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ones, or, if I could, I can have no affur-
ance that they are fo. I could not at a
distance believe that the upper end of the
world was fo hollow as I find it. I ex-
cept a very few, of whom I can believe
no ill till I plainly fee it.

your own.

I have ever earnestly coveted your letters; but now I do as earnestly beg of you to fpare them for my fake, as well as With my very humble fervice to my good Lord of Bedford, and to all yours, and my hearty prayers to God for you all, I remain, Madam, your Ladyship's moft obliged and obedient fervant *.

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LETTER XXXIV.

plary holiness, and that both you and they may be public bleflings to the age and nation.

I do not think of coming up yet this fortnight, if I am not called for t. I humbly thank your Ladyfhip for giving me you. this early notice of fo great a bleffing to

by my Lady Rofs's full recovery. Mrs. I hope it fhall foon be completed Burnet is very fenfible of the honour your Ladyfhip does her in thinking of her, and does particularly rejoice in God's goodness to you. I am, with the highest fenfe of gratitude and refpect pofiible, Madam, your Ladyship's mott humble, mott obedient, and most obliged fervant.

LETTER XXXV. Lady Rufell to King William.

Sir, RATHER chufe to trouble your Mamy duty, in the moft fubmifive manner jely with a letter, than be wanting in imaginable, to acknowledge the honour figns for Lord Rutland and his family, in and favour I am told your Majefty de which I am fo much interested.

The Bishop of Salisbury to Lady Refill. Salisbury, 31st October 1676. Do heartily congratulate with your Ladyfhip for this new blefling. God has now heard your prayers I with relation to two of your children, which is a good earnest that he will hear them in due time with relation to the third. You begin to fee your children's children; God grant you may likewife fee peace upon rael. And now that God hath fo built up your houfe I hope you will fet yourfelf to build a houfe of prayer for the honour of his name.

You have paffed through very different fcenes of life. God has referved the beft to the last. I do make it a standing part of my poor prayers twice a day, that as now your family is the greatest in its three branches that has been in England in our age, fo that it may in every one of thefe answer thofe bleffings by an exem

The Archbishop's correfpondence with Lady Ruffell had been interrupted on her part for many months, by the diforder in her eyes increafing to fuch a degree, that he was obliged, on the 27th of June 1694, to fubmit to the operation of couching. Upon this occafion his Grace drew up a prayer two days after, in which he touched upon the death of her husband, "whom the holy and righteous Providence," fays he, "permitted [un❝der a colour of law and justice] to be [unjustly] cut off from the land of the living." the words between the brackets, after the first But over writing, he drew a line, as intending to erase them, probably from a reflection that they might be too ftrong, or lefs fuitable to a prayer. June 28th he wrote to the Bishop of Salisbury, "I cannot for

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bear to tell you, that my Lady Ruffell's eye was "couched yesterday morning with very good fuc"cefs; God be praifed for it." Birch.

It is an act of great goodness, Sir, in been pleafed to promife it in, makes the you; and the generous manner you have lay an eternal obligation on that family, honour, if poffible, greater. As you will be pleafed to allow me to answer for all thofe I am related to; they will look on themselves equally honoured with Lord Rutland, by your favour to his family, and I am fure will exprefs their acknowledgments to your Majefty in the mot

net,

The Marquis of Hallifax faid of Bishop Bur"He makes many enemies, by fetting an "ill-natured example of living, which they are "not inclined to follow. His indifference for pre"ferment, his contempt not only of splendour, but "of all unneceflary plenty, his degrading himtelf "into the loweit and most painful duties of his "calling, are fuch unprelatical qualities, that, let "him be never fo orthodox in other things, in "these he mutt be a diffenter. Virtues of fuch a "ftamp are so many hereties in the opinion of "thofe divines who have foftened the primitive "injunctions, fo as to make them fuit better with "the prefent frailty of mankind. "then if they are angry, fince it is in their own No wonder "defence; or that from a principle of felf-pre"fervation, they thould endeavour to fuppress a "man whofe parts are a fhame, and whofe life is

a fcandal to them." Both he and Tillotion, as well as many other Chriftian Bishope, were averle to pluralities and non-refidence.

dutiful

dutiful manner, to the beft of their fervices; in which I earnestly defire my fon Bedford may exceed, as he has been first and early honoured with the marks of your favour. And I hope I may live to fee your Majefty has bestowed one more upon him, who appears to me to have no other ambition, except what he prefers above all others, making himself acceptable to your Majefty, and living in your good opinion.

