The following Inftrument was tranfmitted to us by John Anftis, Efq; Garter King at Arms: It is mark'd, G. 13. p. 349.

EThere is alfo a Manufcript in the Herald's Office, marked W.2. p. 276; where Notice is taken of this Coat, and that the Perfon to whom it was granted, had born Magiflracy at Stratford upon Avon.]

To all and fingular Noble and Gentlemen of all Eftates and Degrees, bearing Arms, to whom thefe Prefents fhall come: William Dethick, Garter Principal King of Arms of England, and Williams. Cambden, alias Clarencieulx, King of Arms for the South, Eaft, and Weft Parts of this Realm, fend Greetings. Know ye, that in all Nations and Kingdoms the Record and Remembrance of the valiant Facts and virtuous Difpofitions of worthy Men have been made known and divulged by certain Shields of Arms and Tokens of Chivalrie; the Grant or Teftimony whereof apperteineth unto us, by virtue of our Offices from the Queen's most Excellent Majefty, and her Highnefs's moft noble and victorious Progenitors: Wherefore being follicited, and by credible Report informed, that John ShakeSpere, now of Stratford upon Avon in the County. of Warwick, Gentleman, whofe Great Grandfather for his faithful and approved Service to the late moft prudent Prince, King Henry VII. of famous Memory, was advanced and rewarded with Lands and. Tenements, given to him in thofe Parts of Warwickshire, where they have continued by fome Defcents in good Reputation and Credit; And for that the faid John Shakespere having married the Daughter and one of the Heirs of Robert Arden of Wellingcote in the faid County, and alfo produced this his ancient Coat of Arms, heretofore affigned to him whilst he was her Majefty's Officer and Bailiff

of

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Ex

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 de-
fcend; We the faid Garter and Clarencieulx have
affigned, granted, and confirmed, and by these Pre-
fents exemplified unto the faid John Shakefpere, and
to his Pofterity, that Shield and Coat of Arms, viz.
In a Field of Gold upon a Bend Sables a Spear 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, fup-
porting a Spear armed headed, or fteeled Silver, fix-
ed 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 Shakefpere, Gent. to bear and ufe
the fame Shield of Arms, fingle or impaled, as a-
forefaid, during his natural Life; and that it fhall
be lawful for his Children, Iffue, 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 Ufe or Exercifes,
according to the Laws of Arms, and Cuftom that
to Gentlemen belongeth, without Let or Interrup-
tion of any Perfon or Perfons, for ufe or bearing
the fame. In Witnefs and Teftimony whereof we
have fubfcribed our Names, and faftned the Seals
of our Offices. Given at the Office of Arms, Lon-
don, the
Day of
in the Forty Second
Year of the Reign of our moft Gracious Sovereign
Lady Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, Queen of
England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the
Faith, &c. 1599.

TO THЕ

MEMORY of my Beloved the AUTHOR,

Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR;

T

And what he hath left us.

O draw no envy (Shakefpear) on thy Name,
Am I thus ample to thy Book, and Fame:
While I confefs thy writings to be fuch,

As neither Man, nor Mufe can praife too much.
'Tis true, and all mens fuffrage. But thefe wayes.
Were not the paths I meant unto thy praife:
For feelieft Ignorance on thefe may light,
Which, when it founds at best, but ecchoes rights
Or blind Affection, which doth ne're advance
The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chances
Or crafty malice might pretend this praife,
And think to ruine, where it feem'd to raife.
Thefe are, as fome infamous Baud, or Whore,
Should praife a Matron. What could hurt her more?
But thou art proof against them, and indeed
Above th' ill fortune of them, or the need.
I therefore will begin. Soul of the Age!
Th' applaufe! delight! the wonder of our Stage!
My Shakespear rife! I will not lodge thee by
Chaucer, or Spenfer, or bid Beaumont lie
A little further, to make thee a room:
Thou art a Monument without a Tomb,
And art alive ftill, while thy Book doth live,
And we have wits to read, and praife to give.
That I not mix thee fo, my brain excufes;
I mean with great, but difproportion'd Mufes:
For if I thought my judgment were of years,
I fhould commit thee furely with thy Peers

And

And tell how far thou didst our Lily out-fhine,
Or Sporting Kid, or Marlow's mighty Line.
And though thou hadst fmall Latin and lefs Greek,
From thence to honour thee, I would not feek
For names; but call forth thund'ring Efchylus,
Euripides, and Sophocles to us,

Paccuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead,
To live again, to hear thy Buskin tread,

And jhake a Stage: Or, when thy Socks were on,
Leave thee alone for the comparison

Of all, that infolent Greece, or haughty Rome
Sent forth, or jince did from their afhes come.
Triumph, my Britain! thou haft one to show,
To whom all Scenes of Europe homage owe.
He was not of an age, but for all time!
And all the Mufes ftill were in their prime,
When like Apollo he came forth to warm
Our ears, or like a Mercury to charm.
Nature her felf was proud of his defignes,
And joy'd to wear the dreffing of his Lines:
Which were fo richly fpun, and wove fo fit,
As, fince, fhe will vouchsafe no other wit.
The merry Greek, tart Ariftophanes,
Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please;
But antiquated, and deferted lie,

As they were not of Natures family.
Yet must I not give Nature all: Thy Art,
My gentle Shakefpear, muft enjoy a part.
For though the Poet's matter Nature be,
His Art doeth give the Fashion. And, that he
Who cafts to write a living line, muft fweat,
(Such as thine are) and ftrike the fecond heat
Upon the Mules Anvile; turn the fame,
(And himself with it) that he thinks to frame;
Or for the Lawrel he may gain a fcorn,
For a good Poet's made, as well as born.
And fuch wert thou. Look how the Father's face
Lives in his Iffue, even fo the race

Of Shakespear's mind and manners brightly shines
In his well torned, and true filed lines:

In each of which he feems to shake a Lance,
As brandifh'd at the eyes of Ignorance.
Sweet Swan of Avon! what a fight it were
To fee thee in our water yet appear,

And make thofe flights upon the Banks of Thames,
That fo did take Eliza and our James!
But ftay, I fee thee in the Hemifphere
Advanc'd, and made a Conftellation there!
Shine forth, thou Starre of Poets, and with rage,
Or influence, chide, or chear the drooping Stage,
Which, fince thy flight from hence, hath mourn'd like night,
And defpairs day, but for thy Volume's light.