CONSIDERATIONS

UPON THE

REPUTATION, LOYALTY, MANNERS,

AND RELIGION,

OF

THOMAS HOBBES,

OF MALMESBURY,

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF,

BY WAY OF

LETTER TO A LEARNED PERSON

(JOHN WALLIS, D.D.)

THE

BOOKSELLER'S ADVERTISEMENT.

TO THE READERS.

I DO here present you with a piece of Mr. Hobbes's writing; which is not published from an imperfect MS. as his Dialogue of the Civil Wars of England was, by some that had got accidentally a copy of it, absolutely against his consent, as you may see by some passages out of some of his letters to me, which I have here inserted.

66

In his letter of June, 1679, he saith:

"I would fain have published my Dialogue of the Civil Wars of England, long ago; and to that end I presented it to his Majesty: and some days after, when I thought he had read it, I humbly besought him to let me print it; but his Majesty, though he heard me graciously, yet he flatly refused to have it published. Therefore I brought away the book, and gave you leave to take a copy of it; which when you had done, I gave the original to an honourable and learned friend, who about a year after died. The King knows better, and is more concerned in publishing of books than I am therefore I dare not venture to appear in the business, lest it should offend him. Therefore I pray you not to meddle in the business. Rather than to be thought any way to further or countenance the printing, I

would be content to lose twenty times the value of what you can expect to get, &c. I pray do not take it ill; it may be I may live to send you somewhat else as vendible as that: and without offence, I rest Your very humble servant,

Chatsworth, June 19, 1679.

THOMAS HOBBES."

(Part of his letter in July, 1679.)

"If I leave any MSS. worth printing, I will leave you shall have them, if you please. I am Your humble servant,

word

Chatsworth, July 21, 1679.

THOMAS HOBBES."

(Part of his letter, August, 1679.)

"Sir, I thank you for taking my advice in not stirring about the printing of my book concerning the civil wars of England, &c. I am writing somewhat for you to print in English, &c. I am, Sir, Your humble servant,

Chatsworth, Aug. 18, 1679.

THOMAS HOBBES."

That no spurious brats, for the time to come, be fathered upon the deceased author, I have printed, verbatim, these passages out of his letters written to me at several times; their original I have by me. I will be so just to his memory, that I will not print anything but what is perfect, and fitted for the press. And if any book shall be printed with his name to it, that hath not before been printed, you may be confident it is not his, unless printed for WILLIAM CROOKE.

CONSIDERATIONS

UPON THE REPUTATION, &c.

OF

THOMAS HOBBES.

SIR,

I AM One of them that admire your writings; and having read over your Hobbius Heauton-timorumenos, I cannot hold from giving you some account of the causes why I admire it. And first I considered how you handle him for his disloyalty, in these words (page 5): His great Leviathan, wherein he placed his main strength, is now somewhat out of season; which, upon deserting his royal master in distress, for he pretends to have been the King's tutor, though yet, from those who have most reason to know it, I can find but little ground for such a pretence), was written in defence of Oliver's title, or whoever, by whatsoever means, can get to be upmost; placing the whole right of government merely in strength, and absolving all his Majesty's subjects from their allegiance, whenever he is not in a present capacity to force obedience.

That which I observe and admire here, first, is, that you left not this passage out, for two reasons; one, because Mr. Hobbes could long for nothing more than such an occasion to tell the world his own and your little stories, during the time of the late rebellion.