concave optique Nerve unto the Ear. His Marginal Commentator confesseth he seeth not for what reason he doth it, and till some bodie will undertake to see far­ther into his minde, we may suppose he was a secret Friend, and a well wish­ing Nichodemus to auricular vision. Now whether the expression of hearing sounds with the Eye may be permitted, [Page 71] will appear, if it cannot be denied but that Hearing is nothing else but the due perception of motion, and that motion and sound are not different entities, but in themselves one and the same thing, al­though expressed by different names and compized in our understanding under different notions, which is proved by the observation of sounds which follow the lawes of motion, for every effect of them is to be demonstrated by the prin­ciples and proportions of motion. So that motion alone is able to effect and give account of all things whatsoever that are attributed to sound, and sound and motion do go hand in hand together, and whatsoever may be said of the one is likewise true of the other. Aristotle therefore defines sound by motion, and the Voyce to be a kinde of percussion, and therefore sound is the same with motion, and no resulting quality; which may be further convinced by the ordinarie ex­periment of perceiving Musique by me­diation of a sticke: for, a deaf man is ca­pable of that sound no otherwise than as bare motion is sound. Now since articu­late sound or motion may be perceived by [Page 72] the Eye, then it may hear as well as see, and hear by seeing. It will be no great impropriety of speech to affirme the Eye may hear, since it can perceive the ad­equate object of hearing, and performe the office of an ear in judging of sound as it is motion (all sound being motion as soon as it is perceived) and the thing which we call sound and makes speech audible, being purely motion. Indeed sound w^ch is but an accident of speech, & which is as they commonly speak, the sensible quality of Hearing, is reckoned by Phi­losophers to be proprium sensile, to wit, to be perceptible but to one sense: yet as it is figure and motion, which two al­wayes imply one another, and of the essence of speech, it may be accounted commune sensile, and be perceived by more outward Senses than one. I but sayes one, if sound be motion, Which is the mobile? Surely, in articulate sounds which are the motions I onely undertake for, the mobile may be the aire or breath, as it is moved and informed by the in­struments of speech. And if that be not liked, What thinke ye of the Lips for the mobile of articulate motion? Verily, [Page 73] although I am not of his opinion, who held that motus and mobile were all one: yet by a warrant of Anatomicall subtle­tie I may say, that movens and mobile are; for in the lips which were to move and be moved in speech, the motory pow­er is mingled with the mobile. I, but no motion is performed in an instant: but sound in an instant fils thousands of eares if they be neer. Surely, Articulate motion also is performed in an instant, and can fil thousands of eares or eyes if they be at a convenient distance. I, but rest is oppo­site to motion, but it is not opposite to sound. Surely, silence which is a rest from speech, is opposite both to motion and the audible Articulation of sounds. I, but againe it is objected, here are many motions without any sound, for you may move your hand, or any part of your Body without sound. It may bee not: for we have reason to suspect there may be some kinde of sound in every motion, according to that of Ausonius, Nil mu­tum Natura dedit. And I thinke and beleeve there is some sound in every mo­tion, although it may not be perceived, being drowned by other greater sounds [Page 74] that are about us. And wee are embol­dened by this Art to question whether the eare bee the onely judge of sound The rather, since there are some nation have no eares, yet heare most exactly Tis true, Articulat motion requires no [...] alwayes anaudible sound, but a visible i [...] doth at least; and therefore not to be ac­counted among those motions which are supposed to passe without sound: For o­therwise, Articulate sound and motio [...] being one and the same; you will make them like the two Socii in Plautus, mo [...] one another, as if Articulate motio [...] should passe without sound, that is, with­out it selfe. I but yet againe, there is a sympatheticall and antipatheticall pow­er in sounds, to affect or disaffect the hearer, which is not in motion: although there be not found objects so ingrate to the eye as to the eare, yet in Articulate sounds this way perceived by the eye, there is, as well as by the eare; for, what are the angry frownes and stormie mo­tions of a tempestuous countenance, which provokes the face of another to the like impetuosities, but antipatheti­call motions? and what are yawning [...] [Page 75] and laughter, which appeares chiefly a­bout the mouth; but sympatheticall mo­tions which passe from one man to ano­ther, and affect or disaffect them with the like? More especially these sounds of motions which are audible to him that heareth with his eares, have a power to gratifie or distaste his ocular eare.

But I have no designe to oppose any mans fansie, or to impose any thing up­on it, if they will give me leave (at least for the decency and countenance of the argument I handle) to say and thinke thus: Let them enjoy the liberty of their judgement, for wee are not necessarily engaged by our designe, to make good this expression of hearing sounds with the Eye. Therefore as for that, wee say as the great Advancer of Learning saide of factitious Gold: If a mettall may be procured by Art which shall exactly an­swer in al things the properties of Gold, let men dispute whether it bee Gold or no: So if we may by the favour of God have this Art so successefull unto us, that a Deafe man may be brought to enjoy the benefite of an eare in his eye; that is, the eye to officiate for the eare, let men [Page 76] dispute whether he heares with his eye or no: for wee are not so magistrall in this matter, as to have any thought of deceiving others with a vaine Philosophy of swelling words.

Observation. II.

HEe was borne Deafe and Dumbe. Great are the Nation of those (o­therwise ingenious men) who have fal­len under this unhappy accident; the causes being various and unknowne: there are who suppose that this happens to some through the propriety of their place of birth. Soranus affirmes, that those who are borne in Ships at Sea, are by a proprietie of their place of birth, like Fishes, mute. M [...]nt [...]o confidently affirmes, that by a proprietie of the place, they who were borne within the walls of the Castle of Claramont, proved dumbe; as it happened to all the Baro [...]s that were borne there. Astrologers say that Childe will be deafe, that is borne [Page 77] when Mercurie is Lord of the sixt house, and infortunate by evill aspects with Sa­turne, chiefly if he be in th [...] sixt house: Likewise they will have [...]at impedi­ment in their hearing, in [...]ose nativity Jupiter and Saturne bee both impedite and infortunate above the earth; that is, if they be retrograde or combust in evill places. And if Mercurie be impe­dite of Saturne in a Childes nativity, it doth hinder the tongue; but it is worse when they be corporally conjunct toge­ther, especially, in the Ascendent, or in the seaventh house, and in the same signe with the Sun. (Mercurie being then Oc­cidentall:) or if Mercurie be above the earth corporally conjunct with Saturne, or else in an evill aspect of Saturne, and in a dumbe signe called Signum mutum, and also is unfortunate, that is to say, in an evill place, retrograde or combust and peregrine, that party then borne, will have great impediment in his tongue, or else will be dumbe, and cannot speake. Sometimes the sinne of the Parents are exemplarily punished in their children. Dr. Joachim the brother of Camerarius, told him he saw in the Court of the Lant­grave [Page 78] of Hesse, a Boy deafe and dumbe so witty, that hee could not wonder e­nough at his dexterity in executing the commandements that were given him; for by a winke of the eye, hee conceived of the will of the Prince and of his hous­hold: The Lantgrave seeing him won­der at the sight, hee told him: You see this young Boy, his use is to declare with a marvelous readinesse by gestures of his body, and by motions of his fingers, any new thing he seeth done in the Court or City. He is an example of Gods justice, for, his mother being accused of stealing when shee went with childe with him, used such an imprecation, that if that which she was charged with was true, her Childe might never speake when it came to be in the World, but remaine Dumbe all his life.

To some this is an hereditary evill and an imperfection ex traduce.

But why Deafe men should get deafe children? may be from that similitude which springeth from the seede, in as much as it flowes from the whole oeco­nomy of the Body; that is, sometimes it flowes out more from the Father, some­times [Page 79] from the Mother; from this plen­ty of provision proceedeth the similitude, so some part in children resembleth the Mother, another part the Father; as that seede hath more copiously issued from the parts of either Parent. And common­ly when a Deafe and Dumbe man hath got his Wife with childe, there is a soli­citous expectation in their Friends whe­ther the childe should prove Deafe and Dumbe or no: For it falleth not out al­wayes, that the children of Deafe and Dumbe men inherit that imperfection of their parents, as intailed upon them: whereof the reason above mentioned may serve, that is, the seed of the perfect parent may be more luxuriant and pre­dominant, whereof I have known some examples. What the issue of a Deafe and Dumbe man and woman would prove, there hath beene no opportunity afforded to trie, because few Philosophers have beene bidden to such a wedding. The like reason may be, why they should have deafe Children who are deafened by some disease, or by reason of some over­potent object which hath destroyed their sense of Hearing. Upon which a Quaere [Page 80] might be raised, whether the children of those who dwell neere the Catarrachs of Nile (whose parents are all deafe,) are not commonly borne deafe also, rather then afterwards so made.

We doe not heare indeed, that any of the brethren or family this Lord was of, were unfortunate in the like defect, al­though that hath beene the sad conditi­on of many eminent Families. Fernelius writes of a Senatour, whose Wife being healthy, yet all the children hee had by her were deafe and dumbe; the cause he judgeth to be very darke and obscure. Cardan speakes of a woman that had five and twenty children, of two of which number shee was delivered within tenne moneths, both deafe and dumbe, which both lived, and lived in his time; the one with three Mola's, the second with two, not onely dead but putrified; who while she went with them felt not her selfe as with her others, but shee felt as it were a weight of lead in the bottome of her belly. It being very likely that the Mo­la's growing to by reason of their fri­giditie (for they are as congealed blood) did hurt their braines, thence the hearing, [Page 81] and so dulled the facultie of speech, e­specially when they putrified.

Nor are examples of these sad acci­dents very rare among us; such there­fore as I have either knowne, or by cre­dible intelligence gained notice of from others, I shall here annex, conceiving it fit to enlarge the Forreigne story of Deafe and Dumbe men, with such ad­ditionall notions. The rather that wee may come a little out of these outlandish Writers debt, and in some reasonable sort, vie Historicall observations with them.

Sir Edward Gostwick of Wellington in the County of Bedfordshire Baronet, a Gentleman otherwise very accompli­shed, was borne deafe and dumbe; hee hath attained unto writing, which is a substitute of speech, and from whence there lyes a way if well followed, to the recovery of an Articulate voice. Hence, writing to them that are deaf and dumb, may serve in stead of speech, who there­fore doe best begin to write, and after­wards learne to speake. The first inven­tion of Writing was to make Verba vi­sibilia, missilia, & permanentia, to re­medy [Page 82] the defect of speech that vanisheth away, is onely audible, and cannot bee wrought into discourse but by two that are present together, whereas this in­vention puts an eare, as it were into the eye, and presents our cogitations visible and legible, writing being the later in­vention; speech by it selfe signifies all our conceptions, and writing signifies our speech; for, writing to words, is as words to cogitations: Yet this order is not of necessity, that speech must bee learnt first, and afterwards Writing should succeede, to signifie our words; rather then words writing: there being no naturall necessity for it, so that the contrary cannot bee done: But it hap­pens rather by reason of the facility, and because men that are deprived of no [...] of their senses, are apt sooner to speake, then to write; the tongue being sooner fitted by nature for that employment, then the hand for this: But the cleane contrary may be done, as appeares in the atchievement of this honourable Gentle­man, and others mentioned in this book. For as they who have their hearing d [...] as the readyer and better way b [...]in [...] [Page 83] speech; so they who are deafe doe best begin at writing; Therefore neither of them hath a naturall necessity, but it seemes by the nature of the thing, that the reason and account of speech and writing is the same; but that they have a greater facility of speaking, who en­joy all their senses; but they who want their hearing, may have writing in stead of speech, and the notice of things ac­crues to them by sight, as to others by hearing: So that speech is as it were a silent and audible writing, and writing is a visible and permanent speech, and withall so missive, that where the eare is absent, we can send our mind by wri­ting to a friend; why not then when the faculty of hearing is wanting, as in deafe men, may we not send a message of in­telligence to his eye in writing, since the eare and eye are knowne to exchange ob­jects, without any robery, in case of ne­cessity, transferring their sensitive rights one unto another?

The youngest brother of the said Sir Edward Gostwick is in the same condi­tion, being yet an excellent Limbn [...]r, invited to that art by his Genius, or some [Page 84] signalitie of spirit observed in him. Painting and Limbning next to writing, having beene ever thought of excellent use, and to afford singular contentation to those that are borne deafe and dumbe. And therefore Q. Pedius the Nephew of Q. Pedius a man of Consular degree, and one that had tryumphed, by Caesar Dictator, made Co-heir with Augustus, being dumbe by nature: Messala the Oratour, of whose familie the Grandmo­ther of the childe was descended, being carefull how the Boy should be brought up, after mature advise and deliberation thought good that he should by signes and imitation be trained up in the Art of Painting: And Augustus Caesar appro­ved of his judgement and advice herein; and in truth, the young Gentleman be­ing apt thereto (although he dyed a youth) was growne a great proficient in that Art.

Sir John Keyes, Master of the Ordi­nance to King James, had two Sisters, who were both borne Deafe and Dumb; they could write, and were very ingeni­ous to imitate any kinde of needle work they saw.

[Page 85]Sir Miles Fleetwood hath two hand­some Gentlewomen to his daughters, both borne deafe and dumbe.

De La Barre the rich Dutch Mer­chant, who lived at Eeling in Middlesex, had two daughters born deafe and dumb, they were both marryed: A Friend of mine who was once in their companies at Brainford (their Husbands also being there;) told me he did much admire at their dexterity of perception; for by the least motion of their Husbands counte­nance or hand, they presently conceived of their meaning.

