Shaftesbury (Anthony Ashley Cooper): Band III,3: Correspondence. Letters 192–278 (23 August 1701–5 August 1703)

The greater part of letters 192–278 spans a period of eleven months during which Shaftesbury’s life was significantly shaped by two general elections. The texts and the first of two appendices document the political activities that led to a brief personal high point (one which also saw him publish ›Paradoxes of State‹ and write ›The Adept Ladys‹), then, very soon, to a sudden loss of prestige and influence. The remaining letters edited here are sporadic only, but have been supplemented with detailed information found elsewhere: Shaftesbury can thus be seen immersed in private affairs for almost another year before able to leave England for a retreat in Rotterdam. A second appendix examines little-known evidence of his continued contact with the increasingly incautious John Toland.