"Do but think then what a Pleasure, what an Advantage it would be to me, to have you by me, who have so much Thought, so much Clearness, so much Penetration, all directed to the same Aim which I propose to my self, in all the Ramblings of my Mind."
— Locke, John (1632-1704)
Author
Date
June 15, 1697; 1708
Metaphor
"Do but think then what a Pleasure, what an Advantage it would be to me, to have you by me, who have so much Thought, so much Clearness, so much Penetration, all directed to the same Aim which I propose to my self, in all the Ramblings of my Mind."
Metaphor in Context
[...] I never have any Thoughts working in my Head, or any new Project start in my Mind, but my Wishes carry me immediately to you, and I desire to lay them before you. You may justly think this carries a pretty severe Reflection on my Country, or my self, that in it I have not a Friend to communicate my Thoughts with. I cannot much complain of want of Friends to other Purposes: But a Man with whom one can freely seek Truth, without any Regard to old or new, fashionable or not fashionable, but Truth merely for Truth's sake, is what is scarce to be found in an Age; and such an one I take you to be. Do but think then what a Pleasure, what an Advantage it would be to me, to have you by me, who have so much Thought, so much Clearness, so much Penetration, all directed to the same Aim which I propose to my self, in all the Ramblings of my Mind. I, on this Occasion, mention only the Wants that I daily feel, which makes me not so often speak of the other Advantages I mould receive from the Communication of your own Notions, as well as from the Correction of mine. But with this Repining I trouble you too much, and for the Favours I receive from you thank you too little, and rejoice not enough in having such a Friend, though at a distance.
(p. 174)
(p. 174)
Categories
Provenance
Searching in Google Books
Citation
3 entries in ESTC for uniform title Some Familiar Letters Between Mr. Locke and Several of His Friends (1708, 1737, 1742).
Text from Familiar Letters Between Mr. John Locke, and Several of His Friends. In Which Are Explain'd, His Notions in His Essay Concerning Human Understanding, and in Some of His Other Works, 4th ed. (London: Printed for F. Noble; T. Wright; and J. Duncan, 1742). <Link to ESTC><Link to Google Books>. ESTC note: "A reissue of the 1737 Bettesworth and Hitch edition, with the addition of the 'life', and a cancel titlepage."
See also Some Familiar Letters Between Mr. Locke, and Several of His Friends. (London: Printed for A. and J. Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster Row, 1708). <Link to ESTC><Link to Google Books>
Text from Familiar Letters Between Mr. John Locke, and Several of His Friends. In Which Are Explain'd, His Notions in His Essay Concerning Human Understanding, and in Some of His Other Works, 4th ed. (London: Printed for F. Noble; T. Wright; and J. Duncan, 1742). <Link to ESTC><Link to Google Books>. ESTC note: "A reissue of the 1737 Bettesworth and Hitch edition, with the addition of the 'life', and a cancel titlepage."
See also Some Familiar Letters Between Mr. Locke, and Several of His Friends. (London: Printed for A. and J. Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster Row, 1708). <Link to ESTC><Link to Google Books>
Date of Entry
10/13/2013
