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my Executors and Overseers, then my Will is, that the faid Hundred and Fifty Pounds shall be paid to fuch Husband as shall make such Afsurance, to his own Ufe.

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, Five Pounds apiece, to be paid within one Year after my Deceafe.

Item, I give and bequeath unto the said 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 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 Six Shillings and Eight Pence, to be paid within one Year after my Deceafe.

Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet Sadler Twenty Six Shillings, Eight Pence to buy him a Ring; to William Reynolds, Gent. Twenty Six Shillings, Eight Pence to buy him a Ring; to my Godfon William Walker Twenty Shillings in Gold; to Anthony Nash, Gent. Twenty Six Shillings, Eight Pence; and to Mr. John Nash Twenty Six Shillings, Eight Pence; and to my Fellows John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell Twenty Six Shillings, Eight Pence apiece to buy the Rings.

Item, I give, will, bequeath, and devise unto my Daughter Susanna Hall, for the better enabling of her to perform this my Will, and towards the Performance thereof,

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thereof, all that capital Meffuage or Tenement, with the Appurtenances in Stratford aforesaid, called the New Place, wherein I now dwell, and two Meffuages or Tenements, with the Appurtenances, situate, lying, and being in Henly Street within the Borough of Stratford aforesaid; and all my Barns, Stables, Orchards, Gardens, Lands, Tenements, and Hereditaments whatsoever, situate, lying, and being, or to be had, referved, preserved or taken within the Towns, Hamlets, Villages, Fields, and Grounds of Stratford upon Avon, Old Stratford, Busbaxton, and Welcombe, or in any of them, in the faid County of Warwick; and also all that Messuage 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 whatsoever; to have and to hold all and fingular the faid Premises, with their Appurtenances, unto the faid Susanna Hall, for and during the Term of her natural Life; and after her Decease to the first Son of her Body lawfully issuing, and to the Heirs Males of the Body of the faid first Son lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch Issue, to the second Son of her Body lawfully issuing, and to the Heirs Males of the Body of the faid second Son lawfully issuing; and for default of fuch Heirs to the third Son of the Body of the said Susanna lawfully issuing, and of the Heirs Males of the Body of the faid third Son lawfully issuing; and for default of such Ifssue, the same to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, fixth, and seventh Sons of her Body, lawfully issuing one after another, and to the Heirs Males of the Bodies of the faid fourth, fifth, fixth, and seventh Sons lawfully issuing, in such Manner as it is before limited to be and remain to the first, second, and third Sons of her Body, and to their Heirs Males; and for default of fuch Issue, the said Premises to be and remain to my faid Niece Hall, and the Heirs Males of her her Body lawfully issuing; and for default of such Issue, to my Daughter Judith, and the Heirs Males of her Body lawfully issuing; and for default of fuch Iffue, to the right Heirs of me the faid William Shakspeare 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, Leases, Plate, Jewels, and Housholdstuff whatsoever, after my Debts and Legacies paid, and my Funeral Expences discharged, I give, devise, and bequeath to my Son-in-law John Hall, Gent. and my Daughter Susanna his Wife, who I ordain and make Executors of this my last Will and Testament. And I do intreat and appoint the faid Thomas Ruffell, Esq; and Francis Collins, Gent. to be Overseers hereof. Any do revoke all former Wills, and publish this to be my last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my Hand, the Day and Year first above-written, by me

William Shakspeare,

Witness to the Publishing bereof,

Fra. Collins,
Julius Shaw,

John Robinfon,
Hamlett Sadler,

Robert Whattcott,

Probatum coram Magistro William Byrde Legum
Doctore Commissario &c. vicefimo fecundo aie
Menfis Junii nno Domini 1616. Juramento
Johannis Hall unius ex. et cui &c. de bene et
Jurat Refervata potestate et Susanne Hall alt.
ex. &c. cu vendit &c. petitur.

To the foregoing accounts of Shakespear's life 1 have only one passage to add, which Mr. Pope related, as communicated to him by Mr. Rowe.

N the time of

IN

Elizabeth, coaches being yet uncom

mon, and hired coaches not at all in use, those who were too proud, too tender, or too idle to walk, went on horseback to any diftant business or diversion. Many came on horseback to the play, and when ShakeSpear fled to London from the terrour of a criminal profecution, his first expedient was to wait at the door of the play-house, and hold the horses of those 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 short time every man as he alighted called for Will. Shakefpear, and scarcely any other waiter was trusted with a horse while Will. Shakespear could be had. This was the first dawn of better fortune. Shakespear finding more horses put into his hand than he could hold, hired boys to wait under his inspection, who, when Will. Shakespear was summoned, were immediately to present themselves, I am Shakespear's boy, Sir. In time Shakespear 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 Shakespear's Boys.

!

MEMORY of my beloved the AUTHOR,

Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR,

T

And what he hath left us.

10 draw no envy (Shakespear) on thy Name,
Am I thus ample to thy Book, and Fame :

While I confess thy writings to be fuch,
As neither Man, nor Muse can praise too much.
'Tis true, and all mens fuffrage. But these wayes
Were not the paths I meant unto thy praise:
For feeliest Ignorance on these may light,
Which, when it sounds, at best but echoes right;
Or blind Affection, which doth ne'er advance
The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chance;
Or crafty Malice might pretend this praise,
And think to ruine, where it seem'd to raise.
These are, as some infamous Baud, or Whore,
Should praise a Matron. What could hurt her more ?
But thou art proof against them, and indeed
Above th' ill fortune of them, or the need.
I therefore will begin, Soul of the Age!
The applause! delight! the wonder of our Stage!
My Shakespear rife; I will not lodge thee by
Chaucer, or Spenser, or bid Beaumont lye
A little further, to make thee a room :
Thou art a Monument without a Tomb,
And art alive still, while thy Book doth live,
And we have wits to read, and praise to give.
That I not mix thee so, my brain excuses;
I mean with great, but disproportion'd Muses :
For if I thought my Judgment were of years,
I should commit thee surely with thy Peers,

And

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