Master Freeman of London Skinner, had two daughters both deafe and dumbe.

One Master Diet a Parson in Stafford­shire, hath a Brother and Sister both deaf and dumbe.

One Thomas Xing Farmer of Lang­ley, in the County of Essex, had by one woman a sonne and three daughters, all deafe and dumbe.

One in Osmaston, within a mile of Darby, had foure sonnes and all of them were borne deafe and dumbe.

One John Gardiner of Thaxted in Es­sex, hath a sonne and daughter both deafe [Page 86] and dumbe; his sonne Robert Gardiner, is a Tradesman here in Towne, and one of the most notable examples I have dis­covered, for proofe of the feeling of sounds: and whom to the satisfaction and admiration of some Friends of mine, I have shewed and exposed to a philoso­phicall view and tryall.

And as I am informed by a Merchant of credit living in London, who hath a sonne deafe and dumbe; there was in Lin­colneshire, one Master Dallison a Gen­tleman that used grazing, who had three sons born deaf and dumb who made them all 3 Graziers; and they proved the craf­tiest in that way, that the Country ever bred: for they were very expert at their pen, which they managed in all their af­faires, with singular readinesse, using it (as it is indeed) for a kinde of supple­mentall speech: I am informed by an ac­complisht Gentleman that knew them, a learned Friend of mine, they were so accurate at the pen, that they could write the Creed in the compasse of a farthing, which he hath seene fairely so written by them.

[Page 87]One Master Adams in the East of Kent had two daughters, very handsome pro­per Gentlewomen, which were all the children he had, and they were both borne deafe and dumbe.

A Husbandman of Sherington, within a mile of Newport, in the County of Buckingham, had a sonne and a daughter both borne deafe and dumbe.

A Husbandman living at Tilstone in Cheshire, about seven mile from Chester, had two daughters. Twins, that were borne deafe and dumbe, having but two eyes betweene them; one of the eyes of each of them being originally blinde; they lived both to be old women. Some Cheshire men of my acquaintance, who knew them both, affirme, that they had a very strange and admirable nimblenesse of perception, both to understand others, and to deliver their owne mindes by signes, which happened, without doubt, unto them through the marvelous re­compence that nature affordeth in such cases: For, having but one eye, the sight of that was certainely very accurate.

Aristotle is of opinion that deafnesse and dumbnesse are privations onely hap­ning [Page 88] unto men. Yet there be who are of another minde for, that Horse who never moves nor prickes up his eares at any noise or sound, and useth to cast back his eares, is deafe: and that horse who in the companie of those he hath used to travell with, never neighes, is dumbe. Yet if a Horse were foaled deafe, hee would not be consequently dumbe, be­cause the speech of beasts is naturall un­to them, and hath no dependencie upon the eare, and so it cannot be excluded by a privation of hearing, through any na­turall deafenesse.

Observation. III.

HE was borne deafe, and so consequent­ly he was dumbe They who from their first conformation and birth are deafe, they likewise are [...], or at least live [...]. Hence surdus quasi seoridus. i. sine ore, and mutus quia eo sensu minutus. The chiefe cause why they who are borne deafe are consequently [Page 89] dumbe, is supposed to be the sympathy be­tweene the instruments of hearing and speaking, the reason of whose strict so­ciety and communion is not knowne to all men; which according to Bartholi­nus is two fold: first a nerve of the fift conjugation hath diverse branches shoo­ting from it, the greater is expanded in­to the Eare, and the membrane which is of exquisite sense, and carries the spe­cies of all sounds unto the Braine: the lesser branch runs out to the Tongue, and the Larynx, by reason of this communion of vessels (which with Hippocrates and Galen is the onely cause of a simple sym­pathy) the affections of the Eare and Tongue are easily communicated. Hence when the membrane of the Eare is tou­ched by two deepe a picking, there fol­lowes a dry Cough; and in the inflama­tion or impostume of the Lungs, with a shortnesse of the breath, the eares grow moyst. The second cause of this sympa­thy is a little Cartalagineous Canale, as it were an Aqua-duct, which from the second passage of the Eare is carryed un­to the Palate, so that from the mouth in­to the Eare, and from the Eare into the [Page 90] mouth, the ayre doth freely passe and re­passe, whence when wee would heare with more attention, we hold our breath lest by inspiration of the thick ayre, the Cochlea of the eare should be filled, and the Tympanum extended. They also that doe pick their eare, doe raise spettle, be­cause by that compression there is made an expression of excrements into the Cartilagineous Aqueduct, and from thence into the Tongue, for, by this way (which was made to purge out the con­genit ayre) there lyes a passage for the excrements from the eare to the mouth, but not è contra, by reason of the Val­vula it hath; whence in the affections of the eare, Masticatories are so beneficiall. And therefore when the instruments of hearing are hurt or ill affected, the instru­ments of speech, that have so neere an al­lyance unto them, are likewise endamag­ed. Laurentius sayes, that they who from their first conformation are deafe by reason of the obstruction, exolution, and refrigeration of the nerve of the fift paire, they also are mute. Campanelia sayes that naturall deafenesse proceedes either from the obstruction of the Audi­tories, [Page 91] or the want of the Meningis, and these are all mute without a voyce, not without sound, for sound is naturall, but the voyce and speech is learnt by hear­ing, or altogether destitute they are of speech, yet they utter a voyce, which is so far from enabling Dumbe men to ex­presse their conceptions to others, that they seeme very unapt to doe it, neither can any understand Dumbe men, unlesse those who are a long time and much ex­ercised with their conversation; neither could they then, unlesse Dumbe men themselves, besides the voice, did adhibit diverse gesticulations of the hand and whole body: Notwithstanding, in as much as the voyce is naturall, it is under­stood of all men, and therefore when Dumbe men utter any sad voyce, all men understand it, and will perceive the affection of the minde to be sadnesse; and herein Dumbe men will also very well understand one another, if they be not originally Deafe.

The great noyse and gabling which Deafe and Dumbe folks make, especially when they are angry, proves them to have a sufficient command of their voyce [Page 92] the sound whereof many times makes the house to ring againe, with their in­articulate noyse of their anger: Inso­much as he who to avoyde the incon­venience of Domesticke tempests, should marry a Dumbe Mistresse, may perchance speed no better then Seig­niour Moroso did with his Silent woman.

The reason may be, That Deafe and Dumbe folke being deprived of hear­ing, they are not so capable of a soft answer or Apologie inductive to a pa­cification, which might allay and calme the tempest of their anger: and then wanting a vent of speech, whereby others usually denounce their indignation, they pay it with the voyce, which is the onely weapon they have left, moving their tongue, as if they would hammer and forge out something equivalent to an Articulate voyce; which they manage to the ut­terance; from which there results such a noyse, which although inarticulate, is significent enough to expresse their passion and chollericke indignation.

Petraeus adjudgeth deafenesse to hap­pen [Page 93] through an ill and unapt structure of the eares, and imperfect occlusion of the auditory Nerve, or by obstructi­on from a humour, or crasse winde, and these for the most part are mute.

Jonstonus sayes, deafenesse happens through default of the braine, which either begets not animall spirits, or transmits them not, through some pe­culiar disease. Secondly, in the audito­ry nerve which doth not carry them, or by a vitious conformation; whence deafe men are for the most part dumbe. Some indeede thinke that originall deafenesse may happen through a dis­location or ill disposure of the little bones of hearing. But Capivaccius says they erre and are ignorant in Anato­mie, who thinke the hearing may be hurt through any defect of those three little bones of the eare. It were to be wished, that distection had been made of many Deafe and Dumbe, which might have discovered the ill confor­mation of the instruments of bearing, and the other causes of these impedi­ments.

Magirus Sennertus and others from [Page 94] the same sympathie inferre dumbnesse to be a consequence of naturall deafenesse

Varolius on the contrary, inferres deafenesse from dumbnesse. The audito­rie Nerves, saith hee, arise on bo [...] sides of that part of the Ce [...]ebellum which he calls Pontem, or the Bridge; and the nerves of Taste arise about the middle of the same betweene both the nerves of hearing: From which my observation, you may saith he, if you please, drawe out a reason, why from those that are dumbe by nature their hearing also is taken away. Since the nerves of hearing and the Tongue are derived from the same principle: But this is not so probable a way of argu­ing as the other, since the chiefest signe to distinguish naturall deafenesse from diseased, is, that they who are borne deafe are alwayes dumbe. Of which the true cause is not this suppo­sed sympathy betweene the eare and the tongue, which Mercurialis a most exact and judicious Physition approvs not of; but that which followes in the relation is the undoubted cause; for, this Lord was deafe, and so consequent­ly [Page 95] dumbe; for not being able to heare the sound of words, he could never imi­tate nor understand them: Therefore A­lexander answering to this Problem; Why they that are borne deafe are like­wise dumbe? Saith, That speech and dis­course are acquir'd by discipline, disci­pline comes by hearing. Whence hearing taken away, there is no place left for discipline to enter in, and so consequent­ly speech is destroyed; it being impossi­ble to apprehend Idioms, or to forme new, without hearing: For, the minde of the deafe not instructed by sound, can­not tell how to forme those vocal words which the wit of man hath invented, for they can neither conceive in their minde, nor produce with their tongue words which they never heard: For, speech in the naturall and ordinary way, is learnt by discourse, heard and convey­ed to the understanding by the eare, which is the sense of discipline. For, man being borne to the knowledge of all things, it behooved him in sooth to be disciplinable, that beside sensitive know­ledge, his understanding might perceive those things by discipline, to which the [Page 96] senses could not attaine, but the hability to discipline consists in the nature of our Intellect, which is certaine pure power of its owne nature respective to all kind of knowledge, to which in as much as it is disciplinable, all the senses are ser­vicable, but more especially the hearing, without which men attaine to none or little and unconsiderable discipline: for they who are born deaf, or become deafe in their infancie, although they may have the parts of their voyce and speech, yet they never learne to speake, wanting the chiefe medium to greater disciplines. And although deafe and dumbe men may at­taine to some knowledge by discipl [...]e, yet they never arrive to the intimate of­fenses of things by apprehension where­of our Intellect gaines a proper perfecti­on. All this happening unto them through their defect in hearing, which as Theophrastus saith, of all the senses neerest allyde unto Reason, and thereto thought by Aristotle most to conf [...] the receite of discipline. Montaigne [...] Riverus also) would have both there sons sympatheticall and privative, to in­troduce the consequence of dumbnesse up­on [Page 97] deafnesse, being of opinion, that the reason why they that are deafe speak not at all is, not onely because they could not receive the instruction of Words by the Eare, but rather in as much as the sense of hearing whereof they are depri­ved, hath some affinitie with that of spea­king, both which with a naturall kinde of ligament or seame hold and are fast­ned together: in such sort as what we speake we must first speake it unto our selves, and before wee utter and sound the same forth to strangers, we make it inwardly to sound unto our Eares.

Observation. IV.

HIs deafenesse it seemes was such that if a Gun had beene sho [...] off close by his eare, he could not heare it; yet Physi­tians and Chirurgions had long employed their skill to remedy that unhappy acci­dent. Which method was commendable in respect of the uncertaine cause of the impediment: For although the cure, ac­cording [Page 98] to the opinion of all, cannot be effected where originall deafenesse pro­ceeds out of the privation (or as they speake) Ex carentia foraminis, that is, when the Auditorie nerve is wanting, and not planted in the stony Bone, or when the nerve it selfe is created solid: or when the orbicular membrane, the Tympanum, or more properly called the membrane of the Tympanum, which is pellucid, thin, and subtile, that sounds might be more easily transferred to the congenit ayre, is thick from their birth because these things happen through a defect of the Plastique virtue: And what nature once takes away, the Physi­tian by no art can repaire, there being also no returne allowed from a privation to a habit: Yet since possibly som [...] other matter might bee in cause, and nature many times in a strange extraordinary manner appeares propitiously to co [...] ­rate with the administrations of A [...]; this conclusion was necessary, which pro­ceding the attēpt, was a means of advan­cing the reputatiō of the cure which was wrought by a new way of ocular suppe­ditation, beyond the reach of any cōmon [Page 99] [...]urists skill. But before we winde up this Observation, it would be worth the noting, what Mercurialis conceives to be the causes why hearing is so frequent­ly hurt from mens nativities, which he delivers to be chiefely three. One is that the Infant in the wombe hath all the in­struments, almost of the senses occluded, except the eares, for it hath neither the nostrils, nor mouth, nor eyes open: Yet for the most part it hath the Eares wide open, and therefore it easily comes to passe that somewhat out of the wombe may fall into the Eares, which indeede cannot happen to the other senses. Ano­ther reason is, that the inward instrument of hearing is empty, and being empty in the wombe, and a most moyst head, is easily replenished. A third reason is, that the auditory nerues & the proper instru­ment of hearing, are nearer to the braine then the other instruments of sense, and being nearer the braine, are more p [...]ssi­ble; and hence it comes to passe, that they are more easily offended. To these Varolius seemes to afford a fourth rea­son, or if you had rather, the third very much explained and enlarged. The rising [Page 100] saith he, of the Auditorie nerves, from the processe of the Cerebellum, as it shewes the use of the after-Braine was to be the chiefe principle of the sense of Hearing: So it teacheth us the cause why more are deprived of their hearing from their nativitie, then of any other sense: For since they proceede from the Cere­bellum, and are not drawne out far, they are easily stopped with the mucous ex­crements thereof.

