was never offended when any one did not agree with his opinion. There are, nevertheless, a species of disputants who, after having been refuted several times, always return to the charge, and only repeat the same argument. These he could not endure, and he sometimes talked of them with impatience; but he was the first to acknowledge that he had been too hasty. In the most trifling circumstances of life, as well as in speculative opinions, he was always ready to be convinced by reason, let the information come from whomsoever it might. He was the most faithful follower, or indeed the slave of truth, which he never abandoned on any account, and which he loved for its own sake.

"He accommodated himself to the level of the most moderate understandings; and in disputing with them, he did not diminish the force of their arguments against himself, although they were not well expressed by those who had used them. He felt pleasure in conversing with all sorts of people, and tried to profit by their information; which arose not only from the good education he had received, but from the opinion he entertained, that there was nobody from whom something useful could not be got. And indeed by this means he had learned so many things, concerning the arts and trade, that he seemed to have made them his particular study; insomuch that those whose pro

fession they were, often profited by his information, and consulted him with advantage. Bad manners particularly annoyed and disgusted him, when he saw they proceeded not from ignorance of the world, but from pride, from haughtiness, from ill-nature, from brutal stupidity, and other similar vices; otherwise, he was far from despising whomever it might be for having a disagreeable appearance. He considered civility not only as something agreeable and proper to gain people's hearts, but as a duty of Christianity, which ought to be more insisted on than it commonly is. He recommended, with reference to this, a tract of Messrs. de Port Royal, "Sur les Moyens de conserver la Paix avec les Hommes ;" and he much approved the sermons he had heard from Mr. Whichcote, a doctor of divinity, on this subject, and which have since been printed.

"His conversation was very agreeable to all sorts of people, and even to ladies; and nobody was better received than he was among people of the highest rank. He was by no means austere; and as the conversation of well-bred people is usually more easy, and less studied and formal, if Mr. Locke had not naturally these talents, he had acquired them by intercourse with the world: and what made him so much the more agreeable was, that those who were not acquainted with him, did not expect to find such manners in a man so much

devoted to study. Those who courted the acquaintance of Mr. Locke, to collect what might be learnt from a man of his understanding, and who approached him with respect, were surprised to find in him not only the manners of a well-bred man, but also all the attention which they could expect. He often spoke against raillery, which is the most hazardous part of conversation if not managed with address; and though he excelled in it himself, he never said any thing which could shock or injure any body. He knew how to soften every thing he said, and to give it an agreeable turn. If he joked his friends, it was about a trifling fault, or about something which it was advantageous for them to know. As he was particularly civil, even when he began to joke, people were satisfied that he would end by saying something obliging. He never ridiculed a misfortune or any natural defect.

"He was very charitable to the poor, provided they were not the idle or the profligate, who did not frequent any church, or who spent their Sundays. in an ale-house. He felt, above all, compassion for those who, after having worked hard in their youth, sunk into poverty in their old age. He said, that it was not sufficient to keep them from starving, but that they ought to be enabled to live with some comfort. He sought opportunities of doing good to deserving objects; and often in his walks he visited the poor of the neighbourhood, and gave them

wherewithal to relieve their wants, or to buy the medicines he prescribed for them if they were sick, and had no medical aid.

He did not like any thing to be wasted: which was, in his opinion, losing the treasure of which God had made us the economists. He himself was very regular, and kept exact accounts of every thing.

"If he had any defect, it was the being somewhat passionate; but he had got the better of it by reason, and it was very seldom that it did him or any one else any harm. He often described the ridicule of it; and said that it availed nothing in the education of children, nor in keeping servants in order, and that it only lessened the authority which one had over them. He was kind to his servants, and showed them, with gentleness, how he wished to be served. He not only kept strictly a secret which had been confided to him, but he never mentioned any thing which could prove injurious, although he had not been enjoined secrecy; nor could he ever wrong a friend by any sort of indiscretion or inadvertency. He was an exact observer of his word, and what he promised was sacred. He was scrupulous about recommending people whom he did not know, and he could not bring himself to praise those whom he did not think worthy. If he was told that his recommendations had not produced the effect which was ex

pected, he said, that it arose from his never having deceived any body by saying more than he knew, that what he answered for might be found as he stated it; and that, if he acted otherwise, his recommendations would have no weight.

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His greatest amusement was to talk with sensible people, and he courted their conversation. He possessed all the requisite qualities for keeping up an agreeable and friendly intercourse. He only played at cards to please others, although from having often found himself among people who did, he played well enough when he set about it; but he never proposed it, and said it was only an amusement for those who had no conversation.

"In his habits he was clean, without affectation or singularity: he was naturally very active, and occupied himself as much as his health would admit of. Sometimes he took pleasure in working in a garden, which he understood perfectly. He liked exercise, but the complaint on his chest not allowing him to walk much, he used to ride after dinner when he could no longer bear the motion of a horse, he used to go out in a wheel-chair; and he always wished for a companion, even if it were only a child, for he felt pleasure in talking with well-bred children. The weak state of his health was an inconvenience to himself alone, and occasioned no unpleasant sensation to any one, beyond that of seeing him suffer. His diet was the same as