OF ARTS AND SCIENCES : MAY 29, 1866. 113 



itants," in 2 vols., 12mo, Boston, 1823. His " Elements of History, 

 Ancient and Modern," accompanied by an " Historical Atlas," admira- 

 bly adapted to its purpose, was first published in 1826, and has probably 

 been more extensively used in our schools than any similar manual. 

 It has been repeatedly stereotyped. In 1825 Mr. Worcester commu- 

 nicated to the American Academy, " Remarks on Longevity, and the 

 Expectation of Life in the United States, relating more particularly to 

 the State of New Hampshire, with some Comparative Views in rela- 

 tion to Foreign Countries," which was published in Vol. I. of the Sec- 

 ond Series of our Memoirs. His fi^rst production in the field of Eng- 

 lish lexicography, which he afterwards so successfully cultivated, was 

 an edition of " Johnson's Dictionary as improved by Todd, and abridged 

 by Chalmers, with Walker's Pronouncing Dictionary combined," which 

 was published in Boston in 1828. In 1829 he was induced by Mr. 

 Converse, the publisher of Webster's large American Dictionary, to 

 prepare an abridgment of that work.' His own " Comprehensive Pro- 

 nouncing and Explanatory English Dictionary," which he had com- 

 menced before undertaking the abridgment of Webster, appeared in 

 1 830. Its extensive list of words of various orthography, distinguishing 

 the form commended by the best usage, and, in the case of words differ- 

 ently pronounced by orthoepists, its exhibition of the principal authori- 

 ties for the pronunciation, were novel features of the work, which 

 greatly contributed to its popularity. Its publication gave occasion to 

 an ill-considered charge of plagiarism on the part of Dr. Webster, who 

 enumerated one hundred and twenty-one words which he regarded as 

 pirated from his Dictionary. Mr. Worcester's reply must be regarded 

 as completely triumphant, and, as a specimen of good writing, has not 

 often been surpassed in literary controversy. 



Near the close of the year 1831, Mr. Worcester made a voyage to 

 Europe, where he spent about seven months, visiting many of the chief 

 places of interest in England, Scotland, France, Holland, and Germany, 

 and furnishing himself with the literary apparatus required for more 

 extensive researches in his chosen fields of labor. In the year 1831 he 

 assumed the editorship of the "American Almanac," which he con- 

 ducted for eleven years with eminent success. His " Universal and 

 Critical Dictionary of the English Language," the fruit of many years 

 of labor and study, appeared in 1846, and gave occasion to the famous 

 " War of the Dictionaries," waged with so much^ ferocity by the rival 

 publishers. No person was ever less disposed than Dr. Worcester to 



vol; VII. 15 



