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Why did Samuel Johnson exclude some authors from the quotations in his dictionary?

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Painting of Samuel Johnson showing Johnson seated at a desk with a quill in hand and papers before him, wearing a brown coat and white wig. — Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson, oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1756; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

In compiling his A Dictionary of the English Language, Samuel Johnson selected illustrative quotations to support his definitions and establish a literary canon. However, he explicitly excluded certain authors from these quotations on moral and religious grounds.1

Johnson believed that the inclusion of an author in his dictionary could be interpreted as an invitation for readers to engage with that writer's work. Consequently, he omitted authors whose writings he deemed contrary to his insistence on morality and piety. For example, the skeptical philosopher Thomas Hobbes and the writer Bernard de Mandeville—who famously praised the public benefits of brothels—were excluded from the dictionary for these ethical reasons.1

By prioritizing works that aligned with his values, Johnson shaped his dictionary to function not only as a linguistic reference but also as a conduct book, reflecting his belief that the moral character of literature was a vital component of its contribution to the nation.1