The first English dictionary, 1604

"Contrary to popular opinion, the author of the first English dictionary is not Samuel Johnson, but Robert Cawdrey - a defrocked priest - who published A Table Alphabeticall 149 years earlier in 1604." "Unlike Dr. Johnson, who strove to create a comprehensive dictionary, Cawdrey drew up a table of hard words - what was the point of defining everyday words which everyone knew? He therefore helpfully subtitled his work "for the benefit & helpe of Ladies, Gentlewomen, or any other unskilfull persons." Long known to lexicographers, Cawdrey's contribution to the English language has been overlooked on a popular level. Cawdrey lived in the age of Shakespeare and other literary giants, when many of the great works of literature, religion, law, history, and exploration became available to an increasingly literate and educated public. His book is a testament to the sense of national self-confidence under Elizabeth I and a new pride in the English language. For modern readers, it is a treasure-house of meaning, bristling with arresting, enlightening, and eminently amusing definitions." "This edition makes available for the first time to a wider audience this important landmark text, out of print for over 350 years and standing at the head of a tradition that leads through Dr. Johnson, Noah Webster, the Oxford English Dictionary, up to the English dictionaries of today. With an excellent introduction setting Cawdrey in context, this volume is vital reading for anyone with even a passing interest in the English language."--BOOK JACKET.