I pray you present my service to Mr. Hooke and thanke him for the honour of his salutation.
I am, Sir, your most obliged and humble servant,
Thomas Hobbes.
Chatsworth,
March the 25th, 1679.
[1633]To my most honoured frend,
Mr. John Aubrey.
iv. Thomas Hobbes to John Aubrey.
[1634]Honored Sir,
I thanke you for your letter of Aug. 2d, and I pray you present my humble thanks to Sir George Ent that he accepteth of my judgment upon his booke. I fear it is rather his good nature then my merit. I am sorry for the news you write of his son.
I have been told that my booke of the Civill Warr is come abroad, and am sorry for it, especially because I could not get his majestye to license it, not because it is ill printed or has a foolish title set to it, for I believe that any ingenious man may understand the wickednesse of that time, notwithstanding the errors of the presse.
The treatise De Legibus, at the end of it, is imperfect. I desire Mr. Horne to pardon me that I consent not to his motion, nor shall Mr. Crooke himselfe get my consent to print it.
I pray you present my humble service to Mr. Butler[1635].
The priviledge of stationers is (in my opinion) a very great hinderance to the advancement of all humane learning.