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, (except my broad filver and gilt bowl,") that I now have 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 fhillings and eight-pence, to be paid within one year after my decease. 7 except my broad filver and gilt bowl,] This bowl, as we afterwards find, our poet bequeathed to his daughter Judith. Inftead of bowl, Mr. Theobald, and all the fubfequent editors, have here printed hoxes. MALONE. Mr. Malone meant-boxes; but he has charged us all with having printed hores, which we most certainly have not printed. STEEVENS. s - Mr. Thomas Combe,] This gentleman was baptized at Stratford, Feb. 9, 1588-9, fo that he was twenty-feven years old at the time of Shakspeare's death. He died at Stratford in July 1657, aged 68; and his elder brother William died at the fame place, Jan. 30, 1666-7, aged 80. Mr. Thomas Combe by his will made June 20, 1656, directed his executors to convert all his perfonal property into money, and to lay it out in the purchase of lands, to be settled on William Combe, the eldest son of John Combe of Allchurch in the county of Worcester, Gent. and his heirs male; remainder to his two brothers fucceffively. Where, therefore, our poet's fword has wandered, I have not been able to difcover. I have taken the trouble to ascertain the ages of Shakspeare's friends and relations, and the time of their deaths, because we are thus enabled to judge how far the traditions concerning him which were communicated to Mr. Rowe in the beginning of this century, are worthy of credit. MALONE. 9 to Francis Collins-] This gentleman, who was the fon of Mr. Walter Collins, was baptized at Stratford, Dec. 24, 1582. I know not when he died. MALONE. Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet [Hamnet] Sadler twenty-fix fhillings eight pence, to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, gent. twentyfix fhillings eight-pence, to buy him a ring; to my godfon William Walker, twenty fhillings in gold; to Anthony Nash,3 gent. twenty-fix fhillings eightpence; and to Mr. John Nafh, twenty-fix fhillings eight-pence; and to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell,5 twenty-fix fhillings eight-pence apiece, to buy them rings. Item, I give, will, bequeath, and devife, unto my daughter Sufanna Hall, for better enabling of her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital meffuage or tene I to Hamnet Sadler-] This gentleman was godfather to Shakspeare's only fon, who was called after him. Mr. Sadler, I believe, was born about the year 1550, and died at Stratfordupon-Avon, in October 1624. His wife, Judith Sadler, who was godmother to Shakspeare's youngest daughter, was buried there, March 23, 1613-14. Our poet probably was godfather to their fon William, who was baptized at Stratford, Feb. 5, 1597-8. MALONE. 2 to my godfon, William Walker,] William, the fon of Henry Walker, was baptized at Stratford, Oct. 16, 1608. I mention this circumstance, because it ascertains that our author was at his native town in the autumn of that year. Mr. William Walker was buried at Stratford, March 1, 1679-80. MALONE. 3 -to Anthony Nafh,] He was father of Mr. Thomas Nash, who married our poet's grand-daughter, Elizabeth Hall. He lived, I believe, at Welcombe, where his eftate lay; and was buried at Stratford, Nov. 18, 1622. MALONE. 4 to Mr. John Nafh,] This gentleman died at Stratford, and was buried there, Nov. 10, 1623. MALONE. 5to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell,] These our poet's fellows did not very long furvive him. Burbage died in March, 1619; Cundell in December, 1627; and Heminge in October 1630. See their wills in The Account of our old Actors, in Vol. III. MALONE. ment, 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, ftables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, fituate, lying, and being, or to be had, received, perceived, or taken, within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford-upon-Avon, Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe," or in any of them, in the said county of Warwick; and alfo all that meffuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, wherein one John Robinson dwelleth, fituate, lying, and being, in the Blackfriars in London near the Wardrobe; 8 and all other my received, perceived,] Inftead of these words, we have hitherto had in all the printed copies of this will, referved, preferved. MALone. "Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe,] The lands of Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe, here devised, were in Shakspeare's time a continuation of one large field, all in the parish of Stratford. Bishopton is two miles from Stratford, and Welcombe one. For Bishopton, Mr. Theobald erroneously printed Bufhaxton, and the error has been continued in all the fubfequent editions. The word in Shakspeare's original will is fpelt Bushopton, the vulgar pronunciation of Bifhopton. I fearched the Indexes in the Rolls chapel from the year 1589 to 1616, with the hope of finding an enrolment of the purchasedeed of the estate here devised by our poet, and of afcertaining its extent and value; but it was not enrolled during that period, nor could I find any inquifition taken after his death, by which its value might have been ascertained. I fuppofe it was conveyed by the former owner to Shakspeare, not by bargain and fale, but by a deed of feoffment, which it was not neceffary to enroll. MALONE. that meffuage or tenement-in the Blackfriars in Lon lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatfoever; to have and to hold all and fingular the said premises, with their appurtenances, unto the faid Sufanna 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 said first 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 faid fecond fon lawfully iffuing; and for default of such heirs, to the third fon of the body of the faid Sufanna lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the faid third fon lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, the fame fo to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, fixth, and seventh 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 fuch 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 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 lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, to the right heirs of me the faid William Shakspeare for ever. don near the Wardrobe ;] This was the house which was mortgaged to Henry Walker. See p. 149. By the Wardrobe is meant the King's Great Wardrobe, a royal house, near Puddle-Wharf, purchased by King Edward the Third from Sir John Beauchamp, who built it. King Richard III. was lodged in this house in the second year of his reign. See Stowe's Survey, p. 693, edit. 1618. After the fire of London this office was kept in the Savoy; but it is now abolished. MALONE. |