The following Inftrument was tranfmitted by John 13. P. 349. [There is also a Manufcript in the Heralds Office*, mark'd W. 2. p. 276; where Notice is taken of this Coat, and that the Perfon, to whom it was granted, had borne Magiflracy as Stratford upon Avon.] T 10 all and fingular noble and gentlemen of all eftates and degrees, bearing arms, to whom thefe prefents. fhall come; William Dethick, Garter Principal King of Arms of England, and William Camden, alias Clarencieulx, King of Arms for the fouth, eaft, and weft parts of this realm, fend greetings. Know ye, that in all nations and kingdoms the record and remembrance of the valiant facts and virtuous difpofitions of worthy men have been made known and divulged by certain shields of arms and tokens of chivalrie; the grant or teftimony whereof appertaineth unto us, by virtue of our offices from the Queen's moft Excellent Majefty, and her Highness's most noble and victorious progenitors: wherefore being folicited, and by credible report informed, that John Shakespeare, now of Stratford upon Avon, in the county of Warwick, gentleman, whofe great grandfather, for his faithful and approved fervice to the late moft prudent prince, king Henry VII. of famous memory, was advanced and rewarded with lands and tenements, given to him in thofe parts of Warwickshire, where they have continued by fome defcents in good reputation and credit; and for that the faid John Shakefpere having married the daughter and one of the heirs of Robert Arden of Wellingcote, in the faid county, and alfo produced this his ancient coat of arms, heretofore affigned to him whilft he was her majefty's officer and bailif of that town. In confideration of the premifes, and for the encouragement of his pofterity, unto whom fuch blazon of arms and atchievements of inheritance from their faid mother, by the ancient cuftom and laws of arms, may lawfully defcend; we the * In the Herald's Office are the first draughts of John Shakefpeare's grant or confirmation of arms, by William Dethick, Garter, Principal King at Arms, 1596. See Vincents Prefs, vol. 157, N° 23, and No 24. STEEVENS. 1 faid Garter and Clarencieulx have affigned, granted, and confirmed, and by these presents exemplified unto the faid John Shakefpere, and to his pofterity, that fhield and coat of arms, viz. In a field of gold upon a bend fables a spear of the firft, the point upward, headed argent; and for his creft or cognifance, A falcon, or, with his wings difplayed, flanding on a wreathe of his colours, supporting a spear armed headed, or fteeled filver, fixed upon an helmet with mantles and tassels, as more plainly may appear depicted in this margent; and we have likewife impaled the fame with the ancient arms of the faid Arden* of Wellingcote; fignifying thereby, that it may and fhall be lawful for the faid John Shakefpere, gent. to bear and use the fame fhield of arms, fingle or impaled, as aforefaid, during his natural life; and that it fhall be lawful for his children, iffue, and pofterity, lawfully begotten, to bear, ufe, and quarter, and fhew forth the fame, with their due differences, in all lawful warlike feats and civil ufe or exercises, according to the laws of arms, and custom that to gentlemen belongeth, without let or interruption of any perfon or perfons, for use or bearing the fame. In witnes and teftimony whereof we have fubfcribed our names, and faftened the feals of our offices. Given at the office of arms, London, the in the forty-fecond year of the reign of our most gracious fovereign lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, queen of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. 1599. day of It is faid by the modern editor of Arden of Feversham (first published in 1592 and republifhed in 1770) that Shakespeare defcended by the female line from the gentleman whofe unfortunate end is the fubject of this tragedy. But the affertion appears to want fupport, the true name of the person who was murdered at Feverfham being Ardern and not Arden. Ardern might be called Arden in the play for the fake of better found, or might be corrupted in the chronicle of Holingfhed: yet it is unlikely that the true fpelling fhould be overlooked among the Heralds, whose interest it is to recommend by oftentatious accuracy the trifles in which they deal. STEEVENS. The The Licence for acting, granted by James the First to the Company at the Globe, extracted from Rymer's Fadera. Pro LAURENTIO FLETCHER & WILLIELMO SHAKESPEARE & aliis. A. D. 1603. Pat.