English Encyclopaedia

The English Cyclopaedia (London, 1854–1862, 4to, 23 vols., 12,117 pages; supplements, 1869–1873, 4 vols., 2858 pages), was published by Charles Knight, based on the Penny Cyclopaedia, of which he had the copyright.

It is in four divisions all alphabetical, and evidently very unequal as classes:

1 Geography

2 Natural history

3 Biography (with 703 lives of living persons)

4 Arts and sciences

The synoptical index, 168 pages, has four columns on a page, one for each division, so that the order is alphabetical and yet the words are classed.

From the Public Domain 1911 Encyclopaedia