A guardbook in which are mounted gatherings containing drafts for planned additions to the fourth edition (1700) of the Essay. For the most part, the text is written in Locke’s hand; pp. 210-216 in the hand of William Shaw. The text is written on the left-hand (verso) pages, with additions and corrections on the right-hand (recto) pages.

8^o. π³ A-N O-R⁸; the caption "Understanding" and signature appears on final verso of signed gatherings; only the signature appears on the first recto. vi, 261, 262-270 pages (with many errors). The volume was bound after its acquisition by the Bodleian; however, there are signs of earlier stitching that indicates all the gatherings had once been bound together; there are also pinholes indicating that the leaves of each gathering had been pinned together.

For a complete description of this manuscript, see Schuurman, “Introduction” to Of the conduct of the understanding (2000), pp. 98-103.