* 1. Jac. P. 2. m 4. James by the grace of God, &c. to all justices, maiors, fheriffs, constables, headboroughs, and other Among the unpublifhed collections of Rymer which are now in the British Museum, is the following patent granted in the 16th year of Q. Elizabeth, (viz. 1574). See MSS. Rymer, vol. I. The James Burbage mentioned therein, was in all probability father to Richard Burbage the contemporary of Shakespeare, and chief performer in his plays. I have printed it, because perhaps it is the first regular licence ever granted to players. "Pro Jacobe Burbage et aliis, de licentia fpeciali Elizabeth by the grace of God, quene of England, &c. To all justices, mayors, fheriffes, baylyffes, head conftables, under conftables, and all other oure officers and mynisters gretinge. Know ye, that we of our efpeciall grace, certen knowledge, and mere motion have licensed and auctorifed, and by these presents do lycence and auctorife oure lovinge fubjectes James Burbage, John Perkyn, John Lanham, William Johnson, and Robert Wilfon, fervaunts to our truftie and well beloved cofen and counseyllour the Earle of Leycefter, to use, exercyse and occupie the arte and facultye of playenge commedies, tragedies, enterludes, stageplayes, and fuche other like as they have alredie used and studied, or hereafter fhall use and studie, as well for the recreation of oure lovinge fubjectes as for oure folace and pleasure when we shall thinke good to fee them, as alfo to use and occupie all fuche inftrumentes as they have alredie practifed or hereafter shall practife for and duringe our pleafure; and the faid commedies, tragedies, enterludes, and stage-plaies, together with their muficke, to fhew, publishe, exercife and occupie to their best commoditie, during all the terme aforefaide, as well within the liberties and freedomes of anye our cities, townes, bouroughs, &c, whatsoever, VOL. I. [N] other our officers and loving fubjects, greeting. Know your tatt wee, of our fpecial grace, certaine knowledge and meer motion, have licensed and authorized, and by thefe prefentes doe licence and authorize theife our fervaunts Laurence Fletcher, William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage, Augustine Philippes, John Hemings, Henrie Condel, William Sly, Robert Armin, Richard Cowly, and the reft of their affcciates, freely to ufe and exercite the arte and faculty of playing comedies, tragedies, hiftories, interludes, morals, paftorals, tage-plaics, and fuch like others as theie have alicadie ftudied or hereafter fhall use or studie, as well for the recreation of our lovinge fubjects, as well as for our folace and pleafure when we fhall thincke good to fee them, during our pleasure: and the faid comedies, tragedies, hiftories, enterludes, morals, paftorals, ftage-plaies, and fuch like, to fhew and exercife publiquely to their beft commoditie, when the infection of the plague fhall decrease, as well within theire nowe ufuall houfe called the Globe, within our county of Surrey, as allo within anie toune halls or moute halls, or other convenient places within the Herties and freedom of any other citie, univerfitie, toun, or boroughe whatsoever within our faid reaimes and dominions. Willing and commanding you and everie of you, as you tender our pleafure, not onlie to permit and suffer them herein, without anie your letts, hindrances, or mo as without the fame, thoroughoute oure realme of England. Wyllinge and commaundinge yowe and every of you as ye tender oure pleafure to permitt and fuffer them herein withoute anye lettes, hynderaunce or moleftation duringe the terme aforefaide, any acte, ftatute, or proclamation or commaundement heretofore made or hereafter to be made notwythitandynge; provyded that the faide commedies, tragedies, enterludes and itage-playes be by the mafter of our revells for the tyme beyinge before ene and allowed; and that the fame be not published or thewen in the tyme of common prayer or in the ty me of greate and common plague in our faide citye of London. In wytnes whercof, &c. Wytnes our felfe at Westminster the 10th daye of Maye. Per breve de privato figills.” Mr. Dodfley in the preface to his collection of old plays 1744, p. 21. fays that the first company of players we have any account of in hiftory, are the children of Pauls' in 1578. STEEVENS. leftations, leftations, during our faid pleasure, but alfo to be aiding or affiftinge to them if any wrong be to them offered, and to allow them fuch former curtefies as hathe bene given to men of their place and quallitie; and alfo what further favour you fhall fhew to theife our fervaunts for our fake, we fhall take kindlie at your handes. In witness whereof, &c. Witness our felfe at Westminster, the nynteenth daye of Maye. Per Breve de Privato Sigillo. |