Page images
PDF
EPUB

ment, with the appurtenances, in Stratford aforefaid, called The New Place, wherein I now dwell, and two meffuages or tenements, with the appurtenances, fituate, lying, and being in Henley-ftreet, within the borough of Stratford aforefaid; and all my barns, fiables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, fituate, 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 meffuage or tenement, with the appurte nances, wherein one John Robinfon dwelleth, fituate, lying, and being, in the Blackfriars in London near the Wardrobe ; & and all other my

[ocr errors]

·received, perceived,] Instead of these words, we have hitherto had in all the printed copies of this will, referved, preferved. MALOne.

7 Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe,] The lands of Old Stratford, Bifhopton, and Welcombe, here devised, were in Shakspeare's time a continuation of one large field, all in the parish of Stratford. Bishopton is two miles from Stratford, and Welcombe one. For Bishopton, Mr. Theobald erroneously printed Bushaxton, and the error has been continued in all the fubfequent editions. The word in Shakspeare's original will is fpelt Bufhopton, the vulgar pronunciation of Bishopton.

I fearched the Indexes in the Rolls chapel from the year 1589 to 1616, with the hope of finding an enrolment of the purchasedeed of the estate here devised by our poet, and of afcertaining its extent and value; but it was not enrolled during that period, nor could I find any inquifition taken after his death, by which its value might have been afcertained. I fuppofe it was conveyed by the former owner to Shakspeare, not by bargain and sale, but by a deed of feoffment, which it was not neceffary to enroll. MALONE.

8

that meffuage or tenement—in the Blackfriars in Lon

lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatfoever; to have and to hold all and fingular the faid premifes, with their appurtenances, unto the said Sufanna Hall, for and during the term of her natural life; and after her decease to the first son of her body lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said firft fon lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, to the fecond fon of her body lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the faid fecond fon lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch heirs, to the third fon of the body of the faid Sufanna lawfully iffuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the faid third fon lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, the fame fo to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, fixth, and seventh fons of her body, lawfully iffuing one after another, and to the heirs 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 firft, fecond, and third fons of her body, and to their heirs males; and for default of fuch iffue, the faid premises 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 iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, to the right heirs of me the faid William Shakspeare for ever.

don near the Wardrobe;] This was the houfe which was mortgaged to Henry Walker. See p. 149.

By the Wardrobe is meant the King's Great Wardrobe, a royal house, near Puddle-Wharf, purchased by King Edward the Third from Sir John Beauchamp, who built it. King Richard III. was lodged in this house in the fecond year of his reign. See Stowe's Survey, p. 693, edit. 1618. After the fire of London this office was kept in the Savoy; but it is now abolished.

MALONE.

1

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

Item, I give unto my wife my second best bed, with the furniture.9

Item, I give and bequeath to my faid daughter Judith my broad filver gilt bowl. All the rest of my goods, chattels, leafes, plate, jewels, and houfhold ftuff whatsoever, after my debts and legacies paid, and my funeral expences difcharged, I give devise, and bequeath to my fon-in-law, John Hall, gent. and my daughter Sufanna his wife, whom Í ordain and make executors of this my laft will and teftament. And I do entreat and appoint the faid Thomas Ruffel, efq. and Francis Collins, gent. to be overfeers hereof. And do revoke all former wills, and publifh this to be my laft 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 hereof,

Fra. Collyns,"

Julius Shaw,3

John Robinfon,4
Hamnet Sadler,5
Robert Whattcott.

my fecond beft bed, with the furniture.] Thus Shak fpeare's original will. Mr. Theobald and the other modern editors have been more bountiful to Mrs. Shakspeare, having printed instead of these words, "-my brown beft bed, with the furniture." MALONE.

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

The will is written on three fheets of paper, the two last of which are undoubtedly fubfcribed with Shakspeare's own hand. The firft indeed has his name in the margin, but it differs fomewhat in fpelling as well as manner, from the two fignatures that VOL. I.

M

« PreviousContinue »