Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

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 Shakfpeare's manner of expreffion, and indeed he has ftudied him fo well, and is fo much a master of him, that whatever part of his he performs, 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 muft own a particular obligation to him, for the most confiderable part of the paffages 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 Shakspeare is printed from Mr. Rowe's fecond edition, in which it had been abridged and altered by himself after its appearance in 1709.

SHAKSPEARE's

WILL,

Extracted from the Regiftry of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Vicefimo quinto die Martii Anno Regni Domini noftri Jacobi nunc Regis Anglia, &c, decimo quarto & Scotia quadragefimo nono, Anno Domini 1616,

IN

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 laft 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 Jefus Chrift 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 fay, one hundred pounds in difcharge of her marriage portion within one year after my deceafe, with confiderations after the rate of two fhillings in the pound for fo long time as the fame fhall be unpaid unto her after my deceafe; and the fifty pounds refidue thereof, upon her furrendering of or giving of fuch fufficient fecurity as the overfeers of this my will fhall like of, to furrender or grant all her eftate and right that shall defcend 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 aforelaid, in the faid county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Sufannah Hall, and her heirs for ever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if the, or any iffue 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 said term without iffue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be fet forth by my executors during the life of my fifter Joan Harte, and the ufe and profit thereof coming, fhall be paid to my faid fifter Joan, and after her decease the faid fifty pounds fhall remain amongst the children of my faid fifter, equally to be divided amongst them; but

if

if my faid daughter Judith be living at the end of the faid three years, or any iffue of ber body, then my will is, and fo I devife and bequeath the faid hundred and fifty pounds to be fet out by my executors and overfeers for the beft benefit of her and her iffue, and the ftock not to be paid unto her fo long as the fhall be married and covert baron; but my will is, that the fhall have the confideration yearly paid unto her during her life, and after her decease the faid ftock and confideration to be paid to her children, if the have any, and if not, to her executors and affigns, the living the faid term after my deceafe; provided that if fuch husband as the fhall at the end of the faid three years be married unto, or at and after, do fufficiently affure unto her, and the iffue of her body, and aniwerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged fo by my executors and overfeers, then my will is, that the faid hundred and fifty pounds fhall be paid to fuch husband as fhall make fuch affurance, to his own ufe.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said sister Joan twenty pounds, and all my wearing apparel, to be paid and delivered within one year after my deceafe; and I do will and devife unto her the house, with the appurtenances, in Stratford, wherein the dwelleth, for her natural life, under the yearly value of twelve-pence.

Item, I give and bequeath unto her three fons, William Hart,

Hart, and

Michael Hart, five pounds apiece, to be paid within one year after my decease. 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 aforefaid 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 hillings and eight-pence, to be paid within one year after my decease.

Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet Sadler twenty-fix fhillings eight-pence to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, gent. twenty-fix fhillings eight-pence to buy him a ring; to my godfon William Walker twenty fhillings in gold; to Anthony Nath, gent. twenty fix-fhillings eight-pence; and to Mr. John Nafh 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.

Itom, I give, will, bequeath, and devife 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 meffuages or tenements, with the appurtenances, fituate, lying, and being in Henley-ftreet, within the borough of Stratford aforefaid; and all my barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and bereditaments whatsoever, fituate, lying, and being, or to be had, reserved, preserved, or taken within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford upon Ason, Old Stratford, Bufhaxton, and Welcome, or in any of them, in the faid county of Warwick; and also all that meffuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, wherein ene John Robinfon dwelleth, fituate, lying, and being in the Black-Friers in London wear the Wardrobe; and all other my lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatfoever; to have and to hold all and fingular the faid premifes, with their appurtenances, unto the faid Sufannah Hall, for and during the term of her natural life; and after her decease to the first fon of her body lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said firft fon lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, to the fecond fon of her body lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said second fon law. fully iffuing; and for default of fuch heirs to the third fon of the body of the faid Sufannab lawfully iffuing, and of the heirs males of the body of the faid third fon lawfully fuing; and for default of fuch iffue, the fame to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, Esth, and seventh sons of her body, lawfully iffuing one after another, and to the heirs males of the bodies of the said fourth, fifth, fixth, and seventh fons lawfully issuing, in Each manner as it is before limited to be, and remain to the firft, fecond, and third fons of her body, and to their heirs males; and for default of such iffue, the faid premises to be and remain to my faid niece Hall, and the heirs males of her body lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, to my daughter Judith, and the heirs males of her body hvfully iffuing; and for default of such iflue, to the right heirs of me the faid William Stakipeare for ever.

Item, I give unto my wife my brown beft bed with the furniture.

hem, I give and bequeath to my faid daughter Judith my broad filver gilt hole. All fe left of my goods, chattels, leafes, plate, jewels, and houthold-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 Ruffel, efq. and Francis Collins, gent. to be overseer hereof. And, I do revoke all former wills, and publish this to be my last will and tefta ment. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand, the day and year first above written, by me

William Shakspeare.

Witness to the publishing hereof,

Fra. Collins,
Julius Shaw,

John Robinfon,

Hamlet Sadler,

Robert Whattcott.

Probatum coram Magiftro William Byrde, Legum Do&ore Commiffario, &c. vicefima fecundo die menfis Junii, Anno Domini 1616. Juramento Johannis Hall unius ex. et cui, &c. de bene et Jurat' refervata poteftate et Sufanna Hall alt.ex.&c. cui vendit, &c. petitur.

THE

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »