How to Use Locke’s Letter-and-Vowel Index to Find Old Commonplace-Book Entries
To find an old entry with Locke’s method, choose the heading under which you filed it, take its first letter and the first vowel that follows that letter, then use that pair to locate the notebook pages assigned to the heading’s class. Scan the headings in the margin for the one you need. If that class continued elsewhere, follow its page references. This is a compact routing system: it does not give every topic its own alphabetically ordered index entry.
What Locke’s index points to
Locke described an index built around combinations of an initial letter and the next vowel in a chosen heading. For example, *Epistola* goes under E–I and *Adversaria* under A–E. The pair identifies a class of headings and the page where that class begins; the full heading is written in the notebook margin. Many different headings can therefore share one pair of letters and the same opening pages. Locke, “A New Method of a Common-Place-Book”
That distinction matters when you are looking for an entry. A conventional alphabetical index might list “Epistola” as a separate entry and take you directly to its page number. Locke’s grid instead sends you to the E–I class. You then inspect the margin headings on those pages to find “Epistola” or another heading in that class. The Oxford edition of Locke’s instructions calls the index a two-page table and explains that the heading’s first letter and following vowel determine its class. Oxford Scholarly Editions Online edition of Locke’s method
Step 1: Identify the heading you used
Begin with the topic label written beside the passage, not necessarily the wording of the quotation or the first word of the passage. Locke says to choose an important, essential word for the matter. That heading is what governs the index route. If you filed a passage under “Memory,” for example, search under *Memory* even if the passage itself does not contain that word.
If you cannot remember the precise heading, list a few likely labels before searching: perhaps “Memory,” “Reading,” or the name of an author. This is a practical search aid, not part of Locke’s documented rule. Each candidate may lead to a different class, so test them one at a time rather than assuming a keyword in the quotation determines its location.
Step 2: Convert the heading into its two-letter key
Take the first letter of the heading, then identify the first vowel after that initial letter. The initial letter is not counted as the following vowel when the word begins with a vowel. In Locke’s examples, *Epistola* has the key E–I and *Adversaria* has A–E. He treats a monosyllable beginning with a vowel as an exception: the initial vowel serves as both letters, so *Ars* goes under A–A and *Os* under O–O. Locke’s instructions and examples
Use the grid actually present in your notebook. Locke’s original arrangement was not a simple modern A–Z chart: he says he omitted K, Y, and W, substituting C, I, and U, and placed Q–U in the final Z–U space. He also says a distinct Q–U space could be added. These are historical details of his arrangement, not a requirement for someone using a later adaptation. If your own grid includes every letter, follow its labels consistently rather than applying Locke’s substitutions without checking. Locke’s letter conventions
Step 3: Follow the class reference and scan the margins
Find the two-letter cell in the index and read the page number written beside it. Turn to that page, then inspect the margin headings for the exact topic. Locke’s layout gives a class two facing pages so its headings can be seen together. The cell does not necessarily identify the specific heading or passage; the margin does that finer work. Locke’s description of the index and page layout
For a hypothetical notebook, suppose “Memory” is filed under M–E and that cell points to page 12. Turn to page 12 and look for MEMORY in the margin, then read the passage beneath it. If the margin instead shows headings such as “Memento” or “Merit,” keep scanning the class pages; those headings may share M–E. The page number and labels here are illustrative, not evidence about any historical notebook.
Step 4: Continue to later pages when the class is full
If a class outgrows its original two pages, Locke instructs the writer to continue it on another blank page. He connects the old and new locations with reciprocal references: “V” (from *verte*, turn over) when the next page is directly adjacent, or a page number when the next available space is elsewhere. The new page repeats the continuing heading, and the earlier page points forward. Locke on continuing a full class
When retrieving an entry, therefore, do not stop at the first spread if it contains a continuation mark or page reference. Follow the reference, check the new page’s heading, and keep following links if the class continues again. Locke says that page numbers for a new class are entered in the index; a “V” alone does not require another index entry. Locke on reciprocal references and index updates
What to do when the lookup does not work
If the cell is blank, check that you have the heading as it was written, and verify the vowel rule. A common mistake is to use the vowel immediately after the first letter instead of the first vowel anywhere after it; another is to use a keyword from the passage rather than its margin heading. If the class key is right but the heading is not on the first spread, look for a continuation reference before concluding the entry is missing.
A missing index number can also mean that no class was assigned there, that the index was never completed, or that the notebook uses a modified arrangement. A Harvard Houghton Library example illustrates the practical limitation: George Ripley’s commonplace book has an alphabetical index, but Harvard’s description says the notebook did not include Locke’s crucial grid and Ripley did not fill his index consistently. The lesson for retrieval is to inspect the particular book’s layout rather than assume every commonplace book follows Locke precisely. Harvard Library, “A common place book, upon the plan recommended and practised by John Locke”
A quick retrieval checklist
Find the topic heading written in the notebook margin, or make a short list of likely headings.
For each candidate, take its first letter and first following vowel; use the special same-vowel treatment for a monosyllable beginning with a vowel.
Find that pair in the notebook’s own index and note its page reference.
Scan the margin headings on the assigned pages for the exact heading.
Follow any “V” or numbered continuation reference until you reach the relevant passage.
Locke’s system works best when the heading, index key, and continuation marks were all maintained as the notebook was filled. Treat the pair of letters as a pointer to a group of pages, then use the visible headings and cross-references to reach the old entry.