In addition to the Lovelace Collection (as it was called), a substantial collection of Locke’s papers were to be found among the papers of the Earls of Shaftesbury, deposited during the mid-nineteenth century in the Public Record Office.² There were also Locke papers in the British Library and a few isolated (but significant) manuscripts scattered in other repositories.

This material was for long in private hands and unavailable for use. The first revelation of the richness of Locke’s papers was made by his biographers. The seventh Lord King published his life of Locke in 1829, making use of his family’s collections. The life was scarcely a biography, more a collection of documents pasted together with a little narrative. The documents were somewhat indifferently edited, with unmarked omissions and frequent inaccuracies. Locke’s Victorian biographer, H.R. Fox Bourne, did not have access to the Lovelace Collection. He made use of the documents printed by King and thoroughly explored the Shaftesbury papers and the British Library manuscripts. Locke’s twentieth-century biographer, Maurice Cranston, had access to the Lovelace Collection at the Bodleian and quoted extensively from new material, particularly Locke’s journals and correspondence.

¹ For description of these papers, see A summary catalogue of the Lovelace Collection of the papers of John Locke in the Bodleian Library / by P. Long. – Oxford : printed for the [Oxford Bibliographical] Society at the University Press, 1959. – xii,64 p. – (Oxford Bibliographical Society publications ; new series, 8) and “The Mellon donation of additional manuscripts of John Locke from the Lovelace Collection” / by P. Long. // IN: Bodleian Library record. – 7 (1964):185-193. For the catalog of Locke’s library, see Locke #956 below.

² Calendared in: “Report on the Shaftesbury Papers” / W. Noel Sainsbury. // IN: Annual report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records. – 33 (1872):211-257; 34 (1873):307-314; 35 (1874):188-192. – See 8, “Locke’s letters and papers” (33 (1872):251-253; 34 (1873):314)

³ There is a partial copy of Draft A in the Shaftesbury papers [PRO 30/24/47/7] This is described by P. Laslett, “Locke and the first Earl of Shaftesbury : another early writing on the understanding” / Peter Laslett. // IN: Mind. – New series:61 (1952):89-92; and by C.S. Johnston, “A note on an early draft of Locke’s Essay in the Public Record Office” / Charlotte S. Johnston. // IN: Ibid. – New series:63 (1954):334-338. The development of the drafts is described by R.I. Aaron, “How the Essay was written.” // IN: John Locke / by Richard I. Aaron. – 2nd ed. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1955. – p. 50-55.

(1) “Quest: whether the Civill Magistrate may lawfully impose and determine the use of indifferent things in reference to Religious Worship” (1660) [MS. Locke e.7] Reply to Edward Bagshaw’s The great question concerning things indifferent in religious worship (1660); Locke supports the authority of the magistrate.

(2) “An Magistratus Civilis possit res adiaphoras in divini cultus ritus asciscere, Eosque populo imponere? Aff.” (1660-63) [MS. Locke, c.28, ff.3-20 ] The Latin tract on the power of the civil magistrate.

(3) “An necesse sit dari in Ecclesia infallibilem Sacro Sancti Scripturae interpretum? Negatur” [PRO 30/24/47/33] This piece shows Locke beginning to doubt the wisdom of entrusting conscience to the magistrate.

(4) “An essay concerning toleration” (1667) There are four copies: MS. Locke c.28, ff.21 -32 ; PRO 30/24/47/1; Huntington Library HM584; and Adversaria ethica, p.106-125 [present whereabouts unknown]

(5) “Toleratio” (1679) [MS. Locke d.1, p.125-126]