THE

LIFE OF THE AUTHOR.

R. JOHN LOCKE was the son of John Locke, of Pensford, a market-town in Somerfetfhire, five miles from Briftol, by Ann his wife, daughter of Edmund Keen, alias Ken, of Wrington, tanner. He was born at Wrington, another market-town in the fame county. John Locke, the father, was first a clerk only to a neighbouring juftice of the peace, Francis Baber, of Chew Magna, but by col. Alexander Popham, whofe feat was at Hunftreet, hard by Pensford, advanced to a captain in the parliament's fervice. After the restoration he practifed as an attorney, and was clerk of the fewers in Somersetshire. This John the father was fon of Nicholas Locke, of Sutton Wick, in the parish of Chew Magna, but a younger brother of the Lockes of Charon Court in Dorsetshire *. The late Mr. Locke's age is not to be found in the registers of Wrington, which is the parish church of Pensford; which gave umbrage to a report that his mother intend

• Dr. Birch's papers in the Museum. This account is there stated as coming from Mr. John Heal, a relation, and well acquainted with the family, a perfon ftudious in pedigree. On the back of it is this label: Mr. Locke's pedigree, taken from a мs. at Chipley, june 23, 1737.' Frequent notice is likewife taken of Mr. Locke's wife, in his letters to Mr. Clarke, (for the use of whofe fon Mr. Locke drew up moft of the Thoughts on Education) between 1692 and 1702, ibid.

*

ing to lie in at Wrington, with her friends, was furprized in her way thither, and putting into a little houfe, was delivered there. Mr. Locke had one younger brother, an attorney, married, but died iffuelefs, of a confumption. By the intereft of col. Popham, our author was admitted a scholar at Westminster, and thence elected to Chrift-Church in Oxon. He took the degree of bachelor of arts in 1655, and that of master in 1658 But though he made a confiderable progress in the usual course of studies at that time, yet he often faid, that what he had learned there was of little ufe to him, to enlighten and enlarge his mind. The first books which gave him a relish for the study of philofophy, were the writings of Des Cartes: for though he did not always approve of that author's fentiments, he found that he wrote with great perfpicuity. After fome time he applied himself very clofely to the study of medicine; not with any defign of practising as a phyfician, but principally for the benefit of his own conftitution, which was but weak. And we find he gained fuch esteem for his skill, even among the most learned of the faculty of his time, that Dr. Thomas Sydenham, in his book intitled, 'Obfervationes medicæ circa morborum ' acutorum hiftoriam & curationem,' gives him a high encomium in these words: You know,' fays he, ⚫ likewise how much my method has been approved of by a perfon, who has examined it to the bottom, and who is our common friend; I mean Mr. John Locke, who, if we confider his genius, and penetrating and exact judgment, or the purity of his morals, has fcarce any fuperiour, and few equals, now living.' Hence, he was very often faluted by his acquaintance with the title, though he never took the degree, of doctor of medicine. In the year 1664, fir William Swan being appointed envoy from the english court to the elector of Brandenburgh, and fome other german

*In 1672, among his college or univerfity exercifes, there is a thefis under his own hand on the following question: An Jefus Chriftus fuit verus Meffias Patribus promiflus. Aff.

princes,

But

princes, Mr. Locke attended him in the quality of his fecretary: but returning to England again within the year, he applied himself with great vigour to his studies, and particularly to that of natural philofophy *. While he was at Oxford in 1666, he became acquainted with the lord Ashley, afterward earl of Shaftesbury. The occafion of their acquaintance was this. Lord Ashley, by a fall, had hurt his breast in such a manner, that there was an abfcefs formed in it under his ftomach. He was advised to drink the mineral waters at Astrop, which engaged him to write to Dr. Thomas, a phyfician of Oxford, to procure a quantity of those waters, which might be ready against his arrival. Dr. Thomas being obliged to be absent from Oxford at that time, defired his friend Mr. Locke to execute this commiffion. it happened, that the waters not being ready the day after the lord Ashley's arrival, through the fault of the perfon who had been fent for them, Mr. Locke was obliged to wait on his lordfhip to make an excuse for it. Lord Ashley received him with great civility, according to his ufual manner, and was fatisfied with his excufes. Upon his rifing to go away, his lordship, who had already received great pleasure from his converfation, detained him to fupper, and engaged him to dine. with him the next 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, where he drank the waters, he made Mr. Locke promise to come thither, as he did in the fummer of the year 1667.

