Welsh tour. Johnson dined with Myddelton at his home on Friday, 5 August 1774, in company with Mrs Thrale, who separately noted Johnson’s delight at Myddelton’s attentions. Johnson’s journal of the tour, ultimately published in 1816, records his impressions of Gwaenynog (“a gentleman’s house, below the second rate, perhaps below the third, built of stone roughly cut – The rooms were low, and the passage above stairs gloomy, but the furniture was good”) and the company at dinner: “not inelegant – After dinner, the talk was of preserving the Welsh language – I offered them a scheme – Poor Evan Evans was mentioned as incorrigibly addicted to strong drink – Worthington was commended – Myddleton is the only man who, in Wales, has talked to me of literature”. This work has at various times been called “the most important British cultural monument of the eighteenth century” (Hitchings); “the only dictionary [of the English language] compiled by a writer of the first rank” (Robert Burchfield); “the most amazing, enduring and endearing one-man feat in the field of lexicography” ( PMM ); and the first genuinely descriptive dictionary in any language. “Johnson’s writings had, in philology, the effect which Newton’s discoveries had in mathematics” (Webster). 2 volumes, folio (408 × 255 mm). Contemporary calf, rebacked to style with red and black morocco labels, double gilt rules. Title-pages printed in red and black, woodcut tailpieces. Quire 29R duplicated. Engraved armorial bookplates of John Myddelton of Gwaenynog Hall, Denbigh, Wales; his inscription in vol. I presenting the work to Robert Myddelton: “The gift of John Myddelton Esqr. of Gwaenynog, To his Brother / Robert Myddelton . . . Rector of Denbigh May ye 1st. 1788”. Sides rubbed, 5A1, v.1, with small tear just touching the text area, 16Q2, v.2, with rust-hole with loss of about four characters, a very good copy. ¶ Chapman & Hazen, p. 137; Courtney & Smith, p. 54; Fleeman I, p. 410; PMM 201; Rothschild 1237; Slade & Kolb, Johnson’s Dictionary , pp. 105–113. £27,500 [149799] 71
71 JAMES, P. D. A Mind to Murder. London: Faber and Faber, 1963 with a superb detective fiction association First edition, first impression, inscribed by the author to Otto Penzler on the front free endpaper, “P. D. James to Otto with affection & admiration”, over the book label of Elaine Greene, her literary agent. This is a superb literary association of James’s second book: Penzler is an American author, editor, and owner of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York, and the Mysterious Press, which published mystery, crime, and suspense authors, including P. D. James. Octavo. Original red cloth, titles to spine gilt. With dust jacket. A fine copy in the sharp, bright dust jacket, with just a little sunning to spine panel, rarely encountered in such nice condition. £6,750 [144605] 72 JOHNSON, Samuel. A Dictionary of the English Language. London: by W. Strahan, for J. and P. Knapton; T. and T. Longman; C. Hitch and L. Hawes; A. Millar; and R. and J. Dodsley, 1755 From the library of his Welsh host First edition; an excellent association copy, from the library of an admirer, John Myddelton, “the only man, who, in Wales, has talked to me of literature”, whose house Johnson visited on his
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