Locke John - An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding

The Project Gutenberg EBook of An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding,Volume I., by John Locke

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Title: An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, Volume I. MDCXC, Based on the 2nd Edition, Books I. and II. (of 4)

Author: John Locke

Release Date: January 6, 2004 [EBook #10615]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUMANE UNDERSTANDING, V1 ***

Produced by Steve Harris and David Widger

Quam bellum est velle confiteri potius nescire quod nescias, quam istaeffutientem nauseare, atque ipsum sibi displicere.Cic. De Natur. Deor. 1. i.

Printed by Eliz. Holt, for Thomas Basset, at the George in Fleet
Street, near St. Dunstan's Church.

CONTENTS:
[Based on the 2d Edition]

This Treatise, which is grown up under your lordship's eye, and hasventured into the world by your order, does now, by a natural kind ofright, come to your lordship for that protection which you several yearssince promised it. It is not that I think any name, how great soever,set at the beginning of a book, will be able to cover the faults thatare to be found in it. Things in print must stand and fall by their ownworth, or the reader's fancy. But there being nothing more to be desiredfor truth than a fair unprejudiced hearing, nobody is more likely toprocure me that than your lordship, who are allowed to have got sointimate an acquaintance with her, in her more retired recesses. Yourlordship is known to have so far advanced your speculations in the mostabstract and general knowledge of things, beyond the ordinary reach orcommon methods, that your allowance and approbation of the design ofthis Treatise will at least preserve it from being condemned withoutreading, and will prevail to have those parts a little weighed, whichmight otherwise perhaps be thought to deserve no consideration, forbeing somewhat out of the common road. The imputation of Novelty is aterrible charge amongst those who judge of men's heads, as they do oftheir perukes, by the fashion, and can allow none to be right but thereceived doctrines. Truth scarce ever yet carried it by vote anywhereat its first appearance: new opinions are always suspected, and usuallyopposed, without any other reason but because they are not alreadycommon. But truth, like gold, is not the less so for being newly broughtout of the mine. It is trial and examination must give it price, andnot any antique fashion; and though it be not yet current by the publicstamp, yet it may, for all that, be as old as nature, and is certainlynot the less genuine. Your lordship can give great and convincinginstances of this, whenever you please to oblige the public with someof those large and comprehensive discoveries you have made of truthshitherto unknown, unless to some few, from whom your lordship has beenpleased not wholly to conceal them. This alone were a sufficient reason,were there no other, why I should dedicate this Essay to your lordship;and its having some little correspondence with some parts of that noblerand vast system of the sciences your lordship has made so new, exact,and instructive a draught of, I think it glory enough, if your lordshippermit me to boast, that here and there I have fallen into some thoughtsnot wholly different from yours. If your lordship think fit that, byyour encouragement, this should appear in the world, I hope it may be areason, some time or other, to lead your lordship further; and you willallow me to say, that you here give the world an earnest of somethingthat, if they can bear with this, will be truly worth their expectation.This, my lord, shows what a present I here make to your lordship; justsuch as the poor man does to his rich and great neighbour, by whom thebasket of flowers or fruit is not ill taken, though he has more plentyof his own growth, and in much greater perfection. Worthless thingsreceive a value when they are made the offerings of respect, esteem, andgratitude: these you have given me so mighty and peculiar reasons tohave, in the highest degree, for your lordship, that if they can add aprice to what they go along with, proportionable to their own greatness,I can with confidence brag, I here make your lordship the richestpresent you ever received. This I am sure, I am under the greatestobligations to seek all occasions to acknowledge a long train of favoursI have received from your lordship; favours, though great and importantin themselves, yet made much more so by the forwardness, concern,and kindness, and other obliging circumstances, that never failed toaccompany them. To all this you are pleased to add that which gives yetmore weight and relish to all the rest: you vouchsafe to continue me insome degrees of your esteem, and allow me a place in your good thoughts,I had almost said friendship. This, my lord, your words and actions soconstantly show on all occasions, even to others when I am absent, thatit is not vanity in me to mention what everybody knows: but it would bewant of good manners not to acknowledge what so many are witnesses of,and every day tell me I am indebted to your lordship for. I wish theycould as easily assist my gratitude, as they convince me of the greatand growing engagements it has to your lordship. This I am sure, Ishould write of the UNDERSTANDING without having any, if I were notextremely sensible of them, and did not lay hold on this opportunity totestify to the world how much I am obliged to be, and how much I am,

Your Lordship's most humble and most obedient servant,