A defence of the Royal Society, and the philosophical transactions, particularly those of July, 1670 in answer to the cavils of Dr. William Holder / by John Wallis ... ; in a letter to the Right Honourable, William Lord Viscount Brouncker. Wallis, John, 1616-1703. 1678 Approx. 109 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 17 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A67383 Wing W573 ESTC R705 12880272 ocm 12880272 94918 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67383) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 94918) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 904:14) A defence of the Royal Society, and the philosophical transactions, particularly those of July, 1670 in answer to the cavils of Dr. William Holder / by John Wallis ... ; in a letter to the Right Honourable, William Lord Viscount Brouncker. Wallis, John, 1616-1703. Royal Society (Great Britain) 33 p. Printed by T.S. for Thomas Moore ..., London : 1678. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Holder, William, 1616-1698. Blind-deaf -- Education -- Great Britain. 2004-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-04 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-08 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2004-08 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-10 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A DEFENCE Of the Royal Society , And the Philosophical Transactions , Particularly those of July , 1670. In Answer to the Cavils of Dr. WILLIAM HOLDER . By JOHN WALLIS , D. D. Professor of Geometry in Oxford , and Fellow of the ROYAL SOCIETY . In a Letter to the Right Honourable , WILLIAM Lord Viscount BROUNCKER . LONDON , Printed by T. S. for Thomas Moore , at the Maidenhead over against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-street . 1678. To the Right Honourable , WILLIAM LORD VISCOUNT BROUNCKER . March 6. 1677 / 8. My LORD . IN the Printed Paper of Dr. Holder , which your Lordship shewed me when I was last in London , about a fortnight since , ( which , till that time , I had not seen ) I find great complaints of the Royal Society ; Of the Philosophical Transactions ; ( particularly that of July , 1670. ) Of the Publisher thereof , Mr. Oldenburg , ( who deserved better things ; ) Of Dr. Plot ; and of some others , ( whom , because he did forbear to name in particular , I shall forbear it too ; ) but , most of all , of my self . He complains ( page 1 , 2. ) of subtil Contrivances , and subtil Practices ; to abuse the Reader with false Shews , somewhat resembling Truth . And they be so subtil , and so resembling Truth , or rather so perfectly true , that there is not one Sentence or Clause in what he finds fault with , which ( notwithstanding all his displeasure ) he doth so much as charge with untruth . Whereas his Paper is full of gross mistakes . That in the year 1659 / 60 ( or at any other time ) at Bletchington near Oxford , ( or any where else ) Dr. William Holder , ( or Mr. William Holder ) did teach Alexander Popham Esquire to speak , ( as page 1. ) If it be true , is more than I yet know : that he did attempt it , I know very well ; but that he did effect it , I never yet heard any body say but himself . What there follows , That I saw and perfectly knew this ; that I resorted to Blechington , to see and hear Mr. Popham , is a very great mistake . I never ( to my knowledge ) saw Mr. Popham , ( either at Blechington , or any where else ) till that very day when his Mother , the Lady Wharton , brought him to me at Oxford ( in the year 1662 ) to stay with me , and learn to speak . Much less had I heard him speak ; and least of all had seen Dr. Holder teach him . Who were those many , pag. 1 , 5. ( or those few , if any ) who did , on purpose , resort to Blechington on that account , ( or , what they found there ) I cannot tell ; sure I am , that I was none of them . 'T is true , I then liv'd at Oxford , ( that is , I had an habitation there ) and have ( both before and since the time mentioned ) had conversation with Dr. Holder , and had ( before that time , but , I think , not since ) been sometimes with him at his house in Blechington . But sure I am , that I was not with him there at any time when Mr. Popham was with him : For , had I been so , and on an account so remarkable , it is not possible that in so short a time ( as two years , or less ) I should so perfectly forget it , as then to take Mr. Popham for a strange person , whom I had never seen before ; and , that ( from that time to this ) I should never ( by any circumstance ) call it to mind that I had before seen him . It is much more possible , that Dr. Holder's memory may fail him , who , having divers times , before , seen me at Blechington , might think one of those times to have been , while Mr. Popham was with him : if at least it be true , that so very many did resort thither , on purpose , upon that occasion , as page 1 , 5. When Mr. Popham came to me , in the year 1662. ( which was the first time that I ever saw him ) he had ( as Dr. Holder words it , page 3 , 5. ) begun to loose what he had been taught : That is , he had so perfectly forgot ( if at all taught ) that I found him not able to pronounce one word or syllable . Now , if so lately , as in the year 1660 , he had learned to speak so well , ( as page 6. ) to pronounce plainly and distinctly , and with a good and graceful Tone , whatever words were shewn him , in Print or writing ; or , represented to him by several ways ; or , as he had occasion to ask for , &c. ( as page 5. ) it is very strange it should so perfectly be forgotten within two years . And if ( as pag. 1. 5. ) so many did then , from Oxford , resort to Blechington , to see and hear him ; if it was then so publickly taken notice of , and known ( not onely to those eminent Persons there named , but ) generally in Oxford ; and that , from thence , so very many did resort thither , on purpose to satisfie their curiosity , and have a particular knowledge of what they had received by report . It is very much that there be now ( as page 3. ) so very few ( if any ) in Oxford , who know or think otherwise , but that it was the effect of my skill , not of his . Habits so well acquir'd , do not use to be so quickly lost ; and matters of fact , so remarkable , so publick , so generally known , so particularly inquired into , and by so very many , who did hear and see it , and did on purpose resort thither for that end , are not wont to be so suddenly forgotten , by the same persons , and in the same place . However , if I have never challenged it , ( as page 3. ) I have , at least , done him no wrong , ( 't is , at most , but , not being not so kind to him as he could have wish'd ) to say nothing of it . And if all people give me the credit of it without my claiming it ; surely they must therein be very kind , or there was some ground for their so doing . What he adds , page 5. That I had discourse with him on that occasion divers times , when we hapned to meet at Oxford , is but a mistake like the rest ; for I do not remember that then he and I had ever discoursed this in Oxford at all , much less divers times . And , it may be , he will begin to think so too , when he shall remember , ( what perhaps he did not so well consider when he wrote this ) that Dr. Wilkins ( at whose Lodgings , in Wadham Colledge , it was , that he and I did use to meet in Oxford , and but accidentally ) was in the year mentioned ( 1659 ) Master of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge . And though he did , for some part of that year , retain his Title to Wadham Colledge , yet he was but little there , in that year , save when he came to resign , and carry away his Goods . And if I did at that time chance to meet him there once , it is more than I do remember ; much less do I remember that I had then discourse on this occasion . But , if his 1659. page 4. be the same with his 1659 / 60 page 1. the thing is past dispute . For Dr. Wilkins was gone from Oxford before that time ; and the Meetings , page 4. ( which he makes the Foundation of the Royal Society ) had been there disused long before , and were then held at Gresham-Colledge in London . Not but that ingenious persons in Oxford , as they met occasionally , ( whether in those Lodgings , or else-where ) did oft discourse of Philosophical affairs : But the Set Meetings for such purpose ( which had before been there ) were then dis-used , and had been for a good while . And , what was of this nature at Oxford ( about Experimental Philosophy ) in those days , was rather at Mr. Boyl's Lodgings , than at Wadham-Colledge . Nor doth he pretend that , from any such meetings this was commended to him , but from Dr. Ward , Dr. Wilkins , and Dr. Bathurst , or at least some of them , ( the same persons from whom Mr. Popham was afterwards commended to me , when Dr. Holder had given it over : ) Nor , that at any such meetings it was discours'd of , or that to any such meeting it was known . But onely that it might serve the ends of that worthy Company before mentioned , and was known to those eminent persons above-named . ( So warily are his words penned . ) Nor is it pretended , that I was privy to that recommending , or was before-hand acquainted with that undertaking : but onely , that , afterwards , upon my resorting to Blechington to satisfie my curiosity ( which never was ) some after-discourses were had upon that occasion , pag. 5. Or if his 1659 be not the same with his 1659 / 60 it comes much to the same purpose . For , though it might at some time in 1659 ( without my privity ) be commended to him ( as page 4. ) yet , if not before 1659 / 60 ( as page 1. ) he did teach , or had taught . My pretended resort to Blechington upon the report thereof , would come too late to usher in those many discourses on that occasion in the Lodgings of Dr. Wilkins . For , in Summer 1659 , Dr. Wilkins was gone , and Dr. Blandford then Warden of Wadham-Colledge ; and 1659 / 60 must at least be later than the Christmas following . If at any time before this undertaking ( which I do not remember ) he and I might chance to discourse of the Possibility of teaching a Deaf man to speak ; it may be as fairly supposed , that I might tell him I thought it fesible , ( for I never thought otherwise ) as that he might tell it me . And , if we came to discourse of Means how this might be effected ; he may as well be supposed to learn of me , as I of him . Especially considering , that my Treatise De Loquela , printed 1653. ( at which he is now so much troubled ) had then been publick for many years , and known to him . When his Elements of Speech were neither printed , nor written , nor ( I suppose ) thought of ; and which ( I believe ) had it not been for that of mine , had never been thought of till this day . If of late years he and I have had any such Discourse , ( which hath not been much ) it is nothing to the present purpose . For I am here charged with what I saw and perfectly knew , before my Letter of March 14. 