66 tude, between the engraving, from the Felton Shakspeare, and the bust at Stratford. What basis Mr. Gilchrist may have had for his observation, that " Mr. Steevens failed in communicating to the public his confidence in the integrity of Mr. Felton's picture," we know not; but, if the most striking affinity to the monumental effigy be deemed, as we think it ought to be, a proof of authenticity, this picture is entitled to our confidence: for whether we consider the general contour of the head, or the particular conformation of the forehead, eyes, nose, or mouth, the resemblance is complete; the only perceptible deviation being in the construction of the eye-brows, which, instead of forming nearly a perfect arch, as in the sculpture, have an horizontal direction, and are somewhat elevated towards the temples. We have now reached the termination of a work, of which whatever shall be its reception with the public, even Diffidence itself may say, that it has been prosecuted with incessant labour and unwearied research; with an ardent desire to give it a title to acceptance, and with an anxiety, which has proved injurious to health, that it should be deemed not altogether unworthy of the bard whose name it bears. It has also been a labour of love, and, though much indisposition has accompanied several of the years devoted to its construction, it is closed with a mingled sensation of gratitude, for what of health and strength has been spared to its author; of regret, in relinquishing, what, with all its concomitant anxieties, has been often productive of rational delight; and of hope, that, in the inevitable hour which is fast approaching, no portion of its pages shall suggest a thought, which can add poignancy to suffering, or bitterness to recollection. Gifford's Jonson, vol. i. p. ceelviii. APPENDIX. SHAKSPEARE'S WILL. (From the Original, in the Office of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.) Vicesimo quinto die Martii, Anno Regni Domini nostri Jacobi nunc Regis Angliæ, etc. decimo quarto, et Scotæ quadragesimo nono. Anno Domini, 1616. In the name of God, Amen. I WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE of Stratford-upon-Avon, in the county of Warwick, gent, in perfect health and memory,* (God be praised!) do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following; that is to say: First, I commend my soul into the hands of God my Creator, hoping, and assuredly believing, through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting; and my body to the earth whereof it 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 say, one hundred bounds in discharge of her marriage-portion within one year after my decease, with consideration after the rate of two shillings in the pound† for so long time as the same shall be unpaid unto her after my decease; and the fifty pounds residue thereof, upon her surrendering of, or giving of such sufficient security as the overseers of this my will shall like of, to surrender or grant, all her estate and right that shall descend or come unto her after my decease, or that she now hath, of, in, or to, one copy hold tenement, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford-upon-Avon aforesaid, in the said county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Susanna Hall, and her heirs for ever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if she, or any issue of her body, be living at the end of three years next ensuing the day of the date of this my will, during which time my executors to pay her consideration from my decease according to the rate aforesaid, and if she die within the said term without issue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece ‡ Elizabeth Hall, * From the short period which clapsed between the date of this Will and the death of the poet, we must infer, that the "malady which at so early a period of life deprived England of its brightest ornament," was sudden in its attack, and rapid in its progress. + Ten per cent., we find from this passage, was the usual interest of money in our author's days; and in the epitaph on Mr. Combe, as preserved by Aubrey, this old gentleman is censured for taking twelve per cent. : "But Combes will have twelve, he sweares and he vowes." + to my niece-) "Elizabeth Hall was our poet's grand-daughter. So, in Othello, act i. sc. 1, Iago says to Brabantio: You'll have your nephews neigh to you;' meaning his grand children.”. Malone. and the fifty pounds to be set forth by my executors during the life of my sister Joan Hart, and the use and profit thereof coming, shall be paid to my said sister Joan, and after her decease the said fifty pounds shall remain amongst the children of my said sister, equally to be divided amongst them; but if my said daughter Judith be living at the end of the said three years, or any issue of her body, then my will is, and so I devise and bequeath the said hundred and fifty pounds to be set out by my executors and overseers for the best benefit of her and her issue, and the stock not to be paid unto her so long as she shall be married and covert baron; but my will is, that she shall have the consideration yearly paid unto her during her life, and after her decease the said stock and consideration to be paid to her children, if she have any, and if not, to her executors or assigns, she living the said term after my decease: provided that if such husband as she shall at the end of the said three years be married unto, or at any (time) after, do sufficiently assure unto her, and the issue of her body, lands answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged so by my executors and overseers, then my will is, that the said hundred and fifty pounds shall be paid to such husband as shall make such assurance, to his own use. 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 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,five pounds a-piece, to be paid Within one year after my decease. Hart, and Michael Hart, Item, I give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth Hall all my plate (except my broad silver and gilt bowl) that I now have at the date of this my will.S Item, I give and bequeath unto the poor of Stratford aforesaid ten pounds; to Mr. Thomas Combe ** my sword; to Thomas Russel, esqr. five pounds; and to Francis Collins†† of the borough of Warwick, gent. thirteen pounds six shillings and eight-pence, to be paid within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet (Hamnet) 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; * Judith died at Stratford, aged 77, and was buried there, Feb. 9th, 1662. Joan Hart, the poet's sister, was buried at Stratford, Nov. 4th, 1646. "It is singular that neither Shakspeare nor any of his family should have recollected the Christian name of his nephew, who was born at Stratford but eleven years before the making of his will. His Christian name was Thomas; and he was baptized in that town, July 24, 1605.”—Malone. § Elizabeth Hall, the poet's grand-daughter, was married at Stratford, on April 22d, 1626, to Thomas Nash, Esq., and after the decease of this gentleman on April 4th, 1647, she again entered into the marriagestate with Sir John Barnard of Abington, in Northamptonshire. The ceremony took place at Billesley near Stratford, on the 5th of June, 1649, and Lady Barnard died, without issue by either of her husbands, at Abington, and was buried there on the 17th of February, 1669-70. "If any of Shakspeare's manuscripts," remarks Mr. Malone, “remained in his grand-daughter's custody at the time of her second marriage (and some letters at least she surely must have had), they probably were then removed to the house of her new husband at Abington. Sir Hugh Clopton, who was born two years after her death, mentioned to Mr. Macklin, in the year 1742, an old tradition that she had carried away with her from Statford many of her grandfather's papers. On the death of Sir John Barnard they must have fallen into the hands of Mr. Edward Bagley, Lady Barnard's executor; and if any descendant of that gentleman be now living, in his custody they probably remain." ** "Mr. Thomas Combe was baptized at Stratford, Feb. 9, 1588-9, so that he was twenty-seven years old at the time of Shakspeare's death, He died at Stratford in July, 1657, aged 68; and his elder brother William died at the same place, Jan. 30, 1666-7, aged 80. Mr. Thomas Combe by his will, made June 20, 1656, directed his executors to convert all his personal property into money, and to lay it out in the purchase of lands, to be settled on William Combe, the eldest son of John Combe, of All-church, in the county of Worcester, gent, and his heirs male; remainder to his two brothers successively. Where, therefore, our poet's sword has wandered, I have not been able to discover."-Malone. ++"Francis Collins- "This gentleman, who was the son of Mr. Walter Collins, was baptized at Stratford, Dec. 24, 1582."―Malone. "Hamnet Sadler was godfather to Shakspeare's only son, who was called after him. Mr. Sadler, I believe, was born about the year 1550, and died at Stratford-upon-Avon, in October, 1624. His wife, Judith Sadler, who was god-mother to Shakspeare's youngest daughter, was buried there, March 23, 1613-14 Our poet probably was god-father to their sou William, who was baptized at Stratford, Feb. 5, 1597-8."-Malone. to my godson 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 fellowes, John Hemynge ‡, Richard Burbage §, and Henry Cundell,** twenty-six shillings eight pence a-piece, to buy them rings. Item, I give, will, bequeath, and devise, unto my daughter Susanna Hall, †† for better enabling of her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances in Stratford aforesaid, called the New Place, wherein I now dwell, and two messuages or tenements, with the appurtenances; situate, lying, and being in Henley-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,, received, perceived, or taken, within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford-upon-Avon, Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe, or in any of them, in the said county of Warwick; and also all that messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, wherein one John Robinson dwelleth, situate, lying, and being, in the Blackfriars in London near the Wardrobe ;†† and all other my lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever; to have and to hold all and sigular the said premises, with their appurtenances, unto the said 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 said first son lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to the second son of her body lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said second son lawfully issuing; and for default of such heirs, to the third son of the body of the said Susanna lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the third son lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, the same so to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh sons of her body, lawfully issuing one after another, and to the heirs males of the bodies of the said fourth, fifth, sixth, 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 such issue, the said premises to be and remain to my said niece Hall, and the heirs males of 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 such issue, to the right heirs of me the said William Shakspeare for ever. Item, I give unto my wife *** my second best bed, with the furniture. Item, I give and bequeath to my said daughter Judith my broad silver gilt bowl. All the rest of my goods, chattels, leases, plate, jewels, and houshold stuff whatsoever, after my debts and legacies paid, and my funeral expenses discharged, I give, devise, and bequeath to my son-inlaw, John Hall,††† gent. and my daughter Susanna his wife, whom I ordain and make executors * "Anthony Nash was father of Mr. Thomas Nash, who married our poet's grand-daughter, Elizabeth Hall. He lived, I believe, at Welcombe, where his estate lay; and was buried at Stratford, Nov. 18, 1622 ” Malone. "Mr. John Nash died at Stratford, and was buried there, Nov. 10, 1623.”—Malone. John Hemynge died in October, 1630. § Burbage died in March, 1619. ** Cundell died in December, 1627. For accounts of these three celebrated performers, see Shakspeare's Works, París edition, vol. i. p. xcix et seq. Susanna Hall, the poet's favourite daughter, died on the 11th of July, 1649, aged 66, and was buried in Stratford church on the 16th of the same month. This messuage or tenement was the house which was mortgaged to Henry Walker. §§ The poet's wife died on the 6th of August, 1629, and was buried between her husband's grave and the north wall of the chancel. A brass plate affixed to her tomb-stone exhibits the following inscrip tion: "Ubera, tu mater, tu lac vitamq. dedisti, Væ mihi; pro tanto munere Saxa dabo! Quam mallem, amoveat lapidem, bonus Angel' ore' Exeat ut Christi Corpus, imago tua Sed nil vota valent, venias cito Christe resurget, *** John Hall, M.D. died Nov. 25, 1635, aged 60. His grave-stone in Stratford church is thus inscribed: "Hallius hic situs est medica celeberrimus arte, of this my last will and testament. And I do entreat and appoint the said Thomas Russel, esqr. and Francis Collins, gent. to be overseers hereof. And 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, Probatum fuit testamentum suprascriptum apud London, coram Magistro William Byrde, Legum Doctore, etc. vicesimo secundo die mensis Junii, Anno Domini 1616; juramento Johannis Hall unius ex. cui, etc. de bene, etc. jurat. reservata potestate, etc. Susanne Hall, alt. ex. etc. eam cum venerit, etc. petitur, etc. Dignus erat meritis qui Nestora vinceret annis, Ne tumulo, quid desit adest fidissima conjux, THE END. |