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One of the highspots of
collecting in the English Language: |
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"It is the fate of those who toil at the lower employments of life, to be rather driven by the fear of evil, than attracted by the prospect of good; to be exposed to censure, without hope of praise; to be disgraced by miscarriage, or punished for neglect, where success would have been without applause, and dilligence without reward. Among these unhappy mortals is the writer of dictionaries... " -Johnson, from the Preface
lexicographer: A writer of dictionaries; a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original and determining the significance of words. oats: a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.
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Johnson, Samuel. A Dictionary of the English Language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers. To which are prefixed, a history of the language and an English grammar. London: printed by W. Strahan for J and P Knapton, et al., 1755. Folio, contemporary full calf rebacked with original spines laid down, raised bands, red and green leather labels. Two volumes. First edition of Johnson's Dictionary in contemporary calf: a beautiful copy. "Johnson's writings had, in philology, the effect which Newton's discoveries had in mathematics." -Noah Webster A monumental work by anyone's standards, Johnson's Dictionary took over eight years to complete. "With no real library at hand, Johnson wrote the definitions of over 40,000 words... illustrating the senses in which these words could be used by including about 114,000 quotations drawn from English writing in every field of learning during the two centuries from the middle of the Elizabethan period down to his own time" (W. Jackson Bate). "Johnson introduced into English lexicography principles which had already been accepted in Europe but were quite novel in mid-eighteenth-century England. He codified the spelling of English words; he gave full and lucid definitions of their meanings (often entertainingly coloured by his High Church and Tory propensities); and he adduced extensive and apt illustrations from a wide range of authoritative writers... His dictionary [is the] most amazing, enduring and endearing one-man feat in the field of lexicography" (PMM 201). Published on 15 April, 1755, in an edition of 2000 copies, it is estimated that slightly more than half survive. Due to the large and unwieldy nature of the volumes, however, the Dictionary was vulnerable to damage, particularly to the bindings. This copy is remarkable for its fine state of preservation. The contemporary calf bindings retain the original spines (laid down) and the interior is exceptionally clean and wide-margined. Occasional spotting and very minor marginal worming, repair to margin of one leaf in Preface; bindings with some scuffing to boards. A beautiful copy, most rare in this condition. |