1661. And truly , if he did not teach till 1659 / 60 ( as page 1. ) and did in March 1659 / 60 go to London , and , that Summer , to Ely , as page 5. ( before which time Mr. Popham and he were parted ) and Dr. Wilkins long before to Cambridge : I know not well when ( within that compass ) he supposeth those divers times should be , that he and I hapned to meet at Oxford , there to discourse on that occasion ; of my resorting to Blechington on purpose to satisfie my curiosity , and have a particular knowledge of what I had received by report , page 5. or to see and hear Mr. Popham speak , page 1. For the thing we must suppose to be Done before it was Reported ; and Reported , before I Heard it ; and this , before my Resort to Blechington ; and this also , before those After-discourses on this occasion . Besides this , I was my self very little at Oxford all that time , ( and , much of it , my Family was also absent , in London , Kent , Essex , and Cambridge ) Good part of November and December 1659 I was in London ; in January I went again : and from that time till toward Michaelmas , I was hardly a fortnight together at home , and scarce a moneth in all ; ( partly upon occasion of my own affairs , partly upon those of the University , and some other concerns ) which perhaps your Lordship may in part remember , if you call to mind what passed that year , both before and after His Majesties Return , and how much , during that time , I was with your Lordship . However , let us a little consider his story , p. 1 , 4 , 5. In that time , viz. in the year 1659. divers ingenious persons in Oxford , used to meet at the Lodgings of Dr. Wilkins then Warden of Wadham - Colledge , where they diligently conferred about Researches and Experiments in Nature , and indeed laid the first Ground and Foundation of the Royal Society . And ( at the instance of the said Bishop Wilkins , &c. ) Alexander Popham Esq being deprived of Hearing , and consequently of Speaking , was recommended to the care of Dr. Holder ; VVho , desirous to serve the ends and contribute something to the design of that worthy Company , viz. Improvement of Natural Knowledge , and Publick Benefit ; Did , in a short time , teach the said Mr. Popham , to Speak Well , to Pronounce Plainly and Distinctly , and with a Good and Graceful Tone , whatsoever Words were shewn or represented to him , or as he had occasion to ask for . This was publickly taken notice of , and known ( not onely to those eminent Persons , but ) generally in Oxford . Whence very many resorted to Blechington , &c. Amongst whom , Dr. Wallis was one ; with whom Dr. Holder had discourse , on that occasion , divers times , when they hapned to meet in Oxford . How far this Narrative differs from the Truth of Fact , may appear in part from what is already said . But we must not be so severe , as to consider this Narrative according to the strict Rules of History , ( where the Writer should affirm nothing but what he knows to be true , or at least thinks so to be ) but rather as a Chancery-Bill , for Discovery ; where the Plaintiff ( being in the dark ) sets forth , not what he knows to be true , but what-ever he thinks possible , that would be to his advantage if true ; in order to make discovery ( from the Defendants Answer ) of what he did not before know . Yet is not such Bill to be charged with falshood , though the things affirmed chance not to be true . For , though the things so set forth be ( as to the Grammar ) Indicative , ( direct Affirmatives or Negatives : ) yet , as to common intendment , they are to be consider'd as Interrogatories , to which he would have the Defendant Answer . And the same Latitude I am willing to allow this Writer , if he be contented so to be understood . In Answer therefore to his Bill of Complaint ; I do acknowledge , that , some years before ( but not immediately before ) His Majesties happy Restoration , such Meetings had been at those Lodgings , ( though not at that time , viz. in the year 1659. ) and that those Meetings might be somewhat conducing to that of the Royal Society which now is : But ( without disparagement to Bishop Wilkins ) not , that the first Ground and Foundation of the Royal Society was there laid . Which I take to be much earlier than those Meetings there . I take its first Ground and Foundation to have been in London , about the year 1645. ( if not sooner ) when the same Dr. Wilkins ( then Chaplain to the Prince Elector Palatine , in London ) Dr. Jonathan Goddard , Dr. Ent , ( now Sir George Ent ) Dr. Glisson , Dr. Scarbrough , ( now Sir Charles Scarbrough ) Dr. Merrit , with my self and some others , met weekly , ( sometimes at Dr. Goddards Lodgings , sometimes at the Mitre in Wood-street hard by ) at a certain day and hour , under a certain Penalty , and a weekly Contribution for the Charge of Experiments , with certain Rules agreed upon amongst us . Where ( to avoid diversion to other discourses , and for some other reasons ) we barred all Discourses of Divinity , of State-Affairs , and of News , ( other than what concern'd our business of Philosophy ) confining our selves to Philosophical Inquiries , and such as related thereunto ; as Physick , Anatomy , Geometry , Astronomy , Navigation , Staticks , Mechanicks , and Natural Experiments . We there discoursed the Circulation of the Blood , the Valves in the Veins , the Copernican Hypothesis , the Nature of Comets and new 〈◊〉 , the Attendants on Jupiter , the Oval shape of Saturn , the Inequalities and Se●enography of the Moon , the several Phases of Venus and Mercury , the Improvement of Telescopes , and grinding of Glasses for that purpose , ( wherein Dr. Goddard was particularly ingaged , and did maintain an Operator in his house for that purpose ) the weight of the Air , the Possibility or Impossibility of Vacuities , and Natures abhorrence thereof , the Torricellian Experiment in Quicksilver , the Descent of Heavy Bodies , and the Degrees of Acceleration therein ; with others of like nature . Some of which were then but new Discoveries , and others not so generally known and embraced as now they are . These Meetings we removed , soon after , to the Bull-head in Cheap-side ; and ( in Term-time ) to Gresham-Colledge , where we met weekly at Mr. Foster's Lecture , ( then Astronomy-Professor there ) and , after the Lecture ended : repaired , sometimes to Mr. Foster's Lodgings , sometimes to some other place not far distant , where we continued such Inquiries ; and our numbers encreased . About the years 1648 , 1649. some of our Company were removed to Oxford ; ( first , Dr. Wilkins , then I , and soon after , Dr. Goddard ; ) whereupon our Company divided . Those at London , ( and we , when we had occasion to be there ) met as before . Those of us at Oxford , with Dr. Ward , ( now Bishop of Salisbury ) Dr. Petty , ( now Sir VVilliam Petty ) Dr. Bathurst , Dr. VVillis , and many others of the most inquisitive Persons in Oxford , met weekly ( for some years ) at Dr. Petty's Lodgings on the like account ; ( to wit , so long as Dr. Petty continued in Oxford , and for some while after ; ) because of the conveniencies we had there , ( being the House of an Apothecary ) to view , and make use , of Drugs and other like matters , as there was occasion . Our Meetings there , were very numerous , and very considerable . For , beside the diligence of Persons , studiously Inquisitive , the Novelty of the Design made many to resort thither ; who , when it ceased to be new , began to grow more remiss , or did pursue such Inquiries at Home . We did afterwards ( Dr. Petty being gone for Ireland , and our numbers growing less , ) remove thence . And , ( some years before His Majesty's Return ) did meet , ( as Dr. Holder observes ) at Dr. VVilkin's Lodgings , in VVadham-Colledge . But , before the time he mentions , those set Meetings ceased in Oxford , and were held at London . Where ( after the death of Mr. Foster ) we continued to meet at Gresham-Colledge ( as before , ) at Mr. Rook's Lecture , ( who succeeded Mr. Foster , ) and from thence repaired to some convenient place , in or near that Colledge : And so onward ; till the Fire of London , caused our removal to Arundel-house ; from whence we are since returned to Gresham-Colledge again . In the mean while ; our Company at Gresham-Colledge , being much again increased , by the accession of divers Eminent and Noble Persons upon His Majesties Return ; we were ( about the beginning of the Year 1662 ) by His Majesties Grace and Favour , Incorporated by the Name of The Royal Society , &c. All this while , Dr. VVilkins and Dr. Goddard , through all these changes , continued those Meetings , ( and had a great influence on them , ) from the first Original , till the days of their death ; and some others of us , to this day . This Digression , though somewhat long , is not altogether impertinent , to rectifie what by Dr. Holder was so imperfectly reported , concerning those Philosophical Meetings . Which yet do not concern Dr. Holder's business , nor were at all interressed in it . Though ( if I may use his words , page 11. ) with subtilty of contrivance , he speaks like Truth so artificially , that his Reader is to believe more than is true , ( that from those Meetings it was commended to him , and to those Meetings it had been made known ) else , to what purpose are those Meetings named . By what particular Persons , or on what Account , that business was commended to him , I cannot tell , nor was at all privy to it . Nor do I know who those many ( or any ) were , that resorted to Blechington on that account ; onely , that I was none of them . Nor had I those divers discourses with him at Oxford on that occasion , which he suggesteth to have then hapned . But now , what is all this to the business of Mr. VVhaly ? and to my Letter of March 14. 1661 ? Was it not as lawful for me to undertake Mr. Whaly , as for him to undertake Mr. Popham ? Had he , before that time , obtained a Patent for the sole-teaching of Dumb persons to speak ? Or , was it a crime ( because he had failed of his enterprise on Mr. Popham ) for me to undertake Mr. VVhaly with better success ? Mr. VVhaly ( whom he calls the young Gentleman , page 2. ) was then about 26 years of age ; with some of whose Relations I had been acquainted for 20 years before , and more , ( though not with him , nor with his condition . ) About a year or two before he came to me , an Uncle of his ( yet living , and with whom I had been long acquainted ) bewailing to me the sadness of his condition ; and finding , by my discourse thereupon , that I thought he might yet recover the use of Speech , was very desirous that I should undertake him ; which , a good while after , was brought to pass . Whether it were before or after Dr. Holder's attempt on Mr. Popham , that this Uncle did first desire it of me , I do not well remember ; but I think it much about the same time , or before . Sure I am , it was a long time before I had ever seen Mr. Popham , or heard him speak . When Mr. VVhaly had been some while with me , and I began to find the business succeed , I wrote to Mr. Boyl ( then at London ) that Letter of March 14. 1661. ( of which there is now so great a complaint ) in Answer to some of his , desiring that account from me ; ( as appears in the Body of that Letter , though Dr. Holder think fit to dissemble that matter . ) Dr. Holder had , at this time , given over his attempt on Mr. Popham ; that Design being then deserted . Whether because Dr. Holder himself was weary of the business , ( I cannot tell ) or rather ( which I take to be the true cause ) because Mr. Popham's Friends saw so little of success , and to so little 〈◊〉 , that they did not think fit to pursue the design further . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dr. Holder's removal to Ely ( intimated page 5. ) should be the onely cause , seems not likely . For Mr. Popham might as well , at Ely , be taught to speak , as at Blechington , And , that his Friends were willing to have pursued the design , if they had seen a likelihood of any considerable success ; we may judge , by their sending him to me in 1662. on the same account . The great offence which is now taken , at the Letter which was then written , is not , because any thing therein was not True , or not Rationally said ; but rather because it was ( as he speaks ) so subtilly contrived , that there is nothing in it for him to cavil at . And therefore he cavils at what is not in it , viz. That amongst the Considerations which induced me to undertake Mr. VVhaly , I said nothing of Dr. Holder and Mr. Popham , p. 2 , 13. The truth is , to the rest of those Considerations , I might have added , Nor am I discouraged from this undertaking by Mr. Holders unsuccessful attempt on Mr. Popham , &c. but I thought it more civil to say nothing of it . He would now have it thought , p. 8. a mocking of Mr. Boyl ( to tell him in that Letter , How far , and upon what Considerations , and by what ways , I thought it Possible , or Fesible ) when as I certainly knew it possible , having already given Proof of it on Mr. VVhaly . 