J. 98
Enfield’s History of philosophy.
2. v.
8
vo.
1815 Catalogue, page 56. no. 79, as above.
ENFIELD,
William.
The History of Philosophy, from the earliest times to the beginning of the present century; drawn up from Brucker’s Historia
Critica Philosophiæ. By William Enfield, LL.D. . . . In
Two Volumes. Vol. I [-II].
Dublin: Printed for
P. Wogan,
P. Byrne,
A. Grueber [and others] [Printed by
John Ershaw],
1792.
B71 .E6
2 vol. 8vo. Vol. I, 197 leaves, with a folded engraved biographical chart; vol. II, 328 leaves.
Lowndes II, 739 (without date).
Rebound in half red morocco by the Library of Congress in 1903. Initialled by Jefferson at sig. I and T in both volumes.
Purchased from
Patrick Byrne, Philadelphia, in February 1805, price $
4.00.
In a long philosophical letter to John Adams, dated from Monticello, October 12, 1813, Jefferson quoted a long passage from
“
. . . Enfield’s judicious abridgment of Brucker’s history of Philosophy, in which he has reduced 5. or 6. quarto vol(
~s
)
of 1000. pages each of Latin closely printed, to two moderate 8
vos. of English open type . . .
”
In the same letter Jefferson wrote: “
. . . For a comparison of the Graecian philosophy with that of Jesus, materials might be largely drawn from the same source.
Enfield gives a history, & detailed account of the opinions & principles of the different sects. these relate to
"
the gods, their natures, grades, places and powers;
"
the demi-gods and daemons, and their agency with man;
"
the Universe, it’s structure, extent and duration;
"
the origin of things from the elements of fire, water, air and earth;
"
the human soul, it’s essence and derivation;
"
the summum bonum, and finis bonorum; with a thousand idle dreams & fancies on these and other subjects the knolege of which
is withheld from man, leaving but a short chapter for his moral duties, and the principal section of that given to what he
owes himself, to precepts for rendering him impassible, and unassailable by the evils of life, and for preserving his mind
in a state of constant serenity . . .
”
Again in a letter to Adams, January 24, 1814, continuing the discussion Jefferson wrote: “
. . . Enfield has given us a more distinct account of the ethics of the antient philosophers; but the great work, of which
Enfield’s is an abridgment, Brucker’s history of Philosophy, is the treasure which I would wish to possess, as a book of reference
or of special research only, for who could read, 6. vol
(
~s
)
4
to. of 1000 pages each, closely printed, of modern Latin?
”
William Enfield, 1741-1797, English divine and author. This is a pirated edition of his work, of which the first edition had been printed
in London in the previous year.
Johann Jakob Brucker, 1696-1770, German historian of philosophy. The first edition of his
Historia Critica Philosophiae
was published in Leipzig, 1742-47, 6 vol. quarto.
[1337]
99
Locke on Toleration.
16
s.
1815 Catalogue, page 58. no. 51, as above.
Jefferson bought a copy of an edition printed in 1790 from
Lackington (through
Donald & Co.) billed with others on December 31st, 1791, price
6d.
Lackington’s bill gives only the no. in his catalogue, 3944, the key-word, and the price; the other particulars are supplied
by Jefferson in his own hand:
on toleration. 12
mo. 1790.
The book was either not delivered to Congress, or disappeared at an early date. It is entered in the 1815 Catalogue, as above,
but is marked
missing in the contemporary working copy. It is not on the list of missing books supplied by Jefferson to Milligan on March 28, 1815, after the sale of the library.
[1338]
