Books and Treatises written, or supposed to be written, by Mr. Locke. Epistola de Tolerantia. The History of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Select Books of the Old Testament and Apocrypha paraphrased. Introductory Discourse to Churchill's Collection of Voyages. Exceptions of Mr. Edwards to the Reasonableness of Christianity, &c. examined. Pieces groundlessly ascribed, or of doubtful authority. Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Virtuous and Christian Life. Discourse on the Love of God. Right Method of searching after Truth. Spurious ones: Common-Place-Book to the Bible. P. S. Having heard that some of Mr. Locke's MSS. were in the possession of those gentlemen to whom the library at Oates belonged, on application made to Mr. Palmer, he was so obliging as to offer that a search should be made after them, and orders given for communicating all that could be found there; but as this notice comes unhappily too late to be made use of on the present occasion, I can only take the liberty of intimating it along with some other sources of intelligence, which I have endeavoured to lay open, and which may probably afford matter for a supplemental volume, as abovementioned. THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. JOHN LOCKE, one of the greatest philosophers and most valuable writers who have adorned this country, was born at Wrington in Somersetshire, on the twenty-ninth of August, 1632. His father, who had been bred to the law, acted in the capacity of steward, or court-keeper, to colonel Alexander Popham; and, upon the breaking out of the civil war, became a captain in the service of the parliament. He was a gentleman of strict probity and economy, and possessed of a handsome fortune; but, as it came much impaired into the hands of his son, it was probably injured through the misfortunes of the times. However, he took great pains in his son's education; and though while he was a child, he behaved towards him with great distance and severity, yet as he grew up, he treated him with more familiarity, till at length they lived together rather as friends, than as two persons, one of whom might justly claim respect from the other. When he was of a proper age, young Locke was sent to Westminster school, where he continued till the year 1651; when he was entered a student of Christ-Church-college, in the university of Oxford. Here he so greatly distinguished himself by his application and proficiency, that he was considered to be the most ingenious young man in the college. But, though he gained such reputation in the university, he was afterwards often heard to complain of the little satisfaction which he had found in the method of study which had been prescribed to him, and of the little service which it had afforded him, in enlightening and enlarging his mind, or in making him more exact in his reasonings. For the only philosophy then taught at Oxford was the Peripatetic, perplexed with obscure terms, and encumbered with useless questions. The first books which gave him a relish for the study of philosophy, were the writings of Des Cartes; for though he did not approve of all his notions, yet he found that he wrote with great perspicuity. Having taken his degree of B. A. in 1655, and that of M.A. in 1658, Mr. Locke for some time closely applied himself to the study of physic, going through the usual courses preparatory to the practice; and it is said that he got some business in that profession at Oxford. So great was the delicacy of his constitution, however, that he was not capable of a laborious application to the medical art; and it is not improbable that his principal motive in studying it was, that he might be qualified when necessary to act as his own physician. In the year 1664, he accepted of an offer to go abroad, in the capacity of secretary to sir William Swan, who was appointed envoy from king Charles II. to the elector of Brandenburgh, and some other German princes; but returning to England again within less than a year, he resumed his studies at Oxford with renewed vigour, and applied himself particularly to natural philosophy. While he was at Oxford in 1666, an accident introduced him to the acquaintance of lord Ashley, afterwards earl of Shaftesbury. That nobleman, having been advised to drink the mineral waters at Astrop, for an abscess in his breast, wrote to Dr. Thomas, a physician in Oxford, to procure a quantity of them to be in readiness against his arrival. Dr. Thomas, being obliged to be absent from home at that time, prevailed with his friend Mr. Locke to execute this commission. But it happening that the waters were not ready on the day after lord Ashley's arrival, through the fault of the person who had been sent for them, Mr. Locke found himself obliged to wait on his lordship, to make excuses for the disappointment. Lord Ashley received him with his usual politeness, and was satisfied with his apology. Upon his rising to go away, his lordship, who had received great pleasure from his conversation, detained him to supper, and engaged him to dinner on the following day, and even to drink the waters, that he might have the more of his company. When his lordship left Oxford to go to Sunning-hill, he made Mr. Locke promise to visit him there; as he did in the summer of the year 1667. Afterwards lord Ashley invited Mr. Locke to his house, and prevailed on him to take up his residence with him. Having now secured him as an inmate, lord Ashley was governed entirely by his advice, in submitting to have the abscess in his breast opened; by which operation his life was saved, though the wound was never closed. The success which attended this operation gave his lordship a high opinion of Mr. Locke's medical skill, and contributed to increase his attachment to him, notwithstanding that he regarded this as the least of his qualifications. Sensible that his great abilities were calculated to render him eminently serviceable to the world in other departments of knowledge, he would not suffer him to practise medicine out of his house, excepting among some of his particular friends; and he urged him to apply his studies to state affairs, and political subjects, both ecclesiastical and civil. Mr. Locke's inclination was not backward in prompting him to comply with his lordship's wishes; and he succeeded so well in these studies, that lord Ashley began to consult him upon all occasions. By his acquaintance with this nobleman, Mr. Locke was introduced to the conversation of the duke of Buckingham, the earl of Halifax, and other of the most eminent persons of that age, who were all charmed with his conversation. The freedom which he would take with men of that rank had something in it very suitable to his character. One day, three or four of these lords having met at lord Ashley's, when Mr. Locke was present, after some compliments, cards were brought in, before scarcely any conversation had passed between them. Mr. Locke looked on for some time while they were at play, and then, taking his pocket-book, began to write with great attention. At length, one of them had the curiosity to ask him what he was writing. "My lord," said he, " I am endeavouring to profit, as far as I am able, in your company; for having waited with impatience for the honour of being in an assembly of the greatest geniuses of the age, and having at length obtained this good fortune, I thought that I could not do better than write down your conversation; and, indeed, I have set down the substance of what has been said for this hour or two." Mr. Locke had no occasion to read much of what he had written; those roble persons saw the ridicule, and diverted themselves with improving the jest. For, immediately quitting their play, they entered into rational conversation, and spent the remainder of the day in a manner more suitable to their character. In the year 1668, at the request of the earl and countess of Northumberland, Mr. Locke accompanied them in a tour to France, and staid in that country with the countess, while the earl went towards Italy, with an intention of visiting Rome. But this nobleman dying on his journey at Turin, the countess came back to England sooner than was at first designed, and Mr. Locke with her, who continued to reside, as before, at lord Ashley's. That nobleman, who was then chancellor of the exchequer, having, in conjunction with other lords, obtained a grant of Carolina, employed Mr. Locke to draw up the fundamental constitutions of that province. In executing this task, our author had formed articles relative to religion, and public worship, on those liberal and enlarged |