'T is true , I had then given a Proof of it on Mr. VVhaly , ( having at that time performed more on Mr. VVhaly , than ever Dr. Holder did on Mr. Popham ; ) and , in that Letter , I told him of such Proof . But Mr. Boyle did not think it a mockery to be so used , having in two Letters ▪ of Jan. 5. and Febr. 26. desired it of me ; and in another of April 5. he thanked me for that excellent Paper . ) Nor did those of the Society at Gresham-Colledge , to whom he did impart it , and before whom ( in May following ) Mr. VVhaly was heard to speak . And nothing is more common , than ( of things unusual ) to shew , How far , and upon what Considerations , Others should not think strange or incredible , what we certainly know to be True and Fesible . Yet Mr. Boyl did , in those days , live at Oxford , as well as Dr. Wallis ; and ▪ within as few miles of Blechington ; and , was as well acquainted at VVadham-Colledge . And , if Dr. Holden's performance were so generally known in Oxford , ( as p. 5. ) and in particular to those eminent Persons with whom Mr. Boyl was so well acquainted : he had the same opportunity , of being made acquainted with it , as I had . And those at Gresham-Colledge did not want means of being dis-abused , if I had designed to impose them : since those eminent Persons which he speaks of , were of that number , and some of them then present : and ( it seems ) Dr. Holder himself was there also , and saw this , p. 6. He might therefore as well , ( if things had been as he now represents ) have let that Company hear Mr. Popham speak , as I Mr. VVhaly , ( and they would as well have been pleased to hear it ) especially if Mr. Popham spake so much better than Mr. VVhaly ; the one but some words , and with a harsh ill Tone ; the other spoke well , with a Good and Graceful Tone , and did pronounce plainly and distinctly , whatever words , &c. p. 5 , 6. ) 'T would certainly have been much more to their satisfaction , to have seen Mr. Whaly so much out-done by Mr. Popham . And Dr. Holder , who was so desirous to serve the Ends , and contribute somewhat to the Design , of that worthy Company , ( p. 4 , 5. ) should not have denied them this satisfaction , if he could have shewed it . But the truth is , he could not shew it ; ( and that 's the grief . ) For , when Mr. Popham , the same year , ( within a few moneths ) was brought to me to learn , I saw no foot-steps of those effects , nor that he was able to speak one word or syllable . 'T was therefore wise in him , not to produce him ; as well as civil in me to say nothing of it . However , If Dr. Holder had caused this of Mr. Popham to be publickly known ; to many Persons of all Degrees ; at London , at Westminster , at the Anatomy-Lecture ; ( as well as to those eminent Persons above-named , and generally in Oxford : ) and went with him to London and VVestminster , that those , on this occasion , might satisfie themselves , in hearing Mr. Popham , ( as p. 5. ) Why might not , as well , Mr. VVhaly go with me to Gresham-Colledge and VVhite-hall , that others might be satisfi'd in hearing him , p. 6. without so much clamour of my being greedy to spread my own Fame ? especially when himself allows it , p. 10. to be very considerable and worthy to be known . And , if he may tell us , p. 5. that he taught Mr. Popham , by such means as are , since , by him made publick ( in 1669 ) why might not I as well say ( in my Letter of 1661. ) That I taught Mr. Whaly , by such as I had , before , made publick , ( in 1653. ) But the mockery of this Letter , would ( I suppose ) have been excused , had it not been published in the Transactions , eight years after . ( For that 's the complaint , These Considerations did not see light till eight years after , p. 3. ) I confess , it might have been Printed sooner , ( if I had been as greedy and industrious as he would have it thought , p. 3. to spread my own Fame . ) For there is nothing in it why it might not have been Printed the next day . ( But not in the Transactions ; for Mr. Oldenburg did not begin to write Transactions , till 1665. ) But 't was not too late in 1670. However , 't was written sooner ; and Published , ( though not in Print . ) And 't is well it was so . For , if Printing an old Letter make so great a clamour ; what would have been , if I had at that time written a new Piece ( to the same purpose ) and published that ? But the great complaint is , that in the Post-script ( yes , and in the Letter too ) mention is made of my Treatise De Loquela , published in 1653. And that it is there commended , ( which troubles him much ; and he doth , at least six times , complain of it ; p. 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 14. ) That is , It is there said , ( but it is so said in the Letter also ) that , in this Treatise of Speech , I do very distinctly lay down the manner of Forming all sounds of Letters usual in Speech : And that , in confidence and pursuance of this , ( which the Letter also mentions ) I did undertake that difficult task . And why might not all this be said ? Would he have had me say , that I did ( in 1661. ) pursue his Elements of Speech , ( which were not publish'd till 1669 and which I have never yet seen , ) rather than my own , published in 1653 ? But ( which troubles him yet more ) the Writer of that Post-script says also , That he thinks this to be the first Book that was ever published in this kind . ( True , and I think so too . 'T is at least elder than his of 1669. Nor doth Dr. Holder tell us of any precedent than that of mine . ) And all this , without determining that his ( of 1669. ) is performed with more judgment and accuracy ▪ p 8 , 10 , 13. And this is the great fault . He was ( it seems ) not willing , that it should be at all remembred , that any had written of that Subject before him . At lest , if he were not the First , he would be thought to have done it Best . And he hopes ( though I will not determine against my self ) that the impartial Reader will so determine , p. 10. Yet Bishop VVilkins , who ( as Dr. Holder tells us , p. 7. ) in his Universal Character , p. 357. mentions the Papers of Dr. Holder ; doth not do it with any preference to those of mine . But ( having there named a great Many , and some of them Great Men , who had written of the Doctrine of Letters , ) he concludes , that amongst all that he had seen published , Dr. VVallis seemed to him , with greatest accurateness and subtilty , to have considered the Philosophy of Articulate Sounds . Had not this Treatise of mine been remembred , He hoped to have passed for the First Author in that kind . For , that his should be thought earlier than that of Bishop VVilkins , he had provided , by what he tells us ( p. 7. ) that some Papers of Dr. Holders were communicated to the Bishop , and by him mentioned ; ( which we must suppose to be these ; ) and that those Papers were lost in the Bishops Study , ( together with all his own ) in the dreadful Fire of London , 1666. ( and , therefore , must at least have been so antient ; and none but mine , of 1653. may pretend to precedence . ) That some of the Bishops Papers , ( that is , so much of the Fair Copy of his Universal Character as was then unprinted , ) were lost in the Fire of London , is true : But , not in the Bishops Study , ( as is here pretended ) but , at the Printing-house , ( as the Bishop himself , and Mr. Gillibrand , for whom it was printing , did both tell me ) where Dr. Holder's Papers are not pretended to have been . Nor were the Bishop's Own Papers All lost , ( as is here affirmed . ) But , of what was printed , Two Copies were preserved . And , out of his Foul Papers , ( as himself told me ) which were preserved also , he did retrieve what of the Fair Copy was lost . Nor is it likely , ( the Fire having burnt for some days , before it came thither ) that Himself , ( if at home ) and those about him , should be All so negligent , as that no care was taken of any of his Papers , but that they should be All lost . ( Which , though it do not much concern the present business , yet it shews how apt he is to Trip in matters of Fact. ) Whether Dr. Holder's Papers were then lost , or where they were lost , I know not : And I as little know whether , and by whom , Dr. Holder was importuned to renew those Papers , as we are told , p. 7. However , Those Elements of Speech , with its Appendix , may ( for ought I know ) be an excellent Piece ; ( and , for ought I know , it may be the contrary . ) I never read either the One or the Other . Nor do I know that I ever saw it ; at least , not so as to read a Line of it . ( It 's possible I may have seen the Book lying on a Table , or standing on a Shelf in a Book-seller's Shop , or the like ; but without knowing the particular contents of it . Nor do I know ( otherwise than as he now tells me ) whether any one word therein do concern Me , or Mr. Popham , or the Business in hand . So far was I from being startled ( as p. 7. ) at the contents of it , or contriving to counterplot it . Nor do I think my self concern'd , on this occasion , to seek it out . If there be any thing in it of like import with what he doth now publish ; or which doth otherwise need an Answer : it is unknown to me ; and may ( I suppose ) without more ado , receive its Answer from hence . The same Post-script says also , ( and it says True ; ) that Mr. VVhaly is not the onely person on whom I have shewed the effect of my skill ; But I have since done the like for another , meaning Mr. Popham . And Dr. Holder himself , p. 10 , 11. cannot deny it to be all true . But it is not true ( he tells us , p. 11. ) that either Mr. Oldenburg or Dr. Plot did Know or VVrite any thing of these matters , but what was put into their hands by me . ( And he would have the like to be thought of all other Authors by whom I have been commended , p. 3. that they are but large Characters of my own Graving : that so he may at once destroy all the good things that any body hath said of me ; or , shall say . ) As to Dr. Plot , I shall speak by and by . Mr. Oldenburg is dead ; and cannot now be asked , What he Knew , or VVrote ; nor answer for himself . ( I shall therefore do it for him . ) The best is , there is nothing there said , which is not True , or which he did not Know , ( and a great many more beside him ) or which was not Fitting for him to say : Nothing which he did not say Wittingly and Willingly ; and nothing ( I suppose ) which he would Un-say were he now alive . And strange it is that Dr. Holder should perswade us , that Mr. Oldenburg knew nothing of all this . He did Know , that I had taught Mr. Whaly to speak ; and that Mr. Whaly was at Gresham-Colledge , and was heard to speak there ; and what was thereupon the sense of those present : ( For himself was one of them , and did See him , and Hear him speak there ; and heard what the company did express as their sense of it . ) He knew , that this was there Registred : ( For himself did it , as being then the Secretary of that Society . ) He knew ( from his own Register and Memorials , not from me ) that this was on May 21. 1662. As to what is said to have been done at Whitehall and my own house ; He knew them from the Notoreity of the Fact , and from the Relation of Persons present , whom he had no reason to disbelieve . He knew then ( and many years before ) my English Grammar , and my Treatise of Speech ( prefixed thereunto , ) which ( the Title-page tells him ) was Printed in the year 1653. He knew also , that of Bishop Wilkins's Universal Character ( published in 1668. ) and that of Dr. Holder's Elements of Speech , publish'd in 1669. ( and gives a particular account of Both : The one , in his Transactions of May , 1668. The other , in that of May , 1669 ; ) and , that Both those , were since mine of 1653. And , if he did not think fit , to deliver an Opinion , Whether theirs or mine were Better ; He knew this also . And he could not but know , That the way to Teach a Deaf person , to speak ; must be , by teaching How to apply the Instruments of Speech to Form such Sounds ; which is the profess'd design of that Treatise of mine . And , That , in teaching Mr. Whaly , I pursu'd that Treatise , and did in that Letter refer to it ; he knew also , ( for he saw it there . ) And all these things , which he did thus Know , if he had not also been willing to say : He would not have there inserted . Nor would he have said , It was a difficult task ; or , that it was ingeniously and successfully Begun ; or , that he thought that Treatise of mine to be the first Book that was ever publish'd in that kind ; if he had not Thought so . ( And he could not but Know , he did thus Think : And Dr. Holder , I suppose , Thinks so too . ) Now , if he did Know , and Think all this : Why was it unfit for him to say it ? And , with what ingenuity doth Dr. Holder then insinuate , as if Mr. Oldenburg know nothing of all these matters ; but did merely take it upon trust from me ? He knew also , what he says further ( which Dr. Holder seems most displeased at , ) That this was not the onely person , on whom the said Doctor hath shewed the effect of his skill , but he hath since done the like for another ; ( meaning Mr. Popham : ) For this of Mr. Popham , was at that time as Notorious and well Known , as that of Mr. Whaly . And I know not well how he could express it more softly , then by saying , that on him also I had shewed some effect of my skill . That the thing said , is true ; Dr. Holder himself is so kind to me as not to deny ; but says freely , ( p. 10. ) that what I perform'd on those two Gentlemen ( Mr. Whaly and Mr. Popham ; ) he esteems very Considerable ; and Worthy to be Known and Valued . And if , by doing the like for him , I mean no more but , that I so taught him to speak as I had done for Mr. VVhaly ; he allows that to be true also , p. 11. And , if my Teaching Dumb Persons , be meant but of Two such , meaning these two ; ) he doth there affirm it . That is , He allows All to be True that is there said of me : And Mr. Oldenburg knew it so to be . But he excepts , p. 8. That this is added by way of Comment on the Letter ; and that Mr. Popham's name is ( wisely ) omitted . I confess , some part of it may be called a Comment on that Letter ; ( for it tells , what is the Name of the Person which the Letter mentions ; and , in what Year , the Treatise of Speech , and the English Grammar , there mentioned , were Printed . ) But , as to the rest , I should rather have called it a Narrative of what happen'd after the Letter was written . And it was but necessary : For it might be well supposed , that those who should find , in the Letter , What had been undertaken , would be willing to know , with what success . ( And , of that , there could not well have been less said than is . ) And , my teaching Mr. Popham , being at that time as much known , if not more , that than of Mr. Whaly ; it would not have been congruous to Mr. Oldenburg's design in publishing his Transactions , not to take any notice of him at all . As for that of not naming Mr. Popham . It is true , his Name is omitted ; and ( I think ) not unwisely . For it is possible , that He , or his Relations , ( being Persons of Quality , ) would not care to have that infirmity of his , so publickly exposed by Name . ( And , whether they will think it more kindly done of Mr. Oldenburg in sparing to name him ; or of Dr. Holder who thus proclaims it , and brings his Name upon the Stage : is for them to judge rather than me . ) But , why Dr. Holder should be concerned for not naming Mr. Popham ; or what Prejudice to himself he apprehends by it ; or , what Plot he fancies in it , I cannot tell . How far I might be concerned in Penning that Post-script , ( which is the thing with which Dr. Holder labours so oft to reproach me ; twelve times at least , p. 3 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14. ) I do not at present so well remember . Some of it , it 's like , Mr. Oldenburg had from me , ( because it relates to what was done in my Family : ) and some of it certainly was his own ; which relates to his own Register ; ( for it is , what I could not have told without him : ) and the whole ( which is not much ) is what he knew , and what he was willing to say : And then , it is not much material who did write it ; ( Himself , his Clerk , or I : ) nor do I think it any fault at all in Him or Me. There is nothing more usual , than for one to Draw that Writing , which another is to Sign ; ( a Secretary , for his Lord ; a Clerk , for his Master ; a Lawyer , for his Client ; and , one Friend , for another : ) and , in men of much Business it must needs be so . And , when it is so , it must be writ in such a Phrase as is proper for him to use ( not who Pens it , but ) whose Act it is to be ; and by whom it is to be allowed and owned before it becomes his Act. And Dr. Holder himself ( who would have it thought a crime in me ) doth not deny but that his Narrative , p. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. was of his own Penning , ( but , as in Mr. Oldenburg's Name , ) and was by him put into Mr. Oldenburg's hand , ( p. 9. ) desiring to have it inserted in the Transactions , ( and complains , greatly , that it was not so done . ) And I have reason to believe , that what is said of Dr. Holder , and his Elements , and Appendix , in the Transactions of May , 1669 ; was of his Own Penning also , but in Mr. Oldenburg's name . In the present case , ( who ever wrote it , ) I do not find any Clause , or Word , therein ; which is not proper enough for Me to Write , or Him to say , or what he did not actually approve and own . However , ( if that will do him any pleasure ) I will give him leave to change the style ; and , what is said Of me , in the Third Person , to read as said By me , in the First Person ; ( leaving out the word Ingenuously , if he do not think it belong to me : ) and I will then be answerable for it all : ( the rather , because Mr. Oldenburg is not now alive to answer for it . ) That which Dr. Holder is troubled at herein , is but an Omission . Not , that any thing of this is Untrue , or Unfit : ( he is rather troubled , that nothing is so : ) But , that somewhat else is not said . Somewhat he had a mind should be said , which I could not say ; ( and , I am afraid , no body else : ) That Dr. Holder had taught Mr. Popham to Speak Well ; to Pronounce Plainly and Distinctly , with a Good and Graceful Tone , whatsoever VVords , &c. which he doth not there find . Hinc illae lachrymae ! Mr. Oldenburg in his Transactions of July 1670. tells , what was done by Me ; without saying ( at the same time ) What was done by Dr. Holder : like as , in those of May , 1669. he had said , What was done by Dr. Holder ; without saying , what ( of that kind ) had been done by Me. And he doth , in the one place , Commend my Treatise of Speech , ( published in 1653. ) without commending his Elements of Speech , ( published in 1669. ) like as , in the other place , he had commended His , without taking notice of Mine , ( which had been publish'd 16 years before . ) As for me , ( so far as I may be concern'd in it ; ) I knew that , to touch upon this , was , to touch him in a sore place . I could not speak to his Satisfaction ; and I was not desirous to Disoblige him : and therefore ( as he phraseth it ) silently passed it over ; and left it for them to say who knew it . I do not know , that I have ever been heard to say , That he did , or , That he did not . The first I could not say ( knowingly ; ) the other I was loth to say . The case is this . In the year 1653. I published ( together with my English Grammar ) a Treatise of Speech : shewing therein , with what Organs , in what Positions , and by what Motions , all Sounds used in Speech are Formed : and that , upon such Positions and Motions , such Sounds will certainly follow , ( whether he that Speaks , do Hear himself or not . ) This ( my Letter says , as well as the Postscript ) I think to be the first attempt in that kind . And there , to the commonly received Organs of Speech , Instrument a novem , sunt , Guttur , Lingua , Palatum , Quatuor & Dentes , & duo Libra simul ; I add , one more , ( and , I think , I am the first that do so ) that is , the Nostrils ; on the Closure and different Appertures , of which , ( by help of the Uvula ) the sole Difference in the Articulation of divers Letters depends : as of P , B , M ; and of T , D , N ; and divers others . Which ( I think ) no body , before me , had taken notice of . But I am since followed by others . Some years after ; Mr. George Dalgarno , at Oxford , appli'd himself to write a Treatise concerning an Universal Character ; ( which he published in the year 1660 , intituled , Ars Signorum : ) concerning which he consulted Me , ( as he did also Dr. Wilkins , Dr. Ward , and others . ) I told him my sense of it , ( as I did also to Dr. Wilkins ) That the thing was certainly fesible in Nature , ( upon such Considerations as that Letter of March 14. 1661 , mentions : ) But that I did not think it likely to obtain in Practice . Because this Universal Character , must be in the nature of a New Language . ( Which he was so apprehensive to be true , that , having once contrived his Universal Character , he did , upon this suggestion , accommodate thereunto his Universal Language , to make his Character Effable : as is there seen . ) So that , For all Persons , to Learn his Character , and to have all Books , Written in it ; is the same thing as to Translate all Books into One Language , and to have this Language learned by All. Which if it cannot be hoped , of any of the Languages now in being , ( which have the advantage of being already understood , by more than ever are like to learn that other : ) much less is it to be hoped for , of a New Language , now to be contrived . And , in case men should be willing , to change the way of Writing , from Vocal to Real Characters : there would soon arise a like Variety of Real Characters , ( each fansying his own way the best , ) as now there is of Vocal Languages . Nor is it to be expected , That a general Law should be made , to confine All to the same Characters ; any more than ( amongst our selves ) All Writers of Short-hand be confined to the same way and method of Brachy-graphy , or Short-writing : ( which we find to multiply , according to the variety of Teachers . ) And Specious Arithmetick , ( which , as to so much , is a kind of Real Character , ) hath not , in all Writers , the same Characters : but very different , as different Writers . This Enterprise of Mr. Dolgarro , gave occasion to Dr. Wilkins ( the late Bishop of Chester ) to pursue the same Design ( as himself intimates in his Epistle ; ) both as to a Real Character , as he calls it , ( or Characters of Things instead of Words ; ) and the expressing those Characters by Vocal Sounds ; ( which he calls his Philosophical Language ; ) in his Essay of a Real Character and Philosophical Language , published in the year 1668. which is the Result of his Thoughts on that Subject , for divers years before ; with the concurrence of Dr. Seth Ward ( now Bishop of Salisbury , ) and Dr. William Lloyd , ( now Dean of Bangor , ) and others ; ( as himself mentions ; ) with whom he had frequent conference about that Affair . And it would have been publish'd somewhat sooner , if not interrupted by the Fire of London , in the year 1666. Not that he did expect , this Real Character of his , and his Philosophical Language , should universally obtain ; and all Books be translated into it : But , to shew the thing to be fesible ; and divers Advantages which might arise thence , if it could so obtain . And , to demonstrate the thing it self to be Practicable ; He was pleased ( when his Book was newly made publick ) to write a Letter to me , in his Real Character ; to which I return'd an Answer in his Philosophical Language : And we did perfectly understand one another , as if written in our own Language . In order to this Design ; he found it expedient ( for reasons by him expressed ) to consider , the Formation of Sounds in Speech ; and to engraft ( in his Essay ) a particular Discourse thereof ( in Chap. 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14. of his Third Part. ) And , ( because I had particularly considered that Subject , and published a Treatise of it , ) he was pleased more particularly to discourse that part with me : which we did at divers Meetings on that occasion . ( There being scarce any part , in all that Discourse , wherein I was not advised with . ) In some things ; he was pleased , on those Discourses , to alter his former Thoughts for reasons which I suggested . As for instance . Some Vowels he judged to be of their own nature Long , and could not be pronounced Short , ( as ô in Boat , oo in Food , ū in Lute , &c. ) Others , in their own nature Short , and not capable of being produced ; ( as the French e Feminine , in je , ne , &c. and the English ū , in cut , but , &c. Contrary to which , I suggested , that , in good , goode ; wood , woo'd ; full , fool ; pull , pool ; wooll , wool ; hood , hoo'd ; &c. there is a manifest distinction of the same sound ( of the Vowel ) pronounced Long , and Short. And in recubo , tetubo , &c. we in England pronounce Short , the same sound of ú , which in cubo , tubo , &c. we pronounce Long. So in gula , régula , &c. And the like of ô , in potent , impotent ; dolent , indolent , rédolent ; solens , insolens ; vola , évola , benévola : &c. And that , in Musick , the words cut , put , may be sung as a Brief , or Sembrief , as well as a Crotchet or Quaver , ( which depends onely upon the Short or Long sounding of that Vowel ; those Consonants c , b , t , not being capable of production , but the Vowel onely : ) and the like of the French e Feminine . And , contrariwise , tô , too , tú , may be a Crotchet or Quaver , as well as a Brief or Sembrief . Whereupon he agreed with me ; that all Vowels ( and some Consonants ) are capable of Production and Contraction ; but that some Vowels are , for the most part , produced in common Speech ; others , mostly Contracted . So the English Vowel î , in Bite , Smile , &c. he first took to be a Simple