Salopia Antiqua as the basis of mine; but I had formed for myself a plan of independent work, and to that I resolved to keep.

Ultimately, however, when my Glossarial MSS. shewed a total of more than three thousand words, I collated my work with that of Mr. Hartshorne, and from the latter made lists of words not contained in mine. These I endeavoured to verify, and in every case where I was successful in doing so I included the word in my collection, but not otherwise.

My Glossary begun, I went on steadily working in my own way till the formation of the English Dialect Society in 1873 led me to Cambridge to talk matters over with Mr. Skeat. From him I received much valuable help and counsel.

Two of the most important suggestions he made to me were theseto represent the sounds of the words by Glossic symbols, according to Mr. A. J. Ellis's method; and to add the localities where the words were heard or known to be used.

I saw clearly that by such an extension of my scheme a largely-` increased usefulness would be given to my work in a philological point of view, and I at once made up my mind to carry it out, though it involved the cost of going over again in detail all my previous three years' work. I could grudge no pains which should tend to the more worthy accomplishing of that which I had begun with the set purpose of giving to it my best of brain and heart; for from the first it was a 'work and labour of love.' It proved a most troublesome task to localize words which in many cases had been contributed by friends who had made no notes of their whereabouts, and still more difficult was it to arrive at any trustworthy rendering of their sounds.

However, at the end of four more years of patient work my words were all fairly-well assigned to their respective districts, and their pronunciation indicated.

In order to attain this end, I had conceived the idea-based upon a general knowledge of the trend of phonetic variations in the dialect-of mapping out the county into a given number of districts, and then visiting centres of these arbitrary divisions for the purpose of collating my words, and by 'personal audition' noting their sounds.

The plan worked well, and led to many valuable results-variation of form, phonetic change, and other like noteworthy facts. It was my wont on dialecting tours, when I had been settled in head-quarters for a day or two, and had made friends with the good folk there, to begin my work by having a chat with the village blacksmith about his tools, the implements he was making or repairing, and so forth. Often on these

occasions I was met with some such remark as, 'Yo' seemen to know summat about 'em, Ma'am. I could shewn yo' a noud-fashioned tool sich as I dar' say yo' never sid afore.' And then would be brought out of some dark hole or corner an obsolete agricultural implement, and all its parts and uses would be explained to me, and measurements given. And so I learnt all about that, and picked up many words and sounds into the bargain.

The wheelwright would then be visited, and the terms of his craft acquired in like manner. The butcher would allow me to go into his shop to see how the great joints-'slench,' 'lift,' &c.—were cut for his country customers. Some neighbouring farmer and his wife would be pleased to shew me the farm-yard, the poultry-yard, and the dairy, and thus I learnt the lore they had to teach. The school-master or mistress would tell the children 'to gather posies and bring them to school for the lady;' and then they would allow me to ask them by what names they knew the flowers they had gathered. I learnt most of my plantnames in this way, a good many bird-names also, and other things besides.

I visited the old people in their cottages, and, leading them to talk of past times, would elicit many a word now dead or dying out, and, hearing it, would note its sound.

I was often fortunate in interesting some intelligent person of the peasant-class in my work, and to such a one I would read over my MS. word-lists, which I invariably took with me. The emendations of these thus obtained were invaluable. 'That inna-d-our word. so-and-so; or, 'That'll do, nobody can mend that,' would bring out a new term to be recorded, or would confirm the accuracy of my work.

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I proceeded on this plan, with more or less of interruption caused by fragile health, until the summer of 1877, when illness compelled me not only to give up a visit I was about to pay to the south-east part of the county, but also to relinquish all further investigations which would have involved fatiguing journeys. However, by methods such as I have described I had accumulated a mass of authentic information; friends had most kindly supplemented my own efforts by furnishing me with very minute answers to the crucial test-questions I had framed in order to elicit evidence upon doubtful points; and I felt, that though I would gladly have done more had strength been given to me for the work, I had yet 'done what I could,' and that I might fearlessly leave all that I was unable to do, without incurring the reproach of conscience within or of critics without.

The Introductory Grammar falls far short of my wishes, but, as far as it goes, it will, I hope, be found useful. It is, I think, the first attempt of the kind for the Shropshire dialect, and, bearing in mind what Max Müller says, 'The first grammar of a language is a work of infinitely greater difficulty than any later grammar' [Science of Language, p. 180],-I trust my effort may make it easier for some one coming after me to complete more worthily that which I have begun.

