Volume 1

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 / by Samuel Johnson.

  • Samuel Johnson
Date:
1755
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: 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 / by Samuel Johnson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    27/1176
    cd mape peyiB. q ]?o;Spas]7ejie puten hi noire. oc pep- ben pc /Epce-bipcop -j tre pipe men berpux lieom. 3 maket>e -p pahte f re kinj pculOe ben laucjiO q kinr pile he huetie. q aeprep hip oaei papie J)enjn kinj. q lie helt)e him pop pat>ep q he him pop pune. ano pib -3 pehre pcultie ben berpyx heom q on al Gnjle-lant). Dip ant) re ocSpe popuuapt>ep ])er hi maket)en puopen ro haltien })e kin5 -3 re eopl. airo re bipcop. q re eoplep. q piccmen alle. Da pap pc eopl unOejipanjen scr Ujin-ceprpe ant>rer Lunt)ene mit> miccl puprpcipe. ant) alle taOen him man-pet), ant) puopen pc paip ro haltien. ant hir papt pone puiBe jot paip pua ~p neupe pap hepe. Da pap Be kin j prpenjepe ])anne he seuepr hep pap. q re eopl pepte ouep pas. -3 al pole him luuete. pop he tite jot jupnpe *3 makete paip:- Nearly about this time, the following pieces of poetry feem to have been wriiten, of which I have inferted only fhort fragments •, the firft is a rude attempt at the prefent meafure of eight fyllables, and the fecond is a natural introduction to Robert of Gloucefter, being com- poled in the fame meafure, which, however rude and barbarous it may feem, taught the way to the Alexan¬ drines of the French poetry. Tp U R in fee bi wefr fpaynge. A If a lont) lhore cokaygne. Der nif lont) unt)er heuenriche. Of wel of gotmf hit lliche. Doy paratuf be miri ant) bnyt. Eokaygn if of fairir fiyr. What if per in parat>if. Bor grade ant) flure ant) grenerrf Doy per he 101 ant) gret t>ute. Der nif met bore frute. Der mf halle bure no bench. Bot watir man if ])urfto quench. BeJ) per no men but two. J)ely ant) enok alfo. Elmjlich may hi go. Whar per worn]) men no mo. In cokaygne if met ant) brink. Wijmre care how ant) fwink. De met if rne pc t>rink fo clere. To none ruffm ant) fopper. I figge for fo]) boure were. Der nif lont) on erpe if pere. Unter heuen nif lont) 1 wide. Of fo mochil 101 ant) blilfe. Der if mam fwere fiyre. Al if t>ai mf per no myre. Der nif barer no]?er frrif. Nif per no tie]) ac euer lif. Der nif lac of mer no clo]). Der nif no man no woman wro]). Der mf ferpenr wolf no fox. £)orf no capil. kowe no ox. Der mf fchepe no fwine no gore. No non horwyla got) it wore. No]ier harare noj)er frotie. De lant) if ful of oper gotie. Nif per dei de no lowfe. In cloj) m toune bet) no houfe. Der mf bunnir dere no hawle. No non vile worme no fnawile. No non frorm rein no winte. Der mf man no woman blinte. Ok al if game 101 anr gle. Wel if him pa.T per mai be. Der be]) nverf grer ant) fine. Of oile melk horn ant) wine. Warir feruij) per ro noting, Bor ro fiyr ant) ro wauding. SANCTA MARGARETTA. LDE anr yonge 1 preir ou oure folief for ro lere. Dencher on got far yef ou wir oure funnef ro bere. £ere mai rellen ou. wit) wortief feire anr fwere. De vie of one meiban. waf hoten ODaregrete. £ire faber waf a patriae, af ic ou rellen may. In auntioge wif echef 1 Be falfe lay. Deve gotief *anr boumbe. he ferveti nitt ant t)2y; 80 t)et)en mony ofere, far finger weilawey. Theotiofius wal ifnome. on end ne Jevete he noutt, f)e levebe on fe falfe g,obef. Bar peren wit)liont)en wroutt. Do far chilt) fcultie chriftine ben. ic com him well in foutt. 