it never closed afterwards. After this cure, his Lordship entertained fo great an esteem for Mr. Locke, that though he had experienced his great skill in medicine, yet he regarded this afterwards as the leaft of his qualifications. He advised him to turn his thoughts another way, and would not fuffer him to practise medicine out of his houfe, except among fome of his particular friends. He urged him to apply himself to the study 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 afterwards introduced to the converfation of fome of the most eminent perfons of that age, fuch as Villiers Duke of Buckingham, the Lord Halifax, 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 Lords having met at Lord Ashley'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 then, taking his pocket-book, began to write with great at tention. One of the Lords obferving him, asked 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 laft having obtained the good for"tune, 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 conversation; those noble persons saw the ridicule of it, and diverted themselves with improving the jest. They quitted their play, and, entering into rational dif course, spent the rest of the time in a manner more fuitable to their character.

In 1668, our author attended the Earl and Countess 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, returned to England fooner than was at firft defigned. Mr. Locke, upon his return to his na❤ tive country, lived, as before, at the Lord Ashley's, who was then Chancellor of the Exchequer; but made frequent visits to Oxford, for confulting books in the profecution of his studies, and keeping the changes of the air. While he was at the Lord Afhley's, he infpected 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 very weakly constitution, 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 himself; and Lord Afhley having the higheft: opinion of Mr. Locke's judgment, and the greatest 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 Afhley 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 good understanding, whofe conduct would be very different from that of the generality of court-ladies. Notwithstanding all thefe difficulties, our author undertook the business, and acquitted himself in it very happily.

From this marriage fprung feven children, all very healthy, though the father was of fo weakly a conftitu tion. The eldest fon, afterwards 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 master 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 fpoke of Mr. Locke: with the highest esteem, and manifefted, on all occa

fions, a grateful fense of his obligations to him. But there are fome paffages in his works, in which he speaks of Mr. Locke's philofophy with great severity *.

In the "Letters written by a nobleman to a young man at the university," publifhed 17:6, which are row known to be Lord Shaftesbury's, having obferved that Dr. Tindal's principles, whatever they were as to church-government, yet in morals and theology were very different from the author's of the "Rhapfody," he proceeds thus: "In general, truly it has happened, that all thofe they call "free writers now-a-days have efpoufed these principles which Mr. "Hobbes fet a-foot in this laft age. Mr. Locke, as much as I honour him on account of his other writings (viz. on Government, Policy, Trade, Coin, Education, Toleration, &c.), and as well as I "knew him, and can anfwer for his fincerity as a moft zealous Chri"ftian, and believer, did however go in the felf-fame track, and is "followed by the Tindals, and all the other ingenious free authors of our time. It was Mr. Locke that ftruck the home-blow; for Mr. "Hobbes's character, and bafe flavish principles on government, tock "off the poifon of his philofophy. It was Mr. Locke that ftruck at "the fundamentals, threw all order and virtue out of the world, and "made the very ideas of thefe (which are the fame as thofe of God) "unnatural, and without foundation in our minds. "Innate" is a

word he poorly plays upon: the right word, though lefs ufed, "is" connatural." For what has birth, or progrefs of the foetus out "of the womb, to do in this cafe? The queftion is not about the time "the ideas entered, or the moment that one body came out of the o"ther; but whether the conftitution of men be fuch, that being a"dult, and grown up, at fuch or fuch a time, fooner or later (no matter when). the idea and fenfe of order, administration, and a God, "will not infallibly, inevitably, neceffarily, fpring up in him. Then comes the credulous Mr. Locke, with his Indian barbarian ftories of wild nations, that have no fuch idea (as travellers, learned authors and men of truth! and great philofophers! have informed him); not confidering, that this is but a negative upon a hearfay, and fo circumftantiated, that the faith of the Indian denyer may be as well queftioned as the veracity of the judgment of the relater, "who cannot be fuppofed to know fufficiently the myfteries and fe crets of those barbarians, whofe language they but imperfectly know, and to whom we good Chriftians have, by our little mercy, given fufficient reafon to conceal many fecrets from us, as we know particularly in respect of fimples and vegetables, of which though we got the Peruvian bark, and fome other noble remedies, yet it "is certain, that through the cruelty of the Spaniards, as they have "owned themselves, many fecrets in medicinal affairs have been fuppreffed." And again," But Mr. Locke, who had more faith, "and was more learned in modern wonder-writers, than in ancient philofophy, gave up an argument for the Deity, which Cicero, though a profeffed fceptic, would not explode, and which even the

་་

་་

66

In 1670, and the year following, our author began to form the plan of his "Effay on Human Understand"ing," at the earnest request of Mr. Tyrrell, Dr. Thomas, and fome other friends, who met frequently in his chamber to converfe together on philofophical subjects; but his employments and avocations prevented him from finishing it then. About this time, it is fuppofed, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society.

