_Less learned and less tedious than the preceding. Continuation of the
academical sitting._
By the difficulties started against Orcotomus, before he could make
his experiments, it appeared, that his notions were judged to have
less of solidity than ingenuity. "If Toys have the faculty of speech
naturally," say they, "why have they not made use of it till now? If
it was an effect of the goodness of Brama, who has been pleased to
endow women with so strong a desire of talking, to double the organs
of speech in them; it is very strange, that they have so long been
ignorant of, or at least neglected this valuable gift of nature. Why
has not the same Toy spoke more than once? Why has none of them spoke
of aught but the same subject? By what mechanism does it fall out,
that one of the mouths is forcibly kept shut, while the other speaks?
Moreover," added they, "if we judge of the prattle of Toys by the
circumstances, in which most of them have spoken, and by the things
they have told; there is all the reason in the world to believe it
involuntary, and that those parts would continue mute, if it had been
in the power of their possessors to impose silence on them."
Orcotomus arose to answer these objections, and insisted that Toys
talk'd in all ages; but so low, that what they said was hardly heard,
even by those to whom they belonged. That it is not surprizing,
that they have raised their voice in our days, when the freedom of
conversation is carried so high, that one may without impudence and
indiscretion converse on those things, which are the most familiar to
them: that if they have spoke audibly but once, we are not to infer
that that will be the only time. That there is a vast difference
between being mute and keeping silence; that if they have talk'd but on
one and the same subject only, probably the reason is, that it is the
only one, of which they have ideas. That those who have not spoke as
yet, will speak. That if they remain silent, it is because they have
nothing to say, or that they are ill made, or want ideas and terms.
"In a word," continued he, "to pretend that it was an effect of the
goodness of Brama to grant to women the means of gratifying their
strong desire of talking, by multiplying in them the organs of speech;
is to grant, that if this benefaction drag'd any inconveniences after
it, it was an effect of his wisdom to prevent them: and this he has
done, by compelling one of the mouths to keep silence, while the
other speaks. It is already but too inconvenient for us, that women
change their mind from one instant to another: what then would it have
been, if Brama had left them the power of being of two contradictory
sentiments at the same time? Further, the gift of speech has been
given, purely in order to be understood; but the women, who find it a
difficult talk to understand one another with a single mouth each, how
could they possibly do it, if they spoke with two at a time?"
Thus Orcotomus answered several things, and thought he had given
satisfactory solutions to all difficulties: but he was mistaken. New
doubts were raised, and he was on the point of sinking under them; when
Cimonazes came to his assistance. Then the dispute became tumultuous.
They stray'd wide of the question, they bewilder'd themselves, they
return'd, they bewilder'd themselves a second time, they grew angry,
they brawled; from brawling they pass'd to injurious words, and the
academical sitting ended.