I prefume to fay, I believe there is no fault in his intentions of duty towards your Majefty, nor I truft ever will be; and that as his years increase, his performances will better declare the faithfulness of his mind, which will hugely enlarge the comforts of your Majesty's moft humble, most dutiful, and moit obedient fervant.

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I did not know the greatness of my love to his perfon till I could fee it no more. When nature, who will be mistress, has in some measure with time relieved herself, then, and not till then, I trust the Goodnefs, which hath no bounds, and whofe power is irrefiftible, will affift me

* Lady Ruffell's only fon Wriothefley, Duke of Bedford, died of the fmall-pox in May 1711, in the 31st year of his age; upon which occafion this letter was written. To this affliction fucceeded, Dutchefs of Rutland, who died in child bed. Lady

in November 1711, the lofs of her daughter, the

Ruffell, after feeing her in the coffin, went to her other daughter, married to the Duke of Devonshire, from whom it was neceffary to conceal her grief, The being at that time in child-bed likewife; therefore the affumed a cheerful air, and with

aftonishing refolution, agreeable to truth, anfwered

her anxious daughter's enquiries with these words: "I have feen your fifter out of bed to-day."

by his grace to reft contented with what his unerring providence has appointed and permitted. And I fhall feel ease in this contemplation, that there was nothing uncomfortable in his death, but the lofing him. His God was, I verily believe, ever in his thoughts. Towards his laft hours he called upon him, and complained he could not pray his prayers. To what I answered, he faid, he wished for more time to make up his accounts with God. Then with remembrance to his fifters, and telling me how good and kind his wife had been to him, and that he should have been glad to have expreffed himself to her, faid fomething to me and my double kindnefs to his wife, and fo died away. There feemed no reluctancy to leave this world, patient and eafy the whole time, and I believe knew his danger, but loth to grieve thofe by him, delayed what he might have faid. But why all this? The decree is past. I do not ask your prayers, I know you offer them with fincerity to our Almighty God for your afflicted kinfwoman.

I

LETTER XXXVII.
From the fame to the fame.

HAVE before me, my good Lord, two of your letters, both partially and tenderly kind, and coming from a fincere

heart and honeft mind (the last a plain

word but, if I mistake not, very fignificant), are very comfortable to me, who I hope have no proud thoughts of myself, as to any fort. The opinion of an efteemed friend, that one is not very wrong, aflifts to ftrengthen a weak and willing mind to do her duty towards that Almighty Being, who has from infinite days on this earth, as I can thankfully bounty and goodness fo chequered my reflect I have felt many, I may fay many years of pure, and I truft innocent, pleafant content, and happy enjoyments as this world can afford, particularly that biggest bleffing of loving and being loved by thofe I loved and respected: on earth no enjoyment certainly to be put in the balance with it. All other are like wine, intoxicates for a time, but the end is bitterness, at least not profitable. Mr. Waller (whofe picture you look upon) has, I long remember, these words:

All

All we know they do above

Is, that they fing, and that they love.

The best news I have heard is, you have two good companions with you, which I truft will contribute to divert you this sharp feafon, when after fo fore a fit as I apprehend you have felt, the air even of your improving pleafant garden cannot be enjoyed without hazard.

The Queen has appointed twelfth-day for a drawing-room, and several tables for play, but there was none till yefterday, and how that paffed I know not. I heard a lady fay yesterday, that the Ambassador had turned away four fervants for felling wine by bottles, and that fhe had tafted his Burgundy, which was very good *.

LETTER XXXVIII.

Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry † to Lady

I

Madam,

Ruffell.

27th July 1717.

SHOULD have done myself this honour long fince, could I have had the vanity to think I knew any thing which would not come to your Ladyship by better hands; but you, Madam, have account of the most important matters from perfons who cannot be deceived; and I am sure you are above the relifh of thofe common things which fupply the news and converfation of the town.

I cannot, however, leave this place (which I purpofe to do on Monday next) without prefenting my moft humble refpects to your Ladyship, and my fincere prayers to Almighty God, for health and happiness to yourself and all yours.

I leave a place which is now pretty empty fince the royal family went to Hampton-Court, where the public manner in which the King lives, makes it the rendezvous, not only of the minifters and great men, but of the people of all ranks and conditions. He dines openly, and with company every day, and the novelty of the fight draws a mighty concourfe. After fo long a referve we may eafily imagine how great a constraint he puts

The conclufion and date loft.

