Description: A list in Locke’s hand of persons to receive presentation copies of the first edition of Locke’s Essay, endorsed “Copys 90”. Locke began by writing an alphabet down the page, then adding names. Eight names are underscored with dots, indicating that their copies would be bound in a fine turkey binding; The others are underlined, indicating that their copies would have gilt spines.

1 sheet, 325 × 98 mm.

Publications:

The correspondence of John Locke / edited by E.S. de Beer. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1976-89. – (Clarendon edition of the works of John Locke) – vol. 8:449-450. [list A]
John Locke, a descriptive bibliography / Jean S. Yolton. – Bristol, England : Thoemmes Press, 1998. – p. 71.

Discussions: De Beer, “Distribution lists for copies of Locke’s books”, publication #1 above; Yolton, publication #2 above, pp. 70-72; Goldie, “Distribution lists for copies of Locke’s books and Boyle’s General history of the air” (2004)

On allegiance [April 1690?]

Location: Somerset Heritage Centre, MS. DD/SF 13/2/6.

Description: Two drafts of an untitled paper on allegiance in the hand of Edward Clarke. Each draft consists of a sheet of paper, folded once to form 2 leaves. In each case, the text is written on the first three pages, the final verso being blank. The two sheets were once folded together. There are no dates or titles or other identifying markings.

The drafts probably represent ideas for a speech by Clarke, who had been elected to parlialment in March 1690. Goldie surmises that the speech was probably intended for the debate on the Abjuration Bill on 25-26 April 1690. These drafts probably represents Clarke’s first thought, which he communicated to Locke; Locke – with Clarke’s drafts in front of him ” created a revised version (see next item).

Publications:

“John Locke on the Glorious Revolution : a new document” / Mark Goldie. // IN: History of political thought. – 42 (2021):89-92.

Discussions: Goldie, publication #1 above.

On allegiance and the revolution [April 1690?]

Location: Bodleian Library, MS. Locke e. 18.

Description: An untitled paper in Locke’s hand, consisting of sheets of paper, each folded once to form six leaves, 200 × 144 mm. Each page is divided into two columns and the text is written on the inside column, leaving the outside column for additions and corrections. The inside columns are paginated 1-11 (the final verso is blank).

The paper was apparently sent to Edward Clarke, who endorsed it “papers useful in parliament” (Clarke was elected to parliament in March 1690). The paper remained in the Clarke family, was sold with other Clarke papers at Sotheby’s in 1922, was seen by Laslett in the 1940s, was again offered by Sotheby’s on 29 June 1982, and was finally acquired by the Bodleian.

Laslett referred to the untitled paper as “A call to the nation for unity” and as “Locke’s Manifesto of 1689”; Goldie calls it “On allegiance and the revolution”.

From a reference to the revolution as “a year since”, the paper must date after November 1689; because the question of allegiance was hotly debated in parliament during April 1690, Farr and Roberts suggest it may have been written then and sent to Clarke for his use in those debates.

Publications:

“John Locke on the Glorious Revolution : a rediscovered document” / James Farr and Clayton Roberts. // IN: Historical journal. – 28 (1985):395-398.
Political essays / Locke ; edited by Mark Goldie. – Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1997. – pp. 306-313.
“John Locke on the Glorious Revolution : a new document” / Mark Goldie. // IN: History of political thought. – 42 (2021):92-97.

Discussions: Laslett, “Introduction” to Two treatises of government (1960), p. 59 of 1963 ed.; Ashcraft, Revolutionary politics & Locke’s Two treatises of government, pp. 597-600; Farr & Roberts (publication #1 above), pp. 385-386; Goldie (publication #2 above), pp. 306-307; Goldie, publication #3, passim.

Draft of Some considerations (1690 September-1691 October)

Location: Bodleian Library, MS. Locke d. 2.

Description: A draft of Locke’s Some considerations of the consequences of the lowering of interest …, published in November 1691. The manuscript is a reworking of his Early writings on money (1668, 1674).

Work on the manuscript began with a transcription by Brounower of reworked material from the early writings, plus some additional material by Locke (ff. 4-9, 14-22, 38-43). This work was begun by 29 September 1690. The rest of the manuscript (ff. 44-71, interpolations at ff. 10-13 and 23-37, and the dedication on ff. 1-3) is in Locke’s hand and was completed by 7 November 1691, the date of the dedication. Among the additions are several sheets (ff. 28-37) from Locke’s autograph of the early writings.

The manuscript consists of heterogeneous sheets and quires. The sheets are signed: π¹ 2π² A² B² C1² C2² C3² χ¹ D² E² F² G² G2² G3² G4¹ G5² G6² G7² G8² G9² H1² H2² I² K1² K2¹ K3² K4² L² M² N² O² P² Q² R1² S1² 2χ¹ S2¹ T² 3χ¹. Most of the sheets measure 230 × 170 mm, but some are smaller; the inserted single sheets are most miscellaneous scraps of paper. The first sheet (f. 1) is written on the blank verso of a used letter cover.

Publications:

Locke on money / John Locke ; edited … by Patrick Hyde Kelly. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1991. — (The Clarendon edition of the works of John Locke). — vol. 2:503-612.

Discussions: Kelly, publication above, pp. 125-132.

Universities Nov 90 (November 1690)

Location: Bodleian Library, MS. Locke c. 25., f. 45^r.

Description: A proposed act of parliament in Locke’s hand, to exempt fellows and scholars of colleges from the obligation of being in holy orders; endorsed “Universities Nov 90” and therefore written in November 1690.
1 sheet of paper (verso blank except for the endorsement), 154 × 212 mm.

