Paleographical Challenge #36

March 18, 2020

By Kathryn James

Today’s puzzle pictured above for the Paleographical Challenge.  Suggested solution to yesterday’s puzzle shown below:

Costermonger n.s./coster & monger
Many poor country vicards for
want of ^other means, turn mounte-
banks, & our greedy patrons will
make us turn taskers, malsters
costermongers and grasiers
Buron Mel

One of many notes by Samuel Johnson and his amanuenses in an annotated, interleaved copy of A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), towards a later edition.  Gen MSS Vol 728 (formerly MS Vault Johnson), vol. 2, “Costermonger.”