sound ( not compounded , ) But afterwards agreed with me , that it was a Compound , of the Feminine è , with the Subjunctive i or y : as in the Greek Dipthong ei , and the English word ey ; ( which differs not in sound from I. ) And these are some of those things , about which ( he tells us , p. 365. ) he had , upon new Considerations and Suggestions , changed his former thoughts . In some others ; he continued to differ from me , as in the French feminine è and the English short ū . Which Letters he accounts to be the same : but I take to be different , ( that of ū being a broader sound than the other ; ) differing as e and u in our English pronunciation of fer , fur ; iter , itur ; terris , turris ; ter ter , turtur ; p●rperam , purpuram ; &c. He takes also the sound of the Consonants y , and w , to be the same with that of the Vowels ee , and oo rapidly pronounced : ( and the words yee , woo , in page 371. he writes u , ▪ ▪ . ) And , consequently , the Latin i , u , Vowels ; would not differ at all from j , v , Consonants . For the Latin i , j ; u , v ; had the same sounds with our ee , y ; oo , w. Which I take to be different Letters ; Because , in pronouncing the words , yee , woo , there is a manifest motion of the mouth in passing from the sound of y to ee ; and of w to oo ; ( which is yet more manifest , if the words be several times repeated , yee yee , woo woo . This would not be , were there not a different Position required , to form those Sounds . Yet he chose to retain his opinion ; and I , mine . He makes also some Letters whispered , to be distinct from the same spoken-out : calling the one Sonorous , the other Mute . Thus M , N , L , R , &c. as commonly spoken , he calls Sonorous ; but if onely whispered , he calls them Mute , and writes them hM , hN , hL , hR , &c. Whereas I take this not to make a New Letter , ( because not a new Articulation , ) but refer it to the common Affections , which respect the whole Tenor of Speech , not the Formation of particular Letters : of which there be divers . Thus the word And may , with the same Articulation , be sung in Gam-ut , or in E-la , ( Base or Treble ; ) though with a different Tone : And may be a Sembrief or Crotchet ; though with a different Time : And may be spoken Softly or Aloud , with a different Strength : So it may , with the same Articulation , though with a different Noise , be Spoken-out or Whispered ; ( in the former of which , there is a Roughness of the Sound from the concussion of the Larynx ; whereas in whispering , though pretty Loud , there is a Smoothness for want of that concussion . Thus in these words , [ The roving Winds may blaze ] every Letter hath a different Noise when Whispered , from what it hath when Spoken-out : but , the same Articulation . And therefore we do not reckon the word And when whispered , to be spelled with other Letters than when it is spoken-out . Much less is this ( as he makes it ) the difference between V , F , or D , T , or B , P , &c. that the one is ( in this sense ) Sonorous , the other Mute . For we may Whisper the words Ved , Bed , without saying Fet , Pet. Nor do I think the difference between V and F , to lie in this ; that F is formed by the two Lips ; but the Consonant V is formed between either Lip and the opposite Teeth , p. 360. ( he should rather have said , between the Neather Lip and the opposite Teeth ; ) for each of those Letters may be formed in either place : the difference of those Sounds , lying ( not in the Lips , nor in the Larynx , but ) in the Nostrils . And , in the Formation of divers Letters , he gives several particular directions , which I choose rather to omit , as being but accidental , and not Essential to those Letters , ( with , or without which , those Letters may be formed : ) And it is our custom in Mathematicks , so to form our Definitions , as to contain just so much as is necessary to determine the Subject , and no more . And these ( I suppose ) are some of those things , wherein ( he tells us , p. 362 , 365 , 383. ) he dares not be over-peremptory , or dogmatical , ( but onely , that he doth thus judge at present , ) having formerly , upon new considerations and suggestions , so often changed his thoughts in this inquiry . But , in most things , we agree , without any considerable difference of opinion in him , from what I had before publish'd : And , in what we do differ , ( which is not much ) I might modestly enough ( notwithstanding Dr. Holder's rebuke , p. 8 , 10 , 13. ) leave it to the Reader to judge , without determining against my self : having not yet seen cause to vary therein , from what was my former opinion . Nor do I mean to concern my self ( upon this challenge of Dr. Holder ) to write against Bishop Wilkins . It seems : Dr. Wilkins had conference with Dr. Holder also ( as well as others ) on that Subject : and ( in the year 1668. ) had seen some Papers of his written on that occasion . But those Papers of his , it is not pretended that I ever saw : nor have I yet read those which are since Printed in 1669. ( And therefore , as to those , I have no reason yet to determine against my self . ) Nor doth he pretend , that I learned from thence , what I had before published in 1653. It is more likely ; That , what I had before written on that subject , gave occasion to Dr. Wilkins next , and after him to Dr. Holder , to consider the formation of Sounds , and teaching of Deaf persons to do it : And , that Dr. Holder was not the first that thought of it . However ; that which I know of his business , is this ; That in the year 1659 / 60 , Dr. Holder did attempt teaching Mr. Popham to Speak ; but , soon after , gave it over : ( for what reasons , he knows best . ) As to teaching him to understand a Language , I do not find him pretending to it ; ( so that , as to this , he will allow the work to be mine . ) Nor doth he pretend to any thing as to Mr. Whaly ; ( so far therefore the Coast is clear . ) What he pretends to , is , that he taught Mr. Popham to pronounce some words , ( which , by somewhat of Rhetorical Amplification , is now called , Speaking Well , and Pronouncing Plainly and Distinctly , and with a Good and Graceful Tone , Whatever Words were Represented to him , as he had Occasion to ask for . ) In order to this , I have been told ) he did direct Mr. Popham to those Painful Positions and Motions of the Mouth and Face , which used to make him sweat so as to Drop : ( a Method which I have never had occasion to make use of with those I have taught ; putting them to no more of bodily pain , than we put our selves to in speaking : ) But , whatwas the effect of that Pain and Sweat , I do not know . This , whatsoever it were , was in the year 1662 , quite forgot . And Mr. Popham ( after I had ingood measure taught Mr. VVhaly ) was brought to me to Learn . Whether any thing of Disgust were in it , ( that I should Venture upon what he had Given over , ) I cannot tell . But , because such things oft happen , I was the less willing to undertake it ; and did , on that account , at first decline it , as not willing to take anothers Work out of his hand ; ( which Dr. Bathurst , I presume , may still remember , who did once and a second time recommend that business to me from the Lady VVharton : ) till Dr. Bathurst did assure me , that no more was to be expected from Dr. Holder , nor intended by him ; and that no offence should be taken on that account . When Mr. Popham ( by that Lady his Mother ) was brought to me ; I found no appearance of those fine things which are now said to have been done by Dr. Holder . ( And the stories , of My having Seen and Heard him , before , at Blechington , &c. but Fansies . ) I thought it best , therefore , to say nothing of it ; rather than to say , That , VVhat Dr. Holder had Attempted , but Given over ; I had undertaken with Success : ( Which would have look'd like Insultation in me , and a Reproaching of him . ) If any other who knew more than I did , could say of him all that which he now says of himself ; it was free for him , or them , to have said it if they so pleased . But from me , who knew it not ( nor do yet , ) it could not , in reason , be expected . And , for the same Reason , I said nothing of the Constable of Castil's Son. What Pablo Bonnet says of him , I know not , ( having never seen the Book : ) nor what is said of him by Sir Kenelm Digby , ( as not having read that . ) I have heard , it is said of him ; That , Onely by Seeing another Speak , ( himself being Deaf , ) though Distant from him the Breadth of a large Room ; he was able to repeat perfectly what ever was said , though in VVelsh , or Irish , or any other Language of which he had no knowledge at all , and which had never been spoken to him . Which seems to me , very Unlikely , if not Impossible , Concerning which thing , I have also delivered my opinion in that Letter of March 14. ( that I might not be thought to pretend to Impossibilities : ) But , without naming any persons ; in pursuance of the old Rules , Parcere nominibus , &c. I know very well , ( for I have seen it in those that I have taught , ) That Words of such unknown Languages may , by a Deaf man , be pronounc'd . But he must then be otherwise directed , what Sound , or Letters , he is to Form : He cannot do it barely by Seeing another speak . I know also , ( for the same reason , ) That a Deaf person , by Seeing another Speak , may sometimes Guess shrewdly at what is said . But it must be in such Words and Sentences as he hath been acquainted with : not in a strange Language , of which he knows neither the Sense nor the Words . For certain it is , that the Formation of divers Sounds in Speech , is perform'd so inwardly in the Mouth , Throat , and Nostrils ; and , the distinction of Sounds therein so very Nice ; that it is not possible to be discerned by the Eye of a By-stander . But , in known Words , by Seeing the Formation of some Letters , ( especially the Labials , ) he may Guess at the rest ( as we do , when , in a Word , we find a Letter or two mis-written , or left-out ; but , from the rest , may easily know what it should be . ) And , in known Sentences , having thus discerned some Words , he may , by them , Guess at the rest of the Sentence , or at least at the Sense of it . And , when this very particular was , at Gresham-Colledge , discoursed , upon the occasion of Mr. Whaly's being there , it was then affirmed , by a Gentleman there present , That himself ( beyond-Sea ) had seen this Constable of Castil's Son ; and ( having heard of these reports before ) did the more curiously observe him ; and found those about him to discourse with him by Signs and Gestures , in the same manner as is usual with other Deaf persons . Which ( as he well observed ) would not have been , if he , by seeing them speak , could tell what they said , and could himself , by speaking , give them an answer . So that there must needs be something of Amplification in that Story . Since therefore I could add nothing ( from my own knowledge ) to what by others had been said of him : and ( though I did suspect somewhat of Hyperbole in the case ) would not concern my self to contradict it : I thought best to say nothing of it , ( but leave the Report as I found it , upon the credit of the Reporters . ) without going about to extenuate anothers performance . And if any one else had , of his own Knowledge , affirmed as much of Dr. Holder's performance ( without bespattering another ; ) it 's like ( whatsoever were my own sentiments of it ) I should have as little concerned my self to contradict that , as I did the other . But should choose rather ( if I might be permitted so to do ) to say nothing of either . Another great complaint there is , concerning a Book of Dr. Plott . ( It seems , he is very much concerned for every one that speaks favourably of me , p. 3 , 4 , 9 , 11 , 14. ) All that was past , might ( it seems ) have been pardoned , ( as p. 4 , 7 , 9. ) had it not been for this fresh occasion . The fault is this , That Dr. Plott , in his Natural History of Oxfordshire , hath said ( it seems ) somewhat of my teaching Dumb persons to speak , and of my Treatise De Loquela ; as p. 9 , 11. Yet Dr. Plott he can Forgive ( in hopes of a Reformation , p. 11. ) But Dr. VVallis must be doubly charged . 'T was I ( he says ) gave this fresh occasion , p. 4. 'T was my subtil contrivance , p. 2. I practis'd it ; I caus'd it to be publish'd ; 't is I that penned , and spread my own fame in several Authors works , ( and in this amongst the rest ) they be large Characters engraven by my self , p. 3. 