Some Familiar Letters Between Mr. Locke, and Several of his Friends

London: A. and J. Churchill, 1708. Full Description:

LOCKE, John. Some Familiar Letters Between Mr. Locke, and Several of his Friends. London: A. and J. Churchill, 1708.

First edition. Octavo (7 3/8 x 4 1/2 inches; 187 x 112 mm). [4], 540 pp. Some of the letters are in English and others in Latin.

Contemporary full speckled, paneled calf, very neatly rebacked to style. Spine with red morocco spine label, lettered in gilt. Top edge dyed brown, others speckled red. Board edges tooled in gilt. Some old ink noted on front endpapers. Small loss to the upper corners of the free endpapers. A small neat ink stamp on bottom margin (truncated) of title-page. Internally the book is very clean. Overall a very good. copy. Housed in a full green cloth clamshell with morocco spine label.

According to Attig this collection of letters was probably assembled by Peter King and Anthony Collins. It contains Locke's correspondence with the Molyneux brothers among others.

"This collection on letters in unusual for the reason that unlike the customary practice it contains both sides of the correspondence. It should also be observed that the manuscript letters of Thomas and William Milyneux to Locke, here published, are in this collection. The printer used the originals for copy and they still bear his marks." (Pforzheimer 611)

"William Molyneux (1656–1698) was an Irish experimental philosopher and politician, who played a major role in the intellectual life in seventeenth-century Dublin. He became Locke’s friend and correspondent in 1692 and was probably

Locke’s

philosophicallymost

significant

correspondent.

Locke approached

Molyneux

for

advice

for

revising

his Essay

concerning

Human Understandingas he was preparing the second and subsequent editions. Locke made several changes in response to Molyneux’s suggestions; they include major revisions of the chapter ‘Of Power’ (2.21), the addition of the chapter ‘Of Identity and Diversity’ (2.27), and the addition of the so-called Molyneux Problem (2.9.8). Molyneux repeatedly requested that Locke develops his views on morality. Additionally, their correspondence turned to questions concerning education and Molyneux’s keen interest in the topic likely prompted Locke to publish Some Thoughts Concerning Educationin 1693. Moreover, Molyneux drew on Locke’s anonymously published Two Treatises of Governmentin his The Case of Ireland’s Being Bound by Acts of Parliament in England, Stated, which was first published in the spring of 1698. Molyneux revealed Locke’s authorship of Two Treatisesagainst Locke’s will, yet their friendship continued until Molyneux’s untimely death in October 1698." (Locke and William Molyneux, Ruth Boeker: University College Dublin).

Attig 807. Pforzheimer 611. Yolton 346.

HBS 69391.

$2,000. (Inventory #: 69391)