Or elles no man mighte hit here; Now herkne what I wol thee lere. 'Soun is noght but air y-broken, 765 And every speche that is spoken, Loud or privee, foul or fair, In his substaunce is but air; (260) For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke, Right so soun is air y-broke. 770 But this may be in many wyse, Of which I wil thee two devyse, As soun that comth of pype or harpe. For whan a pype is blowen sharpe, The air is twist with violence, 775 And rent; lo, this is my sentence; Eek, whan men harpe-stringes smyte, Whether hit be moche or lyte, (270) Lo, with the strook the air to-breketh; Right so hit breketh whan men speketh. 780 Thus wost thou wel what thing is speche. 'Now hennesforth I wol thee teche, How every speche, or noise, or soun, Through his multiplicacioun, Thogh hit were pyped of a mouse, 785 Moot nede come to Fames House. I preve hit thus--tak hede now-- By experience; for if that thou (280) Throwe on water now a stoon, Wel wost thou, hit wol make anoon 790 A litel roundel as a cercle, Paraventure brood as a covercle; And right anoon thou shalt see weel, That wheel wol cause another wheel, And that the thridde, and so forth, brother, 795 Every cercle causing other, Wyder than himselve was; And thus, fro roundel to compas, (290) Ech aboute other goinge, Caused of othres steringe, 800 And multiplying ever-mo, Til that hit be so fer y-go That hit at bothe brinkes be. Al-thogh thou mowe hit not y-see Above, hit goth yet alway under, 805 Although thou thenke hit a gret wonder. And who-so seith of trouthe I varie, Bid him proven the contrarie. (300) And right thus every word, y-wis, That loude or privee spoken is, 810 Moveth first an air aboute, And of this moving, out of doute, Another air anoon is meved, As I have of the water preved, That every cercle causeth other. 815 Right so of air, my leve brother; Everich air in other stereth More and more, and speche up bereth, (310) Or vois, or noise, or word, or soun, Ay through multiplicacioun, 820 Til hit be atte House of Fame;-- Tak hit in ernest or in game. 'Now have I told, if thou have minde, How speche or soun, of pure kinde, Enclyned is upward to meve; 825