Locke, John

folio (313 x 193mm.), FIRST EDITION, title within double-rule border, second issue with cancel title-page with irregular block of type-ornament in five rows and Edw[ard] Mory's name in the imprint, contemporary mottled calf, rebacked, some slight browning to text, slight damp-staining to inner margins at beginning and end

"John Nicoll", later ownership inscription and five-line manuscript note on front endpaper; "W.H", initials and six-line note on same page

Grolier English 36; Grolier One Hundred 72; Norman 1380; Pforzheimer 600; PMM 164; Wing L2739

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

FIRST EDITION OF LOCKE'S MONUMENTAL WORK, a critical assessment of the origins, nature, and limits of human reason, which was to remain the single most influential work in European philosophy for at least one hundred years. Locke laboured for nearly two decades on his investigation of "the certainty and the adequacy of human knowledge," concluding that "though knowledge must necessarily fall short of complete comprehension, it can at least be 'sufficient'; enough to convince us that we are not at the mercy of pure chance, and can to some extent control our own destiny" (PMM).