Digital Book :
A Dictionary of the English language - In which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers : To which are prefixed, a history of the language, and an English grammar.
By Samuel Johnson
Printed for J.F. & C. Rivington and others, London - 1785
Read Book Online : http://www.archive.org/stream/dictionaryofengl01johnuoft#page/n5/mode/2up
Download pdf Book (178 mb !!) : http://ia351431.us.archive.org/1/items/dictionaryofengl01johnuoft/dictionaryofengl01johnuoft.pdf
All I could think of while reading that description was Blackadder :)
Giggling here, Helen...shall we get Baldrick to throw another piece of paper on the fire?!! :))