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A

NEW

ENGLISH DICTIONARY,

ON HISTORICAL PRINCIPLES:

FOUNDED MAINLY ON THE MATERIALS COLLECTED BY THE PHILOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

EDITED BY

JAMES A. H. MURRAY, LL.D.,
President of the Philological Society;

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF MANY SCHOLARS AND MEN OF SCIENCE.

The object of the NEW ENGLISH DICTIONARY is to present, as concisely as possible, the history of every word, and of all the different uses of every word, in the written language, not omitting those which are now obsolete. In order to ensure complete accuracy and thoroughness it has been judged desirable, instead of adopting the traditional and often erroneous Instances contained in existing dictionaries, to make an entirely fresh selection of representative extracts from the original works themselves. To gather together this fresh and trustworthy material-in other words, to lay a secure and adequate foundation for the fabric of English lexicography-has been the task of five-and-twenty years, and of more than 1,300 readers, working under the superintendence of the London Philological Society. Over 5,000 of the chief English writers of all ages, and at least four times as many separate works, have been laid under contribution; and some idea of the bulk of the material which the Editor has drawn upon may be formed from the fact that more than 3,000,000 distinct quotations, each complete in itself, have been placed at his disposal, of which about a third part will be finally included in the Dictionary. Every passage is furnished with a precise date and reference for the purpose of verification.

Nor has the principle of co-operation been confined to the collection of the raw material. The Editor, though even the minutest details of the work have passed under his eye, has freely availed himself of the services of students of English and of other branches of knowledge bearing thereon in all parts of the world. The New Dictionary, therefore, will represent in a condensed form the accumulated knowledge of very many of the first scholars of our time, and will, if the expectations of its promoters are realized, be found in all respects abreast of the actual state of science. The Editor has sought to give such results only as are beyond dispute, avoiding rash speculation and all dogmatism on doubtful points. His object has been to

allow each word, as far as possible, to tell its own story by careful selection of the most characteristic examples, and by a strictly logical arrangement and subdivision of its various meanings, his own explanations being as brief as may be found consistent with clearness.

The work is addressed, not only to the advanced student of English literature, who will find it to combine a glossary of obsolete words with an etymological dictionary of the living language, or to the student of the sciences, who will learn from it at what date the technical terms with which he is dealing were introduced, and what modifications of form or sense they have since undergone, or to the professed philologist, but also, and in no less a degree, to the general reader, who will here find, ready to his hand, the derivation and accepted pronunciation, the past history and present use of every word which may occur in his reading, and concerning which he may desire to be further informed. It is thought that the extracts, even in the abridged form which considerations of space have rendered necessary, may still posses; an independent interest of their own. Many vexed questions of etymology will be found to be settled, once and for all, when brought, as here, to the touchstone of history; and it can scarcely be but that new light will be thrown on various literary and bibliographical problems which have puzzled generations of inquirers. In the confident hope that it will be recognized, as a contribution of solid and permanent value to the study of our language and literature, and as an attempt, carefully planned and conscientiously executed, to achieve for English all, and more than all, that Littré has achieved for French, the First Part of the NEW ENGLISH DICTIONARY is now given to the world.

Subsequent Parts will be issued as rapidly as is found practicable, and the work will be completed in Six Volumes, each containing Four Parts similar to that now published.

A Detailed Prospectus and Specimen Pages will be sent on application,
London: HENRY FROWDE, Clarendon Press Warehouse, Amen Corner.

6TH S. No. 214.

OSLER'S CRYSTAL GLASS AND THE

HOLLOWAY'S PILLS.-Easy Digestion. These REVIEWS of FOOKS OBITUARY MEMOIRS-MEETINGS of

improvement of the complexion, as Holloway's Pills purify the blood SUN FIRE AND LIFE OFFICES,

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1884.

CONTENTS.- N° 214. NOTES:-Byroniana, 81-Wm. Huntingdon, 82-Wasp : Weapon, 83-Scripture Names-Bibliography of UtopiasCurious Custom, 84-Anodyne Necklace: Sussarara-Artichokes-"Remarkable Funeral in Wales," 85-Plea for Book-buying-Bibliography of Epitaphs- Undertakers' Heraldry-New Year's Day Custom-New Words, 86. QUERIES:-Huntingdon Castle, 86-" Childe Rowland," &c. -Sackville Street-Baker Family-" Paradisi in Sole"Blackness-Shakspearian Query -Samian Ware-Devices Wanted - Watkinson of Yorkshire, 87-Molière-Balke: Conde-Regiomontanus-Campbells in Ireland-Old Emerald Ring-Lady F.-L. E. L.-Roman Legion-Portraits at Eaton Hall-John Forster, 88-Epsom Prose-"Il ne faut pas parler de corde," &c.-Date of Bp. Barlow's Consecration John Waller-Books relating to Suffolk-Henry Robinson -"Ployden's face"-Anne Bannerman-Col Rample, 89Military Flags - Morris Dancers Sacred Operas-Hairpowder, 90.