And now I leave my work to speak for itself: its errors are not those of carelessness, and whatever of merit it possesses may fairly be shared with those who have with the utmost kindness and cordiality given me their assistance. Of these, some have been fellow-workers with me from the beginning, others later on; but to each and all I owe a debt of gratitude for the good service they have rendered me in my arduous task. The Shropshire Word-Book could not have been either so copious or so complete as it is but for these helpers.

Chief amongst them are, taking them in the order of the districts:MR. ROBERT EDDOWES DAVIES, of Kingsland, Shrewsbury, who for upwards of eight years of my work has contributed largely to its general usefulness. His word-lists have been more especially for the SHREWSBURY, WORTHEN, and CLEE HILLS districts.

MRS. GROVES, of Great Hanwood, has done most valuable work for PULVERBATCH and WORTHEN. The obsolete words assigned to those districts are what she remembers her grandmother, Hannah Fletcher, using, who died in 1822, aged 86 years: the date for their decay is thus furnished.

The REV. JOHN BURD, M.A., Vicar of Chirbury, has supplied some words, &c., for the WORTHEN district.

MR. GEORGE PUGH, of Wheathill, near Wellington, has contributed a very considerable number of words for the CLEE HILLS district, also for LUDLOW, BRIDGNORTH, &c.

MR. CYRIL JOYCE, of Burford, has furnished a copious list of words from that neighbourhood - the extreme south of Salop; and MR. THOMAS MORGAN-BOUND, of Orleton, has given much valuable help in the LUDLOW district generally.

MR. HUBERT SMITH, F.R.H.S., of S. Leonard, Bridgnorth, has in various ways assisted me materially in working up the BRIDGNORTH district.

MR. W. P. BROOKES, F.R.C.S., has done very useful work in the MUCH WENLOCK district.

MR. ROBERT ANSLOW, of WELLINGTON, has sent comprehensive lists of words for that district, and many words for MUCH WENLOCK, &c. MR. THOMAS PARTON, F.G.S., has contributed a good deal of useful information relative to Colliery and Mining terms.

MISS C. S. BURNE, of Edgmond, has done a great deal of excellent work for the NEWPORT district.

MR. A. J. MUNBY, F.S.A., of the Inner Temple, has supplied many words for the COLLIERY and NEWPORT districts.

MR. ROBERT GILL, of Hopton, Hodnet, has given a long list of words, well exemplified, for the WEM district.

The REV. JOHN EVANS, M.A., Vicar of Whixall, has been of very great assistance to the work with relation to the northern part of Salop generally, and more especially to the districts of NEWPORT, WEM, and WHITCHURCH,

The REV. WILLIAM WALSHAM How, M.A., Rector of Whittington, has contributed a list of words, &c., for the OSWESTRY district.

MR. ASKEW ROBERTS, of Croeswylan, both personally and by means of his 'Byegones' columns, has given much help in the OSWESTRY district.

Three contributors to my work, who did much to enrich its pages, have passed away-the REV. J. L. SHEPPARD, M.A., Rector of Abdon; the REV. G. L. WASEY, M.A., Incumbent of Quatford and Morville; and MR. JAMES TURNER, of Wellington. The CLEE HILLS, BRIDGNORTH, WELLINGTON, and COLLIERY districts, respectively, owe a great deal to them.

MR. THOMAS HALLAM, of Manchester,-an eminently good phonetic scholar,—has from time to time given the Glossic symbols which indicate the pronunciation of the chief words the benefit of his revision; and more than that, for on submitting to him a 'draft' which I had framed as the basis for a synopsis of all the vowels, diphthongs and fractures, of the consonants and digraphs, I had noted as characteristics of the Shropshire folk-speech, he most kindly-in conference with mewent through it in detail; and bringing to my aid that more perfect knowledge of general phonology which he possessed, but I lacked, he enabled me to make the tabulated list of vowels, diphthongs, &c., which will be found in the opening pages of the Grammar Outlines that cannot, as I trust, fail to be useful.

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The critical revision of my proof-sheets, as it is the latest service in order of time that has been rendered to me in my arduous task, so it is the last to be placed on this record of grateful acknowledgments; but

that it is very far from being the least in importance will be obvious to all those who give thought to such matters. I owe it to the good offices of my friend, the REV. W. W. SKEAT, M.A., Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Cambridge, that this crowning work has been done with genuine interest, with scholarly acumen, and kindly spirit. Here I stop-the story of the book is told.

GEORGINA F. JACKSON.

White Friars, Chester,

October, 1878.