fcrupulous fidelity; but on perufing the rough draughts of the former grant of arms in 1596, I am fatisfied that there is an error in the later grant, in which the following unintelligible paragraph is found: "Wherefore being folicited, and by credible report informed, that John Shakspeare, now of Stratford-uponAvon in the counte of Warwick, gent. whose pagreat grandfather late rent and anteceffor for his faithe full and approved fervice to the late moft prudent prince, king Henry VII. of famous memorie, was advaunced with lands and tenements, geven to him in thofe parts of Warwick here, where they have continewed by fome descents in good reputation and credit," &c. On reviewing this inftrument, it appeared not very eafy to ascertain who the perfon here alluded to was, if only one was meant; nor is it at all probable that the great grandfather of John Shakspeare fhould have been his late or immediate predeceffor; to fay nothing of the word parent, which, unless it means relation in general, is as unintelligible as the reft. On examining the two rough draughts of the grant of arms to John Shakspeare in 1596, I found that in one of thefe, (apparently the more perfect of the two,) the corresponding words run thus: -whofe parents and late anteceffors were for their valour and faithful fervices to the late moft prudent prince king Henry VII." &c. In the other thus: "whofe parents [and] late anteceffors for their faithful and valiant fervice," &c. The word their is in this paper obliterated, and his written over it; and over anteceffors the word grandfather is written. The draughtsman however forgot to draw a line through the word for which grandfather was to be fubftituted. He evidently was in doubt which of the two expreffions he should retain; but we may prefume he meant to reject the words " -whose parents and late anteceffors," and to fubftitute inftead of them, " "-whole grandfather for his," &c. In the grant of 1599, we have seen, the words originally ftood, "whole parent and anteceffor was," and the words great grandfather and late are interlineations. The The writer forgot to erase the original words, but undoubtedly he did not mean that both those and the fubftituted words thould be retained, but that the paragraph thould ftand thus: "whole great grandfather for his faithful and approved service," &c. and, inftead of “great grandfather," the earlier instrument induces me to think that he ought to have written, "-whofe late grandfather." A minute examination of thefe inftruments led me to inquire what grounds the heralds had for their affertion that our poet's ancestor had been rewarded by a grant of lands from king Henry the Seventh. But it fhould feem that they were fatisfied with very flight evidence of this fact; for after a very careful examination in the chapel of the Rolls, from the beginning to the endof that reign, it appears, that no fuch grant was made. If any fuch had been made by that king, out of the forfeited eftates of the adherents of king Richard the Third, or otherwife, it must have paffed the great feal, and would have been on record. As therefore it is not found on the rolls, we may be affured that no fuch grant was made. However, from the words of the early inftruments in the heralds-office, which have been already quoted, "- for his faithful and valiant fervice," &c. it is highly probable, that our poet's great grandfather diftinguished himfelf in Bofworth field on the fide of king Henry, and that he was rewarded for his military fervices by the bounty of that parfimonious prince, though not with a grant of lands. Mr. Rowe in his account of our poet's father has faid that he had ten children. From the Register of the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon it appears, that ten children of John Shakspeare were baptized there between 7 I cannot omit this opportunity of acknowledging the politeness of Mr. Kipling of the Rolls-office, who permitted every examination which I defired, to be made in the venerable repofitory under his care; and, with a liberality feldom found in publick offices, would not accept of the accustomed fee, for any fearch which tended to throw a light on the hiftory of our great dramatick poet. the year 1558, when the register commenced, and the year 1591. If therefore they were all the children of our poet's father, Mr. Rowe's account is inaccurate; for our poet had a fifter named Margaret, born before the commencement of the Regifter. It is, however, extremely improbable, that in fo numerous a family not one of the fons should have been baptized by the christian name of old Mr. Shakspeare. I now therefore believe (though I was formerly of a different opinion) that our poet's eldest brother bore his father's chriftian name, John; and that, like their eldeft fifter, Margaret, he was born before the register commenced. If this was the cafe, then without doubt the three children who were born between March 1588 and September 1591, Urfula, Humphrey, and Philip, were the iffue of this younger John, by his fecond wife, whose christian name was Mary; and the real number of the children of our poet's