John Toland 1670-1722 | Man of Ardagh Series part i

John Toland (1670-1722) on A Night to Remember

The Irish rationalist philosopher and freethinker, John Toland died on this day in 1722. Precisely one year ago today, the tercentenary of his death was observed in his birthplace, the townland Ardagh on the Inishowen peninsula in Co. Donegal. To mark and observe this occasion, a special event – John Toland: Man of Ardagh – was organised. There was a great turn out at The Strand Hotel in Ballyliffin to mark not just his passing but also and more importantly, his life and the work that he undertook, which jointly constitute his legacy.

Speakers on the night included Dr Brian Lambkin, former principal of Lagan College, Belfast and founding director of the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies, who gave the keynote address. In his broad overview, he dwelt on some of the issues surrounding Toland and how his reputation has survived down through the years, despite controversies, some of which may still linger today. He also mentioned some of the places associated with Toland and his many travels through what could be considered 'Toland Country', concluding at his final resting place in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church in Putney, England

He was followed by Dr Kay Muhr, who gave a presentation on the history the Toland surname and its presence in the region of Inishowen, where it remains very much in evidence today, demonstrated in no small part by the turnout on the night. Among those was Patsy Toland, who entertained the gathering with a musical interlude, featuring songs and compositions from contemporaries of Toland, including Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), the harpist and singer whose blindness did not affect (maybe aided) his great gift for melodic composition.

Prior to that, Dr Takaharu Oda of Trinity College Dublin spoke about how Toland's work continues to be of interest to academics and scholars the world over, irrespective of barriers presented by language, culture or distance. This would be in no small part due to his valiant efforts to advance reason and critical thought over the blind acceptance of authority in religion, politics or any other public sphere, many times at great personal risk to himself.

Oscar Duggan of The Manuscript Publisher gave a presentation on Toland's literary and publishing activities, including the work that is being done today to to make Toland's works more accessible and known to a wider audience, employing modern media and techniques in the process, under the umbrella of the John Toland Centenaries web project. This is a project that was initiated in 2018, with a view to the upcoming centenaries surrounding his life and death and which will continue thereafter, to serve as a repository of knowledge about Toland, his life and times as well as those of his contemporaries and those who have followed in his path.

There followed a lengthy discussion about Toland, his enduring significance and appeal as a writer and as a public figure, which went on well into the night.

John Toland, Man of Ardagh, Tercentenary Celebrations

A Night to Remember: John Toland, Man of Ardagh

– marking the tercentenary of Toland's passing with an evening of entertainment and appraisal –

A night to mark the tercentenary of the passing of philosopher and Inishowen man, John Toland is being held in the Strand Hotel, Ballyliffin in Co. Donegal this Friday, 11 March starting 7pm.

"The tercentenary of Toland's death in March 1722 is obviously a significant anniversary by its very nature. Even now, 300 years after his passing, Toland's work and writings continue to be explored by scholars and academics across the world and for us not to mark his contribution to the study of modern-day philosophy would do an injustice to the man himself." – John Toland, Man of Ardagh event co-producer and local film festival director, Michael McLaughlin

Brian Lambkin, writer and historian, is the keynote speaker at the event on Friday. Brian is a former Principal of Lagan College, Belfast and founding Director of the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies. He was a member of the Board of the Integrated Education Fund, Chairman of the Association of European Migration Institutions and is currently a member of the Board of Healing through Remembering. His writings include Opposite Religions Still? Interpreting Northern Ireland After the Conflict (Avebury, 1996) and Calming Conflict: Northern Ireland, Metaphor and Migration (UHF & MCMS, 2019).

The second speaker is Oscar Duggan, founder of The Manuscript Publisher, a publishing house which has produced several of Toland's works, with another on the way. Duggan was involved in the publication of a short biography and critical appraisal of Toland that goes under the title of John Toland: Ireland's Forgotten Philosopher, Scholar … and Heretic by J.N. Duggan (2010).

Other components of the evening include a short address by Trinity College scholar, Takaharu Oda from Japan, who has visited Clonmany in the past and earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy writing about Toland and his peers.

Music on the evening will have a flavour of the era in which Toland walked these Donegal highways and byways.

Come along to the Strand Hotel, Ballyliffin at 7pm on 11 March and learn about Toland's life and legacy. All are welcome.

350th Anniversary of the birth of Irish Philosopher, John Toland (1670-1722)

Recalling the Life of Irish Philosopher, John Toland (1670-1722)

– Some Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Mr. John Toland –

John Toland (1670-1722)

The 350th anniversary of the birth of Irish rationalist philosopher, John Toland (1670-1722), which falls today, is being observed with the re-issue of Some Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Mr. John Toland by Pierre des Maizeaux, first published in 1726.

Given the sparsity of biographical information about John Toland, the fact that this account of his life comes from the pen of a contemporary makes it all the more valuable to students of Toland, the early Enlightenment and of philosophy in general. The reader will gain a flavour for the times in which he lived, his character, the impression that he made on those who encountered him (both friends and adversaries) together with some helpful insight into the many polemics and controversies in which he frequently found himself embroiled. "If you would know more of him, search his writings," Toland said of himself and des Maizeaux's account provides every incentive to do just that.

Pierre des Maizeaux was a French Huguenot, living in exile in London at the time of writing. While his original purpose was simply to provide an overview of Toland’s immense literary output, it was "by greatest accident in the world, that I fell into the company of a Gentleman, who had been intimately acquainted with Mr. Toland, and who very generously communicated to me several particulars concerning him."

While John Toland left Ireland in 1698, never to return, following the fallout arising from the publication of Christianity not Mysterious, what we can glean from this short account of his life would suggest that he retained a certain connection to his Irish roots.

In a visit to Prague, in 1708, he met with Irish Franciscans, who gave testimony that "Mr. Toland was descended from an honourable, noble, and most ancient Family" contrary to some of the wilder and more sensational claims made by his detractors (who included Jonathan Swift, also born on this day but three years earlier, in 1667).

In 1719, Toland lobbied against a bill before parliament, "for the better securing the Dependency the Kingdom of Ireland, upon the Crown of Great Britain" arguing that it "shou’d not pass into a Law."

The History of the Druids is mentioned, as a project left unfinished at the time of Toland's death but which, des Maizeaux says, "I believe, he intended to pursue in good earnest", drawing upon his own knowledge of Irish manuscripts, as well as customs and traditions that he would have encountered directly during the first sixteen years of his life, growing up in "in the most northern Peninsula in Ireland … originally called Inis-Eogan, or Inis Eogain, but is now call’d Inisoen, or Enis-owen."

Some Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Mr. John Toland by Pierre des Maizeaux is published by The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions.

Review of John Toland's Physic without Physicians (1722) by Dr Jordi Morillas

Review: Physic without Physicians by John Toland

by Dr Jordi Morillas

Let me start this review with a personal anecdote. During my studies of Philosophy at the University of Barcelona, at no time was John Toland mentioned: neither in History of Modern Philosophy, nor in Philosophy of Science. I was therefore able to study such important authors as Giordano Bruno, Gottfried W. Leibniz or Baruch Spinoza without hearing Toland's name from my professors. Not even a marginal mention of the author of Letters to Serena, as we studied Isaac Newton.

Physic without Physicians
by John Toland (2020 edition)

Given that it was impossible for me to write my doctoral thesis on the topic I had freely chosen, Professor Miguel Ángel Granada proposed that I investigate John Toland's thought: although he was (as Dr. Granada told me) a "second-rate philosopher", I could extract something useful from his philosophy. In spite of the fact that I did not deal yet with the Irish philosopher, I have to admit, I was surprised by his words, a "second-rate philosopher". Indeed, what does it mean to be a "second-rate philosopher"? And what are the criteria for deciding whether a philosopher is a "first-rate" or a "second-rate" one? I have never thought what Kant, Fichte, Husserl or Heidegger did worthy of the name of philosophy. Why are they all considered, in academic circles, as "great" philosophers and Toland is ostracised, even though he was a decisive thinker and source of inspiration for many others, as in England and on the European continent?

A clue that may help us to solve these questions is offered by John Toland's brief treatise that we present here, Physic without Physicians¹, a text that was first published by the French Huguenot, Pierre Desmaizeaux in 1726². Now, almost 300 years later, it comes to light again, thanks to the editorial initiative of J.N. Duggan. Thus, aware of the novelty that the appearance of this writing represents, not only for the Toland scholar but for everyone interested in philosophy, the editor accompanies the text with a brief Introduction, where its genesis is explained, as well offering a very useful Glossary of the personalities cited by Toland, an exhaustive Chronology and a brief catalogue of works published in relation to Toland. Also noteworthy is the reproduction of the only existing portrait of the Irish thinker, holding in his hand his "published, but not printed" Pantheisticon of 1720, as well as a copy of the inscription in the burial register, which indicates that Toland was buried on March 13, 1722.

As regards the genesis of Toland's dissertation, it should be pointed out that it is found in the lung and stomach disease that affected the Irish philosopher at the end of December 1721, and that would eventually lead him to his death on March 11, 1722. Thus, in the brief moments of recovery that took place in January 1722, Toland writes these lines to his faithful friend and confidant, Barnham Goode, in which he denounces the incompetence, contempt and arrogance of the doctors for their patients, as well as the powerful and costly fraud that pharmacists constitute for sick people.

Originally published in 1726
by Pierre Desmaizeaux as part of
a Collection of Works

Taking as a guide a whole series of passages from Pliny the Elder's Natural History, Toland first describes his experience with doctors during his illness. Thus, Toland writes that as he told to his doctor "how much and how violently his Lenitive had vomited me, which he own'd was Contrary to his expectation, seem'd no otherwise concern'd that gravely to say, That it was very remarkable. Was is so Doctor? I promise you then, it shall be the last Remark that any Physician shall ever make upon me."

Such reaction of Toland are due to the fact that, for him, this kind of Medicine "is founded in darkness, and improv'd by Murther."

With the help of Pliny's testimony, the Irish philosopher next denounces how doctors "make an assured traffic of our lives", and brings up the anecdote of a "wretched patient" who asked to be put on his tomb, "THAT THE MULTITUDE OF HIS DOCTORS HAD KILL'D HIM."

As Toland continues, doctors "learn their Art at the hazard of our Lives, and make experiments by our Deaths: besides, that none, but only Physicians, may murder men with all security and impunity; nay, and affront their memory afterwards, reproaching them with intemperance, and reviling the dead without provocation."

Indeed: one of the traits that Toland highlights from doctors is their arrogance and irresponsibility to their own acts or "crimes"³:

How disingenuous! how barbarous! first to torture and kill us, and then to give out, we did it our selves; that we wou'd not be govern'd, and ate, or drunk, or did something else the Doctor forbad.

But if there is one kind of man who is even more contemptible than doctors, it is undoubtedly "the Apothecaries" with their "intolerable cheats":

For, to do every body justice, the latter have not done half the hurt to mankind as the former; and they wou'd do still less, did they prepare their own Medicines, and avoid those monstrous mixtures, which are the source of infinite mischiefs, and wherein a systematical conjecture has more place than reasonable or experimental knowledge.

In this way, Toland denounces how sick people are forced to consume medicines, which are not only usually expensive but also "inextricable", in the sense that the patient does not know (and should never know) what they are made of: that is, what he is really taking and what their real effects are. Thus, we are forced to ingest "those Compositions" that often produce "quite other effects than what were expected from their proportionable adjustment."

Following the teachings of the ancients, Toland maintains that the task of pharmacists has historically been to discredit natural and traditional methods and cures in the name of their "mysterious" chemical compositions:

And, what is still more observable, when, by the information of Travellers or otherwise, any Remedy of this kind is communicated to a collegiate Physician (as it sometimes happens) presently this man of mystery, who scorns to learn of any one, so alters and disguises his discovery, by preparing it more artificially than the Natives, or incorporating it with a multitude of other things, that it either loses all its virtues, or produces a different, if not a contrary effect. In the mean time a noble Medicine, perhaps a Specific, is cry'd down and grows into disuse, thro' the credulity of those that implicitly hearken to a pretending Coxcomb. Thus even the Peruvian bark, and Ipecacuana root, are often render'd noxious or insignificant by pharmaceutic preparations.

Indeed then (and again quoting Pliny) if such a true remedy "be brought out of the garden, of some herb or shrub be sought in the fields, the Apothecaries will of all arts become the most contemptible."

Does all this mean, the reader may ask at this point, that Toland despises Medicine as much as doctors and pharmacists?

No. Toland denounces not Medicine, but "the clogging and nauseating slops of the Physicians."

The Irish philosopher despises what medical practice has become, not the ability to cure. Indeed, the author of Nazarenus not only defines Medicine as "a gift of God and Nature" but also as the unit of "a regular Diet, moderate Exercises, and the proper use of Simples."

Doctors and pharmacists, like priests are not friends of humanity but its exterminators – it is historically proven that "those Nations, which have no Physicians, are troubl'd with few diseases."

Toland was well aware of the radical nature of these positions before the medical community and therefore, anticipating the contempt and discredit of the latter, he maintained that "I care as little what they say, as they do what becomes of their Patients" and he concludes:

A nobler task attends me: for I shall study Nature hereafter with regard to the body of man, in her own way and for my own preservation, as the best Philosophers were antiently wont.

The contemporaneity of Toland's reflections in this tract, which can be described not only as the most personal but also, as the one written "with more phlegm" in the author's entire life, does not escape any attentive reader. Indeed, at a time like the present, when, by order of a World Health Organization (a union of doctors and pharmacists) and therefore, of professional medicine, the whole planet is confined to its homes; when, by violating and blowing up all the basic principles of traditional medicine, the population is inoculated with fear and panic over a supposed pandemic that has to create a "new normality" based on the obligation of a vaccine (whose components will be known by none of those who will be forced to get it, if they do not want to be a "pariah"), Toland's dissertation deserves to be read with attention. Only in this way we will be able to defend ourselves against doctors, mainstream or established medicine and, above all, against those "pretending Coxcombs" enemies of humanity represented by pharmacists and their financiers.

And with this, we can now answer the questions we brought up at the beginning of this review. Indeed, in contrast to Toland's "testament", we have works such as Critique of Pure Reason, The Phenomenology of Spirit, Ideas Pertaining to a Pure Phenomenology and to a Phenomenological Philosophy, or Being and Time. What good do these writings bring to Humanity? Where are the indications in these works that will help Mankind to lead a better life?

Disrepute has fallen and is still falling on Philosophy. Authors such as Lev Shestov allow themselves to discredit it, arguing that Philosophy has always considered itself a "servant", first of theology, then of science, laughing at its ancient and original claim of being "the science of sciences"⁴. It is precisely in this context that the words of Plato become significant, when he affirms that Philosophy "should not be cultivated by bastards, but by the well-born ones"⁵ and indeed, Toland is a good example of a well-born philosopher (φιλόσοφος γνήσιος).

This review is translated by the author from the original Spanish version, which appears on the website of AGON. Grupo de Estudios Filosóficos

Physic without Physicians by John Toland (2020 edition) is published by The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions.

Notes

1. John Toland, Physic without Physicians. Published by The Manuscript Publisher, 2020

2. A Collection of Several Pieces of Mr. John Toland, now first publish’d from his Original Manuscripts: with some Memoirs of his Life and Writings. J. Peele, London, 1726, 2 vols. The text can be found in the second volume, pp. 273-291.

3. Toland writes, "I shall not insist on such slight crimes, compared to others, as their wilfully protracting many times the cure of Diseases; or their turning of small disorders into perilous symptoms, in order to squeeze the purse of an opulent patient: nor yet am I prone to credit those Physicians, who accuse some of their faculty of willfully sending a patient out of the world; lest another should have the credit of a cure, with they cou’d not effect" (page 9).

4. Lev Shestov, All Things are Possible (Apotheosis of Groundlessness), §74.

5. Plato, The Republic, 535c.

A New Edition of Physic without Physicians by John Toland (first published in 1726)

Physic without Physicians by John Toland (1670-1722)

– first published in 1726, now re-issued in a new, modern edition –

Physic without Physicians
by John Toland (1670-1722)
as it first appeared in 1726

For the last four years of his life, John Toland lived in Putney, then a parish outside London, where he took lodgings with a carpenter, Edward Hinton. It is here that he wrote a number of his important works, including Pantheisticon. When he died on this day (11 March) in 1722, he left a legacy said to consist of not much more than "150 manuscripts piled high upon two stools."

Following his death, A Collection of Several Pieces of Mr. John Toland, in two volumes, appeared in 1726. The collection is described as "first published from his original manuscripts with some memoirs of his life and writings."

These memoirs were written by Pierre des Maizeaux, an exiled French Huguenot living in London, who describes the last years of Toland’s life in the following terms:

Mr Toland had for above four years past liv’d at Putney, from whence he cou’d conveniently go to London and come back the same day; but he used to spend most part of the winter in London. Being in town about the middle of December, he found himself very ill; having been lingering for some time before. His appetite and strength fail’d him: and a certain Doctor, who was call’d to him made him a great deal worse, by bringing a continual vomiting and looseness upon him. However, he made a shift to return to Putney, where he grew better, and had some hopes of recovery. In this interval, he writ a Dissertation* to shew the uncertainty of Physic, and the danger of trusting our life to those who practise it: while by our own care and experience we might easily provide such medicines as are proper and necessary for us.

*That Dissertation, intitled Physic without Physicians is printed in this Collection, Vol. II. pag. 273

New edition, published by
The Manuscript Publisher

The arguments presented in Physic without Physicians invoke the ancient writings of Pliny the Elder and Hippocrates (of the latter, he says, "we may as successfully batter Quackery by his authority, as we do superstition by that of the Bible.") as well as some contemporaries, such as Herman Boerhaave and Richard Mead. Taken as a whole, it could be considered, not so much as a reflection upon medical knowledge in itself ("which is the gift of God and Nature") but rather, the limitation of its practitioners and counsels that ultimately, people should take responsibility for their own health.

As part of the John Toland Centenaries web project, Physic without Physicians by John Toland has been re-published and, for the first time, in its own edition (ISBN: 978-1-911442-23-3) but faithfully reproduced from the original. It is on sale now and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions.

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600)

Giordano Bruno (1548-1600). Public Domain

Giordano Bruno, the Italian Dominican friar who was also a philosopher, mathematician, cosmologist, poet, pantheist and polymath, died on this day in 1600. His death was no ordinary one: he was burned at the stake in Rome's Campo de' Fiori, having been found guilty by the Roman Inquisition on charges of denial of certain core Catholic doctrines.

