"I have heard that his understanding was rather hurt by the absolute retirement in which he lived, and indeed he had an imagination too lively to be trusted to itself; the treasures of it were inexhaustible, but for want of commerce with mankind he made that rich oar into bright but useless medals which wd otherwise have been stamp'd into current coin, fit for the use & service of mankind."
Letter to Gilbert West (January 28, 1753)
G. N. Cantor, "Two Letters relating to Berkeley's Social Circle." <u>Berkeley Newsletter</u>, 4 (1980): 1-3. &lt;<a href="http://people.hsc.edu/berkeleystudies/past_issues_pdf/dec1980.pdf">Link to Berkeley Studies</a>&gt;. Cantor cited in Walmsley, Peter. <u>The Rhetoric of Berkeley's Philosophy</u>. (Cambridge: CUP, 1990), 1.