Mr. Collier, who has considered it necessary to follow the original in its numerous capital letters and want of punctuation. There are several interlineations in the document, which are here indicated by italics as more convenient than foot-notes. It is guarded with unusual care, and the public are not permitted to collate copies with the original; so that a great deal of what has been said about the difficulty of editing it really arises from want of opportunity, not from the MS. itself, which is written with sufficient clearness. * In MS. Lansd. 721 is contained a copy of the probate of Shakespeare's will, communicated from Stratford in 1747 by the vicar to Mr. West. It is accompanied with the following curious observations: "I have been extremely concern'd I shou'd disappoint you in your expectation of seeing Shakespear's will. As soon as you left me, I made a diligent search, and at length had the luck to meet with it, and hope for the time to come I shall have more prudence than to promise what I cannot readily perform: I have now transcribed it a second time, which transcript, as some small attonement, I humbly beg your acceptance of. I am pretty certain the thing itself will not come up to the idea you may have entertain'd of it, as it bears the name of Shakespear's will: The legacies and bequests therein are undoubtedly as he intended; but the manner of introducing them appears to me so dull and irregular, so absolutely void of the least particle of that spirit which animated our great poet, that it must lessen his character as a writer, to imagine the least sentence of it his production. The only satisfaction I receive in reading it, is to know who were his relations, and what he left them, which may perhaps just make you also amends for the trouble of perusing it." Vicesimo quinto die Martii, anno regni domini nostri Jacobi, nunc regist Angliæ &c. decimo quarto, et Scotia xlixo. annoque Domini 1616. T. Wmi. Shackspeare. In the name of God, amen! I William Shackspeare, of Stratford upon Avon in the countie of Warr. gent. in perfect health and memorie, God be praysed, doe make and ordayne this my last will and testament in manner and forme followeing, that ys to saye, ffirst, I comend my soule into the handes of God my Creator, hoping and assuredlie beleeving, through thonelie merites of Jesus Christe my Saviour, to be made partaker of lyfe everlastinge, and my bodye to the earth whereof yt ys‡ made. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto my daughter§ Judyth one hundred and fyftie poundes of lawfull English money, to be paied unto her in manner and forme followeing, that ys to saye, one hundred pounds in discharge of her marriage porcion within one yeare after my deceas, with consideracion after the rate of twoe shillinges in the pound for soe long tyme as the same shalbe unpaied unto her after my deceas, and the fyftie poundes residewe thereof upon her surrendring of or gyving of such sufficient securitie as the overseers of this my will shall like of to surrender or graunte all her estate and right that shall discend or come unto her after my deceas, or that shee nowe hath, of in or to one copiehold tenemente with thappurtenaunces lyeing and being in Stratford upon Avon aforesaied in the saied countie of Warr. being parcell or holden of the mannour of Rowington, unto my daughter Susanna Hall and her heires for ever. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto my saied daughter Judith one hundred and fyftie poundes more, if shee or anie issue of her bodie be lyvinge att thend of three yeares next ensueing the daie of the date of this my will, during which tyme my executours are to paie her consideracion from my deceas according to the rate aforesaid; and if she dye within the saied tearme without issue of her bodye, then my will ys, and I doe gyve and bequeath one hundred poundes thereof to my necce Elizabeth Hall, and the fiftie poundes to be sett fourth by my executours during the lief of my sister Johane Harte, and the use and proffitt thereof cominge shalbe payed to my saied sister Jone, and after her deceas the saied 1." shall remaine amongst the children of my saied sister equallie to be devided amongst them; but if my saied daughter Judith be lyving att thend of the saied three yeares, or anie yssue of her bodye, then my will ys and|| soe I devise and bequeath the saied hundred and fyftie poundes to be sett out by my executours and overseers for the best benefitt of her and her issue, and the stock not to be paied unto her soe long as *Originally written Januarii. + Mr. Collier incorrectly reads rer, the original being R. contracted. Was in the copy of the probate in MS. Lansd. 721. Originally sonne and daughter, but afterwards altered. Mr. Hunter asserts that the will has never been sufficiently well edited, saying, as an example, that the word and in this place is not to be found there; but, in fact, the usual contracted form of the conjunction is evidently seen in the original. Compare similar passages in Combe's will. she shalbe marryed and covert baron ;* but my will ys that she shall have the consideracion yearelie paied unto her during her lief, and, after her deceas, the saied stock and consideracion to bee paied to her children, if she have anie, and if not, to her executours or assignes, she lyving the saied terme after my deceas, Provided that if such husbond, as she shall att thend of the saied three yeares be marryed unto, or att aniet [tyme] after, doe sufficientlie assure unto her and thissue of her bodie landes awnswereable to the porcion by this my will gyven unto her, and to be adjudged soe by my executours and overseers, then will my ys that the saied cl. shalbe paied to such husbond as shall make such assurance to his owne use. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto my saied sister Jone xx." and all my wearing apparrell, to be paied and delivered within one yeare after my deceas; and I doe will and devise unto her the house with thappurtenaunces in Stratford, wherein she dwelleth, for her naturall lief, under the yearlie rent of xij.d Item, I gyve and bequeath unto her three li sonnes, William Harte, [Thomas§] Hart, and Michaell Harte, fyve poundes a peece, to be paied within one yeare after my deceas. || Item, I gyve and bequeath unto the saied Elizabeth Hall¶ all my plate, except my brod silver and gilt bole, that I now have att the date of this my will. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto the poore of Stratford aforesaied tenn poundes; to Mr. Thomas Combe my sword; to Thomas Russell esquier fyve poundes, and to Frauncis Collins of the borough of Warr. in the countie of Warr. gentleman thirteene poundes, sixe shillinges, and eight pence, to be paied within one yeare after my * After baron was originally written "by my executours and overseers," but the sentence is cancelled. In the copy of the will in the registry the word under was inserted before covert, but it was afterwards erased. Mr. Collier incorrectly reads attaine. "Part of these premises which belonged to Shakspeare are still occupied by a descendant of Joan Harte, sister to our poet, who pursues the humble occupation of a butcher. His father, Thomas Harte, died about a year ago at the age of sixty-seven. He informed me that, when a boy, he well remembered having, with other boys, dressed themselves as Scaramouches (such was his phrase) in the wearing apparel of our Shakspeare."-Ireland's Picturesque Views on the Warwickshire Avon, 1795, p. 189. in the copy § This Christian name is omitted in the original will, but appears of the probate in MS. Lansd. 721. || Here is inserted the following passage, but cancelled; "to be sett out for her within one yeare after my deceas by my executours, with thadvise and direccions of my overseers, for her best profitt, untill her mariage, and then the same with the increase thereof to be paied unto her." Mr. Collier says the last word her was not erased, but on comparing the original, I find it clearly crossed through. The sentence in italics was originally her. deceas. Item, I gyve and bequeath to Hamlett Sadler* xxvj." viij.d. to buy him a ringe; to William Raynoldes gent. xxvj." viij.. to buy him a ringe; to my godson William Walker xx. in gold; to Anthonye Nashe gent. xxvj.“. viij.d., and to Mr. John Nashe xxvj. viij.d.;† and to my fellowes John Hemynges, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, xxvj.s. viij.d. a peece to buy them ringes. Item, I gyve, will, bequeath and devise, unto my daughter Susanna Hall, for better enabling of her to performe this my will, and towardes the performans thereof, all that capitall messuage or tenemente, with thappurtenaunces, in Stratford aforesaid, called the New Place, wherein I nowe dwell, and two messuages or tenementes with thappurtenaunces, scituat lyeing and being in Henley streete within the borough of Stratford aforesaied; and all my barnes, stables, orchardes, gardens, landes, tenementes and hereditamentes whatsoever, scituat lycing and being, or to be had, receyved, perceyved, or taken, within the townes, hamletes, villages, fieldes and groundes of Stratford upon Avon, Oldstratford, Bushopton, and Welcombe, or in anie of them in the said countie of Warr. And alsoe all that messuage or tenemente with thappurtenaunces wherein one John Robinson dwelleth, scituat lyeng and being in the Black friers in London nere the Wardrobe; and all other my landes, tenementes, and hereditamentes whatsoever, To have and to hold all and singuler the saied premisses with theire appurtenaunces unto the saied Susanna Hall for and during the terme of her naturall lief, and after her deceas, to the first sonne of her bodie lawfullie yssucing, and to the heires males of the bodie of the saied first sonne lawfullie yssucinge, and for defalt of such issue, to the second sonne of her bodie lawfullie issueinge, and to the heires males of the bodie of the saied second sonne lawfullie yssueinge, and for defalt of such heires, to the third sonne of the bodie of the saied Susanna lawfullie yssueing, and of the heires males of the bodie of the saied third sonne lawfullie yssueing, and for defalt of such issue, the same soe to be and remaine to the ffourth, ffyfth, sixte, and seaventh sonnes of her bodie lawfullie issueing one after another, and to the heires males of the bodies of the saicd fourth, fifth, sixte and seaventh sonnes lawfullie yssucing, in such manner as yt ys before lymitted to be and remaine to the first, second and third sonns of her bodie, and to theire heires males, and for defalt of such issue, the saied premisses to be and remaine to my sayed neece Hall, and the heires males of her bodie lawfullie yssueing, and for defalt of such issue, to my daughter Judith, and the heires males of her bodie lawfullie issueinge, and for defalt of *Originally Mr. Richard Tyler thelder. In gold was originally inserted here, and the word viij.d. is interlined. such issue, to the right heires of me the saied William Shackspeare for ever. Item, I gyve unto my wief my second best bed with the furniture. Item, I gyve and bequeath to my saied daughter Judith my broad silver gilt bole. All the rest of my goodes, chattel, leases, plate, jewels, and household stuffe whatsoever, after my dettes and legasies paied, and my funerall expences discharged, I give, devise, and bequeath to my sonne in lawe, John Hall gent., and my daughter Susanna, his wief, whom I ordaine and make executours of this my last will and testament. And I doe intreat and appoint the saied Thomas Russell esquier and Frauncis Collins gent. to be overseers hereof, and doe revoke all former wills, and publishe this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand the daie and yeare first abovewritten. 2By mo Mikliam Shathprer uches to the publishing poury, Fra: Colly. зывать здание John Robeson Hanmet Sadler Zabout 20 fattrolt ༢མ Probatum coram magistro Willielmo Byrde, legum doctore comiss. &c. xxij.do die mensis Junii, anno Domini 1616, juramento Johannis Hall, unius executorum, &c. cui de bene &c. jurat. reservat. potestate &c. Susanna Hall alteri executorum &c. cum venerit &c. petitur. (Inv. ex.) A great deal of discussion has been occasioned by the indistinctness of the three signatures of Shakespeare attached to this will, some contending it is Shakspere in * Seale was originally written. |