Publications:

Literary and historical writings / John Locke ; edited by J. R. Milton. – Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2019. – (The Clarendon edition of the works of John Locke). – Page 309.

Discussions: J. R. Milton, “Locke, William III, and the reform of the universities” (2009); Milton, publication #1 above, pages 56-61, 161.

Newton’s Two notable corruptions of scripture [before 14 November 1690; with revisions, 1691]

Location: New College, Oxford, MS. 361(4).

Description: On 14 November 1690, Sir Isaac Newton sent Locke “the papers I promised” [De Beer, iv. 1338], two “letters” in which he commented on two fundamental scriptural texts underlying the doctrine of the Trinity, 1 John 5:7 and 1 Timothy 3:16. In his papers, Newton presented a detailed analysis of the textual history of the two verses, concluding that the Trinitarian wording had been interpolated in the fourth or fifth century.

Newton had previously discussed his research with Locke, and now sent him the draft dissertation, with a view towards publication; he mentions a translation into French. Locke sent a copy of Newton’s papers to Jean Le Clerc for possible publication. Le Clerc replied to Locke on 1/11 April 1691, suggesting that Newton read Richard Simon’s Histoire critique du texte du Nouveau Testament. Newton followed this advice, and revised his papers. Apparently he sent Le Clerc the revised version, for the manuscript survives among Le Clerc’s papers in the Remonstrants Library (now in Amsterdam University Library). Le Clerc had the text translated into Latin and was prepared to publish it. At the last minute, Newton decided not to publish [Newton to Locke, 16 February 1692; De Beer, iv. 1465]. However, it was first published from this manuscript in 1754.

Meanwile, Newton continued his researches, writing a third letter to “a friend who had perused the former letters” – presumably Locke, although there is no evidence that Locke received this letter. Several versions exist – along with the original (and revised) manuscript of the first two letters – in New College Library, Oxford, preserved by Dean Ekins, from whom Samuel Horsley obtained the text which he published in 1785.

The manuscript of the first two letters bears the title ”An historical account of two notable corruptions of Scripture, in a Letter to a Friend.” The text is written on the recto pages, with some corrections on the opposite versos. The text of the two letters in this draft is continuous.

There are several manuscripts of the “third letter”, some in Newton’s hand, some by later editors. Most have the title “The third letter”; however, there is a revision of the beginning and end of the letter that bears the title “Another Letter Written by [i.e. to] a friend who had perused the former Letters” [f. 117]

Publications:

Two letters of Sir Isaac Newton to Mr. Le Clerc … The former containing a dissertation upon the reading of the Greek text, I John, v.7. The latter upon that of I Timothy, iii.16. Published from authentick MSS in the library of the Remonstrants in Holland. London: printed for J. Payne, 1754.
“An historical account of two notable corruptions of scripture. In a letter to a friend. Now first published entire from a ms. in the author’s hand-writing in the possession of the Rev. Dr. Ekens, Dean of Carlisle.” // IN: Isaaci Newtoni opera quae exstant omnia. Commentariis illustrabat Samuel Horsley … Londini: excudebat Joannes Nichols. 1779-1785. Tom. 5 (1785):493-550.
The correspondence of Isaac Newton / edited by H. W. Turnbull [and others]. – Cambridge : published for the Royal Society at the University Press, 1957-77. – vol. 3:83-122 [the first two letters] and 129-146 [the third letter].
“Various drafts and copies of the Two notable corruptions of scripture and related material.” // IN: The Newton Project. Available online at: http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/view/texts/normalized/THEM00261 [viewed 14 June 2009]

Discussions: The Newton Project: http://www.newtonproject.sussex.ac.uk/catalogue/record/THEM00099 [viewed 14 June 2009]; J. Champion, “ ‘Acceptable to inquisitive men’ ” (1999).

On William Sherlock’s The case of allegiance … [late 1690 or early 1691]

Location: Bodleian Library, MS. Locke c. 28., ff. 83-98.

Description: Notes in Locke’s hand on William Sherlock’s The case of allegiance due to soveraign powers stated and resolved according to Scripture and reason (1691). The paper is endorsed “Case of Allegiance due to Sovereigne powers” and consists of notes gathered under various headings such as “Termes”, “Mistakes”, “Self-contradicting”, and “Positions”. The notes are written on two gatherings of folded sheets, 228 × 88 and 238 × 92 mm (ff. 84^r, 86^r, 87-90, 96^v, and 97-98 blank).

Publications:

Political essays / Locke ; edited by Mark Goldie. – Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1997. – pp. 313-317.

Discussions: Goldie (publication #1 above), pp. 313-314.

Ignorantia [1690 or later]

Location: Bodleian Library, MS. Locke c. 33, f. 27^v.

Description: A note with the marginal caption “Ignorantia” and initialed by Locke. It may be related to notes on Ralph Cudworth’s True intellectual system of the universe (1678) [H&L 896]. The piece is undated; an earlier entry on the same page is dated [16]90.

Publications:

The Digital Locke Project / Dr. Paul Schuurman, project director. – Amsterdam : Digital Production Centre of the University Library of the University of Amsterdam, 2006- . – Normalized and diplomatic texts available.
Of the conduct of the understanding and other writings on philosophy, 1690–1704 / John Locke ; edited by Paul Schuurman and J. C. Walmsley. – Oxford : Clarendon Press, in preparation. – (The Clarendon edition of the works of John Locke)

Discussions: Schuurman, Digital Locke project, text descriptions [viewed 2008/07/26]