157. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, C.R. _woodcuts, Pynson_, folio, "This is Pynson's original edition, and probably the first book he printed. See a long MS. note prefixed. Bound up at the end of this copy are two leaves of a MS. on vellum, which take in the conclusion of the Miller's Prologue, and beginning of his Tale. One of these pages is illuminated, and has a coloured drawing of the Miller on his mule."

166. Mort D'Arthur, B.L. _woodcuts. Lond. W. Copland._ See MS. notes at the beginning and end, folio.

175. Roy's _Rede me and be not wrothe, For I say nothing but trothe._

"This is the famous satire against Cardinal Wolsey, printed some years before his fall. See Herbert, p. 1538, 8vo." [The reader may look for one minute at page 225, ante.]

263. Boetius, (The Boke of Comfort, by) translated into Englishe Tonge (in verse) _Emprented in the exempt Monastery of Taverstock, in Denshire, by me, Thomas Rycharde, Monke of the said Monastery_, 1525, 4to.

261. Caxton's Blanchardyn and Eglantine, or Proude Lady of Love, C.T.--F.D., _printed by Caxton_, folio. [See my edition of the _Typograhical [Transcriber's Note: Typographical] Antiquities_, vol. i. p. 346.]

274. Hawkyng, Huntyng, and Fyshyng, (from Juliana Barnes) B.L. _woodcuts. Lond. Toye, and W. Copland_, 4to. _See MS.

notes prefixed._

275. Hawys's Compendions Story, or Exemple of Vertue, B.L.--C.R. _wood-cuts_, _ib._ _Wynkyn de Worde_, 1533.

276. ---- Passe-Tyme of Pleasure, B.L. _wood-cuts ib. by W.

de Worde_, 1517, 4to.

306. Spenser's Shephearde's Calendar. C.T.--F.D., _wood-cuts: first edition, ib._ Singleton, 1579, 4to.

308. Taylor, the water poet (fifteen different pieces by) all of posterior date to the collection of his works. Among them is the Life of Old Par, with Par's head, and 31 plates of curious needle-work. The volume also contains some replies to Taylor. A written list of all the contents is prefixed. Lond. and Oxford, 4to.

330. Tulle of Old Age (translated by William Botoner, or of Worcester) _pr. by Caxton_, 1481. folio.

---- of Friendship, translated by Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester; to which is added another tract written by the same Earl, C.R.--F.D.--L.R. _Explicit per Caxton_, folio.]

How shall I talk of thee, and of thy wonderful collection, O RARE RICHARD FARMER?[408]--and of thy scholarship, acuteness, pleasantry, singularities, varied learning, and colloquial powers! Thy name will live long among scholars in general; and in the bosoms of virtuous and learned bibliomaniacs thy memory shall ever be enshrined! The walls of Emanuel College now cease to convey the sounds of thy festive wit--thy volumes are no longer seen, like Richard Smith's "bundles of sticht books," strewn upon the floor; and thou hast ceased, in the cause of thy beloved Shakspeare, to delve into the fruitful ore of black-letter literature. Peace to thy honest spirit; for thou wert wise without vanity, learned without pedantry, and joyous without vulgarity!

[Footnote 408: 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:

NO. 5950. Marbecke (John) the book of Common Prayer, noted, 1550. 4to. See Dr. Burney's long account of this very scarce book in his History of Musick, vol. ii. p. 578, &c. 2 6_s._ 0_d._

6127. Skinner's Discovery and Declaration of the Inquisition of Spayne, _imp. J. Daye_, 1569, 4to. 6128. Shippe of Fooles, by Brant, wood cuts, _imp. Wynkyn de Worde_, 1517, 4to. 1 16 0

6194. Brunswyke's Medical Dictionary, translated by Huet, _imp. by Treveris_, 1525. folio. 3 10 0

6195. Customs of the Citie of London, or Arnold's Chronicle, with the Nut-Brown Mayde, _1st edition_, 1502, folio. 0 19 0

6386. Annalia Dubrensia, or Robert Dover's Olimpic Games upon Cotswold-Hills, _with frontispiece_, 1636. 1 14 0

6387. Barley-breake, or a Warning for Wantons, by W.N. 1607, 4to. 0 5 0

6395. Britton's Bowre of Delights, by N.B. 1597. 4to. 1 13 0

6413. Byrd's (Will.) Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs of Sadnes and Pietie made into Musicke of 5 partes. 1588. Ditto Sacrae Cantiones, 2 parts; and various Madrigals and Canzonets, by Morley, Weelkes, Wilbye, Bateson, &c. 4to. 0 15 0

