and for default of fuch heirs to the third fon of the body of the faid Sufannah lawfully iffuing, and of the heirs males of the body of the faid third fon lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, the fame to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, fixth, and feventh fons of her body, lawfully iffuing one after another, and to the heires 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, fecond, and third fons of her body, and to their heirs males; and for default of fuch iflue, the faid premifes 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 ifluing; and for default of such ifluc, to the right heirs of me the faid William Shakespeare for ever.

Item, I give unto my wife my brown best bed with the furniture *.

Item, I give and bequeath to my faid daughter Judith my broad filver gilt bole. All the rest of my goods, chattels, leafes, plate, jewels, and houthold-tuff whatfoever, after my debts and legacies paid, and my funeral expences difcharged, I give, devife, and bequeath to my fon-in-law, John Hall, gent. and my daughter Sufannah his wife, who I ordain and make executors of this my laft will and testament. And I do intreat and appoint the faid Thomas Ruffel, efq. and Francis Collins, gent. to be overfcers hereof. And do revoke all former wills, and publish this to be my laft will and teftament. In witnefs whereof I have

* It appears, in the original will of Shakespeare (now in the Prerogative Office Doctors' Commons) that he had forgot his wife; the legacy to her being expreffed by an interlineation, as well as thofe to lemynge, Burbage, and Condell.

The will is written on three sheets of paper, the two laft of which are undoubtedly fubfcribed with Shakefpeare's own hand. The first indeed has his name in the margin, but it differs fomewhat in fpelling as well as manner, from the two fignatures that follow. The reader will find a fac-fimile of all the three, as well as thofe of the witneffes, over-leaf.

This information was not obtained till it was too late to correct the mode in which our author's name has hitherto been printed, except in the title pages, where it now flands as it fhould be given -SHAKSPEARE.

STEEVENS.

hereunto put my hand, the day and year first above-written,

Probatum coram Magiftro William Byrde, Legum Dolore
Commiffario, &c. vicefimo fecundo die menfis Junii, Anno
Domini 1616. Juramento Johannis Hall unius ex. et
cui, &c. de bene et Jurat Refervata poteftate et Susanne
Hall alt. ex. &c. qui vendit, &c. petitur.

To

To the foregoing Accounts of SHAKESPEARE'S LIFE, I have only one Paffage to add, which Mr. Pope related, as communicated to him by Mr. Rowe.

IN

'N the time of Elizabeth, coaches being yet uncommon, and hired coaches not at all in ufe, thofe who were too proud, too tender, or too idle to walk, went on horfeback to any diftant bufinefs or diverfion. Many came on horfeback to the play *, and when Shakespeare fled to London from the terror of a criminal profecution, his firft expedient was to wait at the door of the play-house, and hold the horses of thofe that had no fervants, that they might be ready again after the performance. In this office he became fo confpicuous for his care and readiness, that in a fhort time every man as he alighted called for Will. Shakefpeare, and scarcely any other waiter was trufted with a horfe while Will. Shakespeare could be had. This was the first dawn of better fortune. Shakespeare, finding more horses put into his hand than he could hold, hired boys to wait under his infpection, who, when Will. Shakefpeare was fummoned, were immediately to prefent themfelves, I am Shakespeare's boy, Sir. In time Shakespeare found higher employment; but as long as the practice of riding to the play-house continued, the waiters that held the horses retained the appellation of, Shakespeare's boys †.

JOHNSON.

Mr.

*Plays were at this time performed in the afternoon. "The pollicie of plaies is very neceffary, howfoever fome fhallow-brained cenfurers (not the deepest fearchers into the fecrets of government) mightily oppugne them. For whereas the afternoone being the idleft time of the day wherein men that are their own masters (as gentlemen of the court, the innes of the court, and a number of captains and foldiers about London) do wholly bestow themfelves upon pleasure, and that pleasure they devide (how vertuoufly it fkills not) either in gaming, following of harlots, drinking, or feeing a play, is it not better (fince of four extreames all the world cannot keepe them but they will choose one) that they should betake them to the least, which is plaies?" Nath's Pierce Pennileffe his Supplication to the Devil, 1595. STEEVENS.

+ I cannot difmifs this anecdote without obferving that it seems to want every mark of probability. Though Shakespeare quitted Stratford