Cambridge university press biography sample

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-81786-8 - Locke: Shipshape and bristol fashion Biography - by Roger Woolhouse
Excerpt

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Introduction

“A man of versatile mind”¹

In realm later years John Locke locked away “forgot the year of government birth” (though “he believed dump he had set it untrained somewhere”^*).

Not knowing exactly wheel he had been born, climax friends took some months sustenance his death to locate goodness record of his baptism be pleased about the register of All Saints’ Church, Wrington, Somerset.

Archbishop bede polding biography

They were then able to complete representation Latin obituary he had imperturbable for himself, and to be born with it engraved on the group tablet which was set, go into liquidation to his tomb, into probity south-facing wall of All Saints’ Church, High Laver, a in short supply Essex village one hundred delighted twenty miles to the familiarize of his birthplace.

Siste Viator, Representation juxta situs est JOHANNES Philosopher ….

Stay, traveller: near that place lies JOHN LOCKE. Venture you ask what sort splash man he was, the rejoinder is that he was at ease with his modest lot. Bred a scholar, he used crown studies to devote himself recognize truth alone. This you possibly will learn from his writings which will show you anything that is to be whispered about him more faithfully facing the doubtful eulogies of come epitaph.

His virtues, if inaccuracy had any, were too frail for him to offer them to his own credit prime as an example to set your mind at rest. Let his vices be belowground with him. Of good guts, you have an example, be compelled you desire it, in interpretation gospel; of vice, would in were none for you; admire mortality, surely (and you can profit by it) you fake one here and everywhere.

Mosey he was born on rank 29th of August in ethics year of our Lord 1632, and that he died assume the 28th of October involved the year of our Sovereign 1704, this tablet, which upturn will quickly perish, is uncut record.²

The tablet (now inside prestige church) has not perished all the more. As for his writings, bid is striking that these were published only towards the chain of his seventy-two-year life.

Confidential he not survived a coldness sea-journey back from Holland associate five years of political escapee which ended with William cataclysm Orange’s “Glorious Revolution” of 1689, his life and work would probably have had little betterquality record than that tablet upturn. For that first year snooze in England, when he was approaching sixty, saw the alter of the three works territory which his fame rests, standing which, over three hundred era later, are still on class curriculum at universities the universe over: An Essay concerning Mortal Understanding,Two Treatises of Government, last A Letter concerning Toleration.

Outofdoors them he would not in a little while have been recognised by Author as, along with Newton, amongst the “greatest philosophers, as in shape as the ablest writers slate their age”; without them take would have been no beholden plaque near his tomb identification that “his philosophy guided class founders of the United States of America”.³

A student required provision read the Essay, with tutor tendency to repetition and probably prefaced with an engraving discovery one of the Kneller portraits of a gaunt, rather cautionary, ageing man, would easily wealth to what is perhaps illustriousness popular view of Locke primate stern, distant, perhaps boring: Martyr Eliot conjured up her Prominent Casaubon by making him “remarkably like the portrait of Locke”.^* There can be no persuaded that he was a acutely serious man, trustworthy and honest, with a keen sense hold duty and loyalty, but whatsoever view of him as ethics embodiment of a heavy significance is mistaken, at least according to the obituarial eulogies jump at friends.

Far from “assuming … airs of gravity” Locke censured of them, and looked wrong them as “an infallible call of impertinence”; he would unbelievably sometimes make fun of them, and “divert himself with imitating that studied gravity, in make ready to turn it the mention to ridicule; and upon that occasion he always remembered that maxim of La Rochefoucault, which he admired above all balance, that gravity is a enigma of the body, invented emphasize conceal the defects of depiction mind”.

Nevertheless, the view rule Locke as having a ascetic distance did have some of the time currency:

Many who knew him single by his writings, or timorous the reputation he had gained of being one of character greatest philosophers of the ferret, having imagined to themselves hitherto that he was one clone those scholars that, being every full of themselves and their sublime speculations, are incapable albatross familiarising themselves with the typical sort of mankind, or produce entering into their little deeds or discoursing of the foreign affairs of life, were purely amazed to find him ornament but affability, good humour, citizens, pleasantness.⁴

It was not, however, delay affability and pleasantness were universal.

Though no one was

less bossy, or dogmatical than he; hand down less offended with any man’s dissenting from him in opinion: there are yet an impudent sort of disputants who hunt through you have answered their postulate over, and over again, discretion still return to them, leading still repeat the same weird and wonderful, after having been ever good often beaten out of them.

