Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of the voice, Chap. 23.

* 1.1 A Uoice is a very thin smiting of the ayre, and shapen with the wrest of the tongue, as saith Isidore & Priscian. The instruments of the voyce be many as sayth Constantine, that is to wit, the lungs, the arterye strings, the throate, and lidde of the organe, the mouth, the téeth, the lippes, and the tongue. For without the seruice of these, the voyce is not shapen. And some of these receiue the voice as the lungs, with the recepta∣cles, organe, and pipes thereof. And some order the voire, as the lidde of the wo∣son* 1.2 as Constantine sayth, that maketh the voice faire & strong, when it is pro∣portionate to other instruments: and it tempereth the aire that commeth in, and letteth and kéepeth that the ayre passe not too soone out; and saueth and letteth the throat, and the organe from dust, that would fall therein. Some send out the voice, as the pipes of the lungs and the organe, that be as it were pipes: the which if they bée lyght, cleane, tempo∣rate, and smooth: they make the voyce euen and temporate. And if they bée rough, and ouer measure broade, ey∣ther straight, or else, too much awrye, they make the voice ouer sadde or slen∣der sowne or vneuen. Then to shape the voice, the aire is receiued in the leaues of the lungs, and by ordinate moouing of y^e organe, the aire commeth out of the mouth: and so by swifte mouing of the air and by stretching of the instru∣ments of the voice, the sownd is made; the which in the mouth of a beast is brought forth, and shapen with the wrest of the tongue, is called of wise men a voice. Hue vsque constantinns is Pan∣te 〈…〉〈…〉 liber 4. Aristotle sayth, that the lungs be the first receiuers of the voice. And therfore euerye beast that is with∣out lungs, is without voice and speach. Speaking is distinguishing of voice. And so euery beast that hath no tongue vntyed, as he sayth-Ibideni. ••ées and Flyes haue no voice,* 1.3 but they make & noisy in flieng, stretching, and drawing, two wings by the aire, that falleth be∣twéene the bodie and the wings, and so doe long Flies. And by experience they make no sownd sitting, but onely flieng, but a Frogge hath a proper voice, and his tongue is applyed to the mouth a∣fore, And that part of the tongue that is nigh to the pipe of the lungs is vntied. And therefore he hath a proper voice, and it is called coax in Latine. And maketh not that, but in the water onelye, and namely in the male in time of bréeding, when he calleth the female by a voyce knowne. The Frogge multiplyeth the voice, when he putteth the neather iawe into the water, and stretcheth the ouer iawe. And by stretching of the two iawes, they make a noyse and voice. And for the greate force of stretching, theyr eyen shine as Candles. They sing and crye more by night then by day. For then is the time of theyr, gende∣ring. Also there he sayth, that small birds crie and chatter more then great, and namely in time of gendering: for then is greatest chattering and crieng of birdes. And he sayth, that the Cocke croweth ofte after battaile and victo∣rye.

Also it is so among birds and foules,

that the male crieth and not the female. As the Cocke and males of Quailes. Speaking is appropried to mankinde: Men that bée kindly dombe be deafe they haue voice, & all vndistinct as saith Aristotle also in Eodem liber, he saith, that all females haue smaller and shar∣per voice then males, except the cowe, that hath greater voice then the bull. Al∣so there he saith, that pasting of spearme in males is in the time of chaunging of the voice, and that is in the time and end of 14 yeares yet sometime the voice changeth sooner in some men, which sig∣nifieth the stirring of Venus. And there he saith. When horse beginne to gender, theyr voice is greater, and likewise the Mare, but the voice of the Mare is more cleere: also the voice of the Males change when they be enamoured. Also in lib. 8. it is sayd, that the voice of all foure foo∣ted beasts chaunge, & bée made lyke the voice of women when they be gelded. And liber. 19. it is said, that the cause of sharpenesse and of chaunging of voyce, is by chauging of age. For the voyce of young beastes is sharper then the voice of olde: and the voice of women is shar∣per then the voice of men: and the voice of all beasts is sharper in youth then in age. And he sayth, that many females and many younglings crie with a sharpe voice, for by féebless they moue but lit∣tle and scarce aire, and that that is little and scarce, is mooued swiftly, and swift is sharpe: The heauinesse of the voyce followeth the slownesse thereof, & much aire is slowly nideed. Males and olde men moue much aire, and therfore they haue greater voice. Males haue stronger sinewes and strings then females: and olde men haue stronger then children, & vngeldod haue stronger then gelded. Hi∣therto speaketh Aristotle. Then an euen, close and strong binding and a pis∣ant voice, meane betwéene heanie and sharp, is good & pleasant. As contrariwise a voice quaking, hoarse, and rough, fée∣ble, and discording too heauie, or too sharpe, is euill and dispraised. For a dis∣cording voice & an inordinate, troubleth the accorde of many voices. But accor∣ding voice swéete and ordinate glad∣deth and moueth to loue, and she••wesh out the ••umors of the s••••e, and wishes∣seth the strength and vertue of the spi∣rituall members, and shewesh purenesse and good speak on of al them, and reser∣ueth 〈…〉〈…〉, & putteth of desease & sor∣row. And maketh to be known the male and the female, and get ••••, and w••mneth praising, also chaungesh the affectinn of the hearers as it said in y^e s••bles of one Orpheus,* 1.4 that pleased trees, woods, hills, and stones with swéete melodie of his voice. Also a farre votte is according and friend to kinde, and pleaseth not one∣ly men, but also bruite, beasts, as it fa∣reth in Oxen that hée tired to frauaile more by wéere long of the herde, shew by strolies and prickes. Also ••ildes and foules haue liking in melody of swéete voice, in so much that oft by swéete noise the soules bringeth them to grinnes and snares, as the Poet sayth. The pipe sin∣geth swéetly while the soule deceiueth the bird.

Also by swéet songs of harmony and accord of Musicke, sicke men and fran∣tike come oft to their witte againe and health of body. Wherevpon Constatinus in viatico particula. 2. cap. 1. de amore, que dicitus hereos, sie dieit.* 1.5

Some men haue solde that Orphe∣us reporsed: Emperours desire mée to feasts, to haue liking of me, but I haue liking of them, which would bend theyr hearts from wrath of mildnesse, from sorrow to gladnesse, from couetousnesse, to largenesse, from dreade to boldnesse. This is the ordinaunce of Musitions, that is knowne aboue the swéetnesse of the soule. And with swéete melody some∣time frends be put of, & compelled to passe out of bodies: as it fared in Saule, out of whom an euill spirit was compelled to passe by the voice of Dauid, as it is written. 2. Reg. 17.

Now it is knowne by these foresayd things; how profitable* 1.6 is a merry voice and swéete; And contrarywise is of an vnordinate voice & horrible, that glad∣deth not, neither comforteth: but is noi∣full and discomforteth, and grieueth the eares and the wit. Therefore Capitulo supra dicto Constantine saith: That a

Philosopher was questioned, why an horrible man is more heauie then anye burden, or wit.* 1.7 And men seeing that he answered in this manner. An hor∣rible man is burden to the soule and wit &c.

¶This sufficeth at this time of the voice good and euill: for it is rehersed a∣fore of thinges letting the voice in the treatise of the tongue, and yet it shall be spoken of héereafter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vox.
• * 1.2

  The ••a∣taunce of the thro••••
• * 1.3

  Flies haue none o∣ther soūd but by theyr vvings.
• * 1.4

  〈…〉〈…〉Orpheus a Thraciā born, very∣cunning on the sharp As for his musicke to trees stones, & beasts, was Anti∣thecin, it ended to check idle, euill, and en∣seemely manners.
• * 1.5

  Fevv such handle••s of musick in these daies, for then the Couters, Prisons, Marshai∣se, and Kings beneth. vvold not be so full of poore oppressed debters. A preordi¦naunce of God not common to nature.
• * 1.6

  As profi∣table as an clo∣quent tongue with good con¦ditions.
• * 1.7

  Because he wan∣teth both speech & manners.