ceived for him, almoft the first moment he faw him, and which he afterwards preferved as long as he lived. And indeed, nothing fet Mr. LOCKE's merit in a better light, than the constant esteem of my Lord SHAFTS, BURY, the greatest Genius of his age, fuperior to fo many great men that shone at the fame time at the Court of CHARLES II, not only for his refolution and intrepidity in maintaining the true interefts of his Country; but also for his great abilities in the conduct of the most knotty affairs. When Mr. LOCKE ftudied at Oxford, he fell by accident into his company, and one fingle converfation with that great man, won him his esteem and confidence to fuch a degree, that foon afterwards my Lord SHAFTSBURY took him to be near his perfon, and kept him as long as Mr. LOCKE's health or affairs wou'd permit. That Earl particularly excell'd in the knowledge of men. It was impoffible to catch his esteem by moderate qualities; this his enemies themfelves cou'd never deny. I wish I cou'd, on the other hand, give you a full notion of the idea which Mr. LOCKE had of that Nobleman's merit. He loft no opportunity of fpeaking of it; and that in a manner which fufficiently fhewed he spoke from his heart. Tho' my Lord SHAFTSBURY had not spent much time in reading; nothing, in

Mr.

Mr. LOCKE's opinion, cou'd be more juft than the judgment he pafs'd upon the Books, which fell into his hands. He presently faw thro' the design of a Work; and without much heeding the words, which he ran over, with vaft rapidity, he immediately found whether the author was mafter of his subject, and whether his reasonings were exact. But above all, Mr. LOCKE admired in him that penetration, that presence of mind which always prompted him with the beft expedients, in the most desperate cafes; that noble boldness, which appear'd in all his public Discourses; always guided by a folid Judgment, which never allowing him to fay any thing but what was proper, regulated his leaft word, and left no hold to the vigilance of his Enemies.

During the time Mr. LOCKE lived with that illuftrious Lord, he had the advantage of becoming acquainted with all the polite, the witty, and agreeable part of the Court. It was then, that he got the habit of those obliging and benevolent manners, which fupported by an easy and polite expreffion, a great knowledge of the world, and a vast extent of Capacity, made his conversation so agreeable to all forts of people. It was then too, without doubt, that he fitted himself for the great affairs, of which he afterwards appeared fo capable.

I know not whether it was the ill ftate of his health, that obliged him, in the reign of King WILLIAM, to refufe going Ambaffador to one of the moft confiderable Courts in Europe. It is certain that great Prince judged him worthy of that poft, and no body doubts but he wou'd have filled it glorioufly.

The fame Prince, after this, gave him a place among the Lords Commiffioners, whom he established for advancing the interest of Trade and the Plantations. Mr. LOCKE executed that employment for feveral years; and it is faid (abfit invidia verbo) that he was in a manner the Soul of that illuftrious Body. The most experienced Merchants were furprized, that a man who had spent his life in the ftudy of Phyfic, of polite Literature, or of Philofophy, fhould have more extensive and certain views, than themselves, in a business which they had wholly applied themselves to from their youth. At length, when Mr. LOCKE could no longer pafs the Summer at London without endangering his life, he went and refigned that Office to the King himself, upon account that his health wou'd permit him to ftay no longer in Town. This reafon did not hinder the King from intreating Mr. LOCKE to continue in his Poft, telling him exprefly, that tho' he cou'd flay

at

at London but a few weeks, his fervices in that office wou'd yet be very neceffary to him but at length he yielded to the reprefentations of Mr. LoCKE, who could not prevail upon himself, to hold an Employment of that importance, without doing the duties of it more regularly. He formed and executed this defign, without mentioning a word of it to any body whatsoever; thus avoiding with a generosity rarely to be found, what others wou'd have earnestly laid out after: for by making it known, that he was about to quit that Employment, which brought him in a thousand pounds a year, he might eafily have enter'd into a kind of compofition with any pretender, who having particular notice of this news, and being befriended with Mr. LOCKE's intereft, might have carried the Poft from any other person. This, we may be fure, he was told of, and that too by way of reproach. I knew it very well, replied he; but this was the very reason why I communicated my defign to no body. I received this Place from the King himself, and to him I refolved to restore it, to difpofe of it as he thought proper. HEU prifca fides! Where are fuch examples, at this day, to be met with?

One thing, which those who lived for any time with Mr. LOCKE cou'd not help ob

ferving

ferving in him; was, that he took a delight in making use of his Reason in every thing he did and nothing that is attended with any usefulness, seem'd unworthy his care; fo that we may say of him, what was faid of Queen ELIZABETH, that he was no lefs. capable of fmall things, than of great. He used often to say himself, that there was an art in every thing; and it was eafy to be convinced of it, to fee the manner in which he went about the most trifling thing he did, and always with fome good reason. I might here defcend into particulars, which, probably to many wou'd not be unpleasant: but the bounds I have fet my felf, and the fear of taking up too many pages in your Journal, will not give me leave to do it.

Mr. LOCKE above all things, loved Order; and he had got the way of observing it in every thing, with wonderful exactness.

As he always kept the Useful in his eye in all his difquifitions, he esteemed the employments of men, only in proportion to the good they were capable of producing for which reason he had no great value for those Critics, or mere Grammarians, that wafte their lives in comparing words and phrafes, and in coming to a determination in the choice of a various reading, in a paffage that has nothing important in it. He cared yet less for those

profeffed