New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE IMPERIAL DICTIONARY

~ nv Y, LID.
Nv CHARLES ASNANDALE, NJ. A. In Tour lnperiai
Volumes. (The Century Company, New-iork'
Dr. johnson, addressing Lord Chesterfield IN
l747 and outlining his plan for an Engilsn diction
arv remarked: "This work is generally consd-
cred as drudgery for the bind the proper toll OF
artless industry, book that requires ne ther the
light of learning nor the activity OF genius, oue
NAV be successfully performed without any hlsher
quality than that of bearing burdens with dull pa
t;ence and heating the track of the alphabet with
sluggish resolution So mechanical was the art
ofdlctonary- maklng in his estimation. that no de-
fined lexicographerD in the work itself as " o
harmless drudge that busies himself in tracing the
original and detailing the signihcation OF words
1t was the drudgery of sew years OF ms NE 10
make an orderly collection of English words theh
in use to define them forciby, II not always accu-
ratey and to illustrate their meaning by passages
from the literature of two centuries DR.. Johnson
lived to regret some of the erse definitions gwen IN
his work. Pension he had explained as gen.
orally understood to mean pay given to a otaVe
hireling for treason to his country; and when lie
subsequently, accepted an annual pension OF l,ooo
his enemies could laugh in their sleeves. His ex-
perience with Lord Chesterfield, whose patronage
had been sought at the outset aud withhelo uh'ii
the work was completed, justified his dominion Vi
"patrop y as commonly a wretch who supports
with iusolence and is paid with hattery' Ahat
definition he never regretted, nor ana ne ever iiiu
reason TO modify the low estimate which he had
formed of the literary and intellectual process Oh
dictionary-making Whether it be decreed," nc
once said by the authority of reason or the ty +
amy of ignorance that of all the candidates Tor
literary praise the unhappy photographer holds
the lowest place neither vanity nor interest IN
cited me TO inquire"
DR. Jobnson,s successors have invariably defined
"lexicographern with extreme simplicity as
writer or maker of lexicons or dictionaries. put
their calling has become one OF the most sc'ent'hc
and philosophical of the literary arts. They were
content for generation or two to enlarge the nsts
of words to establish standards of pronunciation
aud photography, and TO multiply the deductohs ol
etymology The progress of pathological STUDY
gradually enabled them to exhaust the resources OF
etymology and to compile critical pronouncing ana
explanatory dictionaries, which could be termed
universal ~ and complete" But the analytical
work did not end there. The lexicon in its ency-
clopadic stage finally to enter upon It's perfect
form of development. 1t was to be adapteo hoo
only to the requirements Of the general reader as
standard work of reference on the Englsh IAN
Cuage but also to the needs of specialists In me-
chanics. the fine arts science, pathological study
and literary criticism
While Noah Webster and Joseph Emerson Wor-
cester have been accepted in the United states as
the standard authorities on the form. pronouncia'
ton and Specification of words John Ogllve mas
been commonly recognized in England as the great
est of Dr. Johnson's successors. His dictionary
was first published in $780, its characteristic feat
ures being simplicity of definition comprehensive
ness of scope and its encyclopaedia character as
embracn, o chronological and scientific terms when
had either been inadequately explained In previous
works, or had been omitted altogether. Inc prog
ress of science and the industrial arts since 1851
has brought into use q new vocabulary OF special
lists words and technical terms, and thorough re-
vision of the work has been rendered necessary.
This process of revision has occupied ten years. ana
the completed work has recently been issued IN
England and most favorably received by the high
est authorities in the literary world. special
edition has been published in this country by the
Century Company in order that American scholars
NAV see for themselves what is considered IN tue
older country the greatest of the modern diction-
aries
Much NAV be said in favor of the form of this
new lexicon The Unabridged Webster" or
worcester id from its bulk a most unmanage-
able volume for private libraries. Too heavy and
unwieldy to be held in hands or lap 1t mas 10 De
tugged from its place the shelves and dragged 10
n strong table whenever it Is consulted. The pat
ent dictionary holders cOntrvances OF question
able utility, which disgure the only available cor
ner of the library where strong light can be had.
There seems TO be help for it; the big diction-
aries cannot ordinarily be consulted without dscom-
fort and inconvenience; and unless broad and
high shelf is expressly fashioned for them, there is
no mace where they can be kept in bookcases.
Now these difficulties are completely obvated in
this edition of The Imperial Dictionary" 1t is
published in four Imperial octave" volumes, let
tered at the back, which can be readily taken IN
hand and consulted. and placed, not on the only
rl.o, tba he i'm where
they can be most conveniently reached and han
died. The form is not the only advantage of this
new edition. Each word defined III the alphabet
cal order is printed in fufaced type or black let
ter and catches the eye glancing down the page
more readily than the large capitals used in ordl-
nary dictionaries. The type is clear and distinct;
the paper is excellent and the binding is strong and
durable. For all these advantages in form and let
ter press good price is asked. The price of the
American edition is $50 for the set in cloth, $26 In
sheep, and $50 in half-Russia.
These improvements in form are of slight lmpor-
lance in comparison with the contents of these
handsomely printed volumes Among the most
noticeable features of literary construction are:
/. The augmentation of the vocabulary until 1t in
cludesI 80 900 words compound words and unnec-
essary repettions being avoided so far possible,
and with the exception of Chaucerian words obso-
lete words peculiar to writers prior to 1850 being
omitted. g The selection of illustrative quota
tons from writer's of the present time as well as
those of an older date, the significance and cor
rect use of words being emphasized in this way
rather than by complex definitions and elaborate
explanations. 3. The of pictorial designs, of
which there are as many as 1000 scattered
through the text These illustrations simplify
the definitions aud of special use in explaining
terms in zoology, botany. geology, mathematics,
anatomy, surgery archaeology. architecture,
machinery, agriculture, manufactures and
similar departments Simplicity of
definition, the explanations being made
at once comprehensive and definite,
and brought within narrow compass as possible.
1t not many yearsago that the best Amer an
dictionary defined the familiar word Boil as q