educated. But his report is improbable. In the overmuch righteousness of the puritanical period in which Shakespeare's last years were passed, a moderate degree of cheerfulness and Christian charity, to say nothing of conformity to the Church of England, might easily have brought the reproach of papistry upon men less open to suspicion than a retired player. Shakespeare, although he seems to have been a man of sincere piety, seems also to have been without religious convictions. His works are imbued with a high and heartfelt appreciation of the vital truths of Christianity; but nowhere does he show a leaning towards any form of religious observance, or of church government, or toward any theological tenet or dogma. No church can claim him; no simple Christian soul but can claim his fellowship. Such, as this imperfect record shows, was William Shakespeare; a man who adorned an inferior and dignified an equivocal station in life, and who raised himself from poverty and obscurity to competence and honorable position by labors which, having their motive not in desire of fame, but in duty and in manly independence, have placed him upon an enduring eminence to which in after ages sane ambition does not aspire.

SHAKESPEARE'S

WILL.*

Vicesimo quinto die Martii,t Anno Regni Domini nostri Jacobi nunc Regis Angliæ, &c. decimo quarto, et Scotia xlix..
Annoque Domini 1816.

T. W Shackspeare

IN the name of god, Amen! I William Shackspeare of Stratford upon Avon, in the countie of warr. gent, in
perfect health and memorie, god be praysed! doe make and Ordayne this my last will and testament in manner
and forme followeing; That ys to saye, First I Comend my Soule into the handes of god my Creator, hoping,
and assuredlie beleeving, through thonelie merites of Jesus Christe my Saviour, to be made partaker of lyfe ever-
lastinge, And my bodye to the Earth whereof yt ys made. Item, I Gyve and bequeath unto my Daughter Ju-
dyth, One hundred and Fyftie poundes of lawfull English money, to be paied unto her in manner and forme
followeing, That ys to saye, One hundred poundes in discharge of her marriage porcion within one yeare after my
deceas, with consideracion after the Rate of twoe Shillinges in the pound for soe long tyme as the same shalbe
unpaied unto her after my deceas, and the Fyftie poundes Reside we thereof, upon her Surrendring of or gyving
of such sufficient Securitie as the overseers of this my Will shall like of, to Surrender or graunte All her estate
and Right that shall discend or come unto her after my desceas, or that shee nowe hath, of in or to one Copie-
hold tenemente with thappurtenaunces, lyeing and being in Stratford upon Avon aforesaied, in the saied county

The will is on three sheets of paper, fastened together at the top. The poet's name is signed at the bottom of the first and of the
second sheet, and his final signature is near the middle of the third sheet. Malone was of opinion that he signed the last sheet first, and
that his hand grew gradually weaker in signing the second and first pages. The words printed in Italics are those which in the original
are interlined.

Originally written, "Januarii."

Originally, "sonne and daughter."

