COPY OF WALTON'S WILL.

August the ninth, one thousand six hundred eighty-three.

In the name of God Amen: I IZAAK WALTON the elder, of Winchester being this present day in the neintyeth yeare of my age and in perfect memory for wich praysed be God: but considering how sodainly I may be deprived of boeth doe therfore make this my last Will and Testament as folPoweth. And first I doe declare my beleife to be that their is only one God who hath made the whole world and me and all mankinde; to whome I shall give an account of all my actions which are not to be justified, but I hope pardoned for the merits of my Saviour Jesus: And because the profession of Christianity does at this time, seime to be subdevided into Papist and Protestant, I take it to be at least convenient to declare my beleife to be in all poynts of faith, as the Church of England now professeth. And this I doe the rather, because of a very long and very trew friendship with some of the Roman Church. And for my worldly estate, (which I have nether got by falsehood or flattery or the extreme crewelty of the law of this nation,) 1 doe hereby give and bequeth it as folioweth : First I give my son-in-law Dr. Hawkins and to his wife; to them I give all my tytell and right of or in a part of a howse and shop, in Pater-noster-rowe, in London: which I hold by lease from the Lord Bishop of London for about fifty years to come. And I doe also give to them all my right and tytell of or to a howse in Chancery-Lane, London, wherein Mrs. Greinwood now dwelleth, in which is now about sixteen years to come: I give these two leases to them, they saving my executor from all damage concerning the same. And I give to my son Izaak all my right and tytell to a lease of Norington farme, which I hold from the Lord Bishop of Winton: And I doe also give him all my right and tytell to a farme or land nere to Stafford, which I bought of Mr.

ever;

Walter Noell; I say, I give it to him and his heares for but upon the condition following, namely, if my sone shall not marry before he shall be of the age of forty and one yeare, or, being marryed, shall dye before the saide age and leve noe son to inherit the saide farme or land, or if his son or sonns shall not live to attaine the age of twentie and one yeare, to dispose otherwayes of it, then I give the saide farme or land to the towne or corperation of Stafforde in which I was borne, for the good and benifit of some of the saide towne, as I shall direct, and as followeth, (but first note, that it is at this presant time rented for twenty-one pound ten shillings a yeare, and is like to hold the said rent, if care be taken to keipe the barne and howsing in repaire; and I wood have, and doe give ten pownd of the saide rent, to binde out yearely, two boyes, the sons of honest and pore parents, to be apprentises to som tradesmen or handy-craft men, to the intent the saide boyes may the better afterward get their owne living. And I doe also give five pownd yearly, out of the said rent, to be given to some meade-servant, that hath attained the age of twenty and one yeare, not les, and dwelt long in one servis, or to som honest pore man's daughter, that hath attained to that age, to be paide her at or on the day of her marriage: and this being done, my will is, that what rent shall remaine of the saide farme or land, shall be disposed of as followeth : first, I doe give twenty shillings yearely, to be spent by the maior of Stafford and those that shall colect the said rent and dispose of it as I have and shall hereafter direct; and that what mony or rent shall remaine undisposed offe, shall be imployed to buie coles for some pore people, that shall most neide them, in the said towne; the saide coles to be delivered the last weike in Janewary, or in every first weike in Febrewary; I say then, because I take that time to be the hardest and most pinching times with pore people; and God reward those that shall doe this with out partialitie, and with honestie, and a good contience. And if the saide maior and others of

