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cientlie save and keepe harmless the said Henry Walker, his executors, administrators, and affignes, and every of them, and the said premisses by theis presents demised, and every parcell thereof, with thappurtenaunts, of and from all and al manner of former and other bargaynes, sales, guiftes, graunts, leases, jointures, dowers, intailes, statuts, recognizaunces, judgments, executions; and of, and from, all and every other charge, titles, troubles, and incumbrances whatsoever by the faid William Shakespeare, William Johnson, John Jackson, and John Hemyng, or any of them, or by their or any of their meanes, had made, committed or done, before thensealing and delivery of theis presents, 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 servits to the cheef lord or lords of the fee or fees of the premisses, for, or in respect of, his or their segnorie or seignories onlie, to bee due

and done.

IN WITNESSE whereof the said parties to theis indentures interchangeablie have fett their seales. Yeoven the day and years first above written, 1612 [1612-13].

a

Wm Johnson. Jo. Jackson.

Wm Shakspe.

Ensealed and delivered by the

Said William Shakespeare,
William Johnson, and John
Jackson, in the presence of

Will. Atkinson.

Ed. Oudry.

Robert Andrews, Scr.3

Henry Lawrence, Ser

vant to the faid Scr.

2 John Heming did not fign, or seal. MALONE. 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 noftri Jacobi nunc Regis Angliæ, &c. decimo quarto, et Scotiæ quadragefimo nono. Anno Domini 1616.

IN the name of God, Amen. I William Shak

speare 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 testament in manner and form following; that is to say:

First, I commend my soul 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 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 say, one hundred pounds in discharge of her marriage portion within one year after my decease, with confideration after the rate of two fhillings in the pound for so long time as the same shall be unpaid unto her after my decease; and the fifty pounds refidue thereof, upon her furrendering of, or giving of such sufficient security as the overseers of this my will shall like of, to surrender or grant, all her estate and right that shall descend or come unto her after my decease, or that she 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 Susanna Hall, and her heirs for ever.

4 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.

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 ensuing 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 issue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece 5 Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be set forth by my executors during the life of my fifter Joan Hart, 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

3

- to my niece -) Elizabeth Hall was our poet's granddaughter. So, in Othello, Act I. sc. i. Iago says to Brabantio : "You'll have your nephews neigh to you;" meaning his grandchildren. See the note there. MALONE.

said daughter Judith be living at the end of the said 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 set out by my executors and overseers for the best benefit of her and her issue, and the stock not to be paid unto her so long as the 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 deceate the said stock and confideration to be paid to her children, if she have any, and if not, to her executors or affigns, she living the said term after my decease: provided that if such husband as the shall at the end of the said three years be married unto, or at any [time] after, do sufficiently assure unto her, and the issue of her body, lands answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged fo by my m executors and overfeers, then my will is, that the said hundred and fifty pounds shall be paid to such husband as shall make such affurance, to his own use.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my faid sister 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 rent of twelve-pence.

Item, I give and bequeath unto her three sons, William Hart, - Hart, and Michael Hart,

-Hart,] It is fingular that neither Shakspeare nor any of his family should have recollected the christian name of his nephew, who was born at Stratford but eleven years before the making of his will. His christian name was Thomas; and he was baptized in that town, July 24, 1605. MALONE.

five pounds apiece, to be paid within one year after my decease.

Item, I give and bequeath unto the said 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 aforesaid ten pounds; to Mr. Thomas Combe my sword; to Thomas Ruffel, esq. five pounds; and to Francis Collins of the borough of Warwick, in the county of Warwick, gent. thirteen pounds fix shillings and eight-pence, to be paid within one year after my decease.

1 - except my broad filver and gilt bowl,] This bowl, as we afterwards find, our poet bequeathed to his daughter Judith. Instead of bowl, Mr. Theobald, and all the subsequent editors, have here printed hores. MALONE.

Mr. Malone meant-boxes; but he has charged us all with having printed hores, which we most certainly have not printed. STEEVENS.

8

Mr. Thomas Combe,] This gentleman was baptized at Stratford, Feb. 9, 1588-9, so that he was twenty-seven 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 same place, Jan. 30, 1666-7, aged 80. Mr. Thomas Combe by his will made June 20, 1656, directed his executors to convert all his personal 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 successively. Where, therefore, our poet's sword has wandered, I have not been able to discover. I have taken the trouble to afcertain 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.

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