of warr. being parcell or holden of the mannour of Rowington, unto my Daughter Susanna Hall, and her
heires for ever. Item, I Gyve and bequeath unto my saied Daughter Judith One hundred and Fyftic Poundes
more, if shee, or Anie issue of her bodie, be Lyvinge att thend of three yeares next ensueing the Daie of the
Date of this my Will, during which tyme my executours to paie her consideracion from my deceas according to
the Rate aforesaied; And if she dye within the saied tearme without issue of her bodye, then my will ys, and I
Doe gyve and bequeath One Hundred Poundes thereof to my Neece Elizabeth Hall, and the Fiftie Poundes to
be sett fourth by my executours during the lief of my Sister Johane Harte, and the use and proffitt thereof Com-
inge, shalbe payed to my saied Sister Jone, and after her deceas the said 1". shall Remaine Amongst the children
of my saied Sister Equallie to be Devided Amongst them; But if my saied Daughter Judith be lyving att thend of
the saied three Yeares, or anie yssue of her bodye, then my will ys, and soe I Devise and bequeath the saied
Hundred and Fyftie Poundes to be sett out by my executors and overseers for the best benefitt of her and her issue,
and the stock not to be paied unto her soe long as she shalbe marryed and Covert Baron; but my will ys, that
she shall have the consideracion yearelie paied unto her during her lief, and after her deceas, the saied stock and
consideracion to bee paied to her children, if she have Anie, and if not, to her executours or assignes, she lyving the
saied terme after my deceas: Provided that yf such husbond as she shall att thend of the saied three yeares be mar-
ryed unto, or at anie [time] after, doe sufficientlie Assure unto her, and thissue of her bodie landes Answereable to
the porcion by this my will gyven unto her, and to be adjudged soe by my executours and overseers, then my will
ys, that the said Clu, shalbe paied to such husbond as shall make such assurance, to his owne use. Item, I gyve
and bequeath unto my saied sister Jone xx", and all my wearing Apparrell, to be paied and delivered within one
yeare after my Deceas; And I doe will and devise unto her the house with thappurtenaunces in Stratford, wherein
she dwelleth, for her natural lief, under the yearlie rent of xija. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto her three

Will rawn
Sh a
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sonnes, William Harte, [Thomas *] Hart, and Michaell Harte, Fyve Poundes Apcece, to be paied within one
Yeare after my decease. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto the saied Elizabeth Hall All my plate, except my brod
silver and gilt bole, that I now have att the Date of this my will. Item, I gyve and bequeath unto the Poore of
Stratford aforesaied tenn poundes; to Mr. Thomas Combe my Sword; to Thomas Russell, Esquier, Fyve
pounds; and to Frauncis Collins of the Borough of warr. in the countie of warr. gentleman, thirteene poundes
Sixe shillinges and Eight pence, to be paied within one Ycare after my Deceas. Item, I gyve and bequeath
to Hamlett Sadler § xxvi viija, to buy him A Ringe; to William Raynoldes, gent. xxvi viijd, to buy him A Ringe;
to my godson William Walker xx in gold; to Anthonye Nashe, gent. xxvi viijd; and to Mr. John Nashe,
xxvi viija; and to my Fellowes, John Hemynges, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, xxvi viija Apeece,
to buy them ringes. Item, I Gyve, will, bequeath, and devise, unto my daughter Susanna Hall, for bet-
ter enabling of her to performe this my will, and towardes the performans thereof, All that Capital messuage
or tenemente, with thappurtenances, in Stratford aforesaid, Called the new place, wherein I nowe Dwell,
and two Messuages or tenementes, with thappurtenaunces, scituat, lyeing, and being in Henley-streete, within
the borough of Stratford aforesaied; And all my barnes, stables, Orchardes, gardens, landes, tenementes, and
hereditamentes whatsoever, scituat, lyeing, and being, or to be had, Receyved, perceyved, or taken, within
the townes, Hamletes, Villages, Fieldes, and groundes of Stratford upon Avon, Oldstratford, Bushopton, and
Welcombe, or in anie of them, in the said countie of warr. And alsoe All that messuage or tenemente, with
thappurtenaunces, wherein One John Robinson dwelleth, scituat, lyeng, and being, in the blackfriers in
London nere the Wardrobe; and all other my landes, tenementes, and hereditamentes whatsoever: To have
and to hold All and singular the saied premisses, with their appurtenaunces, unto the saied Susanna Hall,
for and during the terme of her naturall lief; and after her deceas to the first sonne of her bodie law-

This Christian name is omitted in the original will, but, like "time" above, appears in the copy of the probate.

†The following words were here at first inserted, but afterwards cancelled: "to be sett out for her within one yeare after my decease by my executours with thadvice and direccions of my overseers, for her best profitt, until her marriage, and then the same with the increase thereof to be paied unto her."

Originally, "her."

Originally, "Mr. Richard Tyler thelder."

Originally, "xxvi in gold."