The manuscript consists of three folded sheets ordered consecutively, the first sheet containing folios 1–2, the second 3–4, and the third 5–6. The first 4 folios (sheets 1 and 2) contain a consistent pattern of wormholes that are not present in folios 5 and 6 (sheet 3). The third folded sheet contains the Latin section of the MS., which begins upsidedown on 6v and continues up from the bottom on 6r, where it meets the English text coming down.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by Pickering & Chatto for £12. They advised Keynes on 23 July 1936 that they had already sold it, but to whom is unclear. Bought by Bern Dibner in London at some point in the 1940s: B.J.T Dobbs noted that 'when I pressed him for details about that transaction, he assured me that it seemed more important at the time to save it from the blitz than to keep records of that sort of thing' (Janus Faces, 256 n. 1). Previously Burndy MS. 16. Donated by the Burndy Library to the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, Smithsonian Institution in 1976.

Two full-sheets folded into four folios each (Sheet 1 = folios 1r–4v, Sheet 2 = folios 5r–8v), with one horizontal cut made halfway across, like CU add. MS. 3973.

NB: Sheet 2, 1r is soiled, stained, and obscured as though it had been placed at the outside of the packet.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by William H. Robinson for £5.10s.; on 13 August 1936 Robinson told Keynes it was available and he evidently bought it.

This manuscript consists of three sheets, one of which has been folded side by side (Sheet 1 = folios 1r–2v, Sheet 2 = folios 3r–3v, Sheet 3 = folios 4r–4v). The librarians have placed all three within their own clear plastic pouches. Despite the fact that the three sheets have similar vertical dimensions, each is on a different type of paper.

NB: Sheet 2 was once folded vertically into four sections, each about 77 x 194 mm.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale for £9.10s. by Bernard Quaritch, who presumably sold it to Heffers. Keynes took it from them on approval on 17 August 1936 for £16 and must have bought it by 11 September, when Quaritch told Yahuda that the lot had already been sold.

This MS. has been bound in modern times in shiny black leather. Binding size is 205 x 173 mm (vertical dimension first).

On the interior of the front binding is a modern shelfmark (top left) - “40.G.5.” Before the MS. proper, the binders have inserted three flyleaves of modern paper. After the end of the manuscript they have added four leaves of modern paper. On the first flyleaf a librarian has written "Lot 7." "MS. 14" followed by penciled notes describing the content, which are ignored.

The MS. now consists of three unsewn fascicles or packets (Packet 1 = folios 1r-5v; Packet 2 = folios 6r-9v; Packet 3 = 10r-13v). However, it is clear that the first and last folios of the MS. originally constituted a cover to the whole MS. and were not part of he first and last packets respectively. Before the first original packet and after the last original packet one finds a single folio, devoid of Newton’s handwriting except for the title “Artefius” on 1r. Folios 1 and 10 were once no doubt connected, and formed a cover to the packets within. Later they either came apart spontaneously or were intentionally separated so that the packets could be glued to their stubs in the process of binding the MS. The first two packets are made up of folded halfsheets that have been nested, but the third is folded and slit (it is possible, of course, that all three packets were originally folded and slit, and that the unslit parts have subsequently separated). The three packets have been independently glued to stubs. In all three packets, the central sheet, consisting of two folios, is not glued and can be lifted out. The first packet consists of two folded and nested half-sheets. The second packet consists of two folded and nested half-sheets. The third packet consists of a single full-sheet folded and slit in the style of CU add. 3973.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by the London bookdealer C.A. Stonehill for £13; offered to Keynes for £20 on 7 September 1936 (and presumably accepted).

A single large sheet with one horizontal cut made halfway across making four folios, like CU add. MS. 3973.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by Maggs Brothers for £7.10s. and sold to Keynes on 4 August 1936 for the sale price plus 20%.

This MS. has been bound in shiny black leather, like Keynes MS. 14. The dimensions of the binding are 219 x 189 mm (vertical x horizontal). The binders have added four flyleaves in the front and four in the back; the recto of the first flyleaf has penciled modern notes beginning “Lot 9.” There is a small inserted sheet interleaved before the first flyleaf with blue pen notes by P.M. Rattansi, from 1969. The manuscript consists of two half-sheets, folded so that one goes inside the other. The outer sheet has been glued to a stub, but the inner sheet is not glued, and can be removed.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by C.A. Stonehill for £8.10s., and offered to Keynes for £12.10s. on 7 September 1936.

This manuscript consists of two sheets (sheet 1 = folios 1r–2v, 5r–6v; sheet 2 = folios 3r–4v). Sheet 1 is a single large sheet with one horizontal cut made halfway across making four folios, like CU add. MS. 3973. The first two folios are uncut and blank, except for modern librarians' marks.

Sheet 2 is a laterally folded half-sheet. There is a projection of about 10 x 40 mm coming out of the top right of 1r, as though Newton erred when cutting or tearing the sheet.

NB: Newton inserted the second fascicle within the first, so that it makes up folios 3 and 4 of the resulting booklet.

The small script (51 lines on 3r) and very dark brown ink is reminiscent of that in Keynes MS. 51.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by C.A. Stonehill for £8.10s. and offered to Keynes for £12.10s. on 7 September 1936; Stonehill advised Yahuda on 18 September that it had already been sold.

A single sheet, folded and cut like CU add. 3973. The ink is very dark brown.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by Heffers for £6 and sold to Keynes on 5 September 1936 for £8.5s.

Keynes 19 is a single sheet, folded and cut like CU add. 3973.

The underlining in this MS. is clearly done with a blacker, darker ink than that in which the text is written. The main text is written in a medium brown ink.

From the Newton Project Catalogue: Bought at the Sotheby sale by Heffers for £9.10s. and sold to Keynes on 5 September for £12.10s. Heffers had originally asked £15.

Keynes 20 consists of two sheets. The first is a large one folded and slit in Newton’s characteristic manner, like CU add. 3973. The second one is a single small folio. The upper right hand corner of the packet made by the folded sheet is burned, as is the upper right hand corner of the single folio. There are also several ink blots on 1r-1v and a different one on 2r

From the Newton Project catalog: Bought at the Sotheby sale by the London bookdealer C.A. Stonehill for £13; offered to Keynes for £20 on 7 September 1936 (and presumably accepted).