A martyr for science, Bruno has never been accorded the kind of posthumous 'pardon' that has been extended to others, who were similarly persecuted by the Inquisition, such as Galileo Galilei. This is on the grounds, apparently, that Bruno's sentence did not arise out of any scientific conclusions that he reached but rather, a retribution for certain stances that he held that were deemed to be heretical.

In 1942, Cardinal Giovanni Mercati, archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives and Librarian of the Vatican Library from 1936 until his death in 1957, upon discovering a number of lost documents relating to Bruno's trial, concluded that the Church was perfectly justified in condemning him!

On 20 January 1600, Pope Clement VIII declared Bruno a heretic and the Inquisition issued a sentence of death. According to the correspondence of Gaspar Schopp of Breslau, he is said to have made a threatening gesture towards his judges and to have replied: Maiori forsan cum timore sententiam in me fertis quam ego accipiam ("Perhaps you pronounce this sentence against me with greater fear than I receive it") – Wikipedia

daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada / CC BY-SA

The writings and discourses of Giordano Bruno grew greatly in influence and stature in the years following his death. That this influence can be found in the works of John Toland (1670-1722) is easily attested to (see, for example Ricorso). It hardly needs asserting that Toland would have been drawn to Bruno, even if he himself had not narrowly escaped a similar fate, when copies of his Christianity not Mysterious were publicly burned by the common hangman in Dublin, in 1697, having been denounced in both the Irish and English parliaments.

Toland is considered as among the first to have come to regard Bruno as an atheist. An account by Toland of Bruno's De l'infinito, universo e mondi ('On the Infinite Universe and Worlds', first published in London in 1584) appears in A Collection of Several Pieces of Mr. John Toland ..., published by Pierre des Maizeaux shortly after Toland's death in 1722. Here, Bruno developed the Copernican system and was the first to postulate that the stars were objects like our sun, which may themselves have exoplanets.

Today, monuments to Bruno stand in many places, including the site of his execution in Campo de' Fiori in Rome. Asteroids and a crater on the far side of the moon have been named in honour of his contributions to astronomy and cosmology.

World Philosophy Day!

Today marks World Philosophy Day, an event that is celebrated annually on the third Thursday in November (for some reason!). In 2019, by happy coincidence, the event coincides with the birth, in 1694, of François-Marie Arouet, known to the world by his non de plume, Voltaire. The Irish-born, rationalist philosopher, John Toland (1670-1722) has been referred to as the Irish Voltaire.

Nicolas de Largillière
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

World Philosophy Day has been celebrated annually since 2002 however, in 2005, UNESCO designated it an official day of observation at the United Nations:

"In establishing World Philosophy Day, UNESCO strives to promote an international culture of philosophical debate that respects human dignity and diversity. The Day encourages academic exchange and highlights the contribution of philosophical knowledge in addressing global issues." – United Nations

Philosophy (from the Greek word phílosophía, meaning 'the love of wisdom') in this instance, is described as "the study of the nature of reality and existence, of what is possible to know, and of right and wrong behaviour. ... it aspires to get at the very meaning of life."

So, why does it merit its own day of observation and what exactly does that mean? Again, according to the UN:

"International days are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilise political will and resources to address global problems and, to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool." – United Nations

In 2019, World Philosophy Day is being celebrated with the aim of highlighting "the importance of philosophy in different regional contexts. ... to obtain regional contributions to global debates on contemporary challenges that support social transformations. The purpose of this approach is to foster regional dynamics, stimulating global collaboration to address major challenges, such as migration, radicalisation, environmental change, or artificial intelligence."

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716): philosopher, mathematician, Google Doodle honouree

Christoph Bernhard Francke
[Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, philosopher and mathematician, died on this day in 1716.

"... he is often regarded as one of the three great advocates of rationalism. A largely self-taught polymath, his discoveries and contributions to many fields of human scientific enquiry would, in time, have important implications right up to the computer age" – Sophia of Hanover – Winter Princess: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716)

He was both a contemporary and acquaintance of the Irish-born, rationalist philosopher, John Toland, who whom this web project is dedicated. Leibniz was court librarian at the House of Hanover from 1676 until his death. There, he came under the patronage of the Electress Sophia, who also sponsored Toland. The two men respected each other but, may not always have seen eye to eye for, as author J.N. Duggan (biographer of both Toland and Sophia of Hanover) recounts, Leibniz thought him to be "a man of esprit and is not lacking in erudition, but he pushes things too far" – see John Toland: Ireland's Forgotten Philosopher, Scholar ... and Heretic J.N. Duggan, 2010.

In 2018, Leibniz was an honouree of the prestigious Google Doodle – "the fun, surprising and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries and the lives of famous artists, pioneers and scientists" – on the occasion of the 372nd anniversary of his birth.

In view of the upcoming centenaries that surround his birth and his death, we ask, would not John Toland (1670-1722) also make a worthy honouree? Have your say by taking part in the poll below.

You can also make your views known directly, by contacting the Google Doodle team. Information about how members of the public can submit ideas for future doodles is available from their dedicated web page.

John Toland and Jonathan Swift: comparisons and contrasts

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)
from a painting by Charles Jervas (c.1675-1739)
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Jonathan Swift, who died on this day in 1745, was a contemporary and compatriot of John Toland with whom he even shared a birthday (30 November) although, Swift was three years older, being born in 1667. Like Toland, his strongly held views earned him a certain reputation for controversy, polemic, satire. Both men ran the gauntlet of political and ecclesiastical authority in their day, for which they both paid a heavy price in terms of how it affected their respective careers and their livelihoods.

Yet, the similarities that one can't help but notice also betray the contrasts that come to the surface as one digs deeper. For, while both men were deeply involved in the politics and public life of the time, it was usually from opposing platforms that they enunciated their views, often having the effect of engulfing them in controversy of one sort or another.

Indeed Swift was among those who spoke against Toland in the outcry that ensued from the publication of his seminal work, Christianity not Mysterious, in 1695. He was also among those who called into question Toland's parentage, describing him as a "priest and the son of a priest" in a 'Letter to a Member of the House of Commons of Ireland etc. written on September 3rd 1697' (cited in John Toland: Ireland's Forgotten Philosopher, Scholar ... and Heretic by J.N. Duggan)

The price that both men paid included exile although, in opposite directions for, while Toland found himself banished from Ireland, Swift probably felt that he was being banished to the country of his birth, upon finding himself on the wrong side of the fence, politically, in England.

