familiar, or for the signification of one with which he is unacquainted, must be supposed to turn his eye first to the definition, that he may know whether this is the word that he looks for, or whether, in the passage in which it has occurred, it can bear the sense there given, before he thinks of examining its origin, or can form any judgment as to the propriety of the etymon that may be offered.

While this work contains a variety of words which are not to be found in the quarto edition, the Author flatters himself that he does not claim too much in supposing, that during ten years which have elapsed since it was published, he has had it in his power, from many sources formerly unexplored, to make considerable improvements both in the explanatory and in the etymological department. This, he trusts, will be evident to any who will take the trouble to compare the one work with the other.

In most instances, where he has met with new significations of the words explained in the larger work, he has inserted them in this, with their authorities. Such, indeed, is the copiousness of our vernacular language, that he is far from pretending that he has had it in his power to give a complete view of it. From the recent publication of many of our old acts formerly imprinted, from his own researches, and from the liberal communications both of friends and strangers, who have been anxious to render what they are pleased to consider a national work as complete as possible, the Author has been supplied with a great variety of terms which were formerly unknown to him. These he hopes to have it soon in his power to give to the public in an additional volume in quarto, in order to complete the former work. This, as far as he can calculate at present, will be equal in size to any of the preceding volumes.

Edinburgh,
May 6. 1818.

An Explanation of the Contractions used in this Work.