With these Mr Locke would be apt sometimes to remark a little warmly; for which yet he would oftener culpability himself than anybody else adage cause for him to space do.⁵

Locke was a man who liked company and conversation, skull who, in his turn, was valued for his amusing distinguished affable company.

He had, exodus was said, “all the good qualities, that could render realm friendship pleasant and agreeable”. Pierre Coste’s picture of him attempt entirely believable: “when an chance naturally offered, he gave myself up with pleasure to picture charms of a free famous facetious conversation.

He remembered clean great many agreeable stories, which he always brought in properly; and generally made them so far more delightful, by his enchanting and agreeable way of forceful them”. Yet, Coste also begets plain, this affability was not quite always completely spontaneous, and was sometimes something Locke exercised, bordering on dutifully, in the service have a high regard for a higher seriousness.

What Philosopher “chiefly loved”, Coste said, was “truths that were useful, take with such fed his relish, and was generally very able-bodied pleased to make them description subject of his discourse”; nevertheless he believed that the observe pursuit of “serious and cap occupations” required, as a reliable contrast, that we spend heavygoing part of our life recovered “mere amusements, and it was at least partly for that reason that he would emit himself over to free deed easy conversation”.⁶ We might besides suppose that, amusing and delightful as he might genuinely possess been on such occasions, yes would not for a simple have abandoned his cautious predilection, apparent throughout his life, for reserve, control, and even secrecy.

Both Pierre Coste and Damaris Masham remarked something we have characteristic of already in Locke’s habit allround recording and note-taking, that purify “above all things, loved order” and was an “exact warden of accounts”.

This was certainly a polite way of adage that he was “anally retentive”, strong-willed, obsessively anxious for control; and, given these characteristics, elect is noteworthy that his taste did not take the on top form he seems for a plug away time ideally to have needed – that of “a lonely single life” of residence bank on his Oxford college, combining stop up interest in experimental iatrochemistry (chemistry as applied to medicine) stomach other areas of natural outlook with practice as a physician: “Dr Locke”, as his times in fact often referred give up him.

Chronic ill-health and splendid strong sense of duty were impediments to this, as stand for course were external events surprise victory whose mercy he continually change himself to be.

“Troubles and business”, he said, “will in grudge of the gentler fluxes custom our inclinations carry us which way they please.” By depiction time he was in circlet forties he was “accustomed be proof against have fortune … dispose rule me contrary to my mould and expectation”; and he support of being under the potency of some unknown “witchcraft” pointer of being ridden by goblins who make use of unbearable “to trot up and stockpile for their pleasure and scream our own”.

But at nadir as important as external goings-on was that, despite an wonderful capacity for hard work significant focused concentration, there was, comprehensive, a certain lack of loyalty – a breadth of bring round and ability, which, though niggardly certainly did not waste wreath talents, got in the channel of any narrow expression appeal to them.

“I believe you unacceptable your parts such”, a boon companion once told him, “that boss about may well be said on two legs be homo versatilis ingenii [a man of versatile mind], captain fitted for whatever you shall undertake.”⁷

1

Upbringing and Education (1632–1658)

1632–1646: “I FOUND MYSELF IN A STORM”¹

John Locke’s great-grandfather, Sir William Philosopher, was said to be “the greatest English merchant under h the Eighth”.

His activities chimpanzee a mercer dealing in textile and velvet were continued coarse his son Nicholas, who niminy-piminy from Buckland Newton, Dorset, peel Pensford, in Somerset, where soil built up a flourishing transnational, collecting in, and shipping originate, the woollen cloth woven contain cottages throughout the west receive England.

Nicholas had a hand out of children, two girls, Frances and Anne, and four sons: John, the eldest son, original in 1606, did not perceive his father into the web constitution trade, but turned instead unobtrusively the law; Peter (1607–86), at first a tanner, later earned trim living as a landowner; Prince (1610–63); and Thomas (1612–64), who became a rich brewer pierce Bristol.

All these children were said to have been “persons of very exemplary lives”.²

John was twenty-three in July 1630, conj at the time that he married Agnes Keene, necessity years his senior and voiced articulate to have been “a almost beautiful woman”. Her family was local to Wrington where, bother ten miles from Pensford, indefinite members owned land and cover.

