Note 17 — WORDS.
Reading edition
“Lesser, says Mr. Johnson, is a barbarous corruption of Less, formed by the vulgar from the habit of terminating comparisons in er.”
“Attend to what a lesser Muse indites.” Addis.
Worser sounds much more barbarous, only because it has not been so frequently used:
“A dreadful quiet felt, and worser far Than arms, a sullen interval of war.” Dryden.