BYRONIANA.

journal kept at Ravenna under date Jan. 28, 1821. Regarding Leigh Hunt, see letter to Moore, June 1, 1818 :

"Speaking of Hazlitt, Lord B. expressed himself in the most bitter terms-he would not allow that he could write good English. He also said of Leigh Hunt, that he was a poor helpless creature, but that the brother was really a clever fellow."

Various letters to Murray contain allusions to the criticisms which the first two or three cantos of Don Juan had evoked. In one dated Oct. 12, 1820, he speaks of women disliking De Grammont's memoirs, because they "strip off the tinsel of sentiment ":

"The same day La B. told me ho meant to write 100 Cantos of Don Juan at least, now that he had been attacked-that he had not yet really begun the workthat the 16 cantos already written were only a kind of introduction. He was quite astonished to hear people talk in the manner they did about the book-he thought he was writing a most moral book-that women did not like it he was not surprised: he knew they could not bear it because it took off the veil it showed that all their d-d sentiment was only an excuse to cover passions of a grosser nature; that all platonism only tended to that. They hated the book because it showed and exposed their hypocrisy."

The conversations on religion with Lord Byron and others" were mostly held at my father's house, General (then Col.) C. J. Napier being present at some of the meetings. See Kennedy's book:

"To-day, on visiting Lord B., the first thing he said to me was, 'Well, I have had another visit from Dr. Kennedy, and I am going to give in; I believe I shall be converted. The fact is, Kennedy has had a great deal of trouble with us all, and it would be a pity were he to lose his time; and besides, he says we are all to be Christians one day or other-it is just as well to begin now.' Then, clasping his hands and looking upwards, he exclaimed, 'Oh, I shall begin the 17th Canto of Don Juan a changed man.'"

I have recently discovered amongst my father's papers some memoranda of Lord Byron's conversations with him in Cephalonia. There is only one date given; but as the notes are written on three separate pieces of paper, I have every reason to suppose they were jotted down on different occasions. It will be remembered that Byron arrived Beppo was written in October, 1817. In a at Argostoli on Aug. 3, 1823, according to Tre-letter to Murray, dated the 23rd of that month, lawny, and he remained in the island till the end it is mentioned as finished, while in one dated of that year. The first refers to Moore's resolu- the 12th, nothing is said of it : tion to tone down his Angels before publication. The circumstance is alluded to in a letter to Moore, No. 511, dated April 2, 1823, at Genoa :

"1823, Oct. 10. To-day I rode and dined with Lord Byron. Speaking of Moore, he said he had received a letter from bim, when about to publish his Angels, telling him that he intended to castrate them; that he found the style would not do-it was too warm-too much of the Houri-the world was not yet ripe for such luscious fruit. Lord B. added, I told him he was wrong, that he would get no credit by it, but, on the contrary, do what he would with thom, he would not please: that mutilated Angels could only make Mahometans at best, and never Christians, so that it was better to leave them Angels as they were.'

999

The Angels were "mutilated," notwithstanding, in the first edition, and more in the second.

Byron's opinion of Hazlitt is given in the

two days. He dined at a house in Venice, where the "Speaking of Beppo, he told me he had written it in host recounted the story as having happened in a palazzo near by. He went on,The story was told with a good deal of naïveté, and it pleased me; that night I went home to my house on the Brenta, and on the third morning after, I presented Beppo to Hobhouse, who was with me, to read.' Lord B. seemed greatly pleased while telling this."

"One day he said to me, I began to keep a journal when I first came here; but I have left it off-I found I could not help abusing the Greeks in it, so I thought it as well to give it up. Gamba, I believe, keeps one.' (Gamba afterwards told me he had kept one from the day they had left Italy.)"