father was nine. This Mary Shakspeare died in 1608, and is described as a widow. If therefore she was the wife of John Shakspeare the younger, then must he have died before that year. About twenty years ago, one Mosely, a master-bricklayer, who ufually worked with his men, being employed by Mr. Thomas Hart, the fifth defcendant in a direct line from our poet's fifter, Joan Hart, to new-tile the old house at Stratford in which Mr. Hart lives, and in which our poet was born, found a very extraordinary manuscript between the rafters and the tiling of the house. It is a small paper-book confifting of five leaves ftitched together. It had originally confifted of fix leaves, but unluckily the first was wanting when the book was found. I have taken fome pains to ascertain the authenticity of this manufcript, and after a very careful inquiry am perfectly fatisfied that it is genuine. The writer, John Shakspeare, calls it his Will; but it is rather a declaration of his faith and pious refolutions. Whether it contains the religious fentiments of our poet's father or elder brother, I am unable to determine. The handwriting is undoubtedly not fo ancient as that ufually written about the year 1600; but VOL. I. PART II. *M I have I have now before me a manufcript written by Alleyn the player at various times between 1599 and 1614 and another by Forde, the dramatick poet, in 1606, in nearly the fame handwriting as that of the manufcript in question. The Rev. Mr. Davenport, Vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon, at my request endeavoured to find out Mr. Motely, to examine more particularly concerning this manuscript; but he died about two years ago. His daughter, however, who is now living, and Mr. Hart, who is alfo living and now fixty years old, perfectly well remember the finding of this paper. Molely fome time after he had found it, gave it to Mr. Peyton, an alderman of Stratford, who obligingly tranfmitted it to me through the hands of Mr. Davenport. It is proper to obferve that the finder of this relique bore the character of a very honeft, fober, induftrious man, and that he neither asked nor received any price for it; and I may also add that its contents are fuch as no one could have thought of inventing with a view to literary impofition. If the injunction contained in the latter part of it (that it fhould be buried with the writer) was obferved, then muft the paper which has thus fortuitously been recovered, have been a copy, made from the original, previous to the burial of John Shakspeare. This extraordinary will confifted originally of fourteen articles, but the first leaf being unluckily wanting, I am unable to ascertain either its date or the particular occafion on which it was written; both of which probably the first article would have furnished us with. If it was written by our poet's father, John Shakspeare, then it was probably drawn up about the year 1600; if by his brother, it perhaps was dated fome time between that year and 1608, when the younger John should feem to have been dead. at leaft fpiritually, in will adoring and moft humbly befeeching my faviour, that he will be pleafed to aflift me in fo dangerous a voyage, to defend me from the fnares and deceites of my infernall ene mies, and to conduct me to the fecure haven of his eternall bliffe. IV. " Item, I John Shakspear doe proteft that I will also paffe out of this life, armed with the laft facrament of extreme unction: the which if through any let or hindrance I should not then be able to have, I doe now alfo for that time demand and crave the fame; beseeching his divine majefty that he will be pleased to anoynt my fenfes both internall and externall with the facred oyle of his infinite mercy, and to pardon me all my committed by feeing, fpeaking, feeling, fmelling, hearing, touching, or by any other way whatsoever. V. fins "Item, I John Shakspear doe by this prefent proteft that I will never through any temptation whatsoever defpaire of the divine goodness, for the multitude and greatnefs of my finnes; for which although I confeffe that I have deferved hell, yet will I ftedfaftly hope in gods infinite mercy, knowing that he hath heretofore pardoned many as great finners as my felf, whereof I have good warrant fealed with his facred mouth, in holy writ, whereby he pronounceth that he is not come to call the juft, but finners. VI. " Item, I John Shakspear do proteft that I do not know that I have ever done any good worke meritorious of life everlasting: and if I have done any, I do acknowledge that I have done it with a great deale of negligence and imperfection; neither thould I have been able to have done the leaft without the affistance of his divine grace. Wherefore let the devill remain confounded; for I doe in no wife prefume to merit heaven by fuch good workes alone, but through the merits and bloud of my lord and faviour, jefus, fhed upon the crofe for me most miferable finner. VII. "Item, I John Shakspear do proteft by this present writing, that I will patiently endure and fuffer all kind of infirmity, ficknefs, yea and the paine of death it felf: M 2 wherein |