Abstract

Two early drafts of the Essay have survived, one in the commonplace book Adversaria 1661, and the other in loose gatherings of leaves subsequently bound together into one volume by the Bodleian Library. Though both works were given titles by John Locke, they are now invariably known as Draft A and Draft B. Both manuscripts are in Locke's hand. Locke seems to have been doing further work on the Essay while in France. Draft C is very different from Drafts A and B in one important respect. They are true drafts, written in Locke's own hand. The broad organization of Draft C is very similar to that of the published Essay, both (unlike Drafts A and B) being divided into books and chapters. The Abrégé covered all four books of the Essay, though Book Four was summarized briefly in a single paragraph.