To these notes may be added the following extracts from a letter written to my father by Mr. Charles Hancock, dated Argostoli, June 1, 1824. The paragraph relating to Scott's novels is inter

esting (compare letter to Murray, March 1, 1820), and the writer's graphic description of the poet's departure for Missolonghi is worthy of preservation. Bruno's behaviour a day or two afterwards, as described in the letter to Mr. Hancock from Missolonghi, Jan. 13, 1824, must have somewhat changed Byron's opinion of him:

MY DEAR BYRON, -Why don't you answer my letter? It was written just before the publication of my last catch-penny, and gave you various particulars thereof, such as its being dedicated to you, the Longmans' alarm at its contents, Denman's opinion, &c., &c. Nothwithstanding all which, nothing could have gone off more "At the period of his stay here we were receiving ac- quietly and tamely, and rather think my friends in counts by the public prints of the war in Spain, and the Row (like Lydia Languish, when she thought "she some of our zealous advocates for the cause of liberty was coming to the prettiest distress imaginable") were were just then making rather a sorry figure. His lord- rather disappointed at the small quantum of sensation ship repeatedly asked me, I know not why, if I were a we made. The fact is, the Public expected personality, radical? to which I replied that did not profess poli- as usual, and were disappointed not to find it, and though tical opinions of so decided a cast. He then said that I touched five hundred pounds as my share of the first he was not one, and that some had brought themselves edition, the thing is "gone dead" already, like Risk's dog, into disrepute of late, alluding apparently to the most that snapped at the halfpenny and died of it. This conspicuous of the volunteers in the Spanish cause. On cursed Public tires of us all, good and bad, and I rather one of these occasions, when he put the same question think (if I can find out some other more gentlemanly to me, I named two relatives of mine who had exhibited trade) I shall cut the connexion entirely. How you, enough of radicalism to visit Mr. Leigh Hunt when he who are not obliged, can go on writing for it, has long, was in Coldbath Fields Prison: upon which Lord B. you know, been my astonishment. To be sure, you have said, 'When he was in prison-when is he ever out?'. all Europe (and America too) at your back, which is a "He was very fond of Scott's novels-you will have consolation we poor insular wits (whose fame, like Burobserved they were always scattered about his rooms at gundy, suffers in crossing the Ocean) have not to support Metaxata. The day before he left the island I hap- us in our reverses. If England doesn't read us, who the pened to receive a copy of Quentin Durward, which I devil will? I have not yet seen your new Cantos, but put into his hands, knowing that he had not seen it and Christian seems to have shone out most prosperously, that he wished to obtain the perusal of it. He imme- and the truth is that yours are the only "few fine diately shut himself in his room, and in his eagerness to flashes" of the "departing day" of Poesy on which the indulge in it, refused to dine with the officers of the Public can now be induced to fix their gaze. My Angels 8th Regt at their mess, or even to join us at table, but I consider as a failure-I mean in the impression it merely came out once or twice to say how much he was made-for I agree with a "select few" that I never entertained, returning to his chamber with a plate of wrote anything better. Indeed, I found out from Lady figs in his hand. He was exceedingly delighted with Davy the other day that it was the first thing that ever Quentin Durward-said it was excellent, especially the gave Ward (now Lord Dudley) any feeling of respect for first volume and part of the second, but that it fell off my powers of writing. towards the conclusion, like all the more recent of these novels it might be, he added, owing to the extreme rapidity with which they were written-admirably conceived and as well. executed at the outset, but hastily finished off......

"I will close these remarks with the mention of the period when we took our final leave of him. It was on the 29th December last, that, after a slight repast, you and I accompanied him in a boat, gay and animated at finding himself embarked once more on the element he loved; and we put him on board the little vessel that conveyed him to Zante and Missolonghi. He mentioned the poetic feeling with which the sea always inspired him, rallied you on your grave and thoughtful looks, me on my bad steering; quizzed Dr. Bruno, but added, in English (which the doctor did not understand), He is the most sincere Italian I ever met with ':—and laughed at Fletcher, who was getting well ducked by the spray that broke over the bows of the boat. The vessel was lying sheltered from the wind in the little creek that is surmounted by the Convent of San Costantino, but it was not till she had stood out and caught the breeze that we parted from him, to see him no more.'

"

My father having expressed a wish to see Moore's handwriting, Lord Byron gave him a letter, of which the following is a copy. It must have been one of the last, if not the very last, which Byron received from Moore, and was probably the one acknowledged in the letter he wrote two days before his departure from Cephalonia, Dec. 27, 1823. The allusion to the Angels is interesting in connexion with the first memorandum

I am just setting out on a five weeks' tour to Ireland, to see for the first time "my own romantic" Lakes of Killarney. The Lansdownes, Cunliffes, and others are to be there at the same time. If I but hear that a letter has arrived from you, while I am away, I will write to you from the very scene of enchantment itself a whole account of what I feel and think of it—but if I find that you still "keep never-minding me," why I must only wait till I am again remembered, and in the meantime assure you of the never ceasing cordiality with which I am, My dear Byron, Faithfully yours,

THOMAS MOORE.