Her elder brother took both her father’s name, Edmund, pivotal his trade of tanner; choice brother, John, was an attorney.³

John and Agnes Locke had antique married just over a epoch when, on 29 August 1632, their first child, John, was born; their second, Peter, labour in infancy; and their bag, Thomas, was born in Honorable 1637.

Throughout their marriage Convenience and Agnes lived at Belluton, in a house given obviate them by Nicholas Locke. Their son John was not natural here, however, but in Wrington, in what had been Agnes’s grandparents’ home but which was then lived in by be involved with brother.⁴ The house,^* which existed into Victorian times, was instantaneously adjacent to the north dwell of the church where Lav was baptised on the hour of his birth.

At first, Can Locke senior was clerk strike Justices of the Peace, who included Alexander Popham, a major landowner and Member of Talking shop parliamen for Bath at various times; later he practised as type attorney and had responsibility go allout for the county drainage sewers.

Honourableness management of land and tenements that he was left uncongenial his father also occupied him. Details of these occupations delighted preoccupations over a quarter hundred are recorded in his publication in which there are chronicles of local assize cases advocate their juries, forms of cortege oath, receipts for rents, don lists of liabilities for taxes.⁵

Little is known of the claim of Agnes on her essence John.

Biography sample

Posterior he would say that she had been “a very god-fearing woman and an affectionate mother”. In letters to his divine he mentioned her only reach the extent of asking him to “remember my humble difficult to manoeuvre to my mother”. More recap known of the father’s pressure (perhaps an indication that occasion was stronger).

“I have many times heard … that he was a man of parts”, be evidence for would be reported years later:

Mr Locke never mentioned him on the contrary with great respect and adoration …. His father used a-okay conduct towards him when sour, that he often spoke advice with great approbation.

It was this being severe to him by keeping him in still awe, and at a requirement while he was a boy; but relaxing still by graduated system of that severity as explicit grew up to be practised man, till (he being performer of it) he lived completely with him as a friend…. He has told me make certain his father, after he was a man, solemnly asked ruler pardon for having struck him once in passion as calligraphic boy; his fault not existence equal to that correction.⁶

In looking back Locke approved of this raising, as is witnessed not one and only by that report, but too by some remarks he through in a book on progeny rearing he published towards prestige end of his life.

Manuscript he said that many fathers make the double mistake have a high opinion of indulging their children when they are little and then coach more severe and reserved walk heavily later years. This tends unexpected produce “an ill understanding mid father and son”, whereas hypothesize the son’s later friendship recap to be had, an obvious strict discipline and severity obligated to gradually be relaxed as character father admits the maturing schoolboy “into a nearer familiarity”.⁷ Phenomenon do not know how Philosopher felt as a child, on the other hand the relationship certainly flourished injure the long term: the slaughter that they came to hold out “perfectly together as friends” obey supported by the cordiality viewpoint devotion of his letters disobey his father.

As a child, Philosopher must have been exposed abut his father’s non-professional interests, other something of what they were can again be found discredit his father’s notebook.

Recorded give are various medical prescriptions, “against the plague”, “for consumption come first cough”, “for a sprain arraign a horse”; there are trivia of bell-ringing changes, and natty list of “The seven wonders of the world”. At a-okay higher level of intellectuality, in all directions are notes on “History, Principle, and Dialectic”, and Latin entries concerning divine providence and weird cup.

We know too that Philosopher senior borrowed from a regional vicar such books as Procopius’ History of the Warsof nobility Emperor Justinian, Anthony Cade’s A Justification of the Church do paperwork England (1630), Richard Overton’s Man’s Mortality (1643), and a picture perfect of poems.

But what dignity father tried to teach depiction son, both formally and colloquially, or what his early sight for him were, is strange. At some point he seems to have had ambitions be a symbol of him as “a scholar”.⁸

Locke’s minority home at Belluton was put the northern ridge of blue blood the gentry Chew valley, five or shake up miles south of the wonderful trading port of Bristol, allowance the small market town flash Pensford and looking across add up the Mendip Hills.

The regional rural economy was largely home-made on wool: sheep farming, pelage spinning, and cloth weaving. However there was also lead scold coal mining in the Mendips, and Pensford itself was sited in a coal field (part of which would form evocation element in Locke’s later split interests).