Another thing observable is, that both the Eares are alwayes affected in origi­nall deafenesse; that being the chiefe signe of naturall deafenesse, which being caused, almost, alwayes through the di­sease of the Braine, whence the cause being internall and common to both the Auditorie nerves, it is necessary that at the offence of a Principle both the nerves should be offended, and consequently, both Eeares grow Deafe. Which hap­pens otherwise in Diseases, because deaf­nesse in a Disease, for the most part pro­ceedes from some externall cause prece­dent; now an outward cause may [...]rt one Eare, the other unhurt, because the Eares being very remote, one care may [Page 101] be hurt from without or within, the o­ther unhurt: so that the Principle of the Nerve be not offended.

Observation. V.

THe lovelinesse of his Face, and espe­cially the exceeding life and spirit­fulnesse of his Eyes, and comelinesse of his person, and the whole composure of his bo­dy throughout, were pregnant signes of a well tempred minde within. Whence we note, that it is requisite he should be an expert Phisiognomer, who attempts this Art to judge of the capacity, fit yeares, and ingenious composure of counte­nance, the signe of a well tempered and Docile minde, which as they were in­ductive encouragements to the first At­temptor: So no question did much con­duce to the facility of the worke For, Ex [...]ni ligno non fit Mercurius, and it had been in vaine to have cast away time to relieve an Idiot, maugre the indisposi­tion [Page 102] of Nature and Minerva, who had not so much as matter to worke upon.

Observation. VI.

ALl that knew him lamented much the want of meanes to Cultivate his minde, and to embrue it with those notions which it seemed to be capable of, in regard of it selfe, had it not beene so crossed by this unhappy accident. The condition that they are in who are borne deafe and dumbe, is indeed very sad and lamenta­ble: for they are looked upon as mispri­sions in nature, and wanting speech, are reckoned little better then Dumbe A­nimals, that want words to expresse their conceptions; and men that have lost the Magna Charta of speech and priviledge of communication, and society with men: For by this one thing men chiefe­ly differ from other living creatures. This is the interpretor and as it were, the message of the minde: This doth easily expresse and declare those things which [Page 103] the understanding conceives. All which things, how much they confer to the at­taining of discipline? how much to the society of men among themselves? And lastly, how much to their conservation and perfection? hereby appeares mani­fest, that they who are most able in speech, they also seeme to excell among men, and to be of a more excellent un­derstanding: To summe up all; Speech doth so much avayle to the adorning and perfecting of man, that nothing almost greater or better could have beene given by God. And therefore Plato sayd, The Effluction of words, the Minister of pru­dence, is of all Effluctions the best and most beautifull. So that in Republicâ literariâ, deafe and dumbe men never attaine to a­ny degree of honour or respect. Let us see how they are lookt upon in Foro Ci­vili, there, there is much arguing about their Civill capacities, and many Em­bargos have beene made of their goods, and those priviledges which belong to a free condition, with many inconveni­encies and incumbrances on their e­states.

A deafe and dumbe man cannot be a [Page 102] [...] [Page 103] [...] [Page 104] witnesse in those things which are per­ceived by the sense of hearing.

A deafe and dumbe man is uncapa­ble of all conventions which require words.

A man borne deafe and dumbe cannot Donare; some extend it to other con­tracts, but Alexander reproves that extension.

A deafe and dumbe man understanding nothing is compared to an Infant.

If a dumbe man understand any thing, he is compared to a Pupill.

A deafe and dumbe man found a De­linquent is not punished more gently as a Pupill.

A dumbe man may enterpose his com­mand, if he have understanding, but he cannot interpose his authority.

A dumbe and deafe man cannot alie­nate among the living, for he is like to a dead man.

A man deafe and dumbe by nature, cannot make his last Will and Testa­ment.

A deafe and dumbe man cannot ap­point Executors of his last Will and Te­stament.

[Page 105]If a man be dumbe and deafe by na­ture, so that he can neither write nor speake, he cannot make his Testament; but if these defects be severed, that hee can either write or speake, he may make his Will, and it is of force. This there­fore is to be observed: A man both deafe and dumbe by nature, cannot make his Will, and although it be made for a pi­ous cause it is not of fo [...]ce; among which causes liberty is numbred: For a Testament made by a man both dumbe and deafe by nature, wherein hee be­queatheth freedome, is of no value. But if he be not mute or deafe by nature, and hath learnt to Paint or Write, hee may make his Testament. Yet some say that in making a last Will, there is neede of an articulate voyce, and that signes will not suffice.

Sennertus very justly therefore calls deafenesse, Miserandum malum a pitty­full and miserable mischance; for since the Eares are as it were the Portall or en­trie of the minde, by which those things are sent into the minde, which are deli­vered by Doctrine and Institution, for the right managing and transacting our [Page 106] life before God and men: that man must needes be miserable who is destitute of the facultie of hearing, for hee cannot use the ayde and benefit of hearing, ei­ther to his eternall health, or present safety. They are more miserable yet, who are withall blinde: Since they are not ca­pable of the benefit of this Art, or of an ocular supply to their Auricular defect. But most miserable are they, who are blinde, deafe and dumbe. An example of which wretched condition we have in Platerus of a certaine Abbot, who being made blinde, mute, and deafe, by the malignity of the French Pox, could no other way understand and perceive the mindes of others, then by their drawing letters upon his naked arme with their finger, or piece of wood; expressing some intimation unto him, out of which singly by themselues apart perceived, he collected a word, and of may wordes a sentence; which how miserable a case it was, and how horrid the punishment of his committed sinne, any one may easily understand. A pregnant example of the officious nature of the Touch, in supply­ing the defect or temporall incapacity of [Page 107] the other senses we have in one Master Babington of Burntwood in the County of Essex, an ingenious Gentleman, who through some sicknesse becomming deaf, doth notwithstanding feele words, and as if he had an eye in his finger, sees signes in the darke; whose Wife discour­seth very perfectly with him by a strange way of Arthrologie or Alphabet con­trived on the joynts of his Fingers; who taking him by the hand in the night, can so discourse with him very exactly; for, he feeling the joynts which she toucheth for letters, by them collected into words, very readily conceives what shee would suggest unto him. By which examples you may see how ready upon any invita­tion of Art the Tact is, to supply the defect, and to officiate for any or all of the other senses, as being the most faith­full sense to man, being both the Foun­der, and Vicar generall to all the rest. So that whereas among the senses be­stowed upon us by nature, some are ne­cessarie to life, others to a happy life; some to neither: without the sense of Touch man can neither bee, nor live; without sight and hearing he may indeed [Page 108] live, yet no way well or happly: smel­ling is neither necessary to a mans being nor well-being And that sight and hear­ing conduce to a good and happy life ap­peares in that they are most necessary for the acquiring prudence and discipline. And although Aristotle seemes to have thought that sight did more conferre to prudence then hearing: Yet Mercuria­lis is of another opinion, because he ob­served blinde men to be oftentimes wiser and more prudent then those that were deafe. So that he who is deprived of his hearing seemes to be at the greatest losse; and therefore a good Aurist is worthy of double honour.

But most disconsolate is their condi­tion who are naturally deafe and with­all indocile fooles or mad, of which sort I have known many: For they commonly are deprived of the society and conversa­tion of men and by reason of their inca­pacitie and want of understanding, they are fit for no publique employment, and they are in vaine and impertinently pre­sent at any conference or consultation, their condition in many things being far worse then that of blinde men. In the [Page 109] Civill Law, a deafe man understanding nothing, is compared to an Infant, and if he altogether want understanding, he must have a Guardian appointed him, it being left to the arbitriment of the Judge to determine whether he hath understan­ding or no, and there are certaine signes nominated by which hee must demon­strate that he is not voyde of understan­ding. And when it is presumed that he wants understanding, he is interdicted Marriage by the Canon Law.

Observation. VII.

AT the last there was a Priest who undertooke the teaching him to un­derstand others when they spoke, and to speake himselfe that others might under­stand him. It is somewhat observeable, that a Priest was the undertaker. I know not how but they have beene Inventors of many strange Arts; which yet no great wonder if wee consider their re­cesse, opportunitie and encouragements [Page 110] to study, and all their advantages to promote a contemplative life. And as they say of them who shall be Inven­tor and Owner of the Philosophers stone, that he must have many good and pi­ous quallifications: So he that attemps such an exploite as comes neerer to a true miracle then those of the magi did to those of Moses (as being an artfull shadow of a supernaturall and miracu­lous effect which could not bee done but by fasting and prayer) it will bee necessary that he should Priest-like se­riously and religiously set upon the worke, since a Heathen would not have attempted such a businesse, with­out first sacrificing to Mercurie for good successe.

He taught him to speake.

In teaching of Parrots and other Birdes that are imitatours of ma [...]s speech: That man should be the teach­er is not the matter, for they will imitate the squeaking of Cart wheeles, or any noyse they heare: but in learn­ing of an Articulate voyce so compleat as that of mans is, there is a necessity that man should bee the teacher. For [Page 101] man could not have discipline, unlesse from Man, because the active power of discipline exists in man onely: for as man had the passive power of discipline granted unto him, so it was necessary hee should have the active power also, delivered unto him: And what the active power ought to have beene, wee shall finde in the quality of the passive power. For, men are chiefely discipli­nable, quatenus, they have hearing, therefore the active power must consist in something that may move the hear­ing, and so effect it, wherefore since sound is the adaequat object of hearing; Man received a power for forming of certaine sounds, which wee call the voyce, and instruments to the Arti­culation thereof, whereby speech is produced. Indeede the first exercise of this discipline seemes to bee com­mitted unto Women, as being by na­ture more talkative and eloquent, the flesh of whose tongue is soft and flexi­ble for the forming of a sweeter voice and articulation, for which very cause, their tongue is broader, whence it ap­peares by experience that not onely [Page 113] Birds that have a soft and broad tongue doe sing more acute and better; but men also (especially women) whose tongues are softer, are more talkative, and also pronounce voyces more ar­ticulate then men, by reason of the flexibility of their tongue, proceeding from the softnesse thereof: Did not all of us, as many as are men learne first to speake of our Mothers or Nurses? Hence it is that Plato and Quintilian are so carefull in their directions for the choise of a fit Nurse for Children, that the tongue and speech may be right­ly and distinctly formed: And after the introduction of Colomes into For­raigne Countries, have not the Chil­dren borne there, reteyned the speech of their Mother? Certainely Nature her selfe the Architectrix of things, sagaciously foreseeing what was here­in convenient for mankinde, hath al­lowed Women this priviledge, that they are seldome any where found mute. And therefore Quintilian sayes, that Children will prove mute, if they be brought up by Dum [...]e Nurses. Yet upon what occasion soever dumbnesse [Page 114] may happen, there is no certaine judge­ment to be given of a childs being mute, untill he bee three yeares old. But that this Lord born deafe and dumb: was yet taught to understand others when they spake, and to speake himselfe, that others might understand him, and this without a miracle, by the power onely of Art; seemes to me plainely to contradict that supposed infallible sympathy of the nervs of hearing and speech, that without con­troll or contradiction, many Physitians have confidently affirmed to be the onely cause why a man deafe from his nativity, is consequently dumbe: for it had beene impossible if that Law of sympathy had beene perpetually binding, to have re­covered speech without hearing first, for so runne the Lawes of occult Qualities, and the Decrees of the Median and Per­sian sympath [...]sts; whereas this Lord having got a paire of Eare-Spectacles be­fore his eyes, whereby the dependencie that speech had upon the eare was taken away: There remained no signe of a sympatheticall league of silence contra­cted betweene the tongue and the eare: But the tongue set at liberty, proves free, [Page 114] and being sui juris, leaves the unprofita­ble eare, and by Art enters into an Au­ditory league of amity and allyance with the Eye, which now officiously becomes a succedaneum, or Quid pro quo, for the Eare. It must bee confessed that the effects of sympathy are very strange, as appeares by rare accidents that have be­fallen the senses. Camerarius not with­out admiration, beheld William, Prince of Orange, who upon the receiving of a wound in his Neck, lost his Taste. And a French Souldier, who by the like wounnd became mute: for there is a double nerve proceeding from the third Conjugation, which is inserted into the Larynx, with one branch whereof, the tongue is made apt for speech, with the other Sapours are perceived: That hee should loose his Taste is a lesse marveyle; but that he should loose his speech, who had his hearing good and his tongue un­touched, seemed saith Bodin incredible to me before, untill we had found it true by experience.

The Instruments of smelling, have a knowne sympathy with the Eare: For wee see very often, that when the no­strils [Page 115] and sense of smelling is impaired through a dull obtusenesse, that the hear­ing is also somewhat offended: likewise in sneezing, when we blow our Nose, and in holding our breath in our com­pressed nostrils, who doth not forthwith perceive his hearing and eares really to suffer thereupon, Of which (saith Mer­curialis, in his Epistle to Varolius) no man can devise a better reason, then if he should state the instruments of smel­ling to reach on both sides even to the passage of hearing, and so should affirme, that the hearing is in some sort co-affe­cted with them: And indeed they who loose their smelling, doe also very soone become somewhat deafe, as you may ea­sily perceive. But whether from this sympathy we may finde any resolution of that Problem, why those who are thick of hearing doe speake through the nose, is not yet agreed upon. Although here Mercurialis writing to Varolius a­bout this matter, sayes, Hee may very well boast, that hee hath hereby layd o­pen a way for the explanation of many doubtfull and obscure effects.

