36. An " Essay " Concerning " Humane Understanding. " In Four Books. [Quotation, Group of Ornaments] London: " Printed by Eliz. Holt, for Thomas Ba??et, at the " George in Fleet-?treet, near St Dun?tan's " Church. MDCXC.

Locke's two previous works had been issued anonymously; but this book, while it has no name on the title-page, has the author's name signed at the foot of the dedication to Thomas, Earl of Pembroke; a dedication of such fulsome compliment that even Pope, who called Locke his philosophic master, is said to have thought he could never forgive it. In the first edition, that appeared early in the year, the dedication is not dated, but "Dorset Court, May 24, 1689," appears in all the following issues.

Basset paid thirty pounds for the copyright of the work, and later agreed to give six bound copies of every subsequent edition, and ten shillings for every sheet of additional matter.

Some copies of the first edition have the imprint: Printed for Tho. Ba??et, and ?old by Edw. Mory " at the Sign of the Three Bibles in St. Paul's Church-Yard. MDCXC. They probably belong to an earlier issue: the two ss in Essay, which were here printed upside down, were set right in the title-pages of the issue facsimiled; and the group of printer's ornaments, here placed irregularly, were straightened in our copy.

In August, 1692, Locke writes: "I am happy to tell you that a new edition of my book is called for, which, in the present turmoil of the protestant world, I consider very satisfactory." The month of September, 1694 brought the book again before the public, and by the year 1800 twenty different editions had been published.

The first edition was full of faults that the second aimed to correct. "Be?ides what is already mentioned, this Second Edition has the Summaries of the several § §. not only Printed, as before, in a Table by them?elves, but in the Margent too. And at the end there is now an Index added. The?e two, with a great number of ?hort additions, amendments, and alterations, are advantages of this Edition, which the bookseller hopes will make it ?ell. For as to the larger additions and alterations, I have obliged him, and he has promi?ed me to print them by them?elves, ?o that the former Edition may not be wholly lo?t to tho?e who have it, but by the in?erting in their proper places the pa??ages that will be imprinted alone, to that purpo?e, the former Book may be made as little defective as po??ible."

The amendments and alterations were printed on separate slips of paper, which were given to purchasers of the first edition to be pasted into their copies; certainly an ingenious if not altogether satisfactory way of keeping abreast with the author's mind. It must have been considered useful, however, for the same plan was resorted to with the fourth edition.

"Our friend Dr. Locke, I am told, has made an addition to his excellent 'Essay,' which may be had without purchasing the whole book," said the thrifty Evelyn to the careful Pepys, who replied: "Dr. Locke has set a useful example to future reprinters. I hope it will be followed in books of value." A copy of the book in the Bodleian Library, which has its little slips all carefully pasted in, has a note on the fly-leaf, written by its owner:

"Here is observable the honesty of the great Mr. Locke in printing for the purchasers of this edition the improvements made in the second."

Folio.

Collation: A, four leaves; [a], two leaves; B-Z, Aa-Zz, and Aaa-Ccc, in fours.