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.In Two Volumes.The Fourth Edition, Revised by the Author. de Johnson, Samuel - 1775

Dublin: Printed for Thomas Ewing, in Capel-Street., 1775. Fourth edition, Dublin 1775. Revised by the author. First Quarto edition. Two volumes, complete. Unpaginated. Volume One: [a], b - c2, then d - h2 in twos, i - q, B - Z, Aa - Zz, Aaa - Zzz -, 4A - 4E2, qA - qZ, qAa - qMm3, *A - *Z, *Aa - *Zz, *Aaa - *Rrr2 and Volume Two: *Sss - *Zzz, *4A - *4Z, *5A - *5Z, *6A - *6I, +A - +Z, +Aa - +Hh, ±A - ±z, ±Aa - ±Uu3, §A - §S2, ||A - ||Z, ||Aa - ||Ii2. Collation complete & correct. Recently rebound in three quarter morocco. Five raised bands to spine with contrasting panels for titles and volume numbers. Marbled endpapers (originals retained to volume one and front of volume two with sympathetic replacement to rear endpapers of volume two. Attractive brown mottled edges to text blocks. Volume one contains a list of subscribers. front fly leaf of each volume printed with the Reilly coat of arms (Fortitudine et Prudentia) together with the name 'Mr. Rich'd. D. Reily, Cork.' What makes Johnson's dictionary such a great book is not so much the extensive examples of usage 'from the best writers' but the humour and prejudice of the author himself. Possibly one of the best known amongst these is: "Excise: a hateful tax levied upon commodities and adjudged not by the common judges of property but wretches hired by those to whom excise is paid." Overall the two volumes are in very good condition internally with hardly any trace of spotting. Some minor worm damage to both volumes - mainly affecting the lower margins with some lesser damage to upper margins. The worm damage has had minimal impact on the printed text which is entirely legible. Small loss to lower corner of *Y2 in volume one and similar in volume two *5N and +M2. Some light damp staining to lower corners of volume two, affecting approximately the final fifth of the text block - again, with no impact on the legibility of the text as it is mostly in the margin. Both volumes free of annotations etc. There is a small misalignment of the print at the foot of column two on Xx volume one ("To Cast") though the text is sensible.