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the said Dr. Fell, annexed in Vol. 1x. p. 321, of this edition.

After the death of king Charles II. Mr. William Penn," who had known our author at the university, used his interest with king James to procure a pardon for him; and would have obtained it, if Mr. Locke had not answered, that he had no occasion for a pardon, since he · had not been guilty of any crime.

In the year 1685, when the duke of Monmouth and his party were making preparations in Holland for his unfortunate enterprize, the English envoy at the Hague had orders to demand Mr. Locke and eighty-three other persons to be delivered up by the states-general: upon which he lay concealed to the year following *.

* Mr. Le Clerc observes, that Mr. Locke had no correspondence with the duke of Monmouth, having no great opinion of his undertaking. Besides, his natural temper was timorous, not resolute, and he was far from being fond of commotions. He had been at the end of the year 1684 at Utrecht, and returned in the spring to Amsterdam, with a design to go again to Utrecht, as he actually did, to avoid being charged with having any share in the duke of Monmouth's enterprize. He had before some inclination to lodge with his friend Mr. Guenelon, but he excused himself, it not being the custom of that city, to admit strangers to lodge, though he received Mr Locke with great civility. But when Mr. Guenelon saw that his friend was in real danger, he served him with great generosity. He spoke to Mr. Veen, his father-in-law, and engaged him to receive Mr. Locke into his house. Upon this Mr. Locke came to Amsterdam, where he lay concealed at Mr. Veen's two or three months. In the mean time, Mr. Limborch took care to deliver him the letters which were written to him, and had the custody of Mr. Locke's will, who desired him to send it to some of his relations, whom he named, if he should die. One of the principal magistrates of the city was consulted, whether he might continue there in safety? That magistrate answered, They could not protect him, if the king of England should de'mand him; but he should not be betrayed, and his landlord should ' have timely notice when there should be occasion.' This gave him confidence ; and he continued with Mr. Veen for some time, without going abroad, except at night, for fear of being known. In the mean time, he was persuaded to go to Cleves, but returned in about two months, and lodged again at Mr. Veen's. At the end of the year he went to lodge with Mr. Guenelon, where he was likewise the year following. In 1686, he began to appear again in public, because it was sufficiently known, that he had no share in the duke of Monmouth's invasion. In autumn he went to Utrecht, and at the end of the year returned to Amsterdam, and lodged at Mr. Guenelon's as before.

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During this concealment, our author wrote his 'Letter of Toleration,' in Latin, in 1685; which was printed in duodecimo, at Gouda*, 1689, under the following title, Epistola de Tolerantia ; ad Clarissimum Virum, 'T. A. R. P. T. O. L. A. [Theologiæ apud Remonstrantes Professorem, Tyrannidis Osorem, Limburgium, Am'stelodamensem:] scripta a P. A. P. O. I. L. A.' [Pacis Amico, Persecutionis Osore, Joanne Lockio, Anglo.]†

At Amsterdam he formed a weekly assembly, consisting of Mr. Limborch, Mr. Le Clerc, and others, for conversation upon important subjects, and had drawn

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* In the fol, edit. of 1714, it is said to have been printed at Tergaw. This letter was translated into English by Mr. Popple, (who was nephew to Andrew Marvel, and author of the Rational Catechism') licensed 1689; and printed twice in London: the first time in 1689, in quarto, and again in 1690, in duodecimo.

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It was too much to be expected, that such a performance should pass without animadversion. Accordingly, there issued from Oxford, printed at the Theatre, 1690, in quarto, a small tract, intitled, The Argument ' of the Letter concerning Toleration, briefly considered and answered.'Imprimatur, Jonathan Edwards, Vice-Can. Oxon.'

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A. Wood, in his Athenæ Oxonienses,' tells us, that the author was Jonas Proast, M. A. of Queen's College, Oxford; and he is elsewhere mentioned as archdeacon.

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In the same year Mr. Locke published, in quarto, A second Letter concerning Toleration. To the author of The Argument of the Letter concerning Toleration briefly considered and answered.'

To this Mr. Proast replied, under a perplexing title, in, ‘A third Let'ter concerning Toleration; in Defence of the Argument of the Letter 'concerning Toleration, briefly considered and answered.' Printed at Oxford, 1691, in quarto.

In answer to it, in 1692, Mr. Locke published A third Letter for Toleration. To the Author of the third Letter concerning Tolera'tion.'-In quarto.

After twelve years silence, another tract appeared, written by Mr. Proast, intitled, A second Letter to the Author of three Letters for Toleration. From the Author of the Argument of the Letter concern❝ing Toleration briefly considered and answered. And of the Defence of it. With a postscript, taking some notice of two passages in The Rights of the Protestant Dissenters.' Printed at Oxford, 1704, in quarto. Imprimatur, Timo. Halton, Pro-Vice-Can. Oxon.'