John Hough, afterwards called the good Bishop of Worcester, greatly promoted the Revolution; died March 8, 1743, aged above 92.

upon himself; but he certainly does a right thing, for by this means his face and good) will not only be familiar to his (which speaks nothing but what is great people, but he will enter into a degree of intimacy with the nobility, above what could be arrived at in the cabinet or drawing-room. Would to God it might prove the happy occafion of bringing ftanding; for upon that depends the eitahim and the prince to a better underblishment of our peace, and we have already felt how much the want of it has fhaken us, but there does not feem to be any appearance that way; this ftill conand were it not that God has already tinues to be the dark fide of our profpect, carried fo many threatening clouds over our heads, one would dread to think how heavy this may fall t. I am now going to a place where I refolve to make as few of these reflections as is poffible, for they are attended with anxiety of thought, and raise apprehenfions of danger, which by an hundred ways unforeseen by us, Providence may pleafe to disappoint; but I mention them to your Ladyfhip, because I know you to be one of thofe very by ufing them as occafion of fervent few who can make a right ufe of them; Prayer for the public welfare, without fuffering them to raise a paflion or disturb your mind.

Give me leave, Madam, to with you all the happiness your own foul can defire, and to profefs myfelf, as I do with Ladyship's moft obedient and moft faithgreat humility and truth, Madam, your

ful fervant.

I beg leave to prefent my most humble wife's humble duty attends your Ladyfervice to good Lord Gallway. My fhip; and we are both full of acknow ledgment for the fine piece of venison you were pleased to send us.

King George I. and the Prince, fays, it arole Tindal, fpeaking of the difference between from the Prince's relenting the Duke of Newcasta's ftanding god-father in his own name to Prince George-William (who was born 2d Nov. 1717 Duke of York, Bishop of Ofnabrug, his uncle, oa died 6th Feb. 1717-18), and not as proxy for the

which the King was diipleafed. But by this letter it appears there was a difagreement before.

LETTER XXXIX.

Mr. Locke to Mr. Molyneux.
Sir,
London, Sept. 20th, 1692.

THERE being nothing that I think of fo much value as the acquaintance and friendship of knowing and worthy men, you may eafily guefs how much I find my felf obliged, I will not fay by the offer of it, but by the gift you have made me of yours. That which confirms me in the affurance of it, is the little pretence I have to it. For, knowing myfelf as I do, I cannot think fo vainly of myfelf, as to imagine that you should make fuch overtures and expreffions of kindness to me for any other end, but merely as the pledges and exercife of it. I return you therefore my thanks, as for the greatest and most acceptable prefent you could have made me; and defire you to believe, that fince I cannot hope that the returns which I made you of mine fhould be of any great ufe to you, I fhall endeavour to make it up, as well as I can, with an high efteem and perfect fincerity. You must therefore expect to have me live with you hereafter, with all the liberty and affurance of a fettled friendhip. For meeting with but few men in the world whofe acquaintance I find much reafon to covet, I make more than ordinary hafte into the familiarity of a rational inquirer after, and lover of truth, whenever I can light on any fuch. There are beauties of the mind, as well as of the body, that take and prevail at first fight and wherever I have met with this, I have readily furrendered myself, and have never yet been deceived in my expectation Wonder not therefore, if, having been thus wrought on, I begin to converfe with you with as much freedom as if we had begun our acquaintance when you were in Holland; and defire your advice and affiftance about a fecond edition of my Effay, the former being now difperfed. You have, I perceive, read it over fo carefully, more than once, that I know nobody I can more reafonably confult about the mistakes and defects of it. And I expect a great deal more from any objections you should make, who comprehend the whole defign and compafs of it, than from one who has read but a part of it, or measures it, upon a flight reading, by his own pre

