ABSTRACT
In the spring of 1688 readers of Jean Le Clerc's Bibliothèque universelle et historique were presented with an account of a new philosophical work that had been produced by one of the friends of the editor: ‘Extrait d'un Livre Anglois qui n'est pas encore publié, intitulé Essai Philosophique concernant L'entendement, où l'on montre quelle est l'étenduë de nos connoissances certaines, & la maniere dont nous y parvenons. Communiqué par Monsieur Locke’. 1 It was Locke's first publication of any real importance, and it did not fall dead-born from the press. A copy of the journal reached Dublin, where it was read by William Molyneux, who posed his famous question in a letter sent to Locke care of the Bibliothèque universelle. 2 The work also came to the attention of those watchful surveyors of the Republic of Letters, Bayle and Leibniz. 3 Locke himself did his best to make sure it was noticed. While the journal was being printed he took the unusual step of arranging for extra copies of his own contribution — in effect off-prints — to be run off and sent to his friends in England and elsewhere. 4 The printing of these was finished by mid-February and copies had reached England by the end of the month. 5
