in having my dominion of the seas asserted, and Van Guent exemplarily punished. Notwithstanding all this, I would have you use your skill so to amuse them that they may not finally despair of me, and thereby give me time to make myself more ready, and leave them more remiss in their preparations. In the last place, I must again enjoin you to spare no cost in informing yourself exactly how ready their ships of war are in all their ports, how soon they are like to put to sea, and to send what you learn of this kind hither with all speed. I am, your loving friend, CHARLES R." It appears that the asthmatic complaint with which Locke was afflicted during nearly the last thirty years of his life, began to show itself at least as early as 1671. We find from the following letter to Dr Mappletoft, that a residence in the South of France was at that time in contemplation; but whether Locke actually went to reside in France for the benefit of his health before 1675 is uncertain. Monsieur Le Clerc says, that he attended the Earl of Northumberland to Paris in 1668, and returned after a short time in consequence of the Earl's death. “DEAR SIR, LOCKE TO DR MAPPLETOFT. "Sutton, Oct. 7, 71. "Though before the receipt of your last letter (which, by my slow progress hither, I overtook not till this night) I was very well assured of your friendship, yet the concernment you express for my health, and the kindness wherewith you press my journey into France, give me fresh and obliging testimonies of it. This is so far from an offence against decorum, or needing an apology on that score, that I think the harder you ask for it is the only thing I ought to take amiss from you, if I could take amiss anything from one who treats me with so much kindness and so much sincerity. I am now making haste back again to London, to return you my thanks for this and several other favours; and then having made you judge of my state of health, desire your advice what you think best to be done; wherein you are to deal with me with the same freedom, since nothing will be able to make me leave those friends I have in England but the positive direc tion of some of those friends for my going. But however I dispose of myself, I shall dwell amidst the marks of your kindness, and shall enjoy the air of Hampstead Heath or Montpellier as that wherein your care and friendship hath placed me, and my health will not be less welcome to me when it comes by your advice, and brings with it the hopes that I may have longer time in the world to assure you with what affection and sincerity I am, Sir, your most humble servant, "To his much-honoured friend, Dr John Mappletoft, at Mr Trimmer's, over against the George, Lombard Street, London." TO THE SAME. J. LOCKE." "Paris, 22nd June, 77. “I ARRIVED here about the beginning of the month with the remains of a very untoward ague upon me, which seized and kept me awhile upon the way, but I thank God have now pretty well recovered my strength, so that if you have any commands for me here, I might hope to execute them; but I have little expectation of any from you, that when you were here yourself and breathed the air of this place, which seems to me not very much to favour the severer sects of philosophers, were yet so great a one as to provide for all your necessities with only a crown or two, will not, I guess, now that you are out of the sight of all our gaudy fashionable temptations, have much employment for a factor here; but yet if either absence (which sometimes increases our desires) or love (which we see every day produces strange effects in the world) have softened you, or disposed you towards any liking of any of our fine new things, t is but saying so, and I am ready to furnish you, and should be sorry not to be employed. Were I to advise, perhaps I should say to you, that the lodging at Gresham College were a very quiet and comfortable habitation. I know not how I am got into this chapter of love, unless the genius of the place inspires me with it, for I do not find that my ague has much inclined me to the thought of it. My health, which you are so kind to in your wishes, is the only mistress I have a long time courted, and is so coy a one, that I think it will take up the remainder of my days to obtain her good graces and keep her in good Your most humble servant, "My service, I beseech you, to all my friends in your walks, particularly Dr Sydenham: the spell held till I had left Montpellier, for by all the art and industry I could use, I could not get a book of his to Montpellier till the week after I had left it. I shall be glad to hear that it every day gains ground, though that be not always the fate of useful truth, especially at first setting out. I shall perhaps be able to give him an account of what some ingenious men think of it here: though I imagine he is too well satisfied with the truth in it, and the design that made him publish it, that he matters not much what men think, yet there is usually a very great and allowable pleasure to see the tree take and thrive in our time which we