the saide towne of Stafford, shall prove so necligent, or dishonest, as not to imploy the rent by me given as intended and exprest in this iny will, which God forbid,― then I give the saide rents and profits of the saide farme or land, to the towne and chiefe magestrats or governers of Ecles-hall, to be disposed by them in such maner as I have ordered the disposall of it by the towne of Stafford, the said farme or land being nere the towne of Ecles-hall. And I give to my son-in-law, Dr. Hawkins, whome I love as my owne son; and to my dafter his wife; and my son Izaak; to each of them a ring, with these words or motto; Love my memory, I. W. obiet; to the Lord Bishop of Winton a ring, with this motto: A mite for a million, I. W. obiet; and to the freinds hereafter named, I give to each of them a ring with this motto: A friend's farewell, I. W. obiet: And my will is, the said rings be deliverd within fortie dayes after my deth; and that the price or valew of all the said rings shall be thirteen shillings and fourpence a-piece. I give to Dr. Hawkins, Doctor Donns Sermons, which I have heard preacht, and read with much content. To my son Izaak, I give Dr. Sibbs his Soule's Conflict; and to my doughter his Brewsed Reide, desiring them to reade them so as to be well aquanted with them. And I also give to her all my bookes at Winchester and Droxford, and what ever in those two places are or I can call mine, except a trunk of linen, which I give to my son Izaak: but if he doe not live to marry, or make use of it, then I give the same to my grandafter, Anne Hawkins. And I give my dafter Doctor Hall's Works which be now at Farnham. To my son Izaak I give all my books, not yet given at Farnham Castell and a deske of prints and pickters; also a cabinet nere my bed's head, in which are som littell things that he will valew, tho of noe greate worth. And my will and desyre is, that he shall be kinde to his ante Beacham and his ant Rose Ken; by alowing the first about fiftie shilling a yeare, in or for bacon and cheise, not more and paying four pounds a yeare towards the bordin of her son's

dyut to Mr. John Whitehead for his ante Ken, I desyre him to be kinde to her according to her necessitie and his owne abillitie; and I comend one of her children to breide up as I have saide I intend to doe, if he shall be able to doe it, as I know he will, for they be good folke. I give to Mr. John Darbishire the Sermons of Mr. Antony Faringdon, or of Dr. Sanderson, which my executor thinks fit. To my servant, Thomas Edgill, I give five pownd in mony, and all my clothes, linen and wollen, except one sute of clothes, which I give to Mr. Holinshed, and forty shiling, if the saide Thomas be my servant at my deth; if not, my cloths only. And I give my old friend, Mr. Richard Marriot,* ten pownd in mony, to be paid him within three months after my deth; and I desyre my son to shew kindenes to him if he shall neide, and my son can spare it. And I do hereby will and declare my son Izaak to be my sole executor of this my last will and testament; and Dr. Hawkins, to see that he performs it; which I doubt not but he will. I desyre my buriall may be nere the place of my deth, and free from any ostentation or charg, but privately. This I make to be my last will, (to which I shall only add the codicell for rings,) this sixteenth day of August, one thousand six hundred eighty-three, IZAAK WALTON.

Witness to this will.

The rings I give are as on the other side.

To my brother Jon Ken;
to my sister, his Wife;
to my brother, Doctor Ken;
to my sister Pye ;

to Mr. Francis Morley;

to Sr George Vernon ; to his Wife;

to his three Dafters;

to Mistris Nelson;

to Mr. Richard Walton;
to Mr. Palmer ;
to Mr. Taylor;

to Mr. Thomas Garrard;

to the Lord Bishop of Sarum ;
to Mr. Rede, his servant;
to my cousin, Dorothy Kenrick;
to my cousin Lewin;
to Mr. Walter Higgs;
to Mr. Charles Cotton;
to Mr. Richard Marryot;
to my brother Beacham ;
to my sister, his Wife;

to the Lady Anne How;

to Mrs. King, Dr. Phillips's wife;
to Mr. Valantine Harecourt;
to Mrs. Elyza Johnson;

Bookseller, and his publisher.

to Mr. Will. Milward, of Christ- to Mr. John Lloyde;

church, Oxford;

to Mr. John Darbeshire;

to my cozen Greinsell's widow; Mrs. Dalbin must not be forgotten. IZAAK WALTON.

Note, that several lines are blotted out of this Will, for they were twice repeated,-and that this Will is now signed and sealed this twenty and fourth day of October, one thousand six hundred eighty-three, in the presence of us :

In this Will, as in every thing else which he wrote, will be found something characteristic of the man:-the subjoined genuine little scrap, exhibiting a fac-simile of his hand-writing, will be acceptable even to the Waltonian reader.

fare do3 B. Zhow mount

Arcopt te is powe profant, by bee as meane gand that brings it frome of affor Permant, Frank Walton

For Dor C. Bewmount,

that brings it from

pray St, Accept this pore presant, by the as meane hand

Yr affec. servant,

Izaak Walton