Ch. II.

CHA P. II.

Upon the Matter, or common Subject of

Language.

HE "TAH or MATTER OF LANGUAGE comes first to be confidered, a Subject, which Order will not suffer us to omit, but in which we shall endeavour to be as concife as we can. Now this "YAH or Matter is SOUND, and SOUND is that Senfation peculiar to the Senfe of Hearing, when the Air hath felt a Percuffion, adequate to the producing fuch Effect (a).

As

(a) This appears to be Prifcian's Meaning when he fays of a VOICE, what is more properly true of SOUND in general, that it is-fuum fenfibile aurium, id eft, quod propriè auribus accidit. Lib. I. p. 537

The following account of the Stoics, which refers the caufe of SOUND to an Undulation in the Air propagated circularly, as when we drop a ftone into a Ciftern of water, feems to accord with the modern

Hypothefis,

As the Caufes of this Percuffion are Ch. II. various, fo from hence Sound derives the

Variety of its Species.

FARTHER, as all these Causes are either Animal or Inanimate, fo the two grand Species of Sounds are likewife Animal or Inanimate.

THERE is no peculiar Name for Sound Inanimate; nor even for that of Animals, when made by the trampling of their Feet, the fluttering of their Wings, or any other Cause, which is merely accidental. But

that,

Hypothefis, and to be as plaufible as any-'Axove δὲ, τα μεταξὺ τὰ τε φωνοῦντος καὶ τὸ ἀκέοντος αέρος πληττομένη σφαιροειδώς, ένα κυματουμένο, καὶ ταῖς ἀκοαῖς προσπίπτον]ος, ὡς κυμαίὅταν τὸ ἐν τῇ δεξαμενῇ ὕδωρ κατὰ κύκλους ὑπὸ τὸ ἐμβληθέντος λίθο— Ροντο audire, cum is, qui medius inter loquentem, et audientem eft, aer verberatur orbiculariter, deinde agitatus auribus influit, quemadmodum et cifterne aqua per orbes injecto agitatur lapide. Diog. Laert. VII.

I

Ch. II. that, which they make by proper Organs,

in confequence of fome Senfation or inward Impulfe, fuch Animal Sound is called a

VOICE.

As Language therefore implies that Sound called HUMAN VOICE; we may perceive that to know the Nature and Powers of the Human Voice, is in fact to know THE MATTER or common Subject of Language.

Now the Voice of Man, and it should seem of all other Animals, is formed by certain Organs between the Mouth and the Lungs, and which Organs maintain the intercourse between these two. The Lungs furnish Air, out of which the Voice is formed; and the Mouth, when the Voice is formed, ferves to publish it abroad.

WHAT these Vocal Organs precisely are, is not in all refpects agreed by Philofophers

and

and Anatomifts. Be this as it will, 'tis Ch. II. certain that the mere primary and fimple Voice is completely formed, before ever it reach the Mouth, and can therefore (as well as Breathing) find a Paffage thro' the Nofe, when the Mouth is fo far ftopt, as to prevent the leaft utterance.

Now pure and fimple Voice being thus produced, is (as before was observed) tranfmitted to the Mouth. HERE then, by means of certain different Organs, which do not change its primary Qualities, but only fuperadd others, it receives the Form or Character of ARTICULATION. For ARTICULATION is in fact nothing else, than that Form or Character, acquired to fimple Voice, by means of the Mouth and its Several Organs, the Teeth, the Tongue, the Lips, &c. The Voice is not by Articulation made more grave or acute, more loud or foft (which are its primary Qualities) but it acquires to these Characters

certain

320

Ch. II. certain others additional, which are perfectly adapted to exift along with them (b).

THE

(b) The feveral Organs above mentioned, not only ferve the purposes of Speech, but thofe very different ones likewife of Maftication and Refpiration; fo frugal is Nature in thus affigning them double duty, and so careful to maintain her character of doing nothing in vain.

He, that would be informed, how much better the Parts here mentioned are framed for Difcourfe in Man, who is a Difcurfive Animal, than they are in other Animals, who are not so, may consult AriStotle in his Treatise de Animal. Part. Lib. II. c. 17. L. III. c. 1. 3. De Animâ. L. II. c. 8. §. 23, &c.

And here by the way, if fuch Inquirer be of a Genius truly modern, he may poffibly wonder how the Philofopher, confidering (as 'tis modeftly phrased) the Age in which he lived, should know fo much, and reafon fo well. But if he have any taste or value for antient literature, he may with much juster cause wonder at the Vanity of his Contemporaries, who dream all Philosophy to be the Invention of their own Age, knowing nothing of those Antients ftill remaining for their perufal, tho' they are so ready on every occasion to give the Preference to themselves.

The following Account from Ammonius will shew whence the Notions in this Chapter are taken, and

what