But that there should be such a neces­sity [Page 117] of this common affection happening to the eare and the tongue, as it is the in­strument of speech, (not yet agreed upon to be a sense) the faire flourish of an un­satisfying sympathy can give little assu­rance. And I am the lesse affected with this elegant evasion of a nonplust Igno­rance, because they who become deafe through any disease, though their voyce becomes hoarser; yet they doe not con­sequently grow mute: For, that branch onely of the nerve of the fift Conjuga­tion, which is appointed for the office of hearing hath lost its facultie. And they who become mute by reason of sicknesse, grow not thereupon deafe, because the other branch of the nerve which is ac­commodated for the use of the tongue, is onely affected. As wee may suppose it likewise happens to them who by some extraordinary astonishment and indig­nation are strucken dumbe, as the Wife of Nausimenes the Athenian was, who comming in the interim of her Son and Daughters Incest, was so strucken with the sight of that unlook't for, and hay­nous crime, that she found no words of indignation for the present, and for ever [Page 118] after remained dumbe.

Infero Iulio Frier Roccus having ob­served a Monk to rise every night to pray before the wodden Statue of St. Domi­nick removed the Image from the Altar, and appareld himselfe like St. Dominick with a whip in his hand; the Monck comes to pray, Roccus shakes his whipe a little, as t'were threatning: the Monck begins to tremble, Roccus moves towards him, the Monck slies; Roccus followes, the Monck falls down dead: Roccus hav­ing set the Image againe in its place, runs with the other Moncks unto him and raised him up, who could never speak a­gaine and dyed speechlesse after few dayes. This Campanella afterward heard of Roccus himselfe; The same hap­ned in Pracanica, to a certaine servant going out very early to the Mill, whom one of his fellow servants puting on a strange habit, put into a great fright, as Campan [...]lla relates the story. Hortenti [...] the orator not only crackt his voice with declaming, but by an untimely fate lost it altogether and became mute on a sudden, of whom Q. S [...]ren de Medic.

The Temple which was built by Iolaus the Nephew of Hercules, unto him, was of so great estimation with the In­habitants, that if they failed of their wonted devotion in that place, they pre­sently became Mute: and if againe they vowed to perfect their Sacred rites, they recovered their speech. And Zacharias, wee know was stru [...]en Dumb by the vision he saw in the Temple, yet neither of these, as we may probably conjecture, were thereupon stricken Deafe likewise.

And that all who are deprived of their hearing, doe not therewithall likewise become Mute; we have an example a­mong the Chirurgicall observations of Fabricius Hildanus, of a Noble Virgin, the Daughter of that stout and most no­ble man, the Lord Se [...]b [...]ry President of Blanctenstein, whom Hildanus familiar­ly knew. This Lady being borne of a mother in a manner Deafe, about the eight yeare of her age had a Cathar fell into her eares, upon which there followed a tingling sound: who unluckily falling [Page 119] into the hands of an Emperick, about the twenty fourth yeare of her age, utterly [...]ost her hearing, and became so deafe, that she could not heare a Gun discharged by her eare; Notwithstanding, she retained her speech, for, not loosing her hearing al­together in her infancie, but after she had been sufficiently confirmed, and before instructed both in her mother tongue, and in the reading of bookes: being well bred, Religious and well given, she retaynd the Elegance which she had at­tained unto in her mother tongue, and many more discourses to the edification of others. Her husband and some of her Domestique servants, by certaine signes and tokens understand her meaning, and discourse with her; those that are strangers write their minds in a Tabl-booke, which she hath always ready for that use, to whom she returneth answer by word of mouth.

And as writing is in it selfe a perman­ent speech, so it is permanent to them that become deafe through any sicknesse; Platerus makes report of a deafe man who coming to him to be cured, whilst he stayed with him, when any thing was [Page 121] to be declared unto him, if a Pen or Ta­ble Booke were not at hand to note such things unto him (for being learned, hee could very well read what was written) if (in the defect of these) any one with his finger drawing it on the Table, had expressed the figure of letters, he strait understood what it meant.

And indeed so it seldome happens that they who become deafe through any di­sease grow also to be dumbe, that the Re­cords of such accidents are very rare a­mong the memorable Histories of Phy­sicke; among which, after much search, wee have met but with two examples. Fabricius Hildanus in his Chyrurgicall observations, speakes of a Sonne of the Reverend and most excellent Man, both for learning and pieti [...], Joannis de L. O­zea, Minister of the More [...]nsian Church; whom Hildanus remembers to have bin a Boy very well educated, lively, and for his age strong and talkative, untill the right yeare of his age; at which time, being taken with a grievous [...]; he was cured rather by the benefit of [...] then of Physi [...]ue: For, no rational Phy­sitian was called to administer unto him, [Page 121] presently after his disease, when by little and little he grew so Deafe, that he no [...]onger understood what any one spake [...]nto him, he became also Mute: nei­ther could he to this time, be restored by [...]ny remedies; he lived when Hildanus wrote this Centurie, at Moratum: well e­nough Married, where he is famous for an excellent Turner, which is the Art he exerciseth, Hildanus was an eye witnesse of this conceited, and crafty wit, which was such, that he understood the minde of those that were conversant with him, at the first sight, by gesture of their body. But this Mutenesse happned not unto him through any sympatheticall affection of the Tongue with his Eare; but by a pri­vation of consequence; for, being at the eight yeare of his age not sufficiently confirmed and grounded in his Mother Tongue, hereupon when he could no longer understand what m [...]n spoke, he easily lost that which he had formerly learned.

Platerus hath somewhat the like re­lation of the daughter of a certaine noble and illustrious [...]ord, who being 7 years old, could neither hear nor speake; yet [Page 122] could utter a word: being otherwise in­genious and industrious, and who en­deavoured with many imperfect offers to expresse words, and to utter an articulate voice; the whole cause of which evill, Platerus (indeed) imputes to the sym­patheticall league between the conjuga­tion of Nerves, from the auditory Nerve propagated to the Nerves of the Tongue; since the Tongue which for motion and the sense of Tast, stood in need of many Nerves; if there happen any de­fect to any one branch onely, it cannot effect motion so sufficiently as is required to the pronunciation of syllables; al­though the Tongue may be moved, and there may appeare no sensible defect in the motion of it. But he doubted whe­ther this happned unto the noble Virgin from her birth, although they made ac­count that she in the first yeare of her age, so entertained and applyed her Eares to sounds, as if she had heard them: Af­terwards the Headach which she suffer­ed, seemed to have occasioned the ensu­ing-losse: concerning her speech he deli­vers nothing certaine; since infants (o­therwise) by reason of their inb [...]cility [Page 123] cannot speake so soone: yet he thinks it [...]s very likely, that she then lost her speech, when she was deprived of her hearing, which thought of his is undoubtedly un­ [...]o the purpose.

But as to his charging this upon the [...]ld sympatheticall account, I am not of [...]is minde, but rather had reckon her fail­ing in the weak inchoation of speech, as a necessary consequence of the privation of the sense of hearing: and her imperfect offers at articulate pronunciation at her seaventh yeare, to be the faint and dying motions of an imperfect and feeble speech: and the green fruite of the lips, [...]nipt in their bud, & perishing before tho­rough ripe. And in this sense would I understand that of Mercurialis in his Prelections of the diseases of the Eare; Sur di a morbo, quantum sit ratione surdi­tatis non sunt muti, Dico ratione surdita­tis, qua fieri potest, ut morbus qui facit sur­ditatem, etiam auferat loquelam, that is, they who are Deafe through a disease, by reason of their Deafnesse are not mute; that is simply in as much as they are deafe: yet it may so fall out, that the disease which occasions Deafnesse, may deprive [Page 124] them of their speech also: to wit, if there be laesio principii, that the come on principle of both faculties all affected, or by accident, upon the prec [...]ding losse of their hearing, as in these examples.

The like (as I am credibly informed) hath hapned unto a Gentlewoman a Neece of Sir Robert Pyes Lady who now liveth with her, who having had her hearing, and thereby attained to some degree of speech, about the second [...]y are of her age was deprived of both, by a great sicknesse that befell her; and remai­neth now, being a woman growne, so deafe and dumbe, that any one unac­quainted with the occasion of her losse, would suppose her to have been original­ly deafe and dumbe: Deafnesse hapning to her in the very initiation of her speech, soone obliterating the weake impression of that imperfect language she had then attained unto; for, hearing being the sense of memory, that affected, in all pro­bality, the memory must suffer some Di­minution with it, which hapned to them both, without any impeachment of their intellects, they retayning the usuall ca­pacity and understanding of Deafe and [Page 125] Dumbe folkes, and their dexterity in ex­pressing themselves by signes. Speech onely being soone abolished by oblivion, where discourse with others cannot bee maintained; nor any recruite allowed unto the tongue thereby; there having never been (as yet) any way contrived by Art to inable men made Deafe by sicknesse, to learne de novo, to speake, notwithstanding the impediments of the Eare This accidentall dumbnesse which those fell into, being of that kind where­in the voyce or rather vociferation or sound indeed remaines, but yet the arti­culate speech is intercepted, w [...] ^h kind of mutenes is by the Greeks called [...], which is found an analoicaglly in infants, but properly in those who have lost their speech through some preceding disease.

Riverus a strong sympathist in this point, would have the reason thereof to be evident, seeing they who are deafe from their Nativitie, if they had not the instruments of their speech vitiated, they would bring forth an articulate voice out of a naturall instinct, as other Ani­mals doe, although from their Nativitie they should be seperated from other A­nimals [Page 126] of the same species, that they could never heare them, yet they would bring forth a voice that is Connaturall unto, them. But they (saith he) who are Deafe from their nativitie utter no arti­culate voice, but onely a confused sound, which argues a manifest lesion of the parts serving to the speech: for answer where­unto, I confesse it may so fall out, that cause which deprives the eare orginally of its hearing, may also take away the fa­culty of speech from the tongue; yet in most deafe and dumbe men that I have seene, I cannot perceive but that they have those few naturall expressions which proceede from the instinct of na­ture, which are rather passions of the minde, then any significant sounds that properly belong to any Tongue or lan­guage: such as is the interjection of laugh­ter, as ha, ha, he, of sorrow, as ha of weep­ing, as oh, of crying out for aide, as O, although it may be they utter them not altogether in so plaine a tone as they who enjoy their speech.

Neither if any man be originally dumbe, is there any reciprocall necessity that he must be deafe. Hence Ioachimus Myn­singerus [Page 127] in the Scholiast upon the Insti­tutions, Stating the foure cases of deafe and dumbe men saith, Si aures apertae sunt, lingua vero impedita, sive ex acciden­ti, sive novercante natura contraxerit, &c. Which words imply, that one may be dumbe from their Nativitie, and yet in­joy their hearing; Arculanus upon Al­mansor, raises a doubt, whether the num­ber of dumbe or deafe men be greater? to which it is replyed, that there are more dumbe from their Nativitie, then deafe; for, all that are deafe are dumbe; because through their defect of hearing, they can­not learne how to forme letters, sylla­bles nor words; dumbe men being dumbe from their Nativitie, by reason of some defect in the nerves moving the tongue, which come from the seaventh paire of nerves of the Braine: who yet notwith­standing are not deafe, there being no de­fect existent in the fift paire of nerves of the Braine, and in the other Organs and instruments which serve to hearing; whereas, ex tempore, there are more deafe then mute; for we see by the course of Times and causes occuring to sick men, that the eare is oftener hurt then the [Page 128] tongue; for nature was very carefull to furnish the tongue with greater nerves and Arteries for the Tusts sake, with­out which man can not long subsist; the Tongue moreover being lodged in a saf [...] place, inclosed in an immured den, where­as the eares are more obnoxious by their scituation to be endamaged by extrane­ous occurrents. Fontanus puts the que­stion, An muti fiant loq [...]aces? and he affirmes by way of answer, that he saw this verified in Zacharias his foole; a­bout which accident he writes to Lusita­nus, desiring an explication of that won­derfull example. Zacharias, saith he, a foole Orphant, who would be angry at the motion of the Moone, Lunatique and mute, theee months before his death, fell into a Consumption; and when he was wasted so farr that he drew neere death, he spake freely, gave thankes to me and the standeres by, for our undeserved fa­vours to him, yea kissed my hand before I felt his Pulse. This man in his right wits, departed godly out of this life. Io which prodigious History Lusitanus re­turnes in answer, that it had neede of a Coon or Pergamean Oedipus. But, saith [Page 129] he, That men should have an impediment in their voyce, and become speechlesse and mute, by reason of Copious humidity te­naciously infixed about the organs of the voyce, is no new thing; since many de­stitute of speech in their youth, in the pro­gresse of their age, (by the helpe of Art) have been made vocall, the excre­mentitious moysture being wholly spent. If this saith he be true, which I take to be most certaine, what should hinder but that our sick man who remained mute so long, his body consum'd, and the super­fluous moysture by the force of the torrid and feaverish heate exhausted, should speake; his vocall organs being made more fit to performe that office?

And Valescus de Tarant [...] affirmes, that many children who had impediment in their speech, have been restored by their Adolescencie. Mercurialis reports of Maximilian the sonne of Frederick the third Emperour, that he was dumbe, untill the ninth yeare of his age, and yet not­withstanding afterwards he proved a most eloquent Prince.

There are stories extant of certaine dumbe-men, who by reason of some ex­traordinary [Page 130] fright and passion, have re­ceived the gift of speech, Valerius Maxi­mus reports, that one Aegles Samius a dumbe wrestler, when the title and re­ward of a victorie he had obtained, was taken from him, being kindled with indig­nation, his passion unlockt his Tongue, and gave him speech.