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Mr. Locke began a reply, which was left unfinished, and published in his posthumous works.

Preface to the 4to edition of the Letters concerning Toleration.

up in Latin some rules to be observed by them: but these conferences were much interrupted by the frequent changes he was forced to make of the places of his residence.

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Our author's great work, the Essay concerning Hu'man Understanding,' he had been employed about for some years, and he finished it in Holland about the end of the year 1687. He made an abridgment of it himself, which his friend Mr. Le Clerc translated into French, and inserted in one of his Bibliotheques *.' This abridgment was so highly approved of by all persons of understanding, and sincere lovers of truth, that they expressed the strongest desire to see the whole work.

About the same time, as Le Clerc informs us, he made several extracts of books, as that of Boyle on Specific Medicines, which is inserted in the second volume of Bibliotheque Universelle; and some others in the following volume.

At length the happy révolution in 1688, effected by the courage and good conduct of the prince of Orange, opened a way for Mr. Locke's return into his own country; whither he came in the fleet which conveyed the princess of Orange. And upon the restoration of public liberty, he thought it proper to assert his own private rights. He endeavoured therefore to procure his restoration to his place of student of Christ-Church; not that he designed to return thither, but only that it might appear from thence, that he had been unjustly deprived of it. But when he found, that the college could not be prevailed on to dispossess the person who had been elected in his room, and that they would only admit him as a supernumerary student, he desisted from his claim.

He was now at full liberty to pursue his speculations, and accordingly, in the year 1689, he published his • Essay on Human Understanding.' This work, which has made our author's name immortal, and which does honour to our country, gave great offence to many

* Bibliotheque Universelle, for January, 1688.

people at the first publication. It was proposed at a meeting of the heads of houses of the university of Oxford, to censure and discourage the reading of it; and after various debates among themselves, it was concluded, that each head of an house should endeavour to prevent its being read in his college*. The reason of this is obvious; Mr. Locke had let in more light upon the minds of men than was consistent with the dark designs of some persons.

In the same year Mr. Locke also published his Two Treatises on Government;' in which he fully vindicated the principles upon which the revolution was founded, and entirely overturned all the doctrines of slavery.

His writings had now procured him such high esteem, and he had merited so much of the government, that it would have been easy for him to have obtained a very considerable post; but he contented himself with that of commissioner of appeals, worth about 2001. per ann. He was offered to go abroad in a public character, and it was left to his choice whether he would be envoy at the court of the emperor, the elector of Brandenbourg, or any other, where he thought the air most suitable to him; but he declined it on account of his ill health.

About this time the public coin was very bad, having been so much clipped, and no care used to remedy it, that it wanted above a third of its due value. The effect of this was, that the people thought themselves a great deal richer than indeed they were: for though the coin was not raised in its value by public authority, it was put off in trade for above a third part more than it weighed. Mr. Locke had observed this disorder ever since his return to England; and he frequently spoke of it, that some measures might be taken to prevent it.— He said, that the nation was in greater danger from a secret unobserved abuse, than from all those other ' evils of which persons were so generally apprehensive; ' and that if care was not taken to rectify the coin, that

*V. Letter to Collins, Vol. IX. p. 277.

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irregularity alone would prove fatal to us, though we 'should succeed in every thing else.' One day, when he seemed very much disturbed about this matter, some persons rallied him as if he tormented himself with a groundless fear he answered, that persons might laugh if they pleased, but they would find in a very short time, that if care was not taken, we should want money in England to buy bread.' And accordingly there were such disorders on this account, that the parliament took the matter into the most serious consideration. To assist the great men at the head of affairs, who are not always the best judges, to form a right understanding of this matter, and to excite them to rectify this shameful abuse, Mr. Locke published a little treatise, intitled, 'Some Considerations of the Consequence " of the lowering of the Interest, and raising the Value ' of Money;' in which there are many nice and curious observations on both those subjects, as well as on trade in general. This treatise was shortly followed by two more upon the same subject, in which he obviated all objections, and confuted all his opposers.

He fully showed to the world by these discourses, that he was able to reason on trade and business, as on the most abstract parts of science; and that he was none of those philosophers, who spend their lives in search of truths merely speculative, and who by their ignorance of those things which concern the public good, are incapable of serving their country. These writings recommended him to the notice of the greatest persons, with whom he used to converse very freely. He held weekly conferences with the earl of Pembroke, then lord keeper of the privy seal; and when the air of London began to affect his lungs, he went for some days to the earl of Peterborough's seat near Fulham, where he always met with the most friendly reception: but he was obliged afterward intirely to leave London, at least all the winter season, and to go to a greater distance. He had made frequent visits at different times to sir Francis Masham's, at Oates, in Essex; where he found the air so good, so agreeable to his constitution, and the society so delightful, that he was easily prevailed with

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