Edited Introduction Lawrence Mitchell (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. No. 7 of an edition of 100 copies. This copy with a personalized pencil inscription on the title page by the publisher, Rob Rulon-Miller. The inscription is dated "8/8/13". 61, [2] pages. Green cloth boards, with green cloth slipcase. Paper title label on spine of book and also on slipcase. Page dimensions: 253 x 161mm (10" x 6 1/2"). Hand-set text, printed on handmade Umbria Bianco paper. An edition of a handwritten specimen for an etymological dictionary. The anonymous specimen was dated 1830, and has entries for 51 words. The Introduction gives an interesting short history of the development of etymological dictionaries of English words. Among the evidence assembled for the attribution of the 'Specimen' to Kemble, are "two explicit references to 'Beowulf', under 'fey' and 'sark'." - Introduction, page 18. Contents includes an "Editor's Bibliography", a list of "Works Cited in the Manuscript", and a list of "References Used by the Compiler". One tipped-in illustration shows a page of the 1830 manuscript. Text predominantly in black, with the numerals for the 51 entries and some other ornaments printed in a crimson-red colour.