'T was I ( he says ) thrust my self into Dr. Plott's work ; I imposed upon that worthy person ; that I therein renew the challenge ; that I passed it into the Book ; that those three whole Paragraphs ( or the greatest part of them ) were Certainly of my Penning ; and that it may be justly thought , All the rest was so too ; that I imposed upon the good Doctor , and penned it my self , p. 9. that I put upon him that great abuse , p. 10. that he hath indeed put it upon Record , but did not Know or VVrite any of those matters , but what was put into his hands by me ; that I imposed upon him , and prevail'd him to say it as from himself , p. 11. that I do there explain my self , p. 13. with much more to that purpose . Not , that Dr. Holder knows this to be True : But because it is fit matter for a Chancery-Bill . That Dr. Plott did sometimes advise with me , while that Book was Writing and Printing ; is very true : And that I was free to give him my Opinion and Advise when he desired it : and he as free to take it or leave it , as he saw cause . ( Nor was it a fault in either of us , so to do . ) But I did not use to Pen whole Paragraphs for him ; or thrust him upon saying what he had not a mind to say himself . What is in those three Paragraphs ; I cannot tell , ( nor is the Book at hand to look , ) and therefore cannot say , whether I am or am not concerned therein . But , if any thing be there ( or any where else in that whole Book ) which concerns the business in hand : sure I am that I penned it not . Nor did I so much as know that he had therein said any one word of that whole Affair ; till he told me ( after the Book was published ) that , Dr. Holder was offended at it . ( Nor do I yet know , what it is he hath said of it . But have reason to think , there is nothing therein said , but what was fit enough for him to say . ) So that , if Dr. Holder could find in his heart to pass by all the rest ( as he intimates , p. 4 , 9. ) as to this last , I may plead Innocence . And so I may , as to that his great Aggravation , p. 9. That I knew this affair then to lie before the Royal Society . For this I knew not : ( nor , perhaps , was he desirous I should . ) I know indeed , That ( he and I with Mr. Oldenburg coming together one night from Arundel-house , ) he made great complaint of us both , ( but without any just cause in either ; ) Threatning , that in case Mr. Oldenburg did not Retract that in the Transactions ; he would himself publish somewhat against us . And , to the same purpose , when at another time he and I with Sir Christopher Wren came together from Sir William Petty's house . And said , That he did forbear coming to the Royal Society , till he should in this be vindicated . ( So great a crime it was , to have it said , That Mr. Whaly was not the onely Person on whom I had shewed the effect of my skill , but I had done the like for another ; meaning Mr. Popham . ) My Answer was , The thing said was Truth ; That neither of us in so saying had done him wrong , or given him any just cause of complaint ; That if himself had a mind to publish what concern'd himself without wronging others , 't was free for him so to do ; If he did it with any unhandsome Reflections on me , I should ( when I found it abroad ) either Answer it , or Neglect it , as I should see cause ; That , as to Mr. Oldenburg's publishing any thing to satisfie his clamour , I would advise nothing one way or other ( as being a person concerned ) but leave Mr. Oldenburg to his discretion . ( And I then told him , as now I do , that his story of my resorting to Blechington , &c. was a mistake . ) Nor do I remember that ( from that day to this ) any word hath since passed between Mr. Oldenburg and me touching that affair , or that I have ever concern'd my self about it . I now find , from what Dr. Holder tells us , p. 9 , 10. ( which before I did not know , ) That a Paper of his own penning , but in Mr. Oldenburg's name , Dr. Holder desired to have Licensed by the Counsel of the Royal Society ; but , that they refused to do it . ( And , I think , with good reason ; if it were what he now tells us . By whose License it is since come out , I do not know . ) This he means when he says , That affair did then lie before the Royal Society , p. 9 , 10. Of this therefore , though there were enough to be said in Justification , if it had been True : Yet ( because I must answer punctually to his Chancery-Bill ) I must plead Not-guilty . I know not that any such thing did lie before the Royal Society ; ( And can but Thank them , for doing me that Justice , without giving me the trouble to make a Defence . ) Nor did I Pen , or Croud-in , what of this matter is said by Dr. Plott . And Dr. Plott ( who yet survives , and to whom Dr. Holder applies himself , p. 11. ) will , I doubt not , be my Compurgator in this point . But Mr. Popham also is yet surviving ; ( and of Age , able to answer for himself : ( And knows as well as any , Who it was that Taught him . If he be ask'd , Whether Dr. Holder taught him to speak ? He will answer , No. If , Whether Dr. Wallis ? He will answer , I. For I have been present , when he hath been asked Both Qustions , and given Those Answers : ( without being prompted so to do . ) The Bottom of the Business seems to be this . Dr. Holder having Attempted , what he soon Gave-over , concerning Mr. Popham ( in 1660 ; ) was a little concern'd that I should ( the next year ) undertake Mr. Whaly with better success . ( Had I then proceeded with Mr. Popham , it would have been but to Go-on where he Left ; and he might have been pretended to have done the Hardest part of the work : But , on Mr. Whaly , it could not be denied but to be all my own . ) And he could not then , ( though he saw this , and was troubled at it , p. 6. ) shew the like effect of his skill on Mr. Popham ▪ ( Because he had either Not-Learned , or had Forgot it . ) And he was yet more concerned ; when , upon this Success on Mr. Whaly , Mr. Popham also ( whom he had quitted ) was brought to me . And , seeing me to have a like Success on Mr. Popham , as before on Mr. Whaly ; He would now ( play an After-game , and ) have it thought , That it was He , not I , that taught Mr. Popham to speak : and that , what he now hath , was learned from Dr. Holder ; without allowing , that Dr. Wallis had any share in it . And cannot be content to say , He had taught Mr. Popham somewhat , and leave it to some of his Friends who knew it ( for I do not ) to say How much : But makes it a crime to say , That I have since shewed any effect of my skill on Mr. Popham . ( For this is all he hath to cavil at . And yet he allows it to be true , p. 10. ) And then imagins Plots , and Practises , Designs , and Subtil Contrivances , And a great many more Fansies of his own Brain ; which never came into my Thoughts . ( With which I am charged above twenty times at least , p. 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14. ) He first imagins , that I had a long aking Tooth , to joyn to my other Trophies , what was performed by Dr. Holder . ( He should rather have said , To have the credit of Performing , what Dr. Holder did Attempt , but gave-over without performing , and so it came to nothing . ) Then ; That , in order to this , I had recourse to a long train of subtil Contrivances . First , to meet with Mr. VVhaly , who being Deaf ( from a Child ) was consequently Dumb. ( 'T is well I am not charged , to have contrived , twenty years before , that he should be Deaf , and consequently Dumb : but , that this should be unknown to me for twenty years ; that I might then meet with him in an happy hour ; and teach him to speak , two years after Dr. Holder had quitted his attempt on Mr. Popham . Next ; That I should Contrive , to have this known at Court , at Gresham-Colledge : ( as he had before contrived to have his Attempt on Mr. Popham to be publickly taken notice of , and known generally in Oxford , at London , Westminster , the Anatomy-Lecture , to Persons of all Degrees , &c. p. 5. ) Then ; That I Contrived to have this Entred into the Iournal of the Royal Society , and there Registred : ( as though they had not used to Register what there passed , without my Contrivance : ) and there reaped great Praise for this Atchievment . That then I contrived , ( for this is the main part of the Plot , ) That the Fame of this should bring Mr. Popham to me ; who was now gone home to his Friends , and had forgot what he had been taught , p. 2 , 3 , 5. ) He should rather have said , for that would have been the more subtil contrivance , That I had Contrived , that Dr. Holder should in vain Attempt , and then Quit this attempt , on Mr. Popham ; and Mr. Popham should either Not-Learn , or loose what he had been taught by Dr. Holder ; as Mr. VVhaly had lost what he had been taught by his Nurse , p. 11. that , when what Dr. Holder pretends to have done , was come to nothing , I might equally begin upon a new score with Both. ) He should here have added another Contrivance , ( as subtil as some of the rest , ) That I Contriv'd , not to begin first with Mr. Popham , ( lest I might be thought onely to go on , where Dr. Holder left ; ) But , first to begin with Mr. VVhaly ( to whom Dr. Holder could not pretend , ) Contriving always to have it believed , that I could teach a Dumb Person , without the help of Dr. Holder . He fansies next , That I contrived and practised with so much industry and effect , to have Dr. Holder's attempt , ( which was , before , so publickly taken notice of , and generally known , as he tells us , p. 5. ) to be so quite Forgotten , that Few ( or none ) do now so much as Know or Think , that Dr. Holder had done those fine Feats he now talks of . Then ; That I contrived , a subtil Letter to Mr. Boyl , of March 14. 1661 , ( before I had ever seen or known Mr. Popham ; and before Dr. Holder's Elements of Speech were written ; lest it might be thought to be written on that occasion ; ) giving Mr. Boyl an account , of what I had undertaken , and upon what Considerations , concerning Mr. VVhaly . But , that I contrived further , though this Letter were then communicated to those of the Royal Society ; yet , not to have it published in the Transactions , till a great while after . ( He should rather have said , That I contrived , that Mr. Oldenburg should not begin to write Transactions before the year 1665 ; that my Letter of 1661 might not presently be there inserted . For this Contrivance is as true as the rest . ) Then ; That I compassed to have my small Treatise of Speech , in a subtil Postscript , to be commended and magnified by Mr. Oldenburg first , and then by Dr. Plot. ( He should rather have said , That I contrived to publish an English Grammar , to which I subtilly prefixed my Treatise of Speech , in 1653 , thereby to Undermine by Anticipation , p. 10. Dr. Holder's Elements , which were afterwards to be published in 1669 : and then contrived to have it printed again and again , at Oxford , and Hamburg , a second , third , and fourth time , that it might not be forgotten : and compassed to have it commended , by Bishop VVilkins in his Universal Character 1668 , when Dr. Holder's Elements were not yet extant : and , after that , by Mr. Oldenburg , &c. ) Then ; That I was startled at his Elements of Speech with its Appendix , published in 1669. A Book which I never yet saw ; nor did I know ( otherwise than as he now tells me ) that I was at all concerned therein . But do now guess , there is something in it , which he thinks I ought to take amiss . Otherwise , he would not have been thus jealous for nothing . I would advise him , on the next occasion , ( since he finds some of his Conjectures to be Mis-adventures , ) unto these Contrivances , to add two or three more . That I subtilly contrived , Not to be made acquainted beforehand , with Dr. Holder's undertaking . And then , Not to resort to Blechington ( as is pretended ; ) lest I should there have seen and heard Mr. Popham . And , Not to be much at Oxford all that year ; lest it might be thought I had so Resorted . And , Not to be in company with Dr. Holder , all the while Mr. Popham was with him ; lest I might be thought to have had Discourses with him on that occasion . And , that Dr. VVilkins should , before that time , have left Oxford ; lest we might happen to meet at his Lodgings . And , Not to have seen his Elements of Speech to this day ; that I might not be startled at them . And , Never to enquire , VVhat Applications Dr. Holder made to the Royal Society ; that I might not know of any such matter lying before them . And , That I never concerned my self