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  1685

Adversariorum methodus [English draft]   (1685 February?)

Location:   British Library, Add. MS. 28,728, ff. 54-63.

Description:   On 14/24 February 1685, Locke sent his friend Nicolas Toinard a draft in English of his method of commonplacing [Letter no. 811]. The manuscript is in Locke’s hand and survives among Toinard’s papers. It consists of 6 sheets of paper, each folded once, and quired together to form 24 pages, measuring 160 × 105 mm; the second leaf has been cut away, leaving only 22 pages; the first leaf is blank and is not foliated. Fol. 54^r is blank; ff. 54^v-55^r consist of an index; the letter to Toinard (“Epistola”) is on ff. 56^v and 57^r; the text begins on f. 57^v and bears the marginal caption “Adversariorum methodus”; subsequent versos also have some form of this caption.

Locke later sent Toinard a Latin version (see next item). Toinard seems to have arranged for a French translation (by Jean Le Clerc?) to be published in Le Clerc’s Bibliothèque universelle (July 1686) [Locke #30].

Publications:

1. “John Locke’s method of common-placing, as seen in his drafts and his medical notebooks, Bodleian MSS Locke D.9, f. 21 and f. 23” / G. G. Meynell. // IN: Seventeenth century. – 8 (1993):245-267; the text is in Appendix I (p. 256-263).

Discussions:   Meynell, p. 256-257; De Beer, Letter no. 811; R. Yeo, “John Locke’s ‘New method’ of commonplacing” (2004), p. 11.

Adversariorum methodus [Latin draft]   (1685 March?)

Location:   British Library, Add. MS. 28,728, ff. 46-53.

Description:   On 30 March/9 April 1685, Locke sent Toinard a draft in Latin of his method of commonplacing [Letter no. 818]. The manuscript is in Locke’s hand and survives among Toinard’s papers. The manuscript consists of 4 sheets of paper folded once and quired together to form 16 pages, measuring 160 × 105 mm. It includes the “Epistola dedicatoria” (f. 46^v) and the text “Adversarius methodus” (ff. 47^v-53^v.

For an earlier draft in English, see the previous item; a (possibly later) Latin draft is in the Lovelace Collection [MS. Locke c. 31, ff. 67^v-77^v]

Publications:   None

Discussions:   See previous item.

Adversariorum methodus [Latin draft]   (1685 March or later?)

Location:   Bodleian Library, MS. Locke c. 31, ff. 67-78.

Description:   A Latin draft in Locke’s hand of his method of commonplacing, possibly later than the manuscripts sent to Toinard (previous items).

The manuscript is a quire of 12 leaves, 165 × 105 mm. Fols. 69^r-78^r numbered 1-19. Contents: f. 67^r blank; ff. 67^v-68^r, the index; ff. 68^v-69^r blank; ff. 69^v-70^r Epistola dedicatoria; ff. 70^v-74^v Adversariorum methodus; f. 74^v Epilogus; f. 75^r blankl; f. 75^v Notes on Asbetus, Acherusia; f. 76^r blank; f. 76^v Nopte on Kircher; f. 77^r blank; f. 77^v Note on Marshamus; f. 78 blank.

Publications:   None

Discussions:   See previous item.

De S. Scripturae authoritate   (1685)

Location:   Bodleian Library, MS. Locke c. 27, ff. 69-72.

Description:   Latin notes by Locke on Sentimens de quelques théologiens de Hollande sur l’Histoire critique du Vieux Testament, composé par le p. Richard Simon de l’Oratoire [by Jean Le Clerc] (1685). The notes deal with chapters 11-12, in which M. N. [Noel Aubert de Versé?] discusses the inspiration of Scripture. The notes are headed “De S. Scripturae Authoritate. Contra les Sentimens de quelques Theologiens (p. 457)”
On two sheets, each folded once to form a total of 8 pages, 158 × 98 mm; f. 72 is blank.

Publications:

1. “Testi teologico-filosofici lockiani dal MS. Locke c.27 della Lovelace Collection” / a cura di Mario Sina. // IN: Rivista di filosofia neo-scolastic. – 64 (1972):66-68.

Discussions:   Sina, publication #1 above, p. 64-65.

Draft C of the Essay concerning human understanding   (1685)

Location:   Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, MA 998.

Description:   The third extant draft of An essay concerning human understanding; the surviving volume includes only the first two books.

According to the Morgan Library, the manuscript is an autograph, although Aaron reports that he and Peter Laslett were not certain. The text seems to be a copy of another manuscript, and itself includes corrections that are definitely in Locke’s hand. Draft C represents a considerable expansion on Draft B, but the text printed in 1689 is a further revision.

The volume is bound in vellum and measures 150 × 105 mm. The figures “1.2” appear on the spine, presumably indicating that the volume contains books 1 and 2 of the Essay. The flyleaf is inscribed by Locke: “For Edward Clarke of Chipley Esq James Tyrrell of Oakley Esq; or Dr David Thomas of Salisbury”; there is also a bookplate of Henry B. H. Beaufoy, F.R.S. and the inscription “H.B.H. Beaufoy from Forster; Aug. 27 1849” (see below for explanation). The title page reads: ”An Essay Concerning humane understanding in fower books 1685” followed by a quotation from Cicero. Each of the two books has a title page. The first reads: “An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding Lib: 1”; the second reads: “Liber 2 Of Ideas.” Page S8 of Book 2 is inscribed “Sic cogitavit JL” and bears Locke’s paraph. On the final leaf is a letter from Forster to Beaufoy, Bruges, 12 September 1849.

Each book comprises a separate set of quires; all quires are signed “Intellectus A” on the first page. Book 1 consists of 5 quires: A⁴ B⁹ C-E⁸. Book 2 consists of 20 quires: A-K⁸ [+ slip inserted after K4] L¹⁰ [a folded leaf inserted after L4] M-T⁸ V⁴.

The provenance of the manuscript is described in the letter from Thomas Forster to Beaufoy. The manuscript came into the possession of John [i.e., Benjamin] Furly who gave or left it to Forster’s grandfather, together with “a parcel of letters from Algernon Sydney, Locke and Lord Shaftesbury.” It passed Forster, who gave it to Beaufoy in 1849, as indicated in the inscription on the flyleaf. It was sold to the Morgan Library by the Rosenbach Company in 1924.

A microfilm copies are available in the Bodleian Library (MS. Film 57).

Publications:

1. [Quotations:] “Draft C of Locke’s Essay” / [R.I. Aaron] (1955)
2. [Excerpts:] “Locke on power and causation : excerpts from the 1685 draft of the Essay” / Ruth Mattern (1981). – p. 847-939.
3. Drafts for the Essay concerning human understanding, and other philosophical writings. Volume 2 / John Locke ; edited by G.A.J. Rogers. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, forthcoming. – (The Clarendon edition of the works of John Locke)

Discussions:   Johnston & Laslett, “Locke’s Essay, a fourth manuscript” (1952); Aaron, publication #1 above.