In 1672, his great patron, Lord Ashley, was created Earl of Shaftesbury, and Lord High Chancellor of England, who appointed him Secretary of the Prefentation of Benefices; which place he held till the end of the year 1673, when his Lordship refigned the Great Seal. Mr. Locke, to whom the Earl had communicated his moft fecret affairs, was difgraced together with him; and affifted the Earl in publishing some treatises, which were defigned to excite the people to watch the conduct of the Roman Catholics, and to oppose the arbitrary defigns of the Court.

"chief of the atheistic philofophers anciently acknowledged, and folved only by their primus in orbe Deos fecit timor. Thus "virtue, according to Mr. Locke, has no other measure, law, or rule, than fashion and cuftom. Morality, juftice, equity, depend "only on law and will; and God indeed is a perfect free agent' in "his fenfe, i. e. free to any thing, however ill;' for if he wills it, "it will be made good: Virtue may be vice, and vice virtue in its "turn, if he pleafes; and thus neither right nor wrong, virtue nor "vice, are any thing in themfelves; nor is there any trace or idea of "them naturally imprinted on human minds; experience and our "catechifm teaches all! I fuppofe it is fomething of the like kind "which teaches birds their nefts, and how to fly the minute they "have full feathers. Your Theocles (one of th. interlocutors in that rhapfody), whom you commend fo much, laughs at this, and, as modeftly as he can, afks a Lockift, whether the idea of women, and what is fought after in women, be not taught alfo by fome cate"chifm, and dictated to the man. Perhaps, if we had no fchool of "Venus, nor fuch horrid lewd books and lewd companions, we might "have no understanding of this till we were taught by our parents; "and if the tradition fhould happen to be loft, the race of mankind "might perish in a fober nation. This is very poor philofophy. But "the gibberish of the schools, for thefe feveral centuries, has, in thefe "later days of liberty, made any contrary philofophy of good rel.fh, and highly favoury with all men of wit, fuch as have been emanci "pated from that egregious form of intellectual bondage." However, he speaks very highly of Mr. Locke's Effay on Human Under

In 1675 he travelled into France, on account of his health. At Montpelier he ftaid a confiderable time; and there his firit acquaintance arofe with Mr. Herbert, afterwards Earl of Pembroke, to whom he dedicated his Effay on Human Understanding, having the highest respect for that Noble Lord. From Montpelier he went to Paris, where he contracted a friendship with Mr. Juftel, whofe houfe was at that time the place of refort for men of letters; and there he faw M. Guenelon, the famous phyfician of Amfterdam, who read lectures in anatomy with great applaufe. He became acquainted likewife with Mr. Soignard, who fhowed him a copy of his "Harmonia Evangelica,' which gave great pleasure to Mr. Locke, as he had a high value for the Scriptures. The Earl of Shaftefbury being restored to favour at Court, and made Pre-fident at the Council in 1679, thought proper to fend. for Mr. Locke to London: But that Nobleman did not continue long in his poft; for refufing to comply with the defigns of the Court, which aimed at the establishment of popery and arbitrary power, fresh crimes were laid to his charge, and he was sent to the Tower. When the Earl obtained his discharge from that place, he retired to Holland; and Mr. Locke, not thinking himself safe in England, followed: his Noble Patron thither, who died foon after. During our author's stay in Holland, he renewed his ac quaintance with M. Guenelon, who introduced him. to many learned perfons of Amfterdam. Here Mr.

ftanding.Says, "that it may as well qualify men for bufinefs and "the world, as for the sciences and university." "No one," fays he," has done more towards the recalling of philofophy from barba"rity into the ufe and practice of the world, and into the company "of the better and politer fort, who might well be ashamed of it in "its other drefs. No one has opened a better and clearer way to "reafoning." Thefe letters, which are full of good inftruction, were written by Lord Shaftesbury to Mr. Ainsworth, then a student at the univerfity at that Lord's own expence. He was the fon of a domestic fervant of that Noble Lord, to whom he gave a learned education; and he proved a good and pious man, though he never distinguished himfelf according to his patron's expectations.