Iustin, and Herodotus report, that when the walls of Sardis were taken by an on­slaught, a certaine Persian with his drawn sword set upon Croesus unknown unto him, as if he had meant to slay him, whom when Crasus, engaged in the slaughter of the enemie, neglected to a­voyde; his dumbe sonne Athys, deeply apprehending the danger his father was in, is said to have broke out into these words, [...], i. e. h [...] ­mo ne perimas Craesum, where [...] Piscator observes, pathetically shewes the affection of a troubled speech, not a little encombred with feare; for when he should have said [...], his feare and indignation precipitating his speech, made him say [...]. And from this first time of his speaking, he ever after­ward enjoyed the benefit of speech. Pau­sanias [Page 131] reports that one Balthus a dumbe man, wandring up and down in a Desert, met with a Lyon, and was strucken with so exceeding great feare and trepidation, that thereupon he obtained the guift of speech. And in this case they must be frighted as well as angred: for, a mixt passion which causeth a Miscellaneous motion of the native heate, is onely effi­cacious in this businesse; for, the conflict that ariseth out of both these passions mixed, to wit feare and anger, hath une­quall motions of the native heat, for it is revoked and drawn in by feare, and the Animal faculty moves to its center: and againe by anger it is plentifully moved in the way of expansion to the circumfe­rence; so that the native heate is vari­ously mixed and exagitated, more then it could be affected with one of them alone. The native heate becoming hereby more vigorous, and rowzed up with these af­fections is so prevalent, that it is able to tame the vitious humours of the body, and to drie up and discusse the over much moysture, & imbecility that ariseth from the importencie of native heat; and if the Nerves of speech are resolv'd with much [Page 132] moysture, or the heads of the Nerves by which the voluntary motions of speech are performed are [...] with thick [...] and tough humours [...] cut, digest and bre [...]th them out, [...] consequently take away Sta [...]g [...] Dumnesse. Hence you Civil Lawyers, whose Pandects are stuffed with the sub­tile notions, and observations both of Natures regular Acts, and Prevarications affirme, that some who have been mute from their Nativity have recovered their speech; and indeed the manner of their recovery, and assumption of speech is very strange, for if their eares have been open, and the impediment only in the tongue, that removed, they instantly fall to speak­ing, as if they had perfectly learnt it be­fore: which inference I make not onely from these Histories, and reason, but somewhat a like case in Ca [...]pa [...]ella, who reports, that he saw a Boy foure yeare old, who had always fe [...]d filth, and sup­purations in his eares, neither was h [...] yet able to speake. He was thought dumbe, yet he heard a voyce and sound, and tooke in hand to doe what he was command­ed; but there hapned unto him cho [...] ­rique, [Page 133] and watry dejections for the space of three daies, and forthwith his eares were healed, and he began to speake well as other Boys of the same age, and so proceeded to a greater perfection of speech, being when Campanell [...] writ this relation seaven [...]y a [...] sold; therefore sayth he, there are also naturall Criseses without any disease; for he was other­wise well, and had a very good stomack, and purgation, especially if it be natu­rall, takes away all mischievous evill of nature.

He was taught to speake. In this case of most deafe and dumbe men where the tongue is commonly free from any impe­diments, as this young Lords, it seemes was; if any speech had beene naturall to man, why did not hee speake without teaching? or why do not all deafe men whose tongues are not restrai­ned by nature from voluntary motions sufficient to declare such a faculty, with­out teaching come out with it? the most unanswerable argument against the na­turality of any language is this, that they who are naturally deafe speak not at all, from whose force once alledged there [Page 134] is no evasion. Montaigne indeede is ve­ry confident that if speech be not naturall to man, it is not necessary; and he would faine evade this argument by imputing deafe mens continuing mute, not onely to their incapacity of speaking from their naturall deafnesse, but also to the simpa­theticall league betweene the nerves of hearing and the tongue: but that will not bring him off; for the truth is, they speak not, because they cannot heare to learne: He believed also that if a child bred in some uncouth solitarines, far from haunt of people (though as he confesseth it were a hard matter to make tryall of it) would no doubt have some kinde of words to expresse and speech to utter his conceites; for, saith he it is not to be i­magined that Nature hath refused us that meane, and barred us that helpe which she hath bestowed upon many, and di­vers other creatures: for my part, I think that Nature hath dealt no more dis­courtiously with us in this then she hath in not arming our heads with hornes, since she afforded us hands to f [...]ame any kinde of Armour we stand in neede of; for if any speech were naturall to man, [Page 135] he could not be docile and apt to learn o­ther tongues, because that which remained within would prohibit any extraneous: as therefore God made man altogether without Science, that he might be apt and ready to all Arts: so there was a ne­cessity that he should he made voyd of any speech, that he might learne them all, and if without a teacher as many o­ther things, speech should be borne with men, in good sooth if they should learne another speech they would be all of a double language; for if the language that a man hath first learned doth not prohibit, but that he neverthelesse may afterwards learne another (but there are many that can speake two, three, or foure languages) far lesse could that be prohibited that ariseth out of nature it selfe, by that which is attained by study, and that which some report by divinati­on, hath no great likelihood even in the opinion of Montaigne himselfe, that Hebrew should be the innate speech of man; a perswasion onely nourished by those who are ignorant in Philosophie; since we see many men more handsome, and fit for many other languages then for [Page 134] the Hebrew, which could in no wise be, for all things are spontaneously car­ried to that which is naturall unto them, so that speech doth not appeare to be compacted, or performed by nature, but by use and custome; otherwise as all Nations are of one and the same nature, they would have the same speech; wher­as there is no such matter, but rather it is manifold as custome hath made it cur­rant: naturall indeede it is to man to speake, because nature as we know by the very formation of the mouth, the tongue, and other instruments hath ordai­ned them to this use; but to use this or that speech, falls out by study and lear­ning, and even the very Idioms proceed from use, and a tacit consent of man: be­sides those 70 which arose at the lower of Babel in the division of tongues, of whome God would be the Author and teacher; not that they, rather then those that grew extant by use had any cogna­tion with nature, but that for a short and expedite distribution of Nations, it was expedient there should be many tongues: but God made choice of those that pleased him: therefore since no­thing [Page 135] could be more profitable nor plea­santer to the life of men, then reciprocally to communicate their cogitations one unto another, neither any thing more na­turall then the desire of knowledge and science, which is purchased by teaching and learning and to teach and learne hap­pens, no otherwise then by communica­ting the conceptions of the mind: by the very impulse of Nature, man is carried unto speech, because there is no choicer or easier way can be thought to innuate or declare his minde; therefore men first found out speech, whereby they might in words signify the conception of their minds.

The language this deafe and dumbe Lord was taught to speake, was Spanish, it being the language of the Country wherein he was borne, which should have been his mother tongue, but could not so properly be called in him, who had attained unto it, By such a new way of ocular audition, which as all other lan­guages hath so little of Naturality in it, that by disuse it may be utterly lost: of which the honourable Relator of this story, in his Treatise of bodies, affordes us a not­able [Page 138] in one Iohn of Leige who driven by an extreame alarum of feare from the ap­prehension of approaching enemies into a Forrest for shelter, being there lost, con­tinued so long, that he had quite forgot the use of speech; insomuch as when he was found, he was faine to be taught how to speake againe; whereas if his language had been naturall, it could not have been forgotten or lost by any dis­use.

Observation. VIII.

FOr which attempt at first he was laughed at, yet after some yeares he was looked upon as if he had wrought a miracle. The attempt to bring reliefe to men borne deafe and dumbe, is a thing so far beyond any mans conceite, that they looked upon him as some Ʋtopian Mon­tebanck, who first pretended to this Art: a simple pride, and a shallow fate, having been ever the Nurses of Ignorance, which is the cause of scornefull laughter; many [Page 139] men being of that temper, that because they cannot conceive how it can be done, therefore it cannot be done, as if all inven­tion were limited within the narrow spheare of their capacity. That he was lookt upon as if he had wrought a miracle, shewes that the opinion of most men is, that Originall deafenesse and dumbenesse is not curable but by miracle, it having ne­ver been done by any other then the Di­vine Art of miracle-working faith.

And thus we reade in the Gospell of St. Luke, of one that was possessed with a Divell, being deafe, blind, and dumbe; for St. Luke makes him dumbe, St. Ma­thew blind, and from his Dumbnesse those that comment thereupon, infer his Deaf­nesse; Chrysostome, Tertullian, and Hie­rom say, That the word Cophos signify­eth dumbe and deafe, and some interpre­tours translate it in the seaventh of Marke, surdum et mutum; To Tytus Bostrensis, Lyra, and Euthimius, it seem­eth that he was not deafe, for that his dumbenesse not being Naturall, the Divell might make him dumbe but not deafe, leaving him his hearing for his greater torment. Fonseca observes that he being [Page 138] both blind and deafe. Saint Luke makes mention, that he was onely dumbe, which he purposely did (as St. Austin hath observed) to signe out unto us the greatest ill that could be­fall him. The words of St. Luke are thus rendered, Et erat Iesus ej [...]cieus Doemonium, et illud erat mutum, Iesus was casting forth a Divell; this word erat implying the difficulty of getting him out, as also the long time of his continuance there; for Christ did not presently cast out this Divel, but stayed, paused a while upon the matter; shew­ing thereby, that it was not so easie a thing to be done as some thought it to be, but rather full of difficulty. And when the Divell was gone out, the dumbe spake, which when the multitude heard, they marvelled, saying, it was never so seen in Israel; insomuch as some of them whispered among them­selves, that he was the Sonne of God; and the good old woman Marcella, blessed the wombe that bare out Savi­our, and the Paps that gave him Suck When our Saviour had cured this man, who upon his enquiry of them who [Page 139] brought him, He found to be have been so possessed from his childhood; the Apostles asked Iesus privately, why they could not cast him out? Who an­swered them; that that kind would come forth by nothing but Fasting and Prayer. In Ecclesiasticall Histo [...]es we reade of one Theodimindus, a young man both deafe and dumbe, who was wont to stand at St. Martins Church, moving his lips onely, who did seem so promptly to pray, that he was seen to let [...]al teares sōetimes between his tacit words, craving almes by his gesture; this youth standing with his eyes lift up to heaven, there burst out streame of bloud with rotten matter from his mouth, and spitting it out up­on the earth he began to groane grie­veously and to hank out I know not what parts of blood, insomuch as one would have thought some body had made an incision in this throate with an instrument; and purulent matter like bloudy threads h [...]ng down his mouth; whereupon the ligaments of his eares and jawes being broken, elevating himselfe, and raising up his hands and [Page 142] eyes to Heaven with his mouth yet blou­dy, he broke out into these his first words: I returne great thankes unto thee most blessed St. Martin that ope­ning my mouth, thou hast made me after so long a time of silence deliver words in thy praise. The people admiring at this miracle, asked him if he had also reco­vered his hearing, who professed openly to them that he heard all things very well.

The like miraculous reception of speech (in all the circumstances) hapned to a dumbe man in the Monastery of Schwartzachth, as appeares by the Cro­nicle of the Ʋrspergensium Abbats.

It is reported also by Ecclesiasticall wri­ters, that one Anagildus who was both deafe and dumb and blinde was restored to all his sences, whilst he prayed unto St. Julian: The like is reported of St Ber­nard, who returning upon a time to his Monastery, cured one both deafe and dumbe that stood at the Gate. Riverus in his medicinall observations affords us a strange example of a Boy both deafe and dumbe, who was cured by a mischiefe, or a chance-medley miracle, who upon a [Page 143] time, playing at dice, was struck with a big staffe, with which most grievous blow his occipitall bone was broken into many particles, of which dangerous wound, notwithstanding by the indu­stry of a skilfull Chirurgion he was cu­red. And while he grew to be well, his sense of hearing came to him, and he be­gan to stammer out certaine little words, untill at length hee attained the perfect faculties of hearing and speaking; and in that condition he lived untill the forty fifth yeare of his age, having been scarce two yeares dead when Riverus recorded this Historie.

Observation. IX.

THat strange patience, Constancy, and paines was required to the effecting of this worke, any one would imagin, since great matters are not soone atchie­ved; it seemes it was after some yeares, before he who for his undertaking of it [Page 142] [...] [Page 143] [...] [Page 142] was laughed at, was looked upon as if he had wrought a miracle: which is no disparagement to this Art [...] speech is not attained by [...] [...]ut with many difficulties, and [...], after some yeares; and, even wr [...]ng which is but the image of speeck, here it can be learnt in any perfection by them who have all their senses, usually takes up many of our youthfull yeares.

Observation. X.

THat he should be brought to speake as distinctly as any man whatsoever, and to understand so perfectly what others sayd that he would not loose a word in a whole days conversation, sheweth the wonder­full perfection of this Art that he should observe the accent, and terminations of every word, not hearing himselfe is very strange: But the last is most strange and difficult, even to them that have the just perfection of all their senses; for who would undertake in a whole days dis­course [Page 145] not to faile in understanding, or misse one word of what another sayd un­to him? which manifestly shewes that Nature doth pay any defect, by recom­pencing at least twofold. How he was brought to speake so exactly (this natu­rall Deasnesse remaing upon him) is worth the enquirie; for to imagin after what manner the words seene (or as we use to speake) heard with his eye were transferred to pronunciation, and againe to the intellect; is the greatest difficulty in this businesse; we will suppose this transmutation was not performed with­out a necessary junction between those words seene and the habit of moving the vocall Musculs: and it manifestly proves motion and articulate sounds to be one and the same thing. In children, indeed, who have all their sences, this transition is made as well by sight as hearing, when they are instructed before they can un­derstand; for out of the Phancie of the thing seē they may come through into the Phancie of the sound, by joyning the vi­sion of wordes seen in their Horn-books, to the representation of the sound It being wel known unto us, that boys when they [Page 146] learne to reade, they bring forth a voyce out of a sound, and that is the rea­son why those who are Deafe by Na­ture, are necessarily mute.