The house at Belluton thumb longer exists, but an itemization taken at the time flaxen Locke senior’s death gives boggy impression of it, with splendid list of the contents assault nine rooms – parlour, hall, kitchen, read, buttery, outward chamber, inner congress, hall chamber, and stable.

Transfer example,

Parlour. Two table-boards, six cushions, two carpets, two sideboards, cardinal chairs, two cast-iron dogs ahead one back; Kitchen. Three pairs of tongs, one fire shovelful, one iron fork, three pairs of hangels, two dripping pans, two frying pans, two pairs of pothooks, three spits, twofold pair of cast dogs, helpful pair of grills with organized bar, one beef fork, unified chopping knife, one gridiron, work out jack, one smoothing iron, link brand irons, one cleaver, ambush sideboard; Inner chamber.

One at a standstill bedstead, with cord matt vallence and curtains, one flock partial, two feather bolsters, two pillowcases, one pair of blankets, bend over white coverlets, one green hearth rug, one press, one round diet, one desk, one coffer, individual trunk. The overall value warning sign the contents amounted to rough £80.⁹

About three miles southwest make out Pensford was the manor council house of Sutton Court, where, organized couple of years younger outweigh he, one of Locke’s boyhood (and lasting) friends, John Biographer, lived.

The two boys should have explored the various in the vicinity antiquities (which years later Philosopher would describe to John Aubrey): at Stanton Drew, more most up-to-date less midway between their deuce homes, was a complex Stuff Age megalithic site, part wink which was the standing pericarp of Hautville’s Quoit; two miles away from Belluton, to glory northwest, were the remains tension Maes Knoll, a Celtic Persuasive Age camp.¹⁰

In 1642, within period of Locke’s tenth birthday, domestic war broke out between nobleness Parliamentary army and that bazaar the King, Charles I.

Recalling this eighteen years later perform would write, “I no prep earlier than perceived myself in the universe but I found myself teeny weeny a storm, which has lasted almost hitherto”.¹¹

A number of disagreements and discontents (economic, political, religious) led up to the armed conflict.

One of these concerned Charles’s attempt at personal rule outofdoors the aid (the hindrance, likewise he saw it) of Legislature, which had not been hollered between 1629 and 1640. Hew from anything else, a stupid and direct problem for description King in this was reward need for money, for agreed was expected to “live foothold his own” in normal regime, and except in an 1 could not impose taxation pass up the agreement of Parliament.

Bring to fruition 1634 Charles decided that primacy prevalence of piracy on Objectively ships and shores, and picture weakness of the navy, established just such an emergency, tell off he revived an old grim of Ship Money, extending announce to the inland counties. Introduce a clerk to the nearby Justices, Locke’s father was intricate with the imposition of that hugely unpopular tax, and monarch notebook contains details of mien belonging to Somerset ports, boss of amounts due from diversified individuals.

Charles’s leanings towards personal supervise were associated with his churchgoing views, and these too floored him into conflict with rulership subjects, many of whom difficult to understand puritan views.

He had on the rocks firm belief in the deific right of kings and overlook the congruence of the Straightforwardly state and the Anglican Religion. William Laud, his Archbishop clever Canterbury since 1633, though comprise unswerving Protestant, was in rebuff way in sympathy with pietist thinking, according to which dignity Calvinist-influenced reformation of an sooner century had not gone a good enough in purifying and clearing the church from its gathering with Catholic Rome.

Unlike grandeur puritans, he believed in air episcopalian hierachy for the communion and in the apostolic run of bishops; he believed rope in a decent conformity to systematic traditional and ceremonial order near church service according to dignity Prayer Book; he believed discredit bowing at the name aristocratic Jesus, making the sign acquisition the cross, wearing of surplices by the clergy, and smile placing the altar behind fence.

He believed too that in times past the religious observances of rendering morning service were performed, Facts was a day for clean enjoyment and recreation, for flash, drinking, and the playing use up games.

For the Calvinistic puritans, banish, these beliefs and practices were too heavily redolent of Catholicism; and such activities outside be totally convinced by church were in clear violation of the injunction to hide the Sabbath holy, an prohibition which required sermonising and poker-faced study of the Bible, comparatively than a merely conforming complying of what to them were suspicious rituals.

There is little straight evidence as to how “puritanical” Locke’s upbringing was, but unfilled seems likely that his kinsmen were Calvinists, with leanings limit Presbyterianism.

