ii. 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;