Gostling's Dictionary [spine title]

n.p., n.d.: England, ca, 1800. Large folio, unpaginated, but in excess of 800 pages, contemporary full diced calf, gilt-ruled borders, small fleurons on the corners, binder's ticket of Christian Samuel Kalthoeber, a German who operated a bindery in London from 1782-1808, "an outstanding craftsman and was responsible for the introduction of a number of new binding styles" (Glaister's Glossary of the Book, p. 265); old red morocco label on spine reading "Gostling's Dictionary," the whole neatly rebacked, and the covers carefully inlaid, marbled endpapers, engraved armorial bookplate of George Gostling. A Johnsonian-era English manuscript dictionary (several newspaper cuttings found in the gutter margin bear the date 1781), in ink, in at least three distinct hands (the use of the long 's' is predominate and all three hands seem distinctly 18th century), text in double column and double-ruled, the text consisting of entry words, parts of speech, accents, and short definitions, many, but not all, taken verbatim from Johnson; there are no etymologies, but occasionally, a source is cited, as in (from Johnson), fart: "wind from behind" followed from a quotation from Suckling (but unattributed by the compiler); many of the entries have been written on small slips of paper cut from another manuscript which itself was also ruled in ink, and pasted on to the leaves in (mostly) alphabetical order; other entries are on the leaves themselves, often as addenda on the opposite page, and at least one other on a slip that has been bound in; often there are blank spaces left for new words found at a later date; a number of the slips have become unglued but virtually all of the slips appear to be present; the paper is watermarked "N.H."; the prelims and terminals have the watermarks "V," or a crest with filigrees extending from the crest at the top and the bottom; some slips also have incomplete and therefore indecipherable watermarks. An enigmatic manuscript: Why individual and often tiny slips of paper, obviously cut from a large manuscript? Why are some entries checked in the margin and why are others x-ed, and why are other still starred? Why are a number of the loose slips of paper numbered on the verso? Why are some slips pasted over other entries penned on the leaves themselves? Why are some definitions word-for-word from Johnson and others (such as hurricano, inoculate, innovator, and lyrist) slightly divergent? Why is there more than one hand on a given slip (as in itch or juggle)? Why are some entries and definitions crossed out? Why does pencil intrude (twilight and typographer)? Alston XX, SPrm1: "The only possible candidate for authorship is the George Gostling (1745-1812) who was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1793, his election recommended by Thomas Astle, known for his interest in philosophical research ... The dictionary relies heavily on Johnson, but is without etymologies."