Philocophus, or, The deafe and dumbe mans friend exhibiting the philosophicall verity of that subtile art, which may inable one with an observant eie, to heare what any man speaks by the moving of his lips : upon the same ground ... that a man borne deafe and dumbe, may be taught to heare the sound of words with his eie, & thence learne to speake with his tongue / by I.B., sirnamed the Chirosopher.

For the Right Worp^ll Sir Edward Gostwicke, of Willington, in the County of Bedford, Baronet, And M William Gostwick his yong∣est Brother: and all other intelligent and ingenious Gentlemen, who as yet can neither heare nor speake. To be communicated unto them that can, and have acquaintance or alli∣ance with any whom it may concerne.

AMong the portentous and prodigious Ti∣tles of the King of Bisnaga (so called by the Portugalls, but by the learned Wri∣ters,

Narsinga) Hee stiles himselfe, Master of those which know not how to speake. And the Grand Signiour, or Emperour of the Turks, would take it for no disparagement, to be cal∣led Great Master of the Deafe and Dumbe; with whom fifty of your Tribe are alwayes in Delitiis, and he holds it a great part of his state and magnificence, that he hath such sacred persons as you dayly to con∣verse with as his Companions: And although some who understand not the mystery of your condition, looke upon you as misprisions in nature; yet to me who have studi∣ed your perfections, and well ob∣served the strange recompences Na∣ture affords you, I behold nothing in you but what may be a just ob∣ject of admiration! For even your Privative Qualification is such, that the extent of our apprehension when it is most excessive, is but a∣ble

to afford an expression thereof our minde being much put to it to take a nominall scantling of your Quality, and it argues an admirable power in our soule, that it is so nota∣ble an Engin, that it can raise a po∣sitive notion out of privative: For Deafenesse and Dumbenesse being privations and Negatives, wee can easier say what you cannot doe, then what you can: For, that is be∣yond our reach, positively to state your abilities, which may be ranked with honour, praise, and glory, which although they have so great an in∣fluence upon us; yet wee know not where to finde their subsistance, or a sufficient notion to define them by.

What though you cannot ex∣presse your mindes in those verball contrivances of mans invention; yet you want not speech, who have your whole Body, for a Tongue, having a

language more naturall and signifi¦cant, which is common to you with us, to wit gesture, the generall and universall language of Humane na∣ture, which when wee would have our speech to have life and efficacy wee joyne in commission with our wordes, and when wee would speak with more state and gravity, wee renounce wordes and use Nods and other naturall signes alone.

This language you speak so pure∣ly, that I who was the first that made it my Darling study to inter∣pret the naturall richnesse of our discoursing gestures, not onely to the distinguishing of all the Corpo∣rall and Nationall Dialects there∣of, and regulating the naturall as Accessories and Adjuncts of Rhe∣toricall Elocution; but to the fol∣lowing of them downe to their spring-heads and originall, even to the finding out their Radicall Deri∣vations

and Muscular Etymologies by that thorough progresse of ob∣servation, am fully satisfied that you want nothing to be perfectly under∣stood, your mother tongue admini∣string sufficient utterance upon all occasions: Insomuch as being sollicited on your behalfe by a worthy Friend of yours (who had observed you not onely to be affect∣ed but seemingly edified upon the sight of the Alphabets of my Chi∣rologia or naturall language of the hand which hee had presented you with, to an endeavour of accommo∣dating them more to your use; I was enforced ingeniously to con∣fesse, I could not improve them to any considerable advantage for you; since you already can expresse your selves so truely by signes, from a habit you have gotten by using al∣wayes signes, as wee doe speech: Nature also recompencing your

want of speech, in the invention of signes to expresse your conceptions: Yet a while after having well obser∣ved by your multiplying signes and gestures, that you earnestly desired to unfold your lips to an orall elocu¦tion; seeming as if you accounted your dumbenesse to be your greatest unhappinesse; in tender pitty of your case, I began to cast about which way as a Motist to be service∣able unto you, by supplying a medi∣um of greater Discipline, whereby you might arrive nearer unto the intimate essences, of things, by ap∣prehension, whereof your intellect might gaine somewhat a more pro∣per perfection: When coasting a∣long the borders of gesture, and voluntary motion, I discovered a com¦munity among the Senses, and that there was in the continent of Huma∣nity, a Terra incognita of Ocular Au∣dition; a treasure reserved for these

times, which had escaped their pri∣vy search, who guided by the illu∣mination of their owne endeavours had in sudore vultus ransackt the bo∣some of nature, wherein wisdome had hid it among other Arts and Sciences which have their founda∣tion in Nature, and neither grow nor encrease but appeare when time and observation unlockt them unto us: Having well scanned this Mag∣nale naturae, I found it to be one of the subtlest pieces of Recondit lear∣ning, and that it bordered upon o∣ther avenewes unto the braine, as Orall and Dentall Audition, of which wee have discovered suffici∣ent ground to raise a new Art upon, directing how to convey intelligi∣ble and articulate sounds another way to the braine then by the eare or eye; shewing that a man may heare as well as speake with his mouth. Upon which and other un∣looked

for discoveries, I began in Idea, to conceive the modell of a new Academie, which might be e∣rected in favour of those who are in your condition, to wit originally deafe and dumb, for which Edifice and Gymnasium having provided all kinde of materialls requisite, I soone perceived by falling into dis∣course with some rationall men a∣bout such a designe, that the attempt seemed so paradoxicall, prodigious and Hyperbolicall; that it did ra∣ther amuse then satisfie their under∣standings, insomuch as they tooke the tearmes and expressions this Art justly usurpes for insufferable viola∣tions of their reason, which they professed they must renounce be∣fore they could have faith to credit such an undertaking: For the satis∣faction therefore of such knowing men, who yet are incredulous, and too superstitiously devoted to the

received Phylosophy, I thought good to hint the Phylosophicall veri∣ty of this Art, which I doe with the greater assurance, having gained an unanswerable Demonstration from matter of fact; for other matters hinted they must expect credit u∣pon the like successe: Neverthe∣lesse heerein I shall not descend to exact particulars, intending onely to present the I••chnography of this Art referring the inward contriving of accommodations, and the me¦thod of operation to our intended Academy: In the meane time for the enlarging of your Charter, and to bring you into a neerer incorpo∣ration of society and communion with us: I heere commend unto you the Accommodations this Art holds out, wishing you all in good time a happy metamsychosis or trans∣migration of your senses, that so at least by way of Anagram you may

enjoy them all: That learning first to write the Images of words, and to understand the conveyances of a visible and permanent speech; from that Hand A. B. C. you may proceed unto a Lip-Grammar, which may inable you to heare with your eye and thence learn to speak with your tongue, which benefits of Art when you have attained, and are become capa∣ble of perusing this tractate, whose argument is so new and strange, that there was never so much matter concerning you presented under one object of the eye, containing a narrative of your originall estate with the supplementall advantages thereof, the novelty and inventive straine of this booke may at once delight and profit you, which is the hopefull wish of

Your officious Friend and Historigrapher PHILOCOPHVS.