The Counters of Wise Men

Abstract

HE began his task (as he himself expressly described to me) by devoting his first care to a diligent perusal of all such English writers as were most correct in their language, and under every sentence which he meant to quote he drew a line and noted in the margin the first letter of the word under which it was to occur. He then delivered these books to his clerks who transcribed each sentence on a separate slip of paper, and arranged the same under the word referred to. By these means he collected the several words and their different significations, and, when the whole arrangement was alphabetically formed, he gave the definitions of their meanings and collected their etymologies from Skinner, Junius and other writers upon the subject.