and ended, withoute impeachment of, or for, any manner of wafte: YELDING and paying therefore yearlie during the faid terme unto the faid William Shakespeare, William Johnson, John Jackson, and John Hemyng, their heires and affignes, a pepper corne at the feaft of Eafter yearly, yf the fame be lawfullie demaunded, and noe more. PROVIDED alwayes, that if the faid William Shakespeare, his heires, executors, administrators or affignes, or any of them, doe well and trulie paie or caufe to be paid to the said Henry Walker, his executors, administrators, or affignes, the fum of threefcore pounds of lawfull money of England, in and upon the nyne and twentieth day of September next coming after the date hereof, at, or in, the nowe dwelling-house of the faid Henry Walker, fituate and being in the parish of Saint Martyn neer Ludgate, of London, at one entier payment without delaie; That then and from thenesforth this prefente lease, demise and graunt, and all and every matter and thing herein conteyned (other then this provifoe) fhall cease, determine, and bee utterlie voyde, fruftrate, and of none effect, as though the fame had never beene had, ne made; theis prefents or any thing therein conteyned to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithstanding. And the faid William Shakefpeare for himselfe, his heires, executors, and adminiftrators, and for every of them, doth covenaunt, promiffe and graunt to, and with, the faid Henry Walker, his executors, adminiftrators and affignes, and everie of them, by theis prefentes, that he the faid William Shakespeare, his heires, executors, adminiftrators or affignes, fhall and will cleerlié acquite, exonerate and discharge, or from tyme to tyme, and at all tymes hereafter, well and fuffi cientlie fave and keepe harmless the faid Henry Walker, his executors, administrators, and affignes, and every of them, and the faid premiffes by theis prefents demifed, and every parcell thereof, with thappurtenaunts, of and from all and al manner of former and other bargaynes, fales, guiftes, graunts, leafes, jointures, dowers, intailes, ftatuts, recognizaunces, judgments, executions; and of, and from, all and every other charge, titles, troubles, and incumbrances whatsoever by the faid William Shakespeare, William Johnfon, John Jackson, and John Hemyng, or any of them, or by their or any of their meanes, had made, committed or done, before thenfealing and delivery of theis prefents, or hereafter before the faid nyne and twentieth day of September next comming after the date hereof, to bee had, made, committed or done, except the rents and fervits to the cheef lord or lords of the fee or fees of the premiffes, for, or in refpect of, his or their fegnorie or feignories onlie, to bee due and done. IN WITNESSE whereof the faid parties to theis indentures interchangeablie have fett their feales. Yeoven the day and years first above written, 1612 [1612-13]. a Wm Shakspe. Wm Johnfon. Jo. Jachfon. Enfealed and delivered by the Will. Atkinson. Robert Andrews, Scr.3 Henry Lawrence, Servant to the faid Scr. * John Heming did not fign, or feal. MALONE. 3 i. e. Scrivener. MALONE. SHAKSPEARE'S WILL, FROM THE ORIGINAL In the Office of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Vicefimo quinto die Martii, Anno Regni Domini nofiri Jacobi nunc Regis Angliæ, &c, decimo quarto, et Scotia quadragefimo nono. Domini 1616. IN Anno 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 praifed!) 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 it 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 * Our poet's will appears to have been drawn up in February, though not executed till the following month; for February was first written, and afterwards struck out, and March written over it. MALONE. in difcharge of her marriage portion within one year after my decease, with confideration after the rate of two fhillings in the pound for fo long time as the fame fhall be unpaid unto her after my decease; 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 fhe now hath, of, in, or to, one copyhold tenement, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford-upon-Avon aforefaid, in the faid county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Sufanna 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 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 deceafe according to the rate aforefaid: and if the die within the faid term without iffue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece5 Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be fet forth by my executors during the life of my fifter Joan Hart, 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 my S to my niece-] Elizabeth Hall was our poet's granddaughter. So, in Othello, A&t I. fc. i. Iago fays to Brabantio : "You'll have your nephews neigh to you;" meaning his grandchildren. See the note there. MALONE. faid daughter Judith be living at the end of the said three years, or any iffue of her 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 best benefit of her and her iffue, and the stock not to be paid unto her fo long as fhe 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 stock and confideration to be paid to her children, if the have any, and if not, to her executors or affigns, the living the faid term after my decease: provided that if fuch husband as fhe fhall at the end of the faid three years be married unto, or at any [time] after, do fufficiently affure unto her, and the iffue of her body, lands answerable 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 such assurance, to his own use. 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 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 rent of twelve-pence. Item, I give and bequeath unto her three fons, William Hart, Hart, and Michael Hart, 6 Hart,] It is fingular that neither Shakspeare nor any of his family fhould have recollected the chriftian name of his nephew, who was born at Stratford but eleven years before the making of his will. His chriftian name was Thomas; and he was baptized in that town, July 24, 1605. MALONE. |