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THE SECOND BOOKE 161
El silentio ancor mole
Haver prieghi e parole.
Silence also hath a way,
Words and prayers to convay.
What doe we with our hands ? Doe we not sue and
entreat, promise and performe, call men unto us and
discharge them, bid them farewell and be gone, threaten,
pray, beseech, deny, refuse, demand, admire, number,
confesse, repent, feare, bee ashamed, doubt, instruct,
command, incite, encourage, sweare, witnesse, accuse,
condemne, absolve, injurie, despise, defie, despight,
flatter, applaud, blesse, humble, mocke, reconcile, recommend,
exalt, shew gladnesse, rejoyce, complaine,
waile, sorrow, discomfort, dispaire, cry out, forbid,
declare silence and astonishment: and what not ? with
so great variation and amplifying as if they would
contend with the tongue. And with our head doe we
not invite and call to us, discharge and send away,
avow, disavow, belie, welcome, honour, worship, disdaine,
demand, direct, rejoyce, affirme, deny, complaine,
cherish, blandish, chide, yeeld, submit, brag,
boast, threaten, exhort, warrant, assure, and enquire?
What doe we with our eye-lids ? and with our shoulders?
To conclude, there is no motion nor jesture
that doth not speake, and speakes in a language very
easie, and without any teaching to be understood :
nay, which is more, it is a language common and
publike to all: whereby it followeth (seeing the varietie
and severall use it hath from others) that this must
rather be deemed the proper and peculiar speech of
humane nature. I omit that which necessitie in time
of need doth particularly instruct and suddenly teach
such as need it; and the alphabets upon fingers, and
grammars by jestures; and the sciences which are
onely exercised and expressed by them: and the
nations Plinie reporteth to have no other speech. An
Ambassador of the Citie of Abdera, after he had talked
a long time unto Agis, King of Sparta, said thus unto
him: ' O King, what answer wilt thou that I beare
backe unto our citizens? 1 'Thus (answered he) that
II. M