BIB_ID
408959
Accession number
MA 9198.17
Creator
Caird, John, 1820-1898.
Display Date
[1886?] September 26.
Credit line
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1908.
Description
1 item (3 pages) ; 20.2 x 12.7 cm
Notes
Acquired as part of a large collection of letters addressed to William Angus Knight, Chair of Moral Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews and Wordsworth scholar. Items in the collection have been individually accessioned and cataloged.
The year of writing is not provided, however the letter discusses issues related to his book "Spinoza" which was published by Blackwood and Sons in 1888 as part of a series edited by Professor Knight and titled "Philosophical Classics for English Readers. The year of writing may be 1886 as the manuscript seems to be less refined than later letters in 1887. It should be noted, however, that with the publication of the volume on Leibniz in 1884, Blackwood lists the volumes "In Preparation" which includes Caird's volume on Spinoza.
Written on the stationery of The University, Glasgow however that has been crossed through and "The Scaurs, Jedburgh" written beneath it.
The year of writing is not provided, however the letter discusses issues related to his book "Spinoza" which was published by Blackwood and Sons in 1888 as part of a series edited by Professor Knight and titled "Philosophical Classics for English Readers. The year of writing may be 1886 as the manuscript seems to be less refined than later letters in 1887. It should be noted, however, that with the publication of the volume on Leibniz in 1884, Blackwood lists the volumes "In Preparation" which includes Caird's volume on Spinoza.
Written on the stationery of The University, Glasgow however that has been crossed through and "The Scaurs, Jedburgh" written beneath it.
Provenance
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan from William Angus Knight, 1908.
Summary
Concerning his manuscript for Spinoza; saying "I am somewhat ashamed about Spinoza, but I can get almost no time for writing in the Winter, & to satisfy myself as to the alleged obligations of Spinoza to earlier writers, Jewish & other, I have found it necessary to plod through a quantity of very unprofitable reading - Kabbala, Maimonides, Jordano Bruno, & what not. I am now however pretty well on with it. I don't like to say more than that I will give all my spare time to it & get it off my hands as soon as possible. I am afraid I have written too much already & must condense & eliminate largely. I heard of you from Edward & was sorry to hear that your holiday was spoiled by illness. I trust you have thrown it off by this time. I should think for you the proper prescription would be a month or two of nearly absolute vacacity of mind - or say, the study of the works of a great modern writer not 100 miles from St. Andrews;" adding, in a postscript, By the bye I forgot to thank you for the bit of exaggerated laudation you sent me some time ago. Your friend will not be long at the study of philosophy till he has found out his mistake."
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