SHAKESPEARE'S WILL,

Extracted from the Regiftry of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Vicefimo quinto die Martii Anno Regni Domini noftri Jacobi nunc Regis Anglia, &c. decimo quarto & Scotia quadragefimo nono. Anno Domini 1616.

'N the name of God, Amen. I William Shakespeare 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 teftament in manner and form following; that is to fay:

First, I commend my foul into the hands of God my creator, hoping, and affuredly believing, through the only merits of Jefus Chrift my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlafting; and my body to the earth whereof that 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 fay, one hundred pounds in difcharge of her marriage portion within one year after my deceafe, with confiderations after the rate of two fhillings in the pound for fo long time as the fame fhall be unpaid unto her after my decease; and the fifty pounds refidue thereof, upon her furrendering of or giving of fuch fuflicient fecurity as the overfeers of this my will thall like of, to furrender or grant all her eftate and right that shall defcend or come unto her after my decease, or that the now hath of, in, or to, one copyhold tenement, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford upon Avon aforefaid, in the faid county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Sufannah Hall, and her heirs for ever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my faid daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if fhe, or any illue of her body, be living at the end of three years next enfuing the day of the date of this my will, during which time my executors to pay her confideration from my decease accord

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To Face the First Page N°3 of Shakespeares Will..

This Shadowe is renowned Shakespear's? Soule of th'age
The applaufe delight? the wonder of the Stage.
Nature her selfe, was proud of his defignes
And joy'd to weare the dressing of his lines;
The learned will Confefs, his works are fuch,
As neither man, nor Muse, can prayfe to much.
For ever live thy fame, the world to tell,
Thy like, no age, shall ever paralell.

ing to the rate aforefaid: and if she die within the faid term without iffue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be fet forth by my executors during the life of my fifter Joan Harte, and the use and profit thereof coming, fhall be paid to my faid fifter Joan, and after her decease the faid fifty pounds fhall remain amongst the children of my faid fifter, equally to be divided amongst them; but if my faid daughter Judith be living at the end of the faid three years, or any iffue of her body, then my will is, and so I devife and bequeath the faid hundred and fifty pounds to be fet out by my executors and overfeers for the best benefit of her and her iffue, and the stock not to be paid unto her fo long as fhe fhall 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 decease the said stock and confideration to be paid to her children, if she have any, and if not, to her executors and affigns, the living the faid term after my deccafe; provided that if fuch husband as she shall at the end of the faid three years be married unto, or at and after, do fufficiently affure unto her, and the iffue of her body, land answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged fo by my executors and overfeers, then my will is, that the faid hundred and fifty pounds fhall be paid to fuch husband as fhall make fuch affurance, to his own ufe.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said 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 devife unto her the houfe, with the appurtenances, in Stratford, wherein the dwelleth, for her natural life, under the yearly value of twelve pence.

Item, I give and bequeath unto her three fons, William Hart, - Hart, and Michael Hart, 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 that I now have, except my broad filver and gilt. boxes, 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.

Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet Sadler twenty-fix fhillings eight pence to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, gent. twenty-fix fhillings eight pence to buy him a ring; to my gedfon William Walker twenty fhillings in gold; to Anthony Nafh, gent. twenty-fix fhillings eight pence; and to Mr. John Nafh twenty-fix fhillings eight pence; and to my fellows John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell twenty-fix thillings eight pence apiece to buy them rings.

Item, I give, will, bequeath, and devife unto my daughter Sufannah Hall, for the better enabling of her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital meffuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, in Stratford aforefaid, called The New Place, wherein i now dwell, and two mefluages or tenements, with the appurten ances, fituate, lying, and being in Henley-ftreet, within the borough of Stratford aforefaid; and all my barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatfoever, fituate, lying, and being, or to be had, referved, preferved, or taken within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford upon Avon, Old Stratford, Bufhaxton, and Welcombe, or in any of them, in the faid county of Warwick; and alfo all that meffuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, wherein one John Robinson dwelleth, fituate, lying, and being in the Black-Friers in London near the Wardrobe; and all other my lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatfoever; to have and to hold all and fingular the faid premifes, with their appurtenances, unto the faid Sufannah Hall, for and during the term of her natural life; and after her decease to the firft fon of her body lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the faid firft fon lawfully ifting; and for default of fuch iffue, to the fecond fon of her body lawfully ifluing, and to the heirs males of the body of the faid fecond fon lawfully iffuing;

* It appears from the regifters in Doctors' Commons, that Burbage died in 1629. The wills of Hemynge and Cundell I could not meet with, though I fought for them as low as the year 1641. Several wills indeed I found with the names of J. Hemynge and Henry Cundell annexed, but they contain nothing characteristick of Shakespeare's affociates. STEEVENS.

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