Charles the Second to his dominions, and was overturned in his passage through a town in Holland. By his fall he received a great bruise in his side, which grew by neglect to an abscess. Mr. Locke, who was a student of Christ Church, and had a physician's place there, was desired by Dr. Thomas to wait on him with an excuse for the doctor's not attending him himself. Lord Ashley (this was his title at that time) received him with his usual civility, and was so pleased with his behaviour and conversation, that he desired his company at supper; and finding Mr. Locke to be a man of excellent parts, and of a disposition equal to them, he conceived a very great friendship for him, which he steadily preserved to the end of his life. He took him into his house, made him his secretary, and, when lord chancellor, preferred him to be secretary of the presentations. After the seals were taken from Lord Shaftesbury, he, for a very moderate con "Milord Ashley le reçut trèscivilement, selon sa coutume, et fut satisfait de ses excuses. Comme il voulut se retirer, Milord, qui avoit déjà pris beaucoup de plaisir dans sa conversation, le retint à souper: et si ce seigneur prit du goût aux discours de M. Locke, ce dernier fut tout-à-fait charmé de Milord Ashley, qui étoit un homme très-distingué par son esprit et par ses manières, même parmi les personnes de son rang."-Le Clerc, Bibliothèque Choisie, tom. vi. p. 353. sideration, gave Mr. Locke an annuity of a hundred pounds per annum, which was paid till his death. As Lord Shaftesbury entered into the greatest intimacy with him,' he imparted to him his most secret thoughts concerning the government, and all his schemes for the better regulation of it; and by his constant conversation upon public affairs, he first gave Mr. Locke those excellent notions of government which appear in 1 The friendly freedom which marked the intercourse between these two great men is well exemplified by an anecdote told by Le Clerc. Locke was one day dining with three or four of Lord Ashley's particular friends, men who were all looked up to as the leading characters of the age. After dinner, cards were introduced, and the company were soon intent upon their game. Locke declined joining the card-party, but occupied himself in writing with great seriousness in his pocket-book, apparently absorbed in his occupation. Lord Ashley at length found leisure to look around him, and, noticing his friend's industry, insisted upon knowing what he was writing. "My lord," answered Locke, at last, "I endeavour to get as much as I can in your good company; and having waited with impatience for the honour of being present at a meeting of the wisest and most ingenious men of the age, and enjoying at length this happiness, I thought it proper to keep a note of your conversation, and I have accordingly been setting down what has been said within this hour or two." Locke was immediately called upon to read, and his report was found highly amusing; but the company were so little individually satisfied at being thus sketched in dishabille, that the cards were soon laid down. his essays upon that subject. In these, Mr. Locke maintains the same principles which were always so strenuously asserted by Lord Shaftesbury, at whose desire he turned his thoughts and study this way. Mr. Locke, soon after the death of Lord Shaftesbury, was, in the most arbitrary manner, turned out of his student's place of Christ Church by the king's absolute command to the dean and chapter of the college; and the only reason assigned for it was, his having belonged to Lord Shaftesbury; as may be seen by the king's order, and the Earl of Sunderland's letters to the dean of the college, and the dean's answers to them. These letters have never yet been printed, and therefore the reader may be pleased to see them :† they carry in them a full conviction that Lord Shaftesbury MY LORD, * « Il voulut qu'il s'applicât + To the Lord Bishop of Oxon. plutôt à l'étude des choses Whitehall, Nov. 6, 1684. qui concernent l'état et l'église d'Angleterre, et de ce qui peut avoir quelque rapport aux soins d'un ministre d'état ; et il devint si habile en cette sorte de choses, que Milord Ashley commença à le consulter en toutes les occasions qui s'en présentoient."— Bibliothèque Choisie, tom. vi. p. 356. The king being given to understand that one Mr. Locke, who belonged to the late Earl of Shaftesbury, and has upon several occasions behaved himself very factiously and undutifully to the government, is a student of Christ Church; his majesty commands me to sig much obstructed the measures of the court, when they were destructive of the constitution. This the court could not forgive, and its resentment I have received the honour of your lordship's letter, wherein you are pleased to inquire concerning Mr. Locke's being a student of this house; of which I have this account to render, that he being, as your lordship is truly informed, a person who was much trusted by the late Earl of Shaftesbury, and who is suspected to be ill affected to the government, I have for divers years had an eye upon him; but so close has his guard been on himself, that, after several strict inquiries, I may confidently affirm, there is not any man in the college, however familiar with him, who has heard him speak a word either against or so much as concerning the government; and although very frequently, both in public and private, discourses have been purposely introduced to the disparagement of his master the Earl of Shaftesbury, his party and designs, he could never be provoked to take any notice, or discover in word or look the least concern; so that I believe there is not in the world such a master of taciturnity and passion. He has here a physician's place, which frees him from the exercises of the college, and the obligation which others have to residence in it; and he is now abroad upon want of health; but, notwithstanding, I have summoned him to return home, which is done with this prospect, that if he comes not back he will be liable to expulsion for contumacy; and if he does, he will be answerable to the law for what he should be found to have done amiss; it being probable, that though he may have been thus cautious here, must have been very great, since even after his death it could exert itself on an innocent man, only because he had been Lord Shaftesbury's where he knew himself to be My lord, To the Bishop of Oxon. MY LORD, Having communicated your lordship's of the 8th to his majesty, he has thought fit to direct me to send you the en closed, containing his command for the immediate expulsion of Mr. Locke. SUNDERLAND. To the Right Rev. Father in God John Lord Bishop of Oxon, Dean of Christ's Church, and to our trusty and well-beloved the Chapter there. Right Rev. Father in God, and trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. Whereas we have received information of the factious and disloyal behaviour of Locke, one of the students of that our college, we have thought fit hereby to signify our will and pleasure to you, that you forthwith remove him from his student's place, and deprive him of all the rights and advantages thereunto belonging. For which this shall be your warrant. And so we bid you heartily farewell. Given at our court at Whitehall the 11th day of November 1684. By his majesty's command, SUNDERLAND. |
