PREFACE. xi
language. Commencing the revision of his Dictionary, I soon perceived that, accurate as it was in all respects, it was too concise for my purpose; indeed, with the modesty which has characterised all his proceedings in the matter, Mr. Binning would never allow that his book was more than a mere vocabulary. In these circumstances, I was again compelled to change my plans, and instead of placing before the world a Dictionary which I felt was very far from complete, I determined to add thereto to a degree sufficient for ordinary requirements; the result is the work now before the public. As, however, I increased the bulk of Mr. Binning’s text to at least twice its original size, I did not deem it fair to that gentleman to burden him with the responsibility of authorship, seeing that many of the sins-—at any rate, of commission--must be laid to my charge.
I should wish to guard myself against the presumption that the present volume is in any degree complete; as previously stated, the preparation of a Dictionary of such magnitude as would be requisite to ensure the introduction of all the words in common use must of necessity be s labour of years. In my own case, the comparatively limited amount of time at my disposal will still further tend to defer the appearance of the larger work which I have undertaken; meanwhile, the accompanying compilation is presented in the hope that it may serve for ordinary purposes of reference. Small and insignificant as it is, a considerable degree of care and labour has been expended in its preparation. That numerous omissions will be found I freely acknowledge; but I should wish to state, with reference to the faults of "comission," that I have inserted nothing on my own individual authority, so far, that is, as "coining" words is concerned. I do not attempt to disguise that, not improbably, in some instances, I may have placed erroneous interpretations upon terms