to oppose him in it ; that I might be charged to have contrived , that they should refuse to License his Paper . And , That I subtilly contrived , That Dr. Plot should say what he did say concerning this business , without consulting me at all therein , or letting me know that he said any thing of it ; lest I might be thought ( as is pretended ) to have penned it my self , and crouded it into his Book . For all this is as proper matter for a Chancery-Bill , as what he suggests . And the matter of it is true ; without this , that the said Doctor did contrive , &c. Now , if I had a mind to Recriminate , or put in a Cross Bill ; It were easy thus to do it in his own Form and Language . In the years 1651 , 1652 , ( as p. 1 , 4 , ) and some years before and after ; Divers ingenious persons in Oxford , used to meet at the lodgings of Dr. Petty , ( now Sr. William Petty ; ) Where they diligently conferred about Researches and Experiments in Nature . Which Meetings were some Ground and Foundation of the Royal Society . ( Not indeed the First Ground and Foundation ; But earlier than those latter Meetings at Wadham Colledge . ) In that time , viz. In the year 1652. John Wallis , then Professer of Geometry in Oxford , near Blechington ; Having . ( as p. 4 , 7. ) Communicated to the then Provost of Queens Colledge , some Papers , wherein he did describe and discover , How all sounds used in speech are formed , and may be produced , ( whether , the Person so forming them , do hear himself speak or not ; ) Was desired and Incouraged ( I should have said Importuned , as p. 7. ) By that excellent person , and zealous Promoter of Learning Dr. Gerard Langbain , late Provost of Queens Colledg in Oxford ; the Learned and Industrious Mr. Patrick Young , then in Oxford ; approved also by the Incomparable Dr. James Usher , then Arch-Bishop of Armagh , and Lord Primate of Ireland ; with whom he had the honour , soon after , to be conversant in the lodgings of the said Provost in Queens Colledg ; and by divers other Persons , members of that Worthy company before mentioned , to Print those Papers . ( Not perhaps by any set Meeting of that Company : Nor was Dr. Holder , by any such Meeting of the Royal Society , Importuned to Review his Papers , p. 7. nor by any such Meeting at Wadham-Colledg , had the business of Mr. Popham , commended to him , p. 4. ) He thereupon ( as p. 7. ) in the year 1653 ; Desirous ( as p. 5. ) to serve the ends , and contribute something to the design , of that worthy company , ( viz. The Improvement of Natural Knowledg , and Publick Benefit ; ) Published his English Grammar , with his Treatise of speech prefixed . This ( as p. 5. ) was publickly taken Notice of , and Known ( not only to those eminent Persons above mentioned , but ) Generally in Oxford . Where very many Students , on purpose to satisfy their Curiosity , and have a Particular Knowledg of what they had received by Report ; Bought the Book , and Read it . Dr. William Holder ( as p. 2 , 5. ) then lived at Blechington ; saw and perfectly Knew this ; was Conversant with Dr. Wallis ; was one of those who Bought ( or borrowed ) that Book ▪ did see and Read it ; and had discourse with Dr. Wallis on that occasion divers times when they happened to meet at Oxford . Now Dr. Holder having a long aking tooth ( as p. 2. ) to do something to be talked of , and get himself a Trophy ; had recourse to subtle Contrivances . Having learned therefore from Pablo Bonnet ( as p. 6. ) that the Constable of Castile's Son , when Deaf , had been taught to speak : And having learned , from Dr. Wallis's Treatise of speech , How every sound in speech is formed : He thought it might prove ( and there was reason so to think , if well managed , ) a successeful way of teaching Deaf and Dumb persons to speak , by teaching them so to Form sounds as Dr. Wallis had directed . Not doubting ( as p. 5. ) but that a Dumb person , Dumb only in Consequence of being Deaf , might be capable of being instructed so to apply ( as is there taught ) the motions of his Tongue and other Instruments of speech ; And knowing it ( as another might have done ) to be both Possible and Fesible , from an Example in that kind seen and heard by his late Majesty in Spain . And he meets in a happy hour , with a young Gentleman ( as p. 2 , 4 ) Mr. Alexander Popham ; deprived of Hearing , and consequently of Speaking . Resolving therefore to assume to himself this experiment ; On him he would make the first Attempt ( whatever be the Success , ) that is remembred to have been made in England , ( whatever had been done elsewhere . ) And ( as p. 3. Having got a hint ( for which he alwaies lay in wait ) of a new Invention so considerable , ( from a small Treatise of Dr. Wallis on that subject ; ) would ( by putting himself into the Practise , of what Dr. Wallis had taught , ) Intitle himself to the experiment . All possible Noise is presently made of it ; It is showed ( as p. ● , 5. ) at London at Westminster ; to Persons of all Degrees ; published at the Anatomy Lecture ; an express Relation made of it , nameing also the Persons concerned in this experiment , so far as served his turn , ( but not a word of Dr. Wallis in the cause : ) And ( if we may believe him ( p. 1. 5. ) a multitude of Students Resort from Oxford to Bletchington to See and Hear it . ( Magnis tamen excidit ausis . ) I confess , I was out of the Noise ; and heard very little of it , ( save what I have from his Paper ; in which I find very great Mis-takes : ) And was far from Oxford , the greatest part of that time . But the Cry did not last long . This ( he tells us p. 1. 5. ) was in March 1659 / 60 ; and ( within a few Months after ) the Summer following , he quitted that undertaking : Mr. Popham went home to his friends ; the labour lost ; and the Cry ceased . So that there are at this day very few in Oxford ( if any ) who Know or think , that Dr. Holder taught Mr. Popham to speak . p. 3. The year following ( notwithstanding this mis-adventure of Dr. Holder ; ) Dr. Wallis ( thereunto induced by the Considerations mentioned in his Letter of March 14 , 1661 / 2 ; and in confidence of his Treatise De Loquela therein mentioned ; as p. 2 , 8 , 12 , 13 , ) undertook another Person concerning whom Dr. Holder cannot pretend to any thing ) Mr. Daniel Whaly ; who having lost his Hearing while a child , was consequently Dumb , p. 2 , ( and had so continued for Twenty years more . ) Him he taught ( without any help or direction from Dr. Holder ) not only to pronounce some words ( which Dr. Holder had Attempted on Mr. Popham ; ) but , in good measure , to understand a Language also ; ( which Dr. Holder doth not pretend to ; and , without which , to speak , is but like a Parrot . ) of which , in a Letter of Decem. 24. 1661 , he gave a short Account to Mr. Boyle , and ( in answer to two of his , of January 4 , and Feb. 26. desiring it ) a Fuller Account in that of March 14. 1661 ; Which Mr. Boyle imparted to divers of the Society ; ( I do not say , to the Royal Society ; because I doubt whether the Patent which makes them such , were then actually sealed ; though , I think , it bears Date a little before that time . ) And ( upon a further solicitation from him and them , by letters of Apr. 5 , and May 8 , to satisfy their Curiosity , and have a particular Knowledg of what they had received by Report , as Dr. Holder Speaks p. 5. ) In May 1662 , Mr. Whaly came up to London with Dr. Wallis ; was Seen , and Heard at Court , and by the Royal Society at Grasham College , 't was entred into the Iournal of the Royal Society , and there registred ; Dr. Wallis reaped great praise for this Atchievement , as Dr. Holder speakes , p. 1 , 2 , 5 , 6. Yet did not the Doctor Impose upon the Society ; or Confidently shew and Boast it , ( as p. 12. ) as the First assay that had ever been in this kind . For they Knew well , ( and did at that time discourse , ) what had been said of the Constable of Castiles Son , and his being heard by the late King ; And had then a particular Relation from one of themselves , who had seen the Person . And some of Dr. Holder's particular Friends were then present , who might ( if they had thought it considerable ) have acquainted the rest , what they knew of Dr. Holder's Attempt on Mr. Popham . And Dr. Holder himself , who ( it seems ) was a witness of all this , and saw it , ( as he tells us p. 6 ) had the opportunity , if there were occasion , to assert his own right ; And might have had it registred with the rest ; if the company had thought it had deserved it . Dr. Holder , who saw this , p. 6 , was concerned at it . As to Mr. Whaly , he could pretend nothing . Mr. Popham had lost what he is said to have learned . The Stories of Dr. Wallis's Resorting to Bletchington , and discourses with Dr. Holder on that occasion , were mistakes ; and that whole scene ill laid . And should he have then pretended to have done the like for Mr. Popham ; ( hic Rhodus , hic saltus : ) the company would have been glad to have seen that too ( which was not to be done . ) But he was more concerned , when ( as he tells as p. 2. ) the Fame of Mr. Whaly had brought ( to Dr. Wallis ) Mr. Popham also ; and that on him ( whom Dr. Holder had given over , ) he had ( as p. 10 ) performed somewhat very considerable ; that is ( as p. 13. ) had done the like for him , as before for Mr. Whaly . He had , however , a Design , ( by playing an after-game ) to make the world believe in time ; what he could not do , while things were fresh in memory and knowledg , in and about Oxford . And therefore ( that we may still follow his own language ( he had recourse to subtle contrivances , and subtle practises ( as p. 1 , 2. ) Practising , from thence-forth to assume Mr. Popham's speaking wholly to himself ( p. 3. ) and not allow Dr. Wallis so much as to have shewed any effect of his skill on Mr. Popham , p. 13. To this end , ( that Dr. Holder might not be thought to have learned any of his skill from Dr. Wallis's Treatise concerning the Formation of sounds in ) speech ; he contrives to write some Papers of his own ( as he tells us ) about that subject , p. 7. These Papers , he compasseth to have mentioned ( p. 8 , 9 , in the Bishop of Chester's Book , of the Universal Character , pag. 357. In the year 1668. But he tells us further , that in the year 1666 , they were lost in the Bishops study , together with all his own , in the dreadful Fire of London , ( that we may at least think them to be so old . ) These Papers , ( the Bishop tells us , ) did concern the Doctrine of Letters : Dr. Holder tells us , they were to describe and discover the Method he had used in bringing Mr. Popham to speak , p. 7. ( This , it seems , was what He aimed at : All the rest served but to hedg this in . ) So considerable he would have us think these Papers were , that he was Importuned to renew them ( like another Phaenix out of its own Ashes : ) And a little Importunity ( we may think , ) served the turn . He then contrives further , to have the new Phaenix , His Elements of speech ( which we must now suppose to be those Papers ) presented to the Royal Society , 1669 ; and to get their order to print it ; and ( as he speakes p. 6. ) had it Registred , to perpetuat the Memory of his Atchievement . But Dr. Holder had a farther Design in it . For these elements were to Usher-in a subtle Appendix , concerning Persons Deaf and Dumb : and , in a few subtle lines , ( which was his chief Design , ) to hedge-in what concerned Mr. Popham ; describing but ( wisely ) not nameing him : Assuming Mr. Popham's speaking solely to himself . To which the other were only subservient ; to make a noise , while this slipt-in . Having therein made mention of his success upon a Deaf and Dumb Person , in tending Mr. Popham : As he tells us p. 7. These Elements ( as p. 8 , 9 , 10 , ) he Contrives and Compasses to have Commended and Magnified , ( as in Mr. Oldenburg's name , but , I suppose , of his own Penning , in the Philosophical Transactions , of May 1669 as a Well-considered and Useful Tract : Concluding , with Magnifying its Usefulness , for instructing Persons Deaf and Dumb ; as being by this Author , Excellently applied thereunto : ( Modestly said of himself ! ) Avouching therein His own Practise . Without taking the least notice of any thing Written by Dr. Wallis , and others ( about the Formation of Sounds ; ) or the Practise ( of Teaching Dumb Persons ) by any other . And here ( as p. 9. ) he is secure to gain this Point ; That in a Book which swill come into the hands of all curious Persons , Dr. Holder's fame is spread orth to all ; and Few ( he hopes ) will ever happen to know , that Dr. Wallis ( in his Treatise of speech 1653 ) had shewed him the way ; ( that being a Small Treatise ; and written in Latine ; and a great while since ; and but annexed to another Book , intended principally for Forraigners desiring to learn English : ) or , that Dr. Wallis had done any thing of that nature , either to Mr. Popham , or to Mr. Whaly ; ( there being nothing at that time said thereof any-where in Print ; so little was the Industry , or rather so great was the Negligence , of Wallis , in spreading his own Fame , p. 3. ) And all this he doth , under Countenance of an Order of the Royal Society by him procured for the Printing of it , p. 7. as if they had been privy to this Design . ) Which would have been yet more advanced , if he could have gotten their License for this his New Paper penned by himself , in Mr. Oldenburg's name ) put by him into Mr. Oldenburg's hand to be published in the Transactions , ( as himself tells us p. 9. making the Transactions , his market ( as p. 3. ) and a Fair for this Merchant of Glory ; if he could have found way and leave to croud himself in . For who should now believe ( when every body else is silent ) that ever any one thought of a Treatise of Speech , or the Formation of Sounds , before Dr. Holder made this Essay , in his Elements of Speech ? ( For , that they must be thought elder than that of Dr. Wilkins , he had subtly contrived already , by getting him to mention some Papers of Dr. Holder , which might now be thought to be these Elements : and the small Treatise of Dr. Wallis , 't is hoped will be forgotten , or known to few . ) And who can believe , that any one but Dr. Holder , did Teach , or attempt to Teach , a Deaf man to speak ; or ever thought of such a Thing , ( so long as Dr. Wallis is silent ; ) there being no body then , in Print , pretending to it ? And thus he hopes to bear it out ( as p. 9 , 11. ) with subtilty of contrivance ; speaking like Truth so artificially , that the Reader is to believe more than is True : and it serves him to impose on those ( Mr. Oldenburg , and the Royal Society ) whose name and credit he borrows to commend him , who innocently suffer a demur Truth of his own penning , unwittingly to pass into the Transactions , suffering themselves ( as p. 3. ) to be imposed upon , to publish the Fame and Praise of Dr. Holder , in large Characters engraven by himself . ( For that of p. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8. is certainly of his own Penning , though in Mr. Oldenburg's name : And if , as p. 9. we may , by that guess at the rest : and for some other reasons : it may be justly thought , That in the Transactions of May 1669. is so ; at least of his superviding ) Desiring and Designing ( as p. 11. ) the World would be so kind as to be cajoled into such a belief , when he prevailed with Mr. Oldenburg so say as from himself , what Dr. Holder imposed upon him . ( ●nd very much concerned he is , that this subtle contrivance takes no better . ) Dr. Wallis was so ignorant of this Contrivance , and so unsuspicious of a Design upon him , and so unconcerned for what is said in those Elements and Appendix ; that he never yet read the One or the Other . But so it happened the year following , that this Mine was sprung unawares , and , play'd otherwise than was intended . Mr. Oldenburg in the Transactions of July 1670 , published a Letter of Dr. Wallis to Mr. Boyle , of March 14. 1661. And , as he had , the year before given a large account of Dr. Holders Elements of Speech ( published in 1669. ) and how this was by him applyed to the Instruction of Dumb persons ; Without taking notice of what Dr. Wallis had Writ or Done : So now , ( without saying the same again of Dr. Holder ) he gives a Brief account of Dr. Wallis's Treatise of Speech ( published in 1653. ) and what , in pursuance of this , was done by him . Dr. Holder ( who thought he had put himself in sole possession of the Repute of this Experiment , ) was startled , as p. 7. ( or rather Nettled ) for he doth Winch and Fling like Hudibras's Horse in such a condition , without any apparent cause ▪ ) as appears by his printed Paper . He falls foul upon Dr. Wallis , Mr. Oldenburg , the Royal Society , Dr. Plot : and Dreams of Subtleties , Practices , Contrivances , Designs , &c. ; no body can see why ; ( who doth not see the Nettle , or know of the sore Place . ) That Dr. Wallis had , in the year 1653. published a Treatise , De Loquela ; and , that he had , in pursuance of what is there delivered , taught Mr. Whaly to speak , and , had since done the like for Mr. Popham , are things True , and Known , and Notorious ; nor doth he deny it . And why might not all this be said , without making such a Clutter ? Dr. Holder , it seems , ( for so his Paper tells us , p. 7. ) had , in his Elements of Speech , made mention of his success upon a Deaf and Dumb person , intending Mr. Popham , ( which yet Dr. Wallis knew not of , till he saw it in this Paper , as having never read that Book , nor doth yet know what is there said ; nor , how truly : ) and Mr. Oldenburg had given a large account of that Book and the Contents of it , in the Transactions of May , 1669. ( without saying any thing of Dr. Wallis : ) and no offence was taken . But when , in July 1670. he gave a short account of Dr. VVallis , and his Treatise ; without speaking ( there ) of Dr. Holder and his Elements , ( as having done it a year before : ) a great Out-cry is made , of VVrongs and Injuries , of Plots , Designs , Contrivances , and subtle Practises , and a great deal more of such Rif-Raf : As if every Body were bound every-where , and at all times , to magnifie his Elements of Speech , &c. But it seems , ( as p. 10 , 11. ) he could not help what was in his Nature , or else Habitual to him ; and could not conceal his Particular Emulation . He Desired , and had Designed it , that the world would be so kind as to be cajoled into such a Belief , that he was the First that had consider'd the Formation of Sounds ; and , the onely Person , who attempted to teach Dumb Persons to Speak . ( For , if he designed any thing less than this , there was nothing there said to contradict him . ) Yet he himself knew full well ( as p. 14 ) Dr. VVallis's Treatise of Speech ; and what he had done for Mr. VVhaly , and Mr. Popham : But , the Reader must not know of that . The disclosing of this marred his Market . He knew full well , That Dr. Wallis had taught Dumb Persons : ( and he says it expresly , p. 11. So he did , for Two were his Scholars , Mr. Popham , and Mr. Whaly . ) And , ( if we admit what he there says ; That they had , formerly Owed somewhat , the one to his Nurse , and the other to Dr. Holder : Yet , if they had equally Forgotten , ( which is the case ) the one and the other ( whatever it were ; ) and , what now they have , they have from Dr. VVallis , ( which , though True , Dr. Holder would not have Known ; ) and Mr. Pepham , one no more to Dr. Holder , than Mr. VVhaly to his Nurse : It might very well be said without offence , ( that Mr. Whaly is not the only Person on whom Dr. Wallis hath shewed the effect of his skill ; but he hath since done the like for another ; meaning Mr. Popham ) were there not some Nettle that stings , but is not seen ; or some sore Place wringed , which doth not Appear , but must not be Touched . 'T was nothing therefore , but being disappointed in this his great Design , which made him thus outragious . And ( persons faulty being mostly jealous ) he being conscious to himself of such petty contrivances ; made him fancy , that others were imployed in like Plots . And Knowing , it seems , ( though I knew it not , ) that he had done what I had no reason to take kindly ; he fancied me to be studying Revenge , of what I never knew . Now all this ( as p. 1. ) if being but nakedly exposed to light , in such a Narrative , do seem severe , it must be imputed to the Matter it self . And , if the Language seem hard , he must not quarrel at it , ( like the Black-smith who threw away the Looking-Glass , because it shewed him an Ugly face ; ) since it is his own . But I shall forbear thus to charge him , ( though there be much more of truth therein , than in what he fancies of me ; and the Language is his own . ) Yet 't is not amiss , to let him judge , by hearing it ; how well it doth become him to use such language . As to what he Complains of ; the sum of what I say , is this . That it was as lawful for me , to Write and Publish , a Treatise concerning the Formation of Sounds , in 1653 ; as for him to do the like , in 1669. That it was as lawful for me , to Teach Mr. Whaly , to speak a Language , and understand it , as for him to Attempt , some what of this , ( on Mr. Popham , ) without Success . That it was as lawfull for me to say , that what I did was in pursuance of what I had , Before made publick ( in 1653 ; ) as for him to say , What he did , was in pursuance of what he hath , was Since made publick , ( in 1669. ) That it was lawfull also , ( when he had , two years before , given-over Mr. Popham , and all that he did Attempt or Perform on him was come to nothing ; ) for me to do the like for Mr. Popham , as I had before done for Mr. Whaly . That it was as lawful for Mr. Oldenburg , to say , What he Knew of me and my Book , in the Transactions of July 1670 , ( without repeating , there , what he had before said of Dr. Holder ; ) as in that of May 1669 , to say , what he Thought of Dr. Holder , and his Book , ( without saying any thing of me . ) That it was lawful for Dr. Plot , to say , that he so found it said , in the place by him cited . ( Especially when himself knew the Substance of it to be true ; and had not cause to dis-believe the Circumstances . ) That when I could not say my Own Thoughts ; without derogating somewhat from what others had said of the Constable of Castiles Son ; and what Dr. Holder says of himself : it was neither Uncivil , nor Dis-ingenuous in me , to be Silent in it ; and let it rest upon the credit of those who do , or can say it . And , consequently , that Dr. Holder hath no cause to Complain of all , or any of this ; much less to Write , Print , or Suggest a Paper , full of so many Great Mis-takes in matter of Fact ; and so many groundless Surmises of Designs . And lastly , that the Counsel of the Royal Society acted with very good reason ; when they Refused to License that Paper . I have now done with this unpleasing Task ( For I take no pleasure in quarrels , or blemishing another mans Reputation . ) I had thoughts at first , to have neglected his Paper without making any Reply , ( because any indifferent Reader would easily discern , that there is , in it , much more of Passion , than of Reason . ) But I find others of opinion , that it was fit somewhat should be said to it ; because so many are concerned in it as well as my self . I find , he doth mis-remember many matters of fact ; and mis-times divers others ; and fancies things of meer accident , to be matters of Design ( a thing very incident to persons that are a little uneasie . ) He had attempted ( I know ) the Teaching Mr. Popham to speak . But ( for what reasons he knows best ) quickly gave it over ; and Mr. Popham forgot all . What success he had in the mean time , I cannot tell . I saw nothing of it . ( And therefore he made an ill choice , in calling me to be his Voucher . ) If any who knew more of it than I did , have said any thing of him advantagiously ; I have never concerned my self to contradict it . That I did teach Mr. VVhaly , with better success , and without his Assistance ; he knows very well . And , that I taught Mr. Popham too ; he knows also : And that I did not seek the Imployment , or take Mr. Popham out of his hands ; but , two years after he had given over the attempt when Mr. Popham ( whatever it was he had learned ) had forgot all . This though perhaps it might cause somewhat of regret ; that another should succeed in what he had given over ; ) yet is no just cause of complaint . Nor do I find any thing in the Transactions of Iuly 1670 , which can administer just occasion to find fault with it ; but if he will needs be angry , because I cannot Affirm , what I do not Know : Or , will needs go about to perswade me , and tell all the World , that I did See and Hear those things which I did neither see nor Hear : I cannot help it . If , in giving your Lordship this trouble ; I have already been too tedious : I shall now add no more to it , but subscribe my self , My Lord , Your Lordships very humble Servant , John Wallis . FINIS .