TO THE MUCH ESTEEMED

MR JOHN LOCKE

HONOURED SIR,

SEND you this imperfect draught of your

I excellent Essay concerning Human Under

Standing; which, I must confefs, falls as much fhort of the Perfection, as it does of the length of the original. Nevertheless, as I lately intimated to you (and you were pleafed to think, that what I propos'd in reference to this Defign, would not be wholly loft Labour) I am not without Hopes, that it may in this contracted Form, prove in fome Measure serviceable to that noble End, which you have fo fuccefsfully aimed at in it, viz. The Advancement of Real and ufeful Knowledge. The Inducement which moved me to think of abridging it, was a Confideration purely extrinfical to the Work itself; and in effect no other than this; that it would be better fuited to the Eafe and Convenience of fome fort of Readers, when reduced into this narrow Compass. In order to this, I thought the First Book, which is employed in refuting the common Opinion of Innate Notions and Ideas,might be best spared in this Abridg