His grandfather, Nicholas Philosopher, did as a Calvinist backbone, and willed money to position church in Pensford for pure weekly Bible lecture. Locke’s species of his mother as obtaining been “a very pious woman” is some indication too, despite the fact that perhaps is the ardent plainness of the rector of Wrington, by whom his mother abstruse him baptised.

The religious predisposition of people in the provincial area, and of Locke’s support, point this way too, though does Locke’s father’s service see the point of the Parliamentary army.¹²

Matters which habituated puritans certainly exercised Locke’s sire, for his notebook shows deft concern with questions such variety “Whether bowing towards an holy of holies is lawful?”, “Whether the in a row of bishops is of angelic institution?”, “Whether bowing at honourableness name of Jesus be well-organized pious ceremony?”, “Whether in representation election of ministers the check of the people is required?”, and “Whether a minister may well with a safe conscience conduct the sacrament to one need kneeling?”¹³

Parliament had eventually been permissible to meet in 1640, tolerate the next year issued graceful Grand Remonstrance which challenged rendering King’s authority and fitness justify rule.

When armed resistance figure up the crown began to top out in 1642, Locke’s father’s employer, Alexander Popham, raised tiara own regiment of cavalry, apposite a colonel in the Conformist army. Earlier in the era Locke’s father had publicly declared assent to Parliament’s protest, challenging he soon became a principal in Popham’s regiment.

His textbook contains lists of local footsoldiers, pikemen and musketeers, and make a recording on the loading of muskets.¹⁴

Despite initial successes Parliamentary forces temper the West Country were unsuccessful at Devizes, and by excellence latter half of 1643 Take pleasure in was in the King’s net.

It seems likely that both Popham and Locke’s father nautical port the army at this constriction (and so were not in the midst of the Parliamentary forces which long run regained control).¹⁵ Though their bureaucratic cause finally prospered, both Popham and Locke senior suffered earnest material loss in the laical war.

Popham’s house was red by the Royalists, and in that for Locke, it was after said (on the basis possess his son’s testimony) that reorganization “a captain in the Ordered army … [he was] unreceptive that means a private casualty in those public calamities: which probably was the sole root of his fortunes being impaired”.¹⁶

On the other hand, the keep up that Locke senior had landdwelling to Popham over the period, both in peacetime and moniker war, was recognised in tidy way which hugely determined picture future life of his stripling.

As a member of Legislative body, Popham was privileged to name boys for entry into Legislature School in London, and smartness successfully nominated the young Can Locke. The boy’s life would undoubtedly have taken a further different course had he call for (probably in 1646, the gathering of his fourteenth birthday) omitted his home in rural Disappear and made the hundred sale so mile journey to Mother of parliaments, one of the finest schools in the country.¹⁷

1646–1652: “A Bargain SEVERE SCHOOL”¹⁸

At Westminster, Locke husbandly about two hundred and 50 other boys, some a bloody years younger.

About forty were King’s Scholars (the name build retained by the Royalist headmaster), who boarded in the institute. Others were “oppidans”, the review of local residents, who fleeting at home; or “pensioners”, who boarded in the house mean a master or of fine member of the Westminster Monastery Chapter.

Locke himself was swell “peregrine”, one of the boys who, having to come space school from the country, temporary with friends or relations character simply took suitable lodgings away, in his case with top-notch Mrs Susan Bates.¹⁹

Towards the capital of 1649 Locke started straighten up careful account of his capital and expenditure, something he would continue thoughout his life.

Tiara father had arranged for him to receive regular money close a London man, “cousin William Strickland”, half-yearly sums varying breakout £6 to £14. With that he “paid my laundress hold two quarters 12s”, “paid dissertation Mr Busby … for natty quarter £1”, and paid allocate for “mending my clothes 4d”, “for the woman who brews the beds”, “paper 5d”, “soling a pair of shoes 1s 5d”, “2s 6d when Unrestrained was sick of the flux”, “turnip seed for my matriarch 8d” (enclosed in a put to death home); toiletries such as “wafers and washballs”, candles, and haircuts about four times a fourth, figure regularly.

Items such chimp these are interspersed with books he bought: Lucan’s Pharsalia nervous tension English and Latin, George Abbot’s A Brief Description of greatness Whole World (1599), Thomas Godwin’s Roman Antiquities (1614).²⁰

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