For although boyes do not conceive of or comprehend the sound of words, yet hearing they learne to know: and although wordes are not understood by an Infant, yet this Cognition which consists in sight and hearing is proper to them; for, man hath understanding, as it perspicuously appeares, even from his first Infancie, because he learneth. Now how his understanding was fram­ed out of words thus seen or heard, might be after the same manner as out of writing, which is also a kind of visible speech permanent as the motions of the mouth, are a transitory speech; for, vision is made out of sence, joyning out of vision, out of many joynings a generall compre­hension, out of a generall comprehension; an vniversall proposition, out of an vni­versall proposition; that kind of joyn­ing which is called reason, when one thing is inferred out of another, is the understanding made; so that as Cardan subtilizeth the matter, there are seaven [Page 147] orders of Sences. The Exterior, Phancie, junction, memory, generall comprehension, Vniversall proposition, and the vniversall it selfe which is the property of the mind: so that what kind of motion went in by the sensory or organ of sence, (be it Eare or Eye) such as it were from one and the same effigies of motion, was returned and pronounced by his voyce; and what he thus seeing heard, he learnt to speake the same.

But indeed as the Verulamian Oracle of human learning notes, it is a thing strange in nature when it is attentively considered, how children learne to imitate speech they take no marke at all as he thinks, of the motions of the mouth of him that speaketh, for they learn in the dark as well as in the light, the sounds of speech are very curious and exquisite, so one would thinke it were a lesson hard to learne; it is true, that it is done with time and by little and little, and manny essayes and prof­fers: but all this dischargeth not the wonder. It would, saith he, make a man thinke (though this which wee shall say will seem exceeding strange) [Page 148] that there is some transmission of spirits, and that the spirits of the teacher put in motion, should worke with the spirits of the learner a predisposition to offer to imi­tate, and so to perfect the imitation by degrees; which operations by the transmission of spirits, is one of the high­est secrets in nature. But as for imi­tation, it is certaine, that there is in men a predisposition to imitate, for, no man (in effect) doth accompany with others, but he learneth (ere h'is aware) some gesture or voyce or fashion of the other. But labour and intention to imitate voices doth conduce much to imitation, and therefore we see there be certaine Pantomimi, that will repre­sent the voyce of Players of enterludes so to life, as if you see them not, you would thinke they were these Players themselves, and so the voices of other men that they heare; and indeed as he saith in generall, so in this particular case, men are to be admonished that they do not withdraw credit frō the operation by transmission of spirits, and force of imagination, that worke such strange effect at distance, by the transmission or [Page 149] emission of the spirituall species of words: we will therefore suppose this strange effect to have been produced by the transmission of spirits.

Observation. XI.

THis learned Relator it seemes had of­ten discoursed with the Priest, whilst he waited upon the Prince of Wales (now our dread Soveragine in Spayne) and he doubts not but his Majestie remembreth all he hath said of him and much more: for his Majestie was very curious to ob­serve and enquire into the utmost of it.

This miraculous atchievment of Art, was not performed in a corner of the world, but in the imperiall City of Madrid, and in the face of the Spanish Court: and so consequently there have been many honourable persons wit­nesses of the strange effect of this new Art; among the rest it seemes, it was honoured with the enquiry of his Ma­jestie, when he was (being then Prince) in Spaine; and indeed the sub­tilty of this Art was worthy of the Cu­riosity [Page 150] of a Prince; It being likely his Majestie (who is knowne to be an ex­cellent Motist, as his judgement in Pict­ures and Statues witnesseth: and who was ever vigilant for the advance and security of government) might appre­hend this Art possibly to be translated to a use of State, and to the advantage and improvement of king-craft; there­by to discerne the Trayterous motions of in-choat Treasons in muttering and discontented subjects; and verily in this respect, it is a secret treasure worthy of a Royall Cabinet.

Observation. XII.

ONe great misbecomingnesse (it seemes he was apt to fall into, concerning the tone of his voice, whose pitch he could not readily governe, but it would be sometimes higher, and sometimes lower; which it seemes was not, but upon his first en­trance upon his speech, where earnest­nesse to speake, made chance Arbiter [Page 151] of his voyce; for otherwise, what he de­livered together, he ended in the same Key as he begun: so that I see not but this which seemes to be the onely defect this Art cannot remedie, might by his ob­servation have been rectified; but per­chance he was not come to that point of perfection; for if he could discerne the pitch of anothers voyce, and know it to be the measure of that motion that ap­peared to him: one would thinke, with little difficulty he might have made that note his copie; yet were not this pos­sibly to be remedied, because he heares not himselfe; it were not so great a blemish to this Art, since many men who have their hearing cannot moderate their voyce; and Gracchus was forced to use the pipe of a Moniter to tune his, when Earnestnes had transposed it out of all moderation. And they that are but Sur­dastri, because they heare not themselves, are guilty of speaking unproportionably loud: his error in this point was not so great as to destroy the audible articula­tion of his voyce, for had his voyce in other distinct kind been drawn extreame small, or extreame great, it could not have [Page 152] been articulate, for, as the advancer of Learning saith, articulation requireth a Mediocrity of sound: for that the ex­treame small sound confoundeth the arti­culation by contracting; and the great sound by dispersing. And although a sound articulate already created, will be contracted into a small crannie; yet the the first articulation requireth more Di­mension: we doe not heare of any other misbecomingnesse, or that he spake through the Nose, as Deafe men usually doe; which Aristotle imputes to their vitiated lungs, which compells Deafe men to utter their voyce vehemently, whereupon their voyce breakes out at their Nostrills. And so Deafe men speake through the Nose; But it seemes this affection is more peculiar to those who are accidentall deafe through some disease; and therefore I like the other cause of Deafe mens speaking through the nose, which Cassius gives us in his Pro­blems; which is, that through that dis­ease which makes them Deafe, they are constrained to dilate their Nostrills, whence they dilated, the breath of their voyce, breakes out at their Nose.

Observation. XIII.

He could yet discern in another whether he spoke shrill or low; which proper­ty he could not have had but by vertue of the Naturall knowledge all men have at first sight of the passions and affections of mens minds, and by the same rule that we understand the articulate language of Beasts, whose gesture, when there is a doubt of the sence, affords a solution of their severall tones.

Now Shrillnesse being a note of the earnestnesse of speech, though he under­stood it not by the Audiblenesse of the tone: yet he might manifestly perceive it by the extraordinary motion required to such a pitch of the voyce; for then the Larynx is drawn upward as we may evidently perceive in our selves whē we frame our voyce acute: whereas we may note, that the Larynx is drawn down­wards when we would speake in a grave and base tone. Therefore besides the [Page 154] Muscules shuting & opening by degrees the rift of the Larynx, the rough arterie which they call the pipe of the lungs was made of many cartilagineous rings, not quite round, but figured after the manner of the letter Cinterwoven with a spheri­cal membrane; so that the Larynx drawn upward the compas of the membrane by reasō of the distraction is co [...]rcted, & the extreame parts of the Rings come in nea­rer together, and the whole pipe is made streighter; whereupon the little mouth of the Throat being streined in the breath being strongly expel'd, issues forth with so great a force, that the collision there of of produceth an acute voyce: but when the Larynx descends, the rings and the pipe are dilated, whence the cleft of the throat being more widened, by a lighter emis­sion and collision of the breath, the voyce is made more grave. Hence it is that singing-men in rising with an acute voyce, doe alwayes more raise up their head, and come to a prohibited expiration, which declares the Larynx to be both raised upwards and obstructed; discend­ing in a base voyce, they incline their head, and at length come to expiration without [Page 155] a voyce, which demonstrates the Larynx to descend, and the clift thereof so to fly open, that it no way resists the breath in its passage; of which if you desire to have a sensible assurance, lay your finger on the outside of your throat, and you will soone be satisfyed in the truth hereof. Now these are not don without motions of consent in the Face and Neck, for, the veines in shrillnesse swell, which denotes some heate of passion, which Deafe men naturally understand better then wee; hence it is that the Aphricans who are exceeding cholerique speake alwayes with an angry and loud voyce, and the Aegyptian Moores are very shrill Tongu­ed; But in a calme and moderate speech there appeares none of these notes, which are not required to a naturall and midlin temper of discourse.

Observation. XIV.

ANother strange acquired property was, That he could speake and re­peate after any body any hard word what­soever [Page 156] what ever language it was of; for he was hereby made a generall Linguist, which necessarily implyes these outward motions of speech, to come very neere to the nature of an vniversall character, they being naturall and vniversall; maintain­ing their Figure which springs from the pure Naturality of the letters whereof all languages are compos'd; for although the words of languages are from a mutu­all compact: yet the letters, whereof those wordes are compos'd, are Naturall, and the lips disposition to the forming of them, keepes out any other. The rise­ing of later Tongues is from the mixture of Tongues; but this of motion regulated by the letters which are naturall, admits of no mutation by Age, but remaines un­corrupted, and so will remaine pure, as long as there are lips and a tongue to arti­culate; for, no man shall be ever able to foyst in any irregular and suborned mo­tion, any way to alter the vniversall forme and property of their pronunciation. I have heard that the King at his being there among other hard words where­with he tryed the certainty of his ocular audition, named Artaxerxes, which he [Page 157] easily perceiv'd & return'd. And indeed if we consider the way he was taught, and the skill he attained in the Formes of Let­ters, from whose Transposition onely proceeds the infinite variety of languages; it was not more difficult to him then to discerne the language he was taught; for, articles in the speech of man are letters, out of which, as out of its first elements, all articulate voyces or speeches of what language soever were made, to wit syl­lables are made of letters, words of sylla­bles; and at length of words spoken ora­tion or speech results; whereof all per­fect and consummate speeches are consti­tuted, and discourse and communication maintained among all Nations, though of never so different languages. But since in those Tongues we understand not we are all Deafe and dumbe the quaere is, whether he spake those hard words with his understanding, or onely by a bare imi­tation? For, I doubt he understood onely the received signification of those worded motions which are used in the language he was taught; somewhat like them (if I may so speak by allusion) in the Primitive time, who had the gift of strange tongues [Page 156] [...] [Page 157] [...] [Page 258] which they understood not, so as to interpret whereof St. Paul speaking, I had rather, saith he, speake two wordes with my understanding, then many in a strange Tongue, yet you may hereby see, how apt this Art is to imitate mi­racles.

Observation. XV.

HE could perfectly eccho and expresse wordes in a high manner of exact imitation of the genuine Pronunciation of any language; Nay even of those which imploy much the gutturall letters, as the Welsh and Hebrew doe, which when the Prince of Wales had tryed often by mak­ing some Welsh-men that served his High­nesse speake words of their language the Relator who was present at the tryall, confesseth he more wondered at that, thē at all the rest; because the motions of that part which frameth the gutturall letters, cannot be seene or judged by the Eye, o­therwise then by the effect they may [Page 159] happily make by consent in the other parts of the mouth exposed to view.

