terton's fine performance of that part; a man, who, though he had no other good qualities, as he has a great many, must have made his way into the esteem of all men of letters, by this only excellency. No man is better acquainted with Shakspeare's manner of expreffion, and indeed he has studied him fo well, and is fo much a master of him, that whatever part of his he perforins, he does it as if it had been written on purpose for him, and that the author had exactly conceived it as he plays it. I must own a particular obligation to him, for the most confiderable part of the passages relating to this life, which I have here tranfmitted to the publick; his veneration for the memory of Shakspeare having engaged him to make a journey into Warwickshire, on purpose to gather up what remains he could, of a name for which he had fo great a veneration *. * This Account of the Life of Shakfpeare is printed from Mr. Rowe's second edition, in which it had been abridged and altered by himself after its appearance in 1709. SHAKSPEARE's , WILL, Extracted from the Registry of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Vicefimo quinto die Martii Anno Regni Domini noftri Jacobi nunc Regis Angliæ, &c decimo quarto & Scotiæ quadragefimo nono, Anno Domini 1616, N the name of God, Amen. I William Shakspeare of Stratford upon Avon, in the county of Warwick, gent. in perfect health and memory (God be praised) do make and ordain this my last will and teftament in manner and form following; that is to fay: First, I commend my foul into the hands of God my creator, hoping, and affuredly believing, through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting; and my body to the earth whereof that is made. Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds of lawful English money, to be paid unto her in manner and form following; that is to say, one hundred pounds in discharge of her marriage portion within one year after my decease, with confiderations after the rate of two shillings in the pound for fo long time as the fame shall be unpaid unto her after my decease; and the fifty pounds refidue thereof, upon her furrendering of or giving of fuch sufficient security as the overseers of this my will shall like of, to furrender or grant all her eftate and right that shall descend or come unto her after my decease, or that the now hath of, in, or to, one copyhold tenement, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford upon Avon aforesaid, in the faid county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Susannah Hall, and her heirs for ever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my faid daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if the, or any issue of her body, be living at the end of three years next enfuing the day of the date of this my will, during which time my executors to pay her confideration from my decease according to the rate aforesaid: and if the die within the faid term without issue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece Elizabeth Hall, and the fitry pounds to be fet forth by my executors during the life of my fifter Joan Harte, and the use and profit thereof coming, shall be paid to my faid fifter Joan, and after her decease the faid fifty pounds shall remain amongst the children of my faid fifter, equally to be divided amongst them; but if my faid daughter Judith be living at the end of the faid three years, or any issue of her body, then my will is, and so I devise and bequeath the faid hundred and fifty pounds to be fet out by my executors and overseers for the best benefit of her and her issue, and the ftock not to be paid unto her fo long as she shall be married and covert baron; but my will is, that she shall have the confideration yearly paid unto her during her life, and after her decease the faid stock and confideration to be paid to her children, if she have any, and if not, to her executors and affigns, the living the faid term after my deceafe; provided that if such husband as the shall at the end of the faid three years be married unto, or at and after, do sufficiently affure unto her, and the iffue of her body, and answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged fo by my executors and overseers, then my will is, that the faid hundred and fifty pounds fhall be paid to such husband as shall make such affurance, to his own ufe. Item, I give and bequeath unto my faid fifter Joan twenty pounds, and all my wearing apparel, to be paid and delivered within one year after my decease ; and I do will and devise unto her the house, with the appurtenances, in Stratford, wherein she dwelleth, for her natural life, under the yearly value of twelve-pence. Item, I give and bequeath unto her three fons, William Hart, -Michael Hart, five pounds apiece, to be paid within one year after my decease. Hart, and Item, I give and bequeath unto the faid Elizabeth Hall all my plate that I now have, except my broad filver and gilt boxes, at the date of this my will. Item, I give and bequeath unto the poor of Stratford aforesaid ten pounds; to Mr. Thomas Combe my fword; to Thomas Ruffel, efq. five pounds; and to Francis Collins of the borough of Warwick, in the county of Warwick, gent, thirteen pounds fix fhillings and eight-pence, to be paid within one year after my deceafe. Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet Sadler twenty-fix shillings eight-pence to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, gent. twenty-fix shillings eight-pence to buy him a ring; to my godfon William Walker twenty fhillings in gold; to Anthony Nash, gent. twenty fix-thillings eight-pence; and to Mr. John Nash twenty-fix fhillings eightpeace; and to my fellows John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell twenty-fix thillings eight pence apiece to buy them rings. Iton, I give, will, bequeath, and devise unto my daughter Susannah Hall, for the better enabling of her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital meffuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, in Stratford aforefaid, called The New Place, wherein I now dwell, and two messuages or tenements, with the appurtenances, fituate, lying, and being in Henley-ftreet, within the borough of Stratford aforesaid; and all my barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, situate, lying, and being, or to be had, referved, preserved, or taken within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford upon Avon, Old Stratford, Bushaxton, and Welcome, or in any of them, in the faid county of Warwick; and alfo all that meffuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, wherein ne John Robinfon dwelleth, situate, lying, and being in the Black-Friers in London near the Wardrobe; and all other my lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever; to have and to hold all and fingular the faid premises, with their appurtenances, unto the faid Sufannah Hall, for and during the term of her natural life; and after her decease to the first son of her body lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the faid first fon lawfully issuing; and for default of fuch issue, to the fecond fon of her body lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the faid second son lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch heirs to the third fon of the body of the faid Sufannah lawfully iffuing, and of the heirs males of the body of the faid third fon lawfully ffuing; and for default of such issue, the fame to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, Esth, and feventh fons of her body, lawfully iffuing one after another, and to the heirs males of the bodies of the faid fourth, fifth, fixth, and feventh fons lawfully iffuing, in Lch manner as it is before limited to be, and remain to the first, second, and third fons of her body, and to their heirs males; and for default of fuch issue, the faid premises to be and remain to my faid niece Hall, and the heirs males of her body lawfully issuing; and for default of fuch issue, to my daughter Judith, and the heirs males of her body avfully itfuing; and for default of fuch issue, to the right heirs of me the faid William Stakfoeare for ever. Item, I give unto my wife my brown best bed with the furniture. Item, I give and bequeath to my faid daughter Judith my broad filver gilt bole. All fe teft of my goods, chattels, leases, plate, jewels, and houshold-stuff whatsoever, after my debts and legacies paid, and my funeral expences discharged, I give, devise, and bequeath to my fon-in-law, John Hall, gent. and my daughter Sufannah his wife, who who I ordain and make executors of this my last will and testament. And I do intrea and appoint the faid Thomas Russel, esq. and Francis Collins, gent. to be overseers hereof. And, I do revoke all former wills, and publish this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand, the day and year first abovewritten, by me Witness to the publishing hereof, Fra. Collins, Robert Whattcott. William Shakspeare. 1 Probatum coram Magiftro William Byrde, Legum Doctore Commissario, &c. vicefime fecundo die menfis Junii, Anno Domini 1616. Juramento Johannis Hall unius ex. et cui, &c. de bene et Jurat' refervata potestate et Susanne Hall alt.ex. &c. cui vendit, &c. petitur. THE |