Toland arrived in Dublin sometime prior to the publication of Christianity not Mysterious, after many years studying abroad in Scotland, England, the Netherlands. It is believed that he had hopes of securing a position of some kind in Dublin but, following the furore, it was not even safe for him to remain in Ireland. Thereafter, he spent much of the rest of his life in England (although he was an regular visitor to the Continent), championing and polemicising on behalf of various Whig causes. This, after all, was the political movement of the day to which he had always been closest.

Swift, on the other hand, started out, politically, as a Whig but, eventually crossed over to the Tories. Hence, while Toland largely welcomed the period of Whig supremacy that followed the ascension of Elector George Louis of Hanover to the British throne (as King George I), for Swift, this was the kiss of death in terms of his own political ambitions.

"When he sought a church appointment in England, in reward for his services, the best position his friends could secure for him was that of Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. It seems that Queen Anne had taken a particular dislike to Swift and, made it clear that he would not have received even that position if she could have prevented it. Among other things, she regarded his work, A Tale of a Tub, to be blasphemous. With the return of the Whigs to power in 1715, Swift left England and returned to Ireland, it is said, "in disappointment, a virtual exile [and] to live like a rat in a hole." – see Writing & Literary on the 350th Anniversary of the Birth of Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

Jonathan Swift, essayist, poet, political pamphleteer and contemporary of John Toland, died on this day in 1745.

The Heretic and the Heiress: John Toland and Sophia, Electress of Hanover

Sophia of the Palatinate, who was Electress of Hanover from 1692 to 1698, was born on this day in 1630. Often described as a woman of letters and patron of the arts, who sponsored both Gottfried Leibniz and John Toland, a claim has also been put forward that she "made interesting philosophical contributions of her own, principally concerning the nature of mind and thought," according to Lloyd Strickland of Manchester Metropolitan University.

She first encountered Toland on his trip to Hanover in 1701, as part of Lord Macclesfield's delegation that delivered a copy of the Act of Settlement (or Act of Succession as it is sometimes referred to) to her. In Hanover, it is said that Toland was particularly well received by the Electress Sophia and it is recounted by J.N. Duggan (author of biographies of both Sophia of Hanover and John Toland) that:

"... it was noted that during the daily walks around the gardens of Herrenhausen, Sophia and the Irishman would distance themselves from the attendant courtiers so that they could talk in private."

The subjects of Toland's relationship with Sophia, Leibniz, the courts of Hanover and of Berlin are matters that we hope to return to, in due course. In the meantime, we are reproducing here, from the website dedicated to Sophia of Hanover, an article that originally appeared in 2010.

John Toland and Sophia of Hanover

The Heretic and the Heiress

What is the connection between a European Princess, a descendant of the Wittelsbach and Stuart dynasties, who would go on to become Heiress Presumptive to the throne of Great Britain by the Act of Settlement of 1701 and, a Donegal heretic widely denounced by political and ecclesiastical authorities of the day? Two new books by Irish author, J.N. Duggan, furnish an answer.

Sophia of Hanover: Winter Princess
by J.N. Duggan

Sophia, Electress of Hanover (1630-1714) was daughter of Frederick and Elisabeth of the Palatinate, known as the Winter King and Queen of Bohemia. Irish readers may be interested to know that she was a 20x great grand-daughter of Brian Boru and counted Strongbow and Aoife among her ancestors.

She is best remembered in the English-speaking world as the connection between the Houses of Stuart and Hanover but, in the opinion of her biographer, she deserves to be remembered, in her own right, as a gifted writer and chronicler of her times (1630-1714).

She has left us an enormous legacy of writings in the form of her memoirs, (which she wrote at the age of 50) and, the many letters which she wrote to her family and friends over the course of her long and eventful life. Her writings are remarkable, both for the light that they throw on the politics and personalities of the 17th Century (she was related by blood or marriage to all the great families of Europe) but also, for the insider's view that she gives us of life in the princely courts of Europe.

Because of her privileged position and ringside seat at the cockpit of European politics, she was able to report to Leibniz on 4 November 1688:

The Prince of Orange left last Saturday with 50 vessels. He had no manifesto except a memoir that the English Protestants sent him listing all their grievances against their King and the reasons that made them doubt that the Prince of Wales is the Queen’s child. However, the King of England [James II] has done me the honour of writing to me in his own hand on this subject, where he says that he would have to be the wickedest man on earth to do such a thing, but it seems that those who believe in such an imposture judge him by their own standards. H.M. writes to me also that he had not been able to believe for a long time that his son-in-law and nephew would be willing to invade his country and that was why he had delayed so long in making preparations, but that if the wind remained contrary for another few days he would be in a state to receive him. Therefore we are all impatient to learn how matters went in England. On all the Prince of Orange’s banners there is 'For Religion and Liberty'.

J.N. Duggan is the author of Sophia of Hanover: from Winter Princess to Heiress of Great Britain, 1630-1714, recently published by Peter Owen Publishers of London. The circumstances in which her book on Sophia of Hanover was completed, led directly to her second book, John Toland: Ireland's Forgotten Philosopher, Scholar ... and Heretic. The author explains that she had never heard of John Toland (1670-1722) until coming across his name while researching for her biography of Sophia:

Searching through other people’s bibliographies, I realised that he was the recognised source of information on the Courts of Hanover and Berlin in the first decade of the Eighteenth Century, and Chambers Biographical Dictionary informed me that he was an Irishman.

In fact, John Toland was born and raised on the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal, in 1670. He was a prolific writer on important political and religious issues of the day. He was the first person to be called a freethinker (by Bishop Berkeley); a radical republican who challenged the divine right of kings; the first to advocate full citizenship and equal rights for Jewish people in Great Britain and Ireland, among other notable achievements.