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I

judices. You will find, by my epistle to the reader, that I was not insensible of the fault I committed by being too long upon fome points, and the repetitions that by my way of writing of it had got in, let it pafs with, but not without advice fo to do. But now that my notions are got into the world, and have in fome. measure buftled through the oppofition and difficulty they were like to meet with from the received opinion, and that prepoffeffion which might hinder them from being understood upon a fhort propofal; I ask you whether it would not be better now to pare off, in a fecond edition, a great part of that which cannot but appear fuperfluous to an intelligent and attentive reader. If you are of that mind. I fhall beg the favour of you to mark to me those paffages which you would think fitteft to be left out. If there be any thing wherein you think me mistaken, I beg you to deal freely with me, that either I may clear it up to you, or reform it in the next edition. For I flatter myfelf that I am so fincere a lover of truth, that it is very indifferent to me, so I am poffeffed of it, whether it be by my own or any other's discovery. For I count any parcel of this gold not the lefs to be valued, nor not the lefs enriching, becaufe I wrought it not out of the mine myself. I think every one ought to contribute to the common stock, and to have no other fcruple or fhynefs about the receiving of truth, but that he be not impofed on, and take counterfeit, and what will not bear the touch, for genuine and real truth. I doubt not, but to one of your largenefs of thought, that in the reading of my book you mifs feveral things, that perhaps belong to my fubject, and you would think belongs to the fyftem: if in this part too you will communicate your thoughts, you will do me a favour. For though I will not fo flatter myself, as to undertake to fill up the gaps which you may obferve in it; yet it may be of ufe, where mine is at a stand, to fuggeft to others matter of farther contemplation. This I often find, that what men by thinking have. made clear to themfelves, they are apt to think that upon the firft fuggeftion it fhould be fo to others, and fo let it go not fufficiently explained; not confidering what may be very clear to themfelves, may be very obfcure to others.

Your

that ever I communicated it to any body there. These letters, or at least fome of them, have been feen by fome of my acquaintance here, who would needs perfuade me it would be of ufe to publish them your impatience to fee them has not, I affure you, flackened my hand, or kept me in fufpenfe; and I wish now they were out, that you might the fooner fee them, and I the fooner have your opinion of them. I know not yet whether I fhall fet my name to this difcourfe, and therefore fhall defire you to conceal it. You fee I make you my confeffor, for you have made yourfelf my friend.

I

Sir,

LETTER XLII.
Mr. Molyneux to Mr. Locke.

Dublin, April 18th, 1693. HAVE lately received farther teflimonies of your kindness and friendship to me, in your last of March 28th, which brings withal the welcome news of your having committed your work Of Education to the prefs; than which, I know not any thing that I ever expected with a more earnest defire. What my brother told me, relating to that treatife, he had from yourself in Holland; but, perhaps, you might have forgot what paffed between you on that occafion. I perceive you fear the novelty of fome notions therein may feem extravagant; but, if I may venture to judge of the author, I fear no fuch thing from him. I doubt not but the work will be new and peculiar, as his other performances; and this it is that renders them eftimable and pleafant. He that travels the beaten roads, may chance indeed to have company; but he that takes his liberty, and manages it with judgment, is the man that makes useful difcoveries, and moft beneficial to those that follow him. Had Columbus never ventured farther than his predeceffors, we had yet been ignorant of a vast part of our earth, preferable (as fome fay) to all the other three. And if none may be allowed to try the occan of philofophy farther than our ancestors, we shall have but little advancements or discoveries made in the mundus intellectualis; wherein, I believe,

there is much more unknown than what we have yet found out.

Sir,

LETTER XLIII.

From the fame to the fame

Dublin, August 12th, 1693.

YOURS of July 15th, came to my

hands about a fortnight fince; and I had, ere this, acknowledged the favour thereof, but that I waited the arrival of your much defired piece, Of Education, which came not to me till about three days ago. I immediately fet myself to read it, as all things from its author, with the utmost attention; and I find it anfwerable to the higheft expectations I had of it. And fince, with your ufual modefty, you are pleased to require my thoughts more particularly concerning it, I thall with all freedom, but at the fame time with all deference, propofe them to you, not doubting of your favourable interpretation and pardon, where you fee it needful. And firit, in general, I think you propofe nothing in your whole book but what is very reasonable, and very practicable, except only in one particular, which feems to bear hard on the tender fpirits of children, and the natural affec tions of parents it is page 117, 118. where you advise, "That a child fhould

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never be fuffered to have what he

craves, or so much as fpeaks for, "much lefs if he cries for it." I ac

knowledge what you fay in explaining this rule, Sect. 101. in relation to natural wants, especially that of hunger, may be well enough allowed; but in Sect. 102. where you come to apply it :0 wants of fancy and affectation, you seem too ftrict and fevere. You fay indeed, "This will teach them to file their "defires, and to practife modefty and

temperance:" but, for teaching thefe virtues, I conceive we fhall have occa fions enough in relation to their hurtful defires, without abridging them fo wholly in matters indifferent and innocent, that tend only to divert and please their buy fpirits. You allow indeed, "That it

would be inhumanity to deny them "those things one perceives would de

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light them :" if fo, I fee no reason why, in a modeft way, and with fubmillion to the wills of their fuperiors, they may not be allowed to declare what will delight them. No, fay you; "But "in all wants of fancy and affectation, they should never, if once declared, be "hearkened

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