Bacon, Francis - Sylva sylvarum : or, a natural history in ten centuries

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7137Century II.

It is certain, (howſoever it croſs the received opinion) that Sounds may
11133. be created without Air, though Air be the moſt favorable defferent of
Sounds. Take a Veſſel of Water, and knap a pair of Tongs ſome depth
within the Water, and you ſhall hear the Sound of the Tongs well, and not
much diminiſhed, and yet there is no Air at all preſent.

Take one Veſſel of Silver, and another of Wood, and fill each of them
22134. full of water, and then knap the Tongs together as before, about an handful
from the bottom, and you ſhall finde the Sound much more reſounding
from the Veſſel of Silver, than from that of Wood; and yet if there be no
Water in the Veſſel, ſo that you knap the Tongs in the Air, you ſhall finde
no difference between the Silver, and the Wooden Veſſel, whereby beſide
the main point of creating ſound without Air, you may collect two things;
the one, that the ſound communicateth with the bottom of the Veſſel; the
other, that ſuch a communication paſſeth far better thorow Water than
Air.

Strike any hard Bodies together in the midſt of aflame, and you ſhall
33135. hear the ſound with little difference, from the ſound in the Air.

The Pneumatical part, which is in all Tangible Bodies, and hath ſome
44136. affinity with the Air, performethin ſome degree, the parts of the Air; as
when you knock upon an empty Barrel, the ſound is (in part) created by the
Air on the outſide, and (in part) by the Air in the inſide; for the ſound will
be greater or leſſer, as the Barrel is more empty, or more full; but yet the
ſound participateth alſo with the Spirit in the Wood, thorow which it paſs-
eth from the outſide to the inſide; and ſo it cometh to paſs in the chiming
of Bells on the outſide, where alſo the ſound paſſeth to the inſice; and a
number of other like inſtances, whereof we ſhall ſpeak more when we
handle the Communication of Sounds.

It were extream groſneſs to think (as we have partly touched before)
55137. that the ſound in Strings is made, or produced between the Hand and the
String, or the Quill and the String, or the Bow and the String: For thoſe
are but Vehicula motus, paſſages to the Creation of the ſound, the ſound being
produced between the String and the Air; and that not by any impulſion of
the Air, from the firſt Motion of the String; but by the return or reſult of
the String, which was ſtrained by the touch to his former place; which
Motion of Reſult is quick and ſharp, whereas the firſt Motion is ſoft and
dull. So the Bow tortureth the String continually, and thereby holdeth it
in a continual Irepidation.

TAke a Trunk, and let one whiſtle at the one end, and hold your ear at
66138. the other and you ſhall finde the ſound ſtrike ſo ſharp, as you can ſcarce
77Experiments
in Conſort,
touching the
Magnitude
and Exility,
and Damps of
Sountls. endure it. The cauſe is, for that ſound diffuſeth it ſelf in round, and ſo
ſpendeth it ſelf: But if the ſound, which would ſcatter in open Air, be made
to go all in to a Canalo; it muſt needs give greater force to the ſound. And
ſo you may note, that incloſures do not onely preſerve ſound, but alſo en-
creaſe and ſharpen it.

7777[Handwritten note 77]

A Hunters Horn, being greater at one end, than at the other, doth en-
88139. creaſe the ſound more, than if the Horn were all of an equal bore. The
cauſe is, for that the Air and Sound, being firſt contracted at the leſſer end,
and afterwards having more room to ſpred at the greater end, do dilate
the mſelves, and in coming out, ſtrike more Air, whereby the ſound is
the greater, and baſer. And even Hunters Horns, which are

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