Note 408 — The Drawing Room. (continued 4)

There is but a scanty memorial of this extraordinary and ever respectable bibliomaniac, in the Gentleman's Magazine; vol. lxvii. pt. ii. p. 805: 888: nor is it noticed, among Farmer's theologico-literary labours, that he was author of an ingenious essay upon the Demoniacs mentioned in scripture; in which essay he took up the idea of Mede, that these Demoniacs were madmen. Dr. Farmer's essay upon the Learning of Shakespeare is, in respect to the materials, arguments, and conclusions—what the late Bishop of Salisbury's [Douglas] was upon Miracles—original, powerful, and incontrovertible. Never was there an octavo volume, like Farmer's upon Shakespeare—which embraced so many, and such curious, points, and which displayed such research, ingenuity, and acuteness—put forth with so little pomp, parade, or pedantry. Its popularity was remarkable; for it delighted both the superficial and deeply-versed reader in black-letter lore. Dr. Parr's well applied Ciceronian phrase, in lauding the "ingenious and joy-inspiring language" of Farmer, gives us some notion of the colloquial powers of this acute bibliomaniac; whose books were generally scattered upon the floor, as Lysander above observes, like old Richard Smith's "stitched bundles." Farmer had his foragers; his jackalls: and his avant-couriers: for it was well known how dearly he loved every thing that was interesting and rare in the literature of former ages. As he walked the streets of London—careless of his dress—and whether his wig was full-bottomed or narrow-bottomed—he would talk and "mutter strange speeches" to himself; thinking all the time, I ween, of some curious discovery he had recently made in the aforesaid precious black-letter tomes. But the reader is impatient for the Bibliotheca Farmeriana: the title to the catalogue whereof is as follows. "Bibl. Farm. A Catalogue of the curious, valuable, and extensive Library in print and manuscript, of the late Rev. Richard Farmer, D.D., Canon Residentiary of St. Paul's; Master of Emanuel College: Librarian to the University of Cambridge; and Fellow of the Royal & Antiquary Societies (deceased, &c.) Sold by Auction by Mr. King; May, 1798," 8vo. [8199 articles]. The collection is justly said, in the title page, to contain the "most rare and copious assemblage of Old English Poetry that, perhaps, was ever exhibited at one view; together with a great variety of Old Plays, and early printed books, English and Foreign, in the black-letter." The reader has already (p. 324 ante) had some intimation of the source to which Dr. Farmer was chiefly indebted for these poetical and dramatical treasures; of some of which, "hereafter followeth" an imperfect specimen: