Books

London: Thomas Ewing, 1775. Leather. Good. 10" by 9". None. An early Dublin edition of this English writer and lexicographer's celebrated dictionary. 'The Fourth Edition, Revised by the Author'. With 'A History of the Language, and an English Grammar'. Complete in two volumes. Johnson's dictionary ran through five editions during his lifetime. Of these, the fourth stands out for having been extensively revised by Johnson. Rebacked in calf, with the original boards, and the original spine laid down. Volume I has modern endpapers. Externally, rubbed to extremities. Front board of Volume II detached but present. Rear joint of Volume II starting. Internally, firmly bound, with age toning prominent to page edges. Intermittent foxing, with the odd ink or handling mark. Volume I has occasional marginal tidemarks, not affecting text. The upper margins of both titlepages have been previously excised to remove ink inscriptions. Overall: generally GOOD but needing the front board of…

Samuel Johnson's 'A Dictionary of the English Language' is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language. First published on 15 April 1755, the dictionary offered comprehensive definitions and illustrative examples of usage.