Page:A letter to the Rev. Richard Farmer.djvu/27

( 21 ) Notwithtanding, however, all that I have now tated, you know there are ome men in the world, who will not relinquih their old mumpimus; who when once they have taken up a particular notion, adhere to it with unconquerable pertinacity, and cannot be argued out of it: With uch men, neither the deciive circumtance I have jut now mentioned, (the death of our poet's friends, Heminge and Condell, before the end of 1630,) nor the unanwerable proofs which I have accumulated of the ignorance and temerity of the editor of the econd folio, will have the mallet weight, or at all depreciate its credit: and if they hould ever be allowed to cribble in the margin of Shakpeare, notwithtanding thee accumulated proofs we hould without doubt be reminded, whenever occaion offered, that "Such is the reading of that mot excellent and invaluable book the econd folio edition of our author's plays; a reading which Mr. M. has not been ahamed to own that he has adopted, though he has expresly denied the authenticity of the book".

And now let me add a word or two on the ubject of inconitency. Though I proved this book of no authority whatoever, does it therefore follow that I was precluded from adopting