The difference of Pronunciation with divers nations is a subtlety worth the en­quirie; Cardan among those things that put a difference among men, and such a diversity as sets them at a distance, reckons the tongue or language, neither is there any other thing wherin man differs more from man; for whereas all other ani­mals with the same voyce demonstrat the same affections: man is no more un­derstood of man, then a Swallow is of a Lion; man indeed hath but one voyce, but there are many kinds of speaking; but what diversity of pronunciation there is, he confesseth he is scarce able to num­ber. But there are six simple kinds; from the mouth, & these hisle as it were; from the tongue within the teeth; from the tongue put out: and this is twofold, as it is in the Lips, and in the Palate: from the Throate, and from the Breast; all which differences, almost, we may see in Italy; for, the Florentines pronounce with the Throate; for, the Florentine Dialect of of the Italian is a little more gutturall in the Pronunciation, then that of Sienna and [Page 160] that of the Court of Rome, which occasio­ned the Proverb: Lingua Toscana in Boca Romana, the Tuscan Tongue sounds best in a Romans mouth. The Venetian with the Palate, the Neopolitans with their Teeth, and the Genuensians with their Lips: or according to Isidors general com­prehension thus: all orientall Nations knock together their Tongue and words in their Throates, as the Hebrews and Syrians. All Mediterranean Nations speake in the Palate, as the Greeks, and Assyrians; all occidentall Nations break their words in their Teeth as the Italians, and Spanyards; All which may be sup­posed to happen by reason of their choice and frequent use of those letters in their language, which are gutturall, palatiall, dentall, or labiall; Therefore the origi­nall roote of the diversity of languages, is well estimated by a moderne Author, to consist in this, that words are compound­ed of vowells and consonants: moreover the difference of vowells arise from the greater or more configur'd apertion both of the Mouth and Throate. And the consonants out of the interception of the breath going out by the organs of [Page 161] Teeth, lips, tongue, by their allision to these, and the pallate, with some helpe of the nostrils, and occlusion of the throat, and it is apparent that these members and instruments of the voice, are com­pounded of the Elements, and which follows, by their temper to be more disposed to one then to another motion; and this happens according to the scituation of the Regions wherein men live, to be more inclined to some vowels, or consonants then others: whence it comes to passe without any further worke, vowels and consonants were by little and little changed, and such a diversity ensued, that men no more understood one another: and this might happen without confusion of tongues, of which (according to some) there is no very firme ground in the sa­cred text; for whereas they were at Ba­bell of one lippe and word, it is thought to imply no more; but that they were all of one minde, and resolved to remaine united together; so that there needed no more to confound their tongues, then to disperse them into severall Countreys: and because divers Nations are affected [Page 162] after a diverse manner, and have a pecu­liar manner of expressing the Ayer: the Germans speake with a kind of impetuo­sity, the cold retruding their breath, and therefore they pronounce many letters consonants. The Venetians many liquids and many vowels, because they dwell in a liquid Countrey. The Spaniards pro­lix voyces with vowels and hissing spir­rits, out of the heat and acumen of their Region. The Italians in a midling cli­mate in a meane betweene both: now although the naturall Letters by their transpositions are able to expresse any lan­guage agreed on by the inventive consti­tutions of men; yet all tongues are not necessarily tyed to take in all the Letters of natures Alphabet; for the language of Cuzco wants B D F G J consonant, and single L, and makes shift with the other naturall Letters. B is not used by the Chi­noys, and the Tartars cannot pronounce it, and the Chinoys, as it is sayd, cannot pronounce R. The Brasileans cannot pronounce the Letters, L. F. R. the rea­son whereof one being demanded made answer, because they had amongst them neither Law, Faith, nor Rulers; yet a [Page 163] more Philosophicall cause might be found out: for, that the Chinoyse nor Brasi­leans can pronounce the naturall Leter R, is not by reason of the altered figure of the instruments belonging to speech; for, those parts which conspire to speech, are the same in them as in other men, nor by reason of the substance, scite, pro­gresse of vessels, or the hurt of their ori­ginall; because the same substance of the instruments appertaining to speech is preserved in them as in others who have not this impediment; the same progresse and scite of particulars, and the selfe same beginning of instruments; neither doth this happen to them by reason of the moist temperature of their head or tongue, and other parts conspiring to speech; for their hard Heads declare them to be of no such temperament: the spe­cificall cause of their naturall indispositi­on to the pronuncation of this Letter is, either their over many, or more, and dif­ferent scituation of pores existent in the instruments appertaining to speech: now the instruments appertaining to speech are the Lungs, the rough arterie, the larinx, the tongue, the pallate teeth, [Page 164] and lips; in all which instruments there is none of the above numbred conditi­ons observed in them, which are not ex­actly, seen in those who speake most per­fectly; besides that difference which consists in passages or pores: therefore it is certaine pores that occasion this impe­diment, and it is in them an affection in conformation and no way in distemper; for there are in the midle region of the pallate, that is in the fourth bone of the upper jaw, two holes which are not found so open and obvious in those who are without this affection: those two opē passages being the imediate cause of this their impotence to pronounce the Let­ter R. nor were it impossible perchance to assigne a specifique cause of the Brasi­lians inability to pronounce L. and F. and the Tartarians inability to pro­nounce the Letter B but peradventure that might be as prepostrous a worke, as to assigne a cause to the golden Tooth.

Wee neede not all the Letters in our Language, and lesse of them in speaking then in writing: many Northerne Dia­lects have rejected some of the naturall Letters, as B. G. D. V. consonant which [Page 165] is thought to have happened through the nature of the Region, propriety of the Idiom, and strength of men, together also with custome, which is that they might perpetually speak with vehemency adhibiting every where a kinde of impe­tuous force in speaking, which cannot be done without a vehemnet exsufflati­on; hence necessarily usurpe P. for B. F for V. consonant. T. for D. C. for G. the cause of which vehement exsufflation is no other then that which is aledged by Gallen in these words: the Celts, and all kinde of Thracians and Scythians have a soft white skinne without haire, there­fore their naturall heat together with their bloud, flies back into the inner parts; where while it is agitated, pressed, and growes hot, they become couragi­ous, bold, and of a precipitate judgment, therefore the internall heat boyling, ex­cites a valid respiration, and this cau­seth a valid exsufflation, and this pow­ers out a vehement voyce: hence comes rushing forth letters which are formed with a vehement force of the breath, that for B. it thereby becomes P. for G. C. for D. T. for V. consonant F. for Northerne [Page 166] men who are strong and have a strong Tongue, they choose and utter more stronger letters, that is those to whose prolation both a stronger tongue, and suf­flation is required whence their speech semes to be more rough and [...]g [...]d: for they that inhabit cold Countreys, have a tongue corespondent to the rest of their actions: therefore they are vehement; ri­gid, severe, and couragious; whence Charles the fifth Emperour was wont to say, that the German tongue was mili­tary: and therefor if he were to threaten, or speake more roughly to any, he would use the German tongue, because that tongue is minatory, harsh, and vehement: whence a Moderne sayes of the Ger­mans, that they have a full mouthed lan­guage, and that they speake as if they had Bones in their Tongue instead of Nerves. Note that in all these varieties of Pro­nuntiation, the Letters which constitute words, are made by the same motions, but that they admitted more of some Letters then other into their Idioms, hath hap­ned through their Different Exsuffla­tions. There are also some strange kinde of pronuntiations, with divers Nations, [Page 167] which I take to be rather affectations, then ensuing upon the former recited causes. The people in the Bay of Solda­nia have a chattering rather then a lan­guage, their words for the most part, are inarticulate, and in speaking they clocke with the Tongue, like a [...]ood Henne, which clooking and the w [...]d, are both pronounced together very strangely. In Mexico their language, especially used by Theeves and Lovers, is a kinde of whistling, whereby they understand one another.

They of Guinea when they speake, they put out their neckes like Turky Cockes, and speake very fast. The generall lan­guage of Peru, hath three maner of pro­nunciations of some sillables, in which variety of Pronuntiation, lieth the diffe­rent signification of the same word One way in the Lips, another in the Palat, and the third in the Throat. The Catayans speake much through the Nose. That which was wondered at most of all was, his discerning the Gutturall motions of the Welch Pronuntiation, because the mo­tions of that part could not be seen [...] or judged by this New-taught-Hearing Eie, [Page 168] otherwise then by the Effect those Moti­ons might happily make by a Motion of Consent, in the other parts of the Mouth exposed to view. Certainly, it must bee confessed, that those languages that use most the Labiall Letters, must necessarily be the most remarkeable and easie to di­scerne, and they that much use the Gut­turall, to be somewhat more difficult to apprehend: and it seems his Master con­fessed, that the Rules of his Art reached not to produce that effect with any cer­tainty, and therefore concludes this in Him, must spring from other Rules He had framed unto himselfe, out of his own attentive Observation.

Observation. XVI.

THe exquisite and admirable per­fection of his judicious hearing eye, which he attained unto by Art, is well imputed to the advantage that nature had justly given him in the sharpnesse of senses to supply he want of this; endowing him with an ability, and sagacity, to do be­yond any other man that had his Hearing. Zu [...]nger speaking of this mutuall suppe­ditation of the senses, saith, that if one sence as the Eare) prove defective, more spirits are caried unto the rest, which makes their Actions though di­verse, more powerfull; for, multitude of spirits makes much to exquisite hea­ring: an argument whereof we have in Blind men and Moles: for you may see that Blind men allways most exquisitly heare; and the Mole also which is Blind by Nature, is thought to have the se [...] of hearing most exquisite, because thos [...] [Page 170] spirit which should have served the vi­sory vertue, they all are turned over to the Eare, and thereby make the hearing most exact. Examples of these advanta­ges in Blind men, and the notable quali­fication of their observant Eare: Came­rarius can afford you many, and the lear­ned Relator in his Treatise of Bodies, one most remarkable of a blinde Schoole-Master. So likwise they who want their hearing, see more exactly, and their observations are more pregnant, be­cause the sence of hearing doth not di­stract them other where, and being they can heare nothing, they looke al­wayes more attentively, being Nature recompenseth in one sense the losse of a­nother; and therefore we use when we would view a thing more exactly, to shut one Eye, and thereby the sight be­comes more accurate. And if a man would heare more attentively, and with lesse distraction, let him shut his Eyes, and if he would see with lesse distraction, it were good for him to stop his Eares: for any one sense is more vigorous in sensation, when the other sensories are suspended from action.

[Page 171]Hence, as my Lord Bacon observes, sounds are meliorated by the intention of the sense, where the common sense is collected most to the particular sense of hearing, and the sight suspended; wher­fore he supposeth sounds to be sweeter to Blind men then to others. The like per­chance may be said of visible objects to deafe men, and that the subtleties of ar­ticulate sounds, or motions, are with more inquisitive delight and attention, contemplated by them.

As for the other senses, they do divers things beyond their ordinary function; so as one might say that perfection con­sisteth not in the distinctiō of the Organs of the sense; but in the continuall use of them: so carefull is Nature like a good mother, to make amends for a fault, that none should accuse her to be a step-mother: for what she taketh away in some of the senses, she allows, and re­compenseth in the rest: insomuch as deafe and dumbe men, having a double de­fect, to wit of speaking and hearing, they usually have double recompence: this makes them good naturall Phisiogno­mers. For as concerning the notes of the [Page 172] affections which appeare in mens Faces, by instinct they know and discerne them readier then we can; and as we know we are often beholding to the countenances of Men for the explanation of their Mindes; so they know by the motions of affections and passions that accompany the motions of speech, the passions that are vented in those locall motions o [...] Ar­ticulation, made in the parts about the Mouth. And it may not bee so difficult to them as unto us, to conceive and di­stinguish of each motion and signification of the lips: for wanting the sense of Hea­ring, their Eie is more accurate, and apt to observation; so that wondring what those motions of mens mouths meane, and heedfully observing at several times, noting both the occasion and the returne of that occasion, they ingeniously f [...]ame out of their owne observation, many things Art could not with any certainty instruct them in: so that the apparent motions of the lips, the formes of words seeme to have beene distinguished by the observation of some deafe and dumbe men, without the helpe of a Teacher. Nature (the Patriarch of physick saith) [Page 173] being many times skilfull without a Tea­cher: for it seemes by some stories of deafe and dumbe men as they are recited by certaine Authors, that some, even of themselves without teaching, have fal­len upon observing the motions made in speaking, and so have come to the un­derstanding of the received significations of those motions.

Wee have, saith Camerarius, in Nu­remberge a yong man and a yong maide, borne of one Father and Mother, of a good House, and well knowne, that are endued with a singular quick conceit; for although they be Deafe and Dumbe by Nature, yet can both of them reade very well, write, cypher, cast account: The young man conceiveth at first by signes that are made him, what he is re­quired to doe, if his pen be wanting, by his countenance he sheweth his thoughts, being the quickest and cunningest at all Games, both at Cards and Dice, that one can finde among the Germans, al­though they there use great advisement and be marvellous ready and quick. His Sister passeth all other Maydes for wor­king with her needle all kinde of Semp­stry, [Page 174] Tapestry, Embrodery, &c. But a­bove all the wonderfull recompences of Nature, this is remarkable in them; that most commonly as soone as they see ones lips stir, they understand his meaning: They are oftentimes at Sermons, and a man would say that they draw and con­ceive with their Eyes the wordes of the Preachers, as others use to doe with their Eares; for they will oftentimes, no bo­dy ever teaching them or setting them a­ny Letters or Copies, write the Lords prayer, and other godly Prayers: Know by heart the Texts of the Gospels that are read upon Holy Dayes, and write them readily, when in the Sermons the Preacher maketh mention of the name of Jesus, the yong man is ready before any of the Hearers to take off his hat, and to bow his knee with all reverence.

Platerus makes mention of one borne Deafe and Dumbe, who neverthelesse could describe his minde in a Table book which he alwayes carried about him, and could understand what others also wrote therein. Platerus his Father reported of him, that when he with great zeale heard Oecolampadius preaching by the [Page 175] motion of his lips, and his gesture, he un­derstood many things, as he also could by any others lips that laboured before him. Zuinger speaking of this Deafe and Dumbe man (who was according to his relation) a Poyntmaker, sayes, that he heard Oecolampadius preaching, seeming to hear with his very eies.

The like ability of preception gained from his owne attentive observation (as I am informed by a Philosophicall Friend) had one Gennet Lowes a woman dwelling in Edenburge in Stotland, who being Deafe and Dumbe by Nature, could understand any one in her House, meere­ly by the moving of their lips. So that by their motions alone without a voice, or speaking aloud to her, she could exactly perceive their meaning.

The Civill Law seemes also to have tooke notice that men that are Deafe and Dumbe may come to heare others speake, by observing the moving of their Lips: For among their extraordinary Law Ca­ses, they have inserted this recondit, and very seldome heard of notion touching Deafe and Dumbe mens perceiving the efficacy of others wordes, by the moving [Page 176] of their lips, concerning whom their In­stitutions run thus:

A Deafe and Dumbe man cannot be appoynted a Tutor, although he may heare by the moving of lips. Etiams. audiat ad motum Labiorum.

A Deafe and Dumbe man although he understand another by the moving of his Lips, yet he cannot stipulari, that is, in­terrogatus spondere stipem: For it is ver­bum interrogandi & ad promittendum in­ducendi; yet they may contract, although not by stipulation, for if they understand others by the motion of their lips, they may contract in those things which are performed by consent, which is the opi­nion of Bartolus, and others who have commented upon the Body of the Civill Law.