John Toland:
Ireland's Forgotten Philosopher, Scholar
... and Heretic
by J.N. Duggan

Toland left Ireland soon after his first book, Christianity Not Mysterious, was publicly burned in Dublin, having been denounced in both the Irish and English parliaments. He moved to London, where he resided till his death in 1722 but, was also a frequent visitor to the continent. At the behest of some leading Whig lords, he wrote a book (Anglia Libera) in support of Sophia of Hanover's claim to the throne. He was able to present her with a copy, in person, when he travelled with Lord Macclesfield's delegation that delivered the Act of Settlement to her.

That Toland and Sophia would take an instant liking to each other is not surprising, according to the author of these two volumes. It was noted that that during daily walks, Sophia and the Irishman would distance themselves from the attendant courtiers so that they could talk in private. They were both very forward-looking but also very practical people. He loved an audience and she loved to be entertained.
Throughout her life, Sophia kept in touch with the thinking of the foremost philosophers of her day. Gottfried Leibniz was not only librarian to the court of Hanover, he was Sophia’s best friend and confidante. The two of them, together with the Catholic bishop of Neustadt, Christof Rojas de Spinola, attempted to reunite the Catholic and Protestant churches. The attempt ended in failure and acrimony but, in any case, Sophia's enthusiasm for ecumenism was waning as prospects of a Protestant crown loomed on the horizon.

Toland, for his part, was in turn a member of each of the major religious sects – Catholic, Church of Ireland and Presbyterian – but, he abandoned them all and was denounced by each as a dangerous heretic. Outside of academic circles, he is barely known in his native Ireland but, where he is remembered, he is celebrated for the important part he played in laying the groundwork for the 18th century Enlightenment.

• Sophia of Hanover: from Winter Princess to Heiress of Great Britain, 1630-1714 is published by Peter Owen Publishers (ISBN: 978-0-7206-1342-1)
• John Toland: Ireland's Forgotten Philosopher, Scholar ... and Heretic is published by The Manuscript Publisher (ISBN: 978-1-907522-08-6)

Further information about both of these titles, including how to buy online, is available from the author's website.

Plan Your Epitaph Day (because it is your funeral, after all!)

Today is Plan Your Epitaph Day, for reasons, we must admit, that remain largely obscure but, some suggest that its purpose is to offer control freaks the opportunity to plan out what their gravestone is going to say! (Cute Calendar).

However, as Days of the Year observes, "your Epitaph is going to be that one thing that is remembered forever about you, even by those who never knew you. ... This day ... is the perfect day to set aside some time to figure out what you're going to have to say about yourself before you're gone."

John Toland, the Irish-born rationalist philosopher and freethinker was one who wrote his own epitaph, just a few days before his death on 11 March 1722. A Latin version (perhaps the original) has been digitised on the website of British History Online, who also note that "it was never inscribed on his tomb":

H. S. E. Johannes Tolandus, qui in Hiberniâ prope Deriam natus, in Scotiâ et Hiberniâ studuit, quod Oxonii quoque fecit adolescens; atque Germaniâ plus femel petitâ, virilem circa Londinumt ransegit ætatem: omnium literarum excultor, ac linguarum plus decem sciens: veritatis propugnator, libertatis assertor; nullius autem sectator aut cliens. Nec minis nec mails est inflexus, quin quam elegit viam perageret; utili honestum anteserens. Spiritus cum æthereo patre a quo prodiit olim, conjungitur; corpus item naturæ cedens in materno gremio reponitur. Ipse vero æternum est resurrecturus, at idem futurus Tolandus nunquam. Natus Nov. 30. Cætera ex scriptis pete.

Stephen H. Daniel, in his book John Toland: His Methods, Manners, and Mind, provides an English-language version which reads:

Here Lyeth John Toland.
Who born near Derry in Ireland
Studyed young in Scotland and Holland
Which, growing riper, he did also in Oxford
And, having more than once seen Germany
Spent his Age of Manhood in, and about London.
He was an assertor of Liberty
A lover of all sorts of Learning
A speaker of Truth
But no mans follower, or dependant,
Nor could frowns, or fortune bend him
To decline from the ways he had chosen
His spirit is join'd with its aithereal father
From whom it originally proceeded,
His body yielding likewise to nature
Is laid again in the Lap of its Mother
But he's frequently to rise himself again,
Yet never to be the same Toland more.
Born y^e 30 of Novemb. 1670
Dy'd the 11^th of March 1722
If you would know more of him
Search his Writings

Daniel notes that "The British Museum manuscript of the epitaph is not in Toland's handwriting" and suggest that it may have been transcribed by Pierre des Maizeaux, a French Huguenot exile who was with Toland in his last days and, after his death, arranged for a collection of Toland's writings to be published in two volumes.

Whoever transcribed it, that person would have filled in the date of death but also, as Daniel further notes, incorrectly identified the year that Toland was born as 1674. To avoid confusion, Daniel changes it back to 1670 and this is how it appears above, as well as in his book.

Plan your own Epitaph day is a day for reflection on our own mortality, and thinking forward to what kind of legacy we want to leave behind for those who come after us. While we will live on in the minds of our family and friends, the story of who we are will only be told to strangers in our final message to the world, left engraved in the marble tablet of our headstone. – Days of the Year

References

• Days of the Year
• Cute Calendar
• John Toland: His Methods, Manners, and Mind by Stephen H. Daniel

John Toland: his life and times

St Mary's Church, Putney.
The final resting place of John Toland.

Edwardx [CC BY-SA 3.0],
via Wikimedia Commons

John Toland, the celebrated Irish-born philosopher and freethinker, died on this day in 1722, at the relatively young age of 51 but, following a life that was not without controversy, incident and adventure.

His journey began on the remote, Gaelic-speaking peninsula of Inishowen, in Ireland's most northerly county of Donegal. He was educated at the universities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leiden and Oxford but, living Dublin when his first major work, an incendiary pamphlet that went by the title of Christianity not Mysterious, appeared in print in 1696. The pamphlet was first published anonymously however, Toland admitted authorship the following year.

The furore that enveloped led to three copies of the book being burned in Dublin by the public hangman, at the instigation of the Irish parliament. If Toland had not fled to England, where he found sanctuary among various radicals and reformers operating there, he would have been burned alive along with the copies.

Thereafter, he resided for the greater part of his life in England, mostly in and around London however, he was also a frequent visitor to the continent. He died in Putney, where he had taken lodgings with a carpenter, Edward Hinton, in 1718. It is here that he wrote most of his later works, including Pantheisticon.

