fome Time doubted whether it be neceffary to explain the Things implied by particular Words; as under the Term Baronet, whether, instead of this Explanation, a Title of Honour next in Degree to that of Baron, it would be better to mention more particularly the Creation, Privileges, and Rank of Baronets; and whether, under the Word Barometer, instead of being fatisfied with obferving that it is an Inftrument to difcover the Weight of the Air, it would be fit to spend a few Lines upon its Invention, Conftruction, and Principles. It is not to be expected, that with the Explanation of the one the Herald fhould be fatisfied, or the Philofopher with that of the other; but fince it will be required by common Readers, that the Explications fhould be fufficient for common Ufe; and fince, without fome Attention to such Demands, the Dictionary cannot be come generally valuable, I have determined to confult the beft Writers, for Explanations real, as well. as verbal; and perhaps I may at last have Reafon to fay, after one of the Augmenters of Furetier, that my Book is more learned than its Author.

In explaining the general and popular Language, it feems neceffary to fort the feveral Senfes of each Word, and to exhibit firft its natural and primitive. Siguification; as,

To arrive, to reach the Shore in a Voyage: He arrived at a safe Harbour.

Then to give its confequential Meaning, to arrive, to reach any Place, whether by Land or Sea; as, He arrived at his Country-Seat.

Then its metaphorical Senfe, to obtain any Thing defired; as, He arrived at a Peerage.

Then to mention any Obfervation that arifes from the Comparison of one Meaning with another; as, it may be remarked of the Word arrive, that, in confequence of its original and etymological Senfe, it cannot be properly applied but to Words fignify

ing

ing fomething defirable: Thus we fay a Man arrived at Happiness; but cannot say, without a Mixture of Irony, he arrived at Mifery.

Ground, the Earth, generally as opposed to the Air or Water. He swam till he reached Ground. The Bird fell to the Ground.

'Then follows the accidental or confequential Signification, in which Ground implies any Thing that lies under another; as he laid Colours upon a rough Ground. This Silk had blue Flowers on a red Ground.

Then the remoter, or metaphorical Signification; as, the Ground of his Opinion was a falfe Computation. The Ground of his Work was his Father's Manufcript.

After having gone through the natural and figurative Senfes, it will be proper to fubjoin the poetical Senfe of each Word, where it differs from that which is in common Ufe; as, wanton, applied to any Thing of which the Motion is irregular without Terror; as,

In wanton Ringlets curl'd her Hair.

To the poetical Senfe may fucceed the familiar; as of Toaft, used to imply the Perfon whofe Health is drank; as,

The wife Man's Paffion, and the vain Man's Toaft. РОРЕ.

The familiar may be followed by the burlesque; as of mellow, applied to good Fellowship.

In all thy Humours, whether grave or mellow.

Or of Bite, ufed for Cheat.

ADDISON.

-More a Dupe than Wit,

Sappho can tell you how this Man was bit. POPE.

And, laftly, may be produced the peculiar Senfe, in which a Word is found in any great Author: As Faculties, in Shakespeare, fignifies the Powers of Authority.

-This Duncan

Has born his Faculties fo meek, has been
So clear in his great Office, that, &c.

The Signification of Adjectives may be often afcertained by uniting them to Subftantives; as, fimple Swain, fimple Sheep. Sometimes the Senfe of a Subftantive may be elucidated by the Epithets annexed to it in good Authours; as, the boundless Ocean, the open Lawns: And where fuch Advantage can be gained by a fhort Quotation, it is not to be omitted.

The Difference of Signification in Words generally accounted fynonimous, ought to be carefully obferved; as in Pride, Haughtiness, Arrogance; and the ftrict and critical Meaning ought to be diftinguished from that which is loofe and popular; as in the Word Perfection, which, though, in its philofophical and exact Senfe, it can be of little Ufe among human Beings, is often fo much degraded from its original Signification, that the Academicians have inferted in their Work, the Perfection of a Language, and, with a little more Licentioufnefs, might have prevailed on themfelves to have added the Perfection of a Dictionary.

