One value I may claim for my book, that whatever may be wanting to it, it is with the very most trifling exceptions an entirely independent and original collection of passages illustrative of the history of our language. Of my citations, I believe about a thousand in all, I may owe some twenty at the most to existing Dictionaries or Glossaries, to Nares or Johnson or Todd or Richardson. In perhaps some twenty cases more I have lighted upon and selected a passage by one of them selected before, and have not thought it desirable, or have not found it possible, to dismiss this and choose some other in its room. These excepted, the collection is entirely independent of all those which have previously been made; and in a multitude of cases notes uses and meanings of words which have never been noted before.

Westminster: May 25, 1859.

In the present edition the ‘Select Glossary’ has been carefully revised, and a few of the articles have been rewritten. In the work of revision special attention has been paid to two points, the etymologies and the Middle English quotations. The aim of the editor has been to bring this useful and interesting little book up to date, by purging it of obsolete or doubtful etymologies, and giving those which commend themselves to the best modern authorities on the subject. Nearly all the quotations from the works of Middle English authors have been collated with the best modern editions, and care has been taken to make the references in each case as clear and precise as possible. It is hoped that the Alphabetical Lists of Authors quoted, and of Philological Works referred to, may be found useful to the student.

A. L. MAYHEW.

Wadham College, Oxford: Oct. 28, 1889.

LIST OF AUTHORS QUOTED.

The references are to the pages of the ‘Select Glossary.’ Two dates separated by a hyphen denote the birth and death date of the author; a date preceded by an obelisk denotes the death date; a single date unmarked denotes the date of the work.

PHILOLOGICAL WORKS REFERRED TO.