Scan from the burial register of St Mary', Putney – see 15th March, 1721 (Julian calendar).
Our thanks to Thomas Brunkard for supplying this image.

Parish records from the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Putney tell us that his remains were "decently interred in the church-yard" on 13 March 1722. (see British History Online)

Elsewhere, it is mentioned that, at the time of his death, he left a legacy amounted to about 150 manuscripts, piled high on two chairs. Shortly after his death, a biography by Pierre des Maizeaux, an exiled French Huguenot writer, appeared along with a collection of his works that ran to two volumes.

John Toland (1670-1722): The Original Freethinker

Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
Laurent Dabos [Public domain]

Today is Freethinkers Day, an annual celebration inviting people to 'challenge arbitrary authority, question the status quo, and construct logical and reasonable arguments against ingrained behaviour', among other things. (see Days of the Year)

According to sources, the celebration was devised sometime in the 1990s (by Truth Seeker magazine, the world's oldest Freethought publication, founded in 1873), the purpose being to promote appreciation of freethinking through the life and works of Thomas Paine (1737-1809), who was born on this day (at least, if one goes by the Old Style calendar). Paine, as is well known, was a seminally important figure of the Enlightenment period who, through his writings and his political activities, played an important role in both the American and French revolutions of the latter part of the 18th century.

That aside, it hardly seems right to let the day pass without also paying respect to one who might qualify for the status of 'the original freethinker'. That pedestal belongs to Irishman, John Toland (1670-1722). For, while the notion of 'freethought' has surely been around, in one form or another, since the time immemorial (whenever homo sapiens first acquired the ability to think, reason, rationalise and construct logical arguments), the terms itself appears to have been coined around the 1690s, when it was used to describe the ideas of John Toland, by his fellow Irishman fellow Irishman, Bishop (George) Berkeley (1685-1753).

Irrespective of who started it, or who's birthday it celebrates, Freethinkers Day is party time for freethinkers everywhere, past and present. Enjoy!

John Toland and the Archaeology and Toponymy of Inishowen

The 4th Inishowen Lecture will take place this weekend (Saturday, 15 September) in the Market, House, Clonmany on the Inishowen peninsula, Co. Donegal.

A talk on John Toland and the Archaeology and Toponymy of Inishowen by Dr Brian Lambkin and Dr Kay Muhr will feature among the programme of events. Toland himself hails from the neighbouring townland of Ardagh, a fact that is not forgotten locally.

Further information is available from the Lands of Eogain Facebook page. The full programme for the evening is described below:

Toland's Reasons for Naturalizing the Jews (Book Review)

Book Review: Reasons for Naturalizing the Jews in Great Britain and Ireland by John Toland (1714)

"a work that might well be described as revolutionary"

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov maintained that, from a historical point of view, we can distinguish two types of men: the ordinary (i.e. one whose sole mission in life would be to procreate and maintain the species numerically) and the extra-ordinary – i.e. those distinguished by the fact that, going beyond the established rules and tradition, they pronounce a new word in their medium, thereby marking a turning point in the advancement of humanity.

The truth of Raskolnikov's theory can be seen in any creative field – e.g. philosophy, whose historical development has been shaped by a series of extraordinary individuals. Now, what is the criterion to discern whether these 'exceptional men' are actually liberators of the spirit and improvers of humanity? The answer to this question is provided by the work of John Toland (1670-1722) in his Reasons for Naturalizing the Jews in Great Britain and Ireland, On the Same Foot with All Other Nations, written and published in 1714.

The purpose of Toland's essay is to publicly denounce the status of Jews in English society since the revolution of Cromwell, in order to vindicate the recognition of their rights and that they be granted full citizenship, in the same way as had already been done with all established Protestant sects in both Britain and Ireland.

This defence of the Jews is based on Toland's theory, according to which, every member of a community must participate actively in politics, in order to help improve and make more free the country in which they live. While compliance with the law is essential in any human society, it should not, however, be blind acquiescence. Rather, each free and independent citizen has the responsibility and duty to criticise and propose other laws, which may conform better with the good and happiness of the whole nation.

For this reason, the vindication of the Jewish people carried out in this work is not done with the intention of being 'populist' but, with the sincere belief that one "may serve my Country: and I am inexpressibly pleas'd, that the most effectual way to do so, is the promoting of Humanity, and the doing good to all Mankind."

The reasons upon which Toland argues for naturalisation with full right for the Jews in Britain and Ireland fall into three categories: religious, economic and political.

Firstly, Toland reminds us, in his Dedication, that it is through the Jews that Europeans profess Christianity because, "by them, you are undeniably come to the knowledge of one God, from them you have received the holy Scriptures, of them is descended Moses and the Prophets, with Jesus and all the Apostles."

As regards economics, Toland argued that the presence of Jews in a given territory has always been synonymous with wealth and prosperity, presenting as counter-examples the precarious fate of Spain and Portugal after their expulsion. In this context, Toland echoes xenophobic prejudices of the common people, who claim that foreigners 'take bread out of their mouths', arguing that the fact that more people engaged in the same activities facilitates not only the increase in goods and services but also competition, thereby promoting improved supply and above all, the lowering of retail prices. This is what Toland called the "Rule of More, and Better and Cheaper."

On the other hand, the Irish philosopher decisively combats the prejudice that Jews are exclusively devoted to trade and usury, exposing a series of empirical data that demonstrate their excellence in other areas and indicating that, if the Jews are characterised by their financial work, it is only because throughout history they have not been allowed to perform any other activity.

Next, Toland denounces all historical persecution and accusations that have been carried out against the Jews (cf. p. 20-24), highlighting how they were rooted in superstitions and in prejudices introduced by priests, especially when they were allowed to participate in and decide on policy. Toland graphically defined the situation when, relying on another defender of the rights of the Jews, the Italian Simon Luzzatto, he classifies the historical enemies of the Jewish people as follows:

"These are first the zealots, under whom may be listed Priests and Hypocrites; secondly Politicians, comprehending corrupt States-men, and drivers of private Interest; and thirdly the vulgar, who, under colour of religion or the public good, are acted, animated, and deluded by the other two, the better to serve their own sinister purposes."