There are many other Characters of Words which it will be of ufe to mention. Some have both an active and paffive Signification; às fearful, that which gives or feels Terror; a fearful Prodigy, a fearful Hare. Some have a perfonal, fome a real Meaning; as in Oppofition to old, we ufe the Adjective young, of animated Beings, and new of other Things. Some are reftrained to the Senfe of Praife, and others to that of Disapprobation; fo commonly, though not always, we exhort to good Actions, we inftigate

infligate to ill; we animate, incite, and encourage in differently to good or bad. So we ufually afcribe Good, but impute Evil; yet neither the Ufe of these Words, nor, perhaps, of any other in our licentious Language, is fo established as not to be often reverfed by the correcteft Writers. I fhall therefore, fince the Rules of Stile, like thofe of Law, arife from Precedents often repeated, collect the Testimonies on both Sides, and endeavour to discover and promulgate the Decrees of Cuftom, who has fo long poffeffed, whether by Right or by Ufurpation, the Sovereignty of Words.

It is neceffary likewife to explain many Words by their Oppofition to others; for Contraries are beft feen when they ftand together. Thus the Verb ftand has one Senfe, as opposed to fall, and another as oppofed to fly; for want of attending to which Diftinction, obvious as it is, the learned Dr. Bentley has fquandered his Criticifm to no Purpose, on these Lines of Paradife Loft:

In Heaps

Chariot and Charioteer lay overturn'd,

And fiery foaming Steeds. What food, recoil'd,
O'erwearied, through the faint, Satanic Hoft,
Defenfive fcarce, or with pale Fear furpris'd,
Fled ignominious-

Here,' fays the Critic, as the Sentence is now read, we find that what flood, fled: And therefore he proposes an Alteration, which he might have fpared if he had confulted a Dictionary, and found that nothing more was affirmed than that those fled who did not fall.

In explaining fuch Meanings as feem accidental and adventitious, I fhall endeavour to give an Account of the Means by which they were introduced. Thus, to eke out any Thing, fignifies to lengthen it beyond its juft Dimenfions, by fome low Artifice;

becaufe

becaufe the Word eke was the ufual Refuge of our old Writers, when they wanted a Syllable. And buxom, which means only obedient, is now made, in. familiar Phrafes, to ftand for wanton; because in an ancient Form of Marriage, before the Reformation, the Bride promifed Complaifance and Obedience, in thefe Terms: I will be bonair and buxom, in bed and at board.'

I know well, my Lord, how trifling many of thefe Remarks will appear, feparately confidered, and how eafily they may give Occafion to the contemptuous Merriment of fportive Idlenefs, and the gloomy Cenfures of arrogant Stupidity; but Dulness it is eafy to defpife, and Laughter it is eafy to repay. I fhall not be follicitous what is thought of my Work by fuch as know not the Difficulty or Importance of philological Studies; nor fhall think thofe that have done nothing, qualified to condemn me for doing. little. It may not, however, be improper to remind them, that no terrestrial Greatness is more than an Aggregate of little Things; and to inculcate, after the Arabian Proverb, that Drops, added to Drops, conftitute the Ocean.

There remains yet to be confidered the Diftribution of Words into their proper Claffes, or that Part of Lexicography which is ftrictly critical.

The popular Part of the Language, which includes all Words not appropriated to particular Sciences, admits of many Diftinctions and Subdivifions; as, into Words of general Ufe, Words em ployed chiefly in Poetry, Words obfolete, Words which are admitted only by particular Writers, yet not in themselves improper; Words used only in burlefque Writing, and Words impure and barbarous.

Words of general Ufe will be known by having no Sign of Particularity, and their various Senfes will be fupported by Authorities of all Ages. VOL. II. E

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