6 bet) wen re were lbore. ro befe it were ibpoutt De mober wal an hefene wif far hire ro wyman bere; Do far chilb lbore waf. nolbe ho hit furfare. £0 lenbe lr into afye. wib mefiagerf ful yare. To a nopice far hire wide, anr ferre hire ro lore. De nonce far hire wide, chilbren aheuebe leuene. De eittefe waf maregrere. criftef may of heuene. Talef ho am rolbe. ful feire anr ful euene. Won ho foleben martirbom. fern Laurence anr feinte Steuene. In thefe fragments, the adulteration of the Saxon tongue, by a mixture of the Norman, becomes appa¬ rent ; yet it is not fo much changed by the admixture of new words, which might be imputed to commerce with the continent, as by changes of its own forms and ter¬ minations ; for which no reafon can be given. Hitherto the language ufed in this ifiand, however different in fuccefiive time, may be called Saxon; nor can it be expected, from the nature of things gra¬ dually changing, that any time can be afiigned, when the Saxon may be faid to ceafe, and the Englijh to com¬ mence. Robert of Gloucefier however, who is placed by the criticks in the thirteenth century, feems to have ufed a kind of intermediate diction, neither Saxon nor Englijh; in his work therefore we fee the tranfition exhibited, and, as he is the fird of our writers in rhyme, of whom any large work remains, a more extenfive quotation is extracted. He writes apparently in the fame meafure with the foregoing authour of St. Margarite, which po- lifhed into greater exaCtnefs, appeared to our ancedors fo fuitable to the genius of the Englijh language, that it was continued in ufe almod to the middle of the feven- teenth century. Q F pe batayles of Denemarch, |)at hii dude in ])ys londe pat word v/ere of alle o])ere, we mote abbe an honde. Word hii were, vor o])ere adde fomwanne ydo, As Romeyns & Saxons, & wel wude pat lond perto. Ac hii ne kepte yt holde nojt, bote robby, and ffende. And dedrue, & berne, & fie, & ne cou]>e abbe non ende. And bote lute ytnaswor]), p>ey hii were ouercomeylome. Vor myd hypes and gret poer as pred effone hii come. Kyng Adelwolf of jrys lond kyng was tuenty jer. pe Deneys come by hym ryuor pan hii dude er. Vor in pe al our vord jer of ys kynedom Myd pre & prjttj fiypuol men her prince hyder come, And at Souphamtone aryued, an hautne by Sou he. Ano]?er gret od ])ulke tyme aryuede at Portefmoube. pe kyng nude we])er kepe, at delde ys od atuo. pe Denes adde pe mayftre. po al was ydo, And by Edangle & Lyndefeye hii wende vor]) atte lafte, And fo hamward al by Kent, & flowe & barnde vade. Ajen wynter hii wende hem. anoper jer eft hii comei And dedrude Rental out, and Londone nome. J)us al an ten jer pat lond hii brojte ]>er doune. So pat in pe te])e jer of pe kynge’s croune, Al byfou])e hii come alond, and j)et folc of Somerfete J)o_ru pe byfibp Alcdon and pet folc of Dorfete Flii come & fmyte an batayle, & ])ere, ])oru Code’s grace, pe Deneys were al byne]>e, & pe ;ond folc adde pe place. And more prowefie dude po, pan J)e kyng myjte byuore, ])eruore gode lond men ne bej) nojt al verlore. pe kyng was pe boldore po, & ajen hem |)e more drou, And ys foure godes fones woxe vade y nou, Edelbold and Adelbryjt, Edelred and Alfred. ])ys was a dalwarde tern, & of gret wyfdom & red. And kynges were al foure, & defendede wel ]ys lond, An Deneys dude flame ynou, ])at me volwel vond. In fyxte]>e jere of pe kynge’s kynedom Is eldede fone Adelbold gret ofl to hym nome, And ys fader alfo god, and oj)ere hove men al fo, And wende ajen pys Dene ys, ]>at muche wo adde y do. Vor