The consequences of hatred of the Jews can be observed, not only in societies that have expelled them from their midst but also, in those in which they live to enjoy certain freedoms, such as Turkey or Poland. Thus, according to Toland, in these countries, although the Jews have properties and schools, "yet they are treated little better than Dogs in the first place, and are often expos'd in the last to unspeakable Calamities."

Once the traditional prejudices against the Jews have been confronted and rejected, Toland justifies their necessary naturalisation, arguing that, unlike other groups, Jews would not get mixed up in political or religious issues and would support "Liberty of Conscience" putting them on the same side as "Liberty and the Constitution". Moreover, the Jews would never betray their host country by obeying a foreign authority or fighting for another country, since they don't have one and so, their faithfulness would be guaranteed and they would work for peace and social cohesion.

Despite the economic and socio-political advantages of naturalisation of the Jews in Britain and Ireland, Toland is aware that his proposal to end the "strange stories of the danger of Judaizing" will not be welcome within certain sections of society. However, he knows that he has done the right thing, as a member of a community and above all, as a philosopher:

"I own that thus much I thought necessary to write, for the common benefit on this uncommon subject; and if I shou'd not meet with a general applause (in which case I shall not at all be disappointed) yet I cannot but enjoy the particular satisfaction of having dischaged what I believ'd to be my duty: since with all wise and honest men, Humanity and good Nature are sure to atone for any defect in my Politics."

With these words, Toland ends a work that might well be described as revolutionary, since it seeks to address and eliminate a historical bias which has been – and still is today – a heritage not only of the public at large but also, of the intellectuals.

The unconditional struggle against all forms of prejudice, in order to free the human spirit, is the main characteristic of the philosophy of John Toland; a feature that distinguishes him from the vast majority of currently considered great philosophers and provides the key to understanding why he is a virtually forgotten thinker.

Copyright © Dr Jordi Morillas, 2013

This review has been translated from the Spanish original, which was first published in Daímon. Revista Internacional de Filosofía, nº 59, 2013. We are grateful to the author for sharing his insight and allowing us to reproduce this article.

Reasons for Naturalizing the Jews in Great Britain and Ireland, On the Same Foot with All Other Nations by John Toland (1670-1722) was first published in 1714 and has been available over the years in various facsimile editions. It was re-published in a modern, annotated edition in 2012 by The Manuscript Publisher and is available to buy online, in print and e-book (Kindle) editions.

John Toland Commemorative Stamp of Approval

Urgent Appeal

– seeking the commemorative stamp of approval –

Each year, An Post (the Irish postal service) produces, on behalf of the Irish Government, a programme of special and commemorative stamps. The process of drawing up the Stamp Programme for 2020 is now underway and suggestions that might be included in the 2020 programme are currently being accepted.

The 350th anniversary of John Toland's birth falls on 30 November 2020. If you are interested in championing the case for a special commemorative stamp to be issued, honouring the life and work of Irish-born rationalist philosopher, John Toland (thereby assuring for him, a stamp of approval that was mostly denied during his lifetime), you can send a personal submission, online or by post (see below). Hurry though! The latest date for submissions is this coming Friday, 30 March, 2018.

Entries can be submitted online or, by by the traditional method of a letter in an envelope (Do people still do that?) addressed to:

Stamp Suggestion Programme 2020
Ground Floor
An Post
GPO
O'Connell Street Lower
FREEPOST
Dublin 1
D01 F5P2

Postage is free within Éire-Ireland (Republic of Ireland). If you are sending from outside of this jurisdiction, please make sure you put the correct postage on your envelope. Given the deadline that is looming (this coming Friday, 30 March, if you didn't get it before), you might be just as well to submit your proposal online.

If anything comes of this, we'll keep you posted!

The Legacy of John Toland

A greater part of the task assumed by a web-based project dedicated to celebrating the life, work and times of John Toland (1670-1722), must be to elucidate, to elaborate, to explain who the subject matter was, his historical role and importance, together with what has lived on once his natural life expired. This is not altogether an easy task, for the simple reason that, outside of his writings, not a lot is known about John Toland. Although he has drawn interest across a wide spectrum of disciplines and beliefs, has formed the focus of various studies, his life and work has not yet been subject to the kind of scrutiny that could be described as detailed or comprehensive.

The podcast below, carries an interview given by Dr Ian Leask to The Irish Times, which represents a certain summation that is also highly digestible. He goes into various details about Toland, his life, his ideas, his influence on others, his historical role and importance.



Dr Ian Leask is a lecturer in Theology and Philosophy at Dublin City University. He is editor of a recent edition of Toland's Letters to Serena, published by Four Courts Press, Dublin in 2013.

Introducing a New Website Dedicated To ...

John Toland (1670-1722)

– Irish-born Rationalist Philosopher and Freethinker –

John Toland, Irish-born rationalist philosopher and freethinker, died on this day (11 March) in 1722. "If you would know more of him, search his writings," he wrote in a self-penned epitaph that appeared a few days later.

Toland is best remembered today as a philosopher, freethinker, author, pamphleteer who made important contributions to the various fields of philosophy – in what today would be regarded as both the natural and social sciences.

We choose this day to formally unveil a new website dedicated to Toland, his life and work. This website will serve as a free online resource and repository of knowledge pertaining to his writings, the times in which he lived and to the social movement that he, along with others, spearheaded and represented, with particular reference to the enduring legacy and effect.

There is a lot that has been said about John Toland and probably a lot more that could be said. This website will serve the purpose of ensuring that nothing that should be said will go unsaid. That is why this is a free website, open to anyone who may wish to contribute. Furthermore, we invite those who may wish to contribute to get in touch with us.

The fact that this website is being formally unveiled on the anniversary of Toland's death is not coincidental. In fact, the date has been deliberately chosen. The 350th anniversary of Toland's birth will be observed on 30 November 2020 and the 300th anniversary of his death falls less than two years later, in 2022. We particularly encourage anyone who has an interest in these anniversaries to get in touch with us, to ensure that they are properly observed and accorded the respect that they are due. We will do our best (without fear or favour) to publicise events that are taking place, using networks and channels of communication within our reach.

Further details about this web project will be unveiled in due course. If you are interested, we encourage you to keep in touch – subscribe using the facilities that are available or sign up for e-mail alerts. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

If you would know more, follow us.

Hello World!

The John Toland (1670-1722) website will be appearing here shortly.

Watch this space!