ourselves have planted." "DEAR SIR, TO THE SAME. Lyon, 8 November, 78. "If all the world should go to Rome, I think I should never, having been twice firmly bent upon it, the time set, the company agreed, and as many times defeated. I came hither in all haste from Montpellier (from whence I write to you) with the same design; but old Father Winter, armed with all his snow and icicles, keeps guard on Mount Cenis, and will not let me pass. But since I cannot get over the hill, I desire your letters may not: they may now keep their old road to M. Charas's, where I hope in a few days to see and be acquainted with your friend Dr Badgen; and so having seen the winter over at Paris, return to you early in the spring. Were I not accustomed to have Fortune to dispose of me contrary to my design and expectation, I should be very angry to be thus turned out of my way, when I imagined myself almost at the suburbs of Rome, and made sure in a few days to mount the Capitol and trace the footsteps of the Scipios and the Cæsars; but I am made to know that 't is a bold thing to be projecting of things for to-morrow, and that it is fit such a slight bubble as I am should let itself be carried at the fancy of wind and tide, without pretending to direct its own motion. I think I shall learn to do so hereafter,—this is the surest way to be at ease. But hold, I forget you have quitted Galen for Plutarch, and 't is a little too confident to talk philosophy to one who converses daily with Xenophon. "I cannot tell how to blame your design, but I must confess to you I like our calling the worse since you have quitted it: yet I hope it is not to make way for another with more indissoluble chains, with greater cares and solicitudes accompanying it. If it be so, you need be well prepared with philosophy, and may find it necessary sometime to take a dram of Tully de consolatione. I cannot forbear to touch, en passant, the chapter of matrimony, which methinks you are still hankering after; but if ever you should chance so to be given up as to marry, and, like other loving husbands, tell your wife who has dissuaded you, what a case shall I be in! All my comfort is that 't is no personal malice to the woman, and I am sure I have nothing but friendship for you, for I am with sincerity, Your most affectionate humble servant, "To Dr John Mappletoft." In 1675, Locke went to reside in France for the benefit of his health, and, from the time of his landing at Calais, he kept a daily Journal, from which the following extracts have been made. The original contains a description of the country, and of such things as were best worth seeing in the different towns of France. It describes with much minuteness and accuracy the cultivation of the vine and olive country, the different processes of the fermentation of wine, and of preparing the oils, and the different sorts of fruit there in highest estimation. It gives an account of mechanical and other contrivances, and objects of use and convenience, then more common in France than in England. There are also many medical observations, many notes and references to books, which it has been thought proper for the sake of brevity to omit. For the same reason, the first part only of the Journal has been printed verbatim: it has afterwards been much curtailed, and the notes and dissertations on different subjects, interspersed in different parts, are collected together in a connected form at the end of these extracts. In general, the particulars which have been selected from the Journal are such as are either curious and interesting, as records of former times, or as they afford a contrast between the present prosperous state of France and its former condition; where the extremes of splendour and misery marked the nature of the old and despotic Government, the paradise of monarchs and courtiers, but the purgatory of honest and industrious citizens and peasants, whom French lawyers were pleased to describe, and French nobles to treat, "tailleable et corvéable" animals, who lived, and moved, and had their beings only for the benefit of the privileged orders. as EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL. Nov. 30, 1675. THE way from Boulogne is made up of hills and plains, covered with corn or woods; in the latter we looked out for our friends of St Omer's, but the Dons were afraid of the French or of us (I do not imagine they had any aversion to our money), and so we saw no more whiskers. After this, those that had money thought it their own, and believed their clothes might last them to Paris, where the tailors lie in wait: and I know not whether they with their yards and shears, or the trooper with his sword and pistol, be the more dangerous creature. We marched on merrily the remainder of the day to Montreuil; supper was ready before our boots were off, and, being fish, as soon digested. Dec. 1. Early on a frosty morning we were, with all the train, on our march to Abbeville, ten leagues; it is a large town on the Amiens river: here his Excellency dismissed his St Omer's trumpeter. |