6608. Copie of a Letter sent from the roaring Boyes in Elizium, to the two arrant Knights of the Grape in Limbo, Alderman Abel and M. Kilvert, the two projectors for wine; with their portraits. 5 5 0

6785. Turbervile's (George) Epitaphs, Epigrams, Songs and Sonets, with a Discourse of the freendly affections of Tymetes to Pyndara his ladie, b.l. 1570, _imp. by Denham_, 8vo. 1 16 0

6804. Virgil's aeneis, the first foure bookes, translated into English heroicall verse, by Richard Stanyhurst, with other poetical devises thereunto annexed; _impr. by Bynneman_, 1583, 8vo. 2 17 0

6826. Essayes of a Prentise in the Divine Art of Poesie (King James VI.) _Edinburgh, by Vautrollier_, 1585, 8vo. 1 13 0

6846. Fulwell's (Ulpian) Flower of Fame, or bright Renoune and fortunate Raigne of King Henry VIII. b.l. with curious wood cuts: _imp. by Will. Hoskin_, 1575, 4to. 1 11 6

6847. Flytting (the) betwixt Montgomerie and Polwarte, _Edin._, 1629, 4to. 2 5 0

7058. Horace's Art of Poetrie, Pistles, and Satyrs, English'd by Drant, b.l. _Imp. by Marshe_, 1566, 4to. 0 7 6

7066. Humours Ordinarie, where a man may be verie merrie and exceeding well used for his sixpence, 1607, 4to. 0 14 6

7187. Mastiffe Whelp, with other ruff-island-like curs fetcht from among the Antipodes, which bite and barke at the fantasticall humourist and abuses of the time. 0 19 0

7199. Merry Jest of Robin Hood, and of his Life, with a new Play for to be plaied in May-Games; very pleasant and full of pastime, b.l. _imp. by Edward White_, 4to. 3 13 6

7200. Milton's Paradise Lost, in 10 books, 1st _edit._ 1667.

0 11 0

7201. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- _2nd title page_, 1668.

0 11 0

7202. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- _3rd title page_, 1669.--"N.B. The three foregoing articles prove that there were no less than three different title-pages used, to force the sale of the first edition of this matchless poem." S.

P[aterson.] 0 7 0

7232. Paradyse of Daynty Devises, b.l. extremely scarce, _imp. by Henry Disle_, 1576, 4to. 6 0 0

7240. Peele's (G.) Device of the Pageant borne before Woolstone Dixie, Lord Mayor of London, Oct. 29, 1585, b.l.

See Dr. F.'s note; as probably the only copy. 4to. 1 11 6

7241. Percy's (W.) Sonnets to the fairest Caelia, 1594. 4to.

1 12 0

7249. Psalter (the whole) translated into English Metre, which containeth an Hundreth and Fifty Psalms. The title and first page written. _Imp. by John Daye_, 1567. "This translation was by Archbishop Parker, and is so scarce that Mr. Strype tells us he could never get a sight of it." See Master's History of C.C.C.C. Mr. Wharton supposes it never to have been published, but that the Archbishop's wife gave away some copies. "It certainly (he adds) is at this time extremely scarce, and would be deservedly deemed a fortunate acquisition to those capricious students who labour to collect a Library of Rarities." Hist. of Eng. Poetry, vol.

iii. 186. It has a portrait of the Archbishop. 4to. 3 6 0

7828. Somner's (Henry) Orpheus and Eurydice, 1740. 4to. 0 1 6

7829. Shakespeare's Works, _1st edition, in folio, wants title, last leaf written from the_ 4to. 1623. 7 0 0

8062. Metrical Romances, written in the reign of Richard IId. or rather about the end of the reign of Henry IIId. or beginning of Edward I. (See note,) _purchased at Dr. Monro's Auction by Dr. Farmer_, for 29_l._ 4 14 0

8080. These Booke is called Ars moriendi, of William Baron, Esq., to remayne for ever to the Nonnye of Deptford; _on vellum, bound in purple velvet_. 2 3 0

6451. Chaucer's noble and amorous auncyent Hystory of Troylus and Cresyde, in fyve Bokes, _imprynted by Wynkyn de Worde_, 1517.