A general collection of discourses of the virtuosi of France, upon questions of all sorts of philosophy, and other natural knowledg made in the assembly of the Beaux Esprits at Paris, by the most ingenious persons of that nation / render'd into English by G. Havers, Gent.

II. Whether Speech be natural and peculiar to Man.

Upon the Seond Poynt Plato's opinion was mention'd, that the Gods having by Epimetheus produc'd all other Animals with some particular gift, made man naked and weak, destitute of all natural aids, and subject to so many miseries that they pitied him, and thereupon order'd Prometheus to give him Reason, Speech, and Hands; the first, to know and contemplate the marvells of the world; the second, to express his thoughts out∣wardly; the last, to put his words and thoughts in execution. Reason not differing from Speech, saving that it is internal; whence 'tis also call'd the word of the mind; and the other exter∣nal.

This external Speech is so excellent, that though it con∣sist but of wind, which is Air striking against the Epiglottis, mo∣difi'd and articulated by the tongue, lipps, palate, and teeth; yet 'tis the interpreter of the reasonable soul, according to whose example 'tis equally receiv'd into all the ears of the Auditors. When this Speech is true, 'tis a sign of the mind's conception, and as natural and peculiar to man as Reason it self, one of whose goodliest priviledges it is. Besides, man being born to live in so∣ciety needed not onely Reason to guide himself, but also Speech, to govern others, which likewise hath more power over Souls, inclining and turning them as it pleases.

The Second said, Some Animals are perfectly mute, as worms and Snails; others render some sound, as Flyes, Grashoppers, though 'tis onely that of their wings; and some have voice, as all perfect animals, amongst whom man hath the particular ad∣vantage of Speech. For sound is a Collision of Air between two solid bodies. Voice is a sound render'd by the mouth of an Ani∣mal to express its affections. But Speech is a voice which signi∣fies by institution, and is call'd a verb if it signifie time; other∣wise a noun. As it signifies by institution 'tis distinguish'd from the voice which is a natural sign, and hath some correspondence with the thing signifi'd. So the hoarse voice of one angry per∣fectly represents the inundation and tempest of the Spirits in this Passion. The lowness and mildness of a sad and afflicted mans voice represents the effect of sadness, which is to compress the Heart and Arteries; for these organs being coarcted, the voice be∣comes more slender; as appears in Women, fat people, chil∣dren, and eunuchs. The Lover's interrupted speech betrayes the inequality of his mind. But words are signes without any refer∣ence to the thing signifi'd, depending onely on the Will of those who first gave names to things. For if they were natural signes, they would be understood by all the world, and be every where the same. But though 'tis not natural, but acquir'd by precepts and use, specially by the hearing, whnce people deaf by nature are also dumb; yea, 'tis very peculiare to man. Wherefore Speech is improperly, figuratively, artificially, or else miraculously ascrib'd to other things; as when The Heavens are said to declare the glory of God, one deep to call on another, &c. When Balaams Ass spoke, 'twas by Miracle. But when Simon Magus's dog spoke to Saint Peter, 'twas by operation of the Devil; as also what is reported of the two Pigeons, the Oke at Dodona, Achilles's Horse, the keel of Argo, and that Elm of the Gymnosophists mention'd by Philostratus to have saluted Apollonius at his arrival, as the River Causus bid Pythagoras good-morrow. But Speech properly belongs onely to man; other creatures are incapable of it, both because they want Reason (which is the principle of it) and organs, which are a tongue, a palate, teeth, and lipps, all rightly proportion∣ated for the articulation of voice; for man's tongue alone is soft, large, moveable and loose; to which qualities those of Pies and Parrots come nearest.

The Third said, A natural thing is either born with us, as sense and motion; or comes afterwards of it self, as laughter, or whereof we are naturally capable and inclin'd to, as Arts and Sciences. In the first and second signification speech is not na∣tural to man, who could not speak without learning, whence the two children caus'd by Psammetichus, King of Egypt, to be nurs'd in a Desart by two dumb Nurses pronounc'd no other word but Bec which they had heard of the Goats. But in the last signification 'tis peculiar to man, who is so inclin'd to it, that were children let alone from their Cradle they would in time make some language by signs, or words. 'Tis to be understood too, that 'tis articulate speech, such as may be written, that is peculiar to man, not inarticulate, which though a natural sign of the affections within, yet cannot properly be called speech, because found also in beasts, whose jargon Apollonius and some others are said to have understood; for hearing the chattering of a Swallow to her companions, he told those that were pre∣sent that this bird advertis'd the others of a sack of Wheat fal∣len off an Asse's back neer the City: which, upon trial, was found to be true.