The word of the Text of the Civill Law is Surdus, which I confesse is some­what ambiguous, as the Civill Lawyers use it: Yet here as I conceive, it is meant of men originally Deafe, and so conse­quently Dumbe, which in the Case of stipulation is plaine, a Deafe man being excluded from that Act, for his defect of speech, and therefore I have enlarged the [Page 177] Text, by making it speake out plaine.

Yet if there be two men borne Deafe and Dumbe, alike qualified by Art as the Spanish Lord is, they might stipulari, because they could both speake, for the Rule that excluds mutes is, stipulatio nulla nisi uter (que) loquatur, and this would prove a new Case. And this Spanish Lord, who is yet living, may without breaking the Rule, doe as much with any man, which is another new case too.

And so may any one accidentally Deafe who retaines his speech, and can audire ad motu [...] labiorum, which is the case of Mr. Crispe the Brother of Sir Nicholas Crispe, whose dexterity in perceiving the meaning of men by the motion of their lips, is very well knowne to Mer­chants upon the Exchange ▪ whom by this Art, which he hath gained by his owne attentive observation, he hath dri­ven many a bargaine: And it is very probable that sometimes this faculty was of great advantage unto him, for he might chance to overheare with his eye newes of the arrivall of some shippe and of some good bargaine; when others who would perhaps keepe the intelli­gence [Page 178] to themselves were not aware of it, and amid the buzzing noise of the Royall Bee-hive of our Emporium, where many speaking together, one ar­ticulate voyce confounds another, his eyes being vigilant upon the motions of mens mouthes, and no way distracted with that bartering noyse is there made, he might perceive a motion, which being a Merchant, he might easily turne to his owne profit; this and many other ad­vantages might be much furthered by the nimblenesse of his hearing eye, it be­ing conceived by some that ordinarily conversed with him, that by his eye, he many times apprehended a conceit of just uttered by the Mouth, and was thereu­pon advanced to laughter, before they who had their hearing had any intelli­gence of it, who are faine to expect the slow information of a duller Organ of Sense; and there is good reason he should have the ods of them, since he hath two Senses united in one, and a double pro­portion of spirits to inable one Organ. Among other very strange things I have heard related of him touching this the faculty; I was told by Mr. Hurst, w [...] [Page 179] keepes the Swan behinde St. Nicholas Shambles (upon occasion of some dis­course with him about a sonne he hath, who is Deafe and Dumbe) that he being an Officer of the Traine Bands, and ap­poynted to keepe the Scaffold cleere u­pon Tower Hill at the execution of Sir Alexander Carey, perceiving Mr. Crispe to presse on for a convenient place of Audience, he spake to him to forbeare; who not hearing him, because his eyes were not upon him to minde him, conti­nued to endeavour for a place of accom­modation, untill Mr. Hurst being told by some who he was, and what defect he had in his hearing, he converted his resistance into observation, and suffered him to plant himselfe right against the front of the Scaffold; And he told me that when Sir Alexander Carey stood up to speake to the people, Mr. Crispe setled himselfe stedfastly to observe the moti­ons he made, and kept his eyes riveted upon Sir Alexanders face during the time of his last speech, which he so per­fectly understood and carried away with him, that he was able to relate it againe to others, who much wondred at the [Page 180] way of his perception; therefore if any man doubt of the certainety of [...] Audition, one houres acquaintance with Mr. Crisp would have resolved [...] the truth of this businesse, for it was a plenary satisfaction ipso facto, but to have once beene in his company.

But betweene the writing and prin­ting of this Tractate, this vow [...] of Labiall interpretation by a sad [...] is withdrawne from us, with the fatall fall of an overburdened feeling, whose danger-threatning crack (he being un­fortunately deafe, and wanting the com­mon Sentinells which were ordained by Nature to watch against the motion of all approaching dangers) could not so well evade, as otherwise he might have done: And however wee have beene thereupon enforced to alter the Tenses of the Relations concerning him with a (vixit) he hath left behinde him many living witnesses of his ability in under­standing the efficacy of Labiall motion.

The same ocular faculty of Audition (as I am informed by a Philosophicall Friend) had one Dr. Stapl [...] a Physitian, who being incidently Deafe through [Page 181] some Disease yet retaining his speech, could tell any ones meaning by the mo­tion of their lips.

And it may be the capacity that Deafe men have of supplying their defect of hearing by observing the motions of mens mouthes, may be the [...] of that which I have partly observed in Deafe and Dumbe m [...]n, and [...] heard others relate more fully, that they will seeme discontented and be angry, if in your re­lations to them, among other motions and signes you make unto them, you doe not therewithall use the motions of speech which are made with the mouth; as if you defrauded them of the meanes of understanding you, and out of a slight regard held back from them the Key of your best intelligence.

Observation. XVII.

HE could at the distance of a large chambers breadth, say words after one, that another standing close to the speaker, could not heare a sillable of. This [Page 182] argues, that distance of place hinders not, if it be within the discernable reach of the eye: and that the Low pitch of an unaudible voice of speech, was no impediment unto him, being equally easie unto him who used his eye for an eare, to perceive and discerne a silent, or an audible Articulation of speech; so he he had in view the motion of the lips, with which speech is as perfect and abso­lute in its articulations, as it is by any audible enunciation, the Eye being ca­pable of the sounds those motions make, as they are bare motions; and I believe his information was more certaine then the Auricular usually is, which puts the tongue to so many what say you's: the Eare being duller and deceitfull, sed verba oculis commissa fidelibus, must needs afforde better intelligence: and I doubt not but he had one quality more then is here spoken of him; for, his im­proved Eye must needes be very quick in conceiving the visible sound of speech: and therefore I thinke, that if he that spoke to him had spoke loud that the Relator might have heard him, this instructed hearing Oculist, or Ocular au­rist, [Page 183] would have understood the spea­kers minde by his Eye, sooner then the Relator could possibly have done with his Eares.

Observation. XVIII.

IN that the knowledge he had of what men said, sprung from his observing the motions they made with their mouthes. This shewes he was instructed in the Art of Labiall Augurie, which we have proved to be a rationall and usefull Art, well grounded upon the principles of Humane Philosophy; and not only full of notions to delight speculation, but usefull and possible to be put in practise. Hence there was a necessity (as it fol­lows in the History) that if he would concurrently converse with any, there was light required as the medium; for if he were in the darke, the objects of his attentive Eye were strait lost: or if he turned away his face out of his sight that spoke unto him, for then he was ren­der'd uncapable of what was said: so that this Art inabled him not to tene­brize, [Page 184] or to performe any audible Act in the night, and Nocturnall Lucubrations of speech, or candle light discourse, might perchance prove deceitfull unto him: for it being a manifest, and ap­parent motion, which guided him to the knowledge of their words, the time pro­per for his observation, must be the all-revealing day: and it must be day in his body too, for if he should be strucken blinde, goodnight to all the Notions of this Art. A double care therefore had this Lord neede have of preserving his sight, since that lost, he would loose two senses in one; Naturall sight, and an acquired hearing, which would prove a double dammage unto him. We sup­pose also that some difficulties may en­counter him in perceiving the naturall affections of the voice, and distinguish­ing the literall motions of their mouths, who have any impediment in their speech, by reason of the ill conforma­tion, or constitution of the instruments of speech, by Nature, or any unhappy accident: for as in such case the judg­ment of the Eare will be uncertaine: so likewise would the hearing Eye of this [Page 185] Lord, be somewhat put to it, to judge upon so imperfect an evidence: as for example, if he were to converse with one borne with his upper lip too short, that it sufficeth not afterwards to cover his upper teeth, not without some deformi­ty of aspect, as, Schenckius knew an ho­nest Matron of Patrician stock, was, whom he had long conversed with, in the Hague, who, although conscious of the defect, when she spoke with any by a wonderfull industry, and civility which she used to those that stood, or sate by her, by extending downe her lip, and drawing it over her teeth, she cove­red that deformity of Nature, with so great and faire an Art, that unlesse one had studiously observed her, it was not perceived: yet no question it caused some alteration in the forming of her words, and consequently might some­what impede our Artist in discerning the exact sense of the moving of her lips. They also who are borne with haire lips, that is not whole, but rather cloven, must necessarily falter in speech, and consequently exhibit but an uncertaine motion of their lips, from which, nothing [Page 186] can be exactly collected to infer the ver­ball meaning of the endeavoured motions of the lips. Trincavellus affirmes. He had seene some with such lips, who faultred not a little in their speech. Great Blab­ber-lips may cause a little alteration to puzzle the ocular construction, that is to be made upon the lip-labour of the spea­ker. They also who are troubled with the disease Diarrhaea, or a Humerall lask of the belly, and with a Catarrh which makes them wrest and writh their lips in speaking, their lips will not precisely an­swer the Rules of this observation. The like would a Plaice-mouth in the Cynick Spasme. Old men in the defect of their Teeth, which are one of the destinated implements of speech, their breath flows not out repercussed, wherefore it sounds the lesse; therefore to remedy this evill, they presse their lips together inward, as it were to shut up the voyd spaces of their Teeth, which must necessarily cause some alteration from the naturall and perfect garbe of verball motion And those who are edentuli by age, so those Nati­ōs who pay little homage to the Goddes Dentilla, as they of Gagas, and the sub­jects [Page 187] of Huacchacaviac in India, who have a Tooth-Right of beating out their fore teeth, were likely to put our Ar­tist to it in discerning the pure natura­lity of their pronounced Letters. Those Nations that have any notable defect or excesse in the extant parts of their mouth, must needes prefer exceptions against the generall Rules of this Art.

They of Gambra not far from Jay, are deformed, their neather-lip, hanging downe towards the breast, and is apt to putrifie, of which deformity being con­scious they trade with their Neighbors the Arabicks, without sight or confe­rence, leaving their commodities in a certaine place, for which they have gold in exchange: their upper lip little as ours.

They report of Nations in the In­land part of the East that want their upper-lip. They in the Isle called Do­dyn in the Indies, and the adjacent Isles (if we will beleeve Sir John Man­devil, who hath not so much interest in the whetstone as some imagine) have flat mouths without lippes. And others, their lips so great, about their mouth [Page 188] that when they sleepe in the sun, they cover all their faces with them. And Dwarfes that have no mouthe, but a round little hole, have no tongue, nor speake, but they blow and whistle, and so make signes one unto another. But above al, the language of Jamuli Island if it be as true, as strange, which is re­ported of them, would cause a great impediment and distraction in the per­ceiving the Litterall and Verball meaning of their mindes, whose Tongues have somewhat peculiar by Nature or Art; for they have a cloven Tongue which is divided in the bottome; so that it seemes double from the Roote, so they use divers speeches, and doe not onely speake with the voyce of men, but i­mitate the singing of Birds: But that indeed which seemes most no able, and indeede would puzle our Artist most, They speake at one time per­fectly to two men, both answering and discoursing, for with one part of their Tongue they speake to one, and with the other to another: But these Historicall exceptions or likely impe­diments of this Art, I have admitted [Page 189] and inserted rather for their strange­nesse then any weight of argument they have against the certainety of our Art, since all men know exceptio fir­mat Regulam.

To conclude these observations, the Priest who by his Art wrought this Miracle on this Spanish Lord, as is reported, was since in the service of the Prince of Carignan, where he con­tinued with some that have neede of his paines, the same imployment as he did with the Constable of Castiles bro­ther, who as I heare is yet alive, as his Tutor also is; the steps whereby he proceeded in teaching friendship, and three hundred Ryals may ere long in­forme me in, which produced in ou [...] intended Academy, will soone abo­lish all apprehensions of impossibility in this matter, by vertue of the coun­tenance and justification of the event.

The first principles indeed are but simple and naked; but it is a wonder­full thing to consider the great di­stance betweene them, and the strange readinesse and vast extent of speech re­sulting in processe of time out of them: [Page 190] Whereof it is enough for us to finde a ground for the possibility of the ope­ration, and then the perfecting of it and reducing of it to such a height, as at the first might seeme impossible and incredible, we may leave to the ener­geticall power of Art. Hee that learn­eth to read, write, or to play on the Lute, is in the beginning ready to lose heart at every step, when he conside­reth with what difficulty and flownes he joyneth the Letters, spelleth sylla­bles, formeth Characters, fitteth and breaketh his Fingers (as though they were upon the Rack) to stop the right frets, and to touch the right strings; And yet you see how strange a Dexte­rity is gained in all these by industry and practice; and a readinesse be­yond what wee could imagine possi­ble, if wee saw not dayly the effects.

Since therefore wee have arrived to decypher the Characters of Na­tures Alphabet, and can spellingly read the first syllables of it, wee neede not doubt that Art with excellent cunning can dispose all circumstances so ap [...]ly, as to speake readily a compleat Lan­guage [Page 191] rising from those Elements; and that should have as large an extent in practise and expression, beyond those first principles, which we like children onely lispe out, as the vast discourses of wisest and most learned men are beyond the spellings of infants: and yet those dis­courses spring from the same root, as the others spellings do, and are but a raysing them to a greater height: as the admired Musique of the best player of a Lute or Harpe that ever was, is derived from the harsh twangs of course bowe-strings, which are composed together and refi­ned, till at length they arrive to that wonderfull perfection And so without scruple, we may in this busines conclude, that the admirable and almost miraculous effect we heare of in this Relation, are but the elevating to a wonderfull height, those very actions and motions which we have heere produced as causes and principles of them.