bailiff of that town. In confideration of the premifes, and for the encouragement of his pofterity, unto whom fuch blazon of arms and atchievements of inheritance from their faid mother, by the ancient cuftom and laws of arms, may lawfully defcend; we the faid Garter and Clarencieulx have affigned, granted, and confirmed, and by these presents exemplified unto the faid John Shakefpere, and to his pofterity, that fhield and coat of arms, viz. In a field of gold upon a bend fables a fpear of the firft, the point upward, headed argent; and for his creft or cognifance, A falcon, Or, with his wings difplayed, ftanding on a wreathe of his colours, fupporting a fpear armed headed, or fteeled filver, fixed upon an helmet with mantles and taffels, as more plainly may appear depicted in this margent; and we have likewife impaled the fame with the ancient arms of the faid Arden of Wellingcote; fignifying thereby, that it may and fhall be lawful for the faid John Shakespeare, gent. to bear ufe the fame fhield of arms, fingle or impaled, as aforefaid, during his natural life; and that it fhall be lawful for his children, ifiue, and pofterity, lawfully begotten, to bear, ufe, and quarter, and fhew forth the fame, with their due differences, in all lawful warlike feats and civil use or exercifes, according to the laws of arms, and custom that to gentlemen belongeth, without let or interruption of any perfon or perfons, for ufe or bearing the fame. In witness and teftimony whereof we have fubfcribed our names, and fastened the feals of our office. Given at the office of arms, London, in the forty-fecond year of the reign of our most gracious fovereign lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, queen of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. 1599.

the

day of

Extracted from the Regiftry of the Archbishop of CANTERBURY.

Vicefimo quinto die Martis anno regni domini noftri Jacobi nunc regis Angliæ, &c. decimo quarto & Scotia quadragefimo nono, anno domini 1616.

N the name of God, Amen. I William Shakespeare of

I Stratford upon Avon in the county of Warwick, gent, in

perfect health and memory, God be praised, do make and ordain this my laft Will and Teftament in manner and form following; that is to fay:

FIRST, I commend my foul into the hands of God my creator, hoping, and affuredly believing, through the only merits of Jefus Chrift my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting; and my body to the earth whereof that 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 pounds, in discharge of her marriage portion, within one year after my deceafe, with confiderations after the rate of two fhillings in the pound for fo long time as the fame shall be unpaid unto her after my decease; and the fifty pounds refidue thereof upon her surrendring of or giving of fuch fufficient fecurity as the overfeers of this my will fhall like of, to furrender or grant all her estate and right that shall defcend or come unto her after my decease, or that the now hath, of, in, or to one copyhold tenement, with the

appurtenances lying and being in Stratford upon Avon aforesaid, in the said county of Warwick, being parcell or holden of the Manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Sufannah Hall, and her heirs for ever.

ITEM, I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds `more, if the, or any iffue of her body, be living at the end of three years next ensuing the date of this my Will, during which time my executors to pay her confideration from my decease according to the rate aforefaid: and if the die within the faid term without iffue of her body. then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be fet forth by my executors during the life of my fifter Joan Harte, and the use and profit thereof coming, fhall be paid to my faid fifter Joan, and after her decease the fifty pounds fhall remain amongst the children of my faid fifter, equally to be divided amongst them; but if my faid daughter Judith be living at the end of the faid three years, or any iffue of her body, then my will is, and fo I devife and bequeath the faid hundred and fifty pounds to be fet out by my executors and overfeers for the best benefit of her and her iffue, and the ftock not to be paid unto her fo long as the fhall be married and covert baron; but my will is, that fhe fhall have the confideration yearly paid unto her during her life, and after her decease the faid ftock and confideration to be paid to her children, if she have any, and if not, to her executors and affigns, the living the faid term after my decease; provided that if fuch husband as the fhall at the end of the faid three years be married unto, or at and after, do fufficiently affure unto her, and the iffue of her body, land answerable to the portion by this my Will given unto her, and to be adjudged fo by my executors and overfeers, then my will is, that the said hun

dred and fifty pounds fhall be paid to fuch husband as shall make fuch affurance, to his own use.

ITEM, I give and bequeath unto my faid fifter Joan twenty pounds, and all my wearing apparel, to be paid and delivered· within one year after my deceafe; and I do will and devife unto her the house with the appurtenances in Stratford, wherein the dwelleth, for her natural life, under the yearly rent of twelve pence.

ITEM, I give and bequeath unto her three fons, William Hart, Hart, and Michael Hart, five pounds apiece,

to be paid within one year after my decease.

ITEM, I give and bequeath unto the faid 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 aforefaid ten pounds, to Mr. Thomas Combe my fword, to Thomas Ruffel, efq; five pounds, and to Francis Collins of the borough of Warwick in the county of Warwick, gent. thirteen pounds fix fhillings and eight pence, to be paid within one year after my decease.

ITEM, I give and bequeath to Hamlet Sadler twenty-fix fhillings eight pence to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, gent. twenty-fix fhillings eight pence to buy him a ring; to my godfon William Walker twenty fhillings in gold; to Anthony Nash, gent. twenty-fix fhillings eight pence ; and to Mr. John Nash twenty-fix fhillings eight pence; and to my fellows John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, twenty-fix fhillings eight pence apiece to buy the rings.

ITEM, I give, will, bequeath, and devife unto my daughter Sufanna Hall, for the better enabling of her to perform this my Will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital meffuage or tenement, with the appurtenances in Strat

ford 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, ftables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, fituate, lying and being, or to be had, referved, preferved or taken, within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford upon Avon, Old Stratford, Bushaxton, and Welcombe, or in any of them, in the faid county of Warwick; and also all that meffuage 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 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 faid first 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 said second son lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch heirs, to the third fon of the body of the faid Sufanna lawfully iffuing, and of the heirs males of the body of the faid third fon lawfully ifsuing; and for default of such iffue, the fame 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 seventh fons lawfully iffuing, in such manner as it is before limited to be and remain to the first, second, 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 ifluing; and for default of such iffue, to my daughter