91
91
91
“In winter 1685–6 Locke interrupted his labours on the Essay to write another, shorter work. Louis XIV had revoked the edict of Nantes in October, removing the last remnants of toleration for the French protestants. The Epistola de tolerantia was written after Locke returned from Cleves about the beginning of November. It was addressed to Limborch, who kept the manuscript and subsequently arranged for it to be printed. The Latin text was published anonymously at Gouda in April 1689, two months after Locke had returned to England. The Epistola develops further the theory of toleration already put forward in the Essay Concerning Toleration of 1667 [written in 1667, but not published until 1876]. Locke advocated the complete separation of church and state: states exist only to preserve their members’ civil goods; churches are purely voluntary societies which are allowed to exercise discipline over their members, but which anyone can leave at any time without incurring any civil disabilities. Complete toleration should be given to every religious body whose doctrines are neither incompatible with civil society nor require their adherents to give allegiance to a foreign prince” ( ODNB ). Duodecimo (130 × 75 mm). Recent full vellum antique by James Brockman, manuscript lettering to spine. Housed in a custom black quarter morocco solander box. Printer’s ornament on title page. Short horizontal split to head of title page repaired. A very good copy. ¶ Attig 41; Christophersen, pp. 13–15; Harrison & Laslett 2941; Yolton 1. WorldCat and Yolton together locate only 24 copies worldwide. £125,000 [158889] 91 LOCKE, John. A Letter Concerning Toleration. The Second Edition Corrected; [bound with] — . A Second Letter concerning Toleration; [and] — . A Third Letter for Toleration, to the Author of the Third Letter concerning Toleration. London: [first Letter] for Awnsham Churchill, 1690; [second & third] for Awnsham and John Churchill, 1690 & 1692 “the basis of the principles of democracy” ( pmm )
First editions of the Second and Third Letters , second edition in English of the first Letter ; collecting in one volume Locke’s three Letters on Toleration . Locke’s original Epistola de tolerantia (Gouda, 1689) was translated into English by his friend William Popple, a merchant of Unitarian views and a convinced advocate of religious toleration. “In April 1690 an Oxford clergyman, Jonas Proast, published a vigorous attack, The Argument of the Letter Concerning Toleration Consider’d and Answer’d . Locke replied later in the summer with a short Second Letter Concerning Toleration ; he chose not to reveal his identity and wrote as a third party taking the side of the author of the original Letter . The Second Letter failed to satisfy Proast: a further attack, A Third Letter Concerning Toleration , appeared in February 1691, and provoked Locke into elaborating a very much longer reply. A Third Letter for Toleration was completed in June 1692, and appeared in November” ( ODNB ). A fourth letter was left in manuscript at Locke’s death in 1702; it was first published in the Posthumous Works (1706). Together with Locke’s Two Treatises on Government , these Letters on Toleration “provide a classic example of the empirical approach to social and political economy which has remained ever since the basis of the principles of democracy” ( PMM ). 3 works bound in one volume, the 1st duodecimo (138 × 75 mm), the others quarto (204 × 147 mm). Contemporary sprinkled calf, sides with double rule blind border and central panel with fleurons at corners, modern paper spine label, sprinkled edges. First Letter complete with final integral advert leaves; Second Letter complete with half-title; Third Letter complete with half-title and final errata leaf, publisher’s advertisements verso. Early ownership of Thomas Westcombe and later ownership signature H. Maynard Smith and circular stamp of Maynard Smith and Outram Smith to front pastedown. Front joint strengthened with leather onlay, rear joint cracked but firm, head of spine chipped and corners worn, still very sound. Scattered light spotting, final errata leaf to third work partly detached and with short tear to gutter with loss of a couple of characters; very good copies in a well-preserved contemporary binding. ¶ Christopherson, pp. 13–19; 99–100; Printing and the Mind of Man 163; Sowerby 1338; Wing L2748, L2755, L2765; Yolton 10, 25, 27. sold [159361]
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
75
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker