Mary Astell and John Norris

Letters Concerning the Love of God

Melvyn New, E. Derek Taylor

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2017
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9781351919548
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

Given the progress made in recent years in recovering the writings of early modern women, one might expect that a complete set of the important works of Mary Astell (1666-1731) would have been reissued long before now. Instead, only portions of the thought of the 'First English Feminist' have reached a wide academic audience. This volume presents a critical and annotated edition of the correspondence between Astell and John Norris of Bemerton (1657-1711), Letters Concerning the Love of God, which was published in three separate editions during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (1695, 1705, 1730). This work had profound significance in eighteenth-century intellectual and religious circles, and represents a crucial step in the development of Norris and Astell's philosophical and theological opposition to that most prominent of Enlightenment figures, John Locke. Letters Concerning the Love of God includes, as contextual material, Norris's Cursory Reflections upon a Book Call'd, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), the first published philosophical response to (as Bishop Stillingfleet would later put it) Locke's 'new way of ideas,' and Astell's biting and comprehensive attack on Locke in the 'Appendix' to the second edition of The Christian Religion, As Professed by a Daughter of the Church of England (1717). These texts serve to place both Letters and its authors in the contentious philosophical-theological climate to which they belonged, one wherein, most significantly, Locke's present-day preeminence had yet to be realized. The editors' extensive introduction and annotations to this volume not only provide background on the historical and biographical elements, but also elucidate philosophical and theological concepts that are perhaps unfamiliar to modern readers.

Appendix One

List of emendations and historical collation

All changes to the copy-text (siglum 2) and all variants between the copy-text and the first edition (siglum 1) – substantive and accidental – are recorded in this list, with the exceptions outlined in the “Note on the Text” (see above, pp. 50–52). The basic entry includes the page, line number, and reading of the present text, followed by a square bracket. For emendations, an indication of the origination of the emendation, whether in the first edition (1) or our own editorial hand (siglum: ed.) is provided immediately after the bracket; for the historical collation, we have simply indicated that our reading is also the reading of the copy-text (2). After a semicolon, the rejected copy-text reading for all emendations is provided; or, for the historical collation, the reading of the first edition (in its ideal form). An inferior caret _^ calls attention to omitted punctuation. A wavy line ~ takes the place of a repeated word when the variant to be noted is in the pointing. A single vertical line | indicates the end of a line in the copy-text.

...

56.3	here laid] 2; herelaid 1
56.12	Nature. And] 2; ~, ~ 1
56.32	Contemplation.] 2; ~ ^ 1
56.33	However] 2; However 1
56.40	consummated] ed.; comsummated 1, 2
57.1	Divine] 2; divine 1
57.17	Man, and Man ^ dares] 2; ~ ^ ~ ~, ~ 1
57.19	Love] 2; love 1
57.25	defectiveness] 2; Defectiveness 1
57.30	tell, it may be, in] 2; ~ ^ ~ ~ ~ ^ ~ 1
57.30	measure] 2; Measure 1
57.31	Passion ^ would] 2; ~, ~ 1
57.33	representation] 2; Representation 1
57.35	parts] 2; Parts 1
57.35	Men, armed] 2; ~ ^ arm’d 1
58.4	measures] 2; Measures 1
58.4	heighth] 2; Heighth 1
58.11	degree] 2; Degree 1
58.13	tho’] 2; though 1
58.14–15	Soul ^ and] 2; ~, ~ 1
58.18	behalf] 2; Behalf 1
58.19	stretch] 2; Stretch 1
58.22	condescends] 2; condescendes 1
58.30	way, as in] 2; Way, particularly in 1
58.31–32	Theresa … Pensées] 2; Theresa, especially in her Pensées 1
58.34	Christ: … Book] 2; Christ, and the great French Poet Corneille in a Book 1
58.35	Passage;] 2; ~. 1
59.1	Affection,] 2; ~ ^ 1
59.7	doit]1; doir 2
59.8	purpose] 2; Purpose 1
59.11	Bishop] 2; Bishop 1
59.12	Seventh] 2; seventh 1
59.13	thus;] 2; ~: 1
59.14	one] 1; on 2
59.18	enumeration] 2; Enumeration 1
59.34	Co-rival] ed.; Corsival 1; Corrival 2
60.19	measure] 2; Measure 1
60.32	more than GOD, &c.] 2 [see note to 60.32]
60.33	Conclusion,] 2; ~; 1
60.36–37	as many may imagine] 2; as many imagin 1
61.14	tho’] 2; though 1
61.19	your Discourse] 1; you Discourse 2
61.31	Reasoning] 2; reasoning 1
61.32	Stile] 2; Style 1
61.33	strains] 2; Strains 1
61.39	sense] 2; Sense 1
62.12	Subject) … have met] 2; Subject) to my Knowledge I never met 1
62.13	possession] 2; Possession 1
62.23	want] 2; Want 1
62.32	latter] 2; later 1
62.42	ortal] 2; Mortal 1
63.1	another, and] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
63.11	Lover] 2; Lovers 1
63.13	Earth, who] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
63.15	Proselites] 2; Proselytes 1
63.19	Endeavours] 2; Endea- | deavors 1
63.35	behalf] 2; Behalf 1
64.13	over-rate] 2; over rate 1
64.21	view] 2; View 1
64.37	increase] 2; encrease 1
64.41	end] 2; End 1
65.1	Encouragement.] ed.; ~? 1, 2
65.3	rise] 2; raise 1
65.21	Infallible] 2; infallible 1
65.27	generosity] 2; Generosity 1
65.29	methinks] 2; me thinks 1
65.30	Civilities] 2; civilities 1
65.37	perhaps ^ so] 2; ~, ~ 1
65.40	over-ballances] 2; overballances 1
65.41	Good] 2; good 1
66.1–6	^ And perhaps … obstruct it. ^ ¶ But] 2; (And perhaps … obstruct it.) [no ¶]But 1
66.8	generality] 2; Generality 1
66.12	Commentators, for] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
66.16	alas, there] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
66.16	green] 2; dry 1
66.39	Flames] 2; flames 1
66.39	whom, now] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
67.5–6	themselves: Who] 2; ~. ~ 1
67.32	Determination] 2; Determinations 1
68.3	corporal] 2; Corporal 1
68.8	Good] 2; good 1
68.12	GOD] 2; Good 1
68.12	beneath, and] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
68.17	Illustrious] 2; illustrious 1
68.20	wherein] 2; whererein 1
68.25	Rational] 2; rational 1
69.12	Ingenuous] 2; ingenuous 1
69.28	to, before] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
69.28	arose, which] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
69.31	Sensations, and you] ed.; ~; and you 1; ~, you 2
70.9	Love.] 2; ~ ? 1
70.13	Pleasure.] 2; ~? 1
70.14–15	Sensations, Pain … Pleasure: And] 2; Sensations, (Pain … Pleasure) and 1
70.20	Good, besides] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
70.20	Pleasure.] 2; ~? 1
70.21–22	Pleasure, being] ed.; ~ ^ ~ 1, 2
70.24	Good, but] 2; ~ ^ ~ 1
70.29	Happiness, if] 2; ~, (~ 1
70.32	Heaven, and] 2; ~) ~ 1
71.8	thoroughly] ed.; throughly 1, 2
71.14	sit] 2; set 1
71.28	Absolutely] 2; absolutely 1
71.37	Indeed, (as … Observes) when] 2; Indeed, when 1
71.40	Love] 2; love 1
72.2	believe] 2; helieve 1
73.7	GOD] 2; GGD 1
73.11	pain] 2; Pain 1
73.26, 29, 74.1	Sinners] 2; sinners 1
73.33	Men] 2; Man 1
73.38	Supposition] 2; supposition 1
73.43	and if] 2; ~, ~ 1
74.1	Pain] 2; pain 1
74.2	Pleasure] 2; pleasure 1
74.25	Reasons] 2; reasons 1
74.33	Good] 2; good 1
75.3	Pleasure, being] ed.; ~^ ~ 1, 2
75.3	Answer] 2; answer 1
75.8, 9	Pleasure] 2; Pleasure 1
75.9 (twice)	Pain] 2; Pain 1
75.17	Lov’d] 2; lov’d 1
75.18, 19	only] 2; only 1
75.23	lov’d] 2; lov’d 1
75.35	Consideration] 2; consideration 1
75.38	here, is] 2; ~^ ~ 1
76.2	Physician] 2; Physitian 1
76.14	establish’d. Indeed any] 2; ~. And though any 1
76.15	Discourse, is] 2; ~^ ~ 1
76.15	Conclusion; it] 2; ~; though it 1
76.17–18	but jointly] 2; yet joyntly 1
76.22	be in Pleasure nor at Ease, but] 2; be at Ease nor in Pleasure, but 1
76.26–27	which, if … continued, I] 2; ~^ ~ … ~^ ~ 1
76.28	Rules^ you] 2; ~, ~ 1
76.28	with, I^] 2; ~^ ~ 1
76.32	Pain, is] 2; ~^ ~ 1
76.35	it, as] 2; ~^ ~1
76.36	both in the Intention and in the Event; and] 2; both intentionally and eventually; and 1
77.8	Favour] 2; Favor 1
77.12	That nothing … Pleasure] 2; That nothing … Pleasure 1
77.16	Ideas] 2; Idea’s 1
77.16–17	being in my Opinion, rather] 2; being (in my Opinion) rather 1
77.19	our] 2; his 1
77.42	Frame:] 2; ~. 1
78.15–16	Desertion; it being …. when] 2; Desertion; pain and torment being as necessary to the Soul when 1
78.17	GOD, as when … Sickness] 2; GOD, as to the Body when under Sickness 1
78.24	Folly.] 2; ~? 1
78.26	Eclipse; yet] 2; ~, ~ 1
78.38	Reason I take to be irrational] 2; Reason I look on as irrational 1
78.41	design’d] 2; designd 1
79.6	Felicity; yet] 2; ~, ~ 1
79.14–15	of Pleasures that] 2; from enjoying Pleasures that 1
79.17	Hunger, or] 2; ~^ ~ 1
79.19	Nay, even] 2; ~^ ~ 1

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Series Editors’ Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Works Cited
• A Note on the Text
• facsimile: Title-page, 1st ed.
• facsimile: Title-page, 2nd ed.
• Letters Concerning the Love of God
• Notes to Letters Concerning the Love of God
• Appendices
• Index