This appears from the journal which he kept of the changes of the air at Oxford, from june, 1666, to june 1683; for the regular obfervation of which he ufed a barometer, thermometer, and hygrof cope. This journal may be feen in The General History of the Air,' published by Mr. Boyle, in 1692. It occurs likewife in the 5th vol. of Boyle's Works, published by Millar, 1744, containing 27 pages, fol. together with a letter from Mr. Locke, in p. 157, containing experiments made with the barometer at Minedeep Hills, dated from Chrift-Church, may 5, 1666. In the fame volume there are feveral other letters of his to Mr. Boyle on the various points of natural philofophy, chemistry, and medicine.

Lord Ashley afterward returned, and obliged him to promife that he would come and lodge at his house. Mr. Locke went thither, and though he had never practifed phyfic, his lordship confided intirely in his advice, with regard to the operation which was to be performed by opening the abfcefs in his breaft; which faved his life, though it never closed. After this cure, his lordship entertained so great an esteem for Mr. Locke, that though he had experienced his great skill in medicine, yet he regarded this as the leaft of his qualifications. He advised him to turn his thoughts another way, and would not fuffer him to practife medicine out of his houfe, except among fome of his particular friends. He urged him to apply himself to the ftudy of political and religious matters, in which Mr. Locke made fo great a progrefs, that lord Afhley began to confult him upon all occafions. By his acquaintance with this lord, our author was introduced to the converfation of fome of the most eminent perfons of that age: fuch as, Villiers duke of Buckingham, the lord Hallifax, and other noblemen of the greatest wit and parts, who were all charmed with his converfation. The liberty which Mr. Locke took with men of that rank, had fomething in it very fuitable to his character. One day, three or four of thefe lords having met at lord Afhley's when Mr. Locke was there, after fome compliments, cards were brought in, before scarce any conversation had paffed between them. Mr. Locke looked upon them for fome time, while they were at play; and taking his pocket-book, began to write with great attention. One of the lords obferving him, afked him what he was writing? My lord,' fays 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 affembly of the greateft geniuses of this age, and at last having obtained the good fortune, I thought I could not do better than write down your converfation; and indeed I have fet down the fubftance of 'what hath been faid for this hour or two.' Mr. Locke had no occafion to read much of this converfation; those noble perfons faw the ridicule of it; and diverted

them.

for

themselves with improving the jeft. They quitted their play, and entering into rational discourse, spent the rest of their time in a manner more fuitable to their character.

In 1668 our author attended the earl and countefs of Northumberland into France; but did not continue there long, because the earl dying in his journey to Rome, the countess, whom he had left in France with Mr. Locke, came back to England fooner than was at first designed. Mr. Locke, upon his return to his native country, lived, as before, at the lord Athley's, who was then chancellor of the exchequer, but made frequent vifits to Oxford, for confulting books in the profecution of his ftudies, and keeping the changes of the air. While he was at the lord Afhley's, he inspected the education of that lord's only fon, who was then about fixteen years of age. This province he executed with great care, and to the full fatisfaction of his noble patron. The young lord being of a weakly conftitution, his father thought to marry him betimes, left the family fhould be extinct by his death. He was too young, and had too little experience, to choose a wife for himfelf; and lord Ashley having the highest opinion of Mr. Locke's judgment, and the greateft confidence in his integrity, defired that he would make a fuitable choice for his fon. This, it must be owned, was no eafy province; for though lord Ashley did not require a great fortune for his fon, yet he would have him marry a lady of a good family, an agreeable temper, and a fine perfon; and above all a lady of good education, and of good understanding, whofe conduct would be very different from that of the generality of courtladies. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, our author undertook the bufinefs, and acquitted himself in it happily. From this marriage fprung feven children, all of them healthy. The eldest fon, afterward the noble author of the characteristics, was committed to the care of Mr. Locke in his education. Here was a great genius, and a great mafter to direct and guide it, and the fuccefs was every way equal to what might be expected. It is faid, that this noble author always

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spoke