for better enabling of her to performe this my will, and towardes the performans thereof, all that capitall messuage or tenemente with thappurtenaunces, 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 singuler the saied premisses, with theire 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 lawfullie yssueing, and to the heires males of the bodie of the saied first sonne lawfullie yssueinge; and for defalt of such issue, to the second sonne of her bodie lawfullie issueinge, and to the heires males of the bodie of the saied second sonne lawfullie yssueinge; and for defalt of such heires, to the third sonne of the bodie of the saied Susanna lawfullie yssueing, and of the heires males of the bodie of the saied third sonne lawfullie yssueing; and for defalt of such issue, the same soe to be and remaine to the ffourth [sonne], ffyfth, sixte, and seaventh sonnes of her bodie lawfullie issueing, one after another, and to the heires males of the bodies of the saied fourth, fifth, sixte, and seaventh sonnes lawfullie yssueing, in such manner as yt ys before lymitted to be and remaine to the first, second, and third sonns of her bodie, and to theire heires males; and for defalt of such issue, the saied premisses to be and remaine to my sayed neece Hall, and the heires males of her bodie lawfullie yssueing; and for defalt of such issue, to my daughter Judith, and the heires males of her bodie lawfullie issueinge; and for defalt of such issue, to the right heires of me the saied William Shackspeare for ever. Item, I gyve unto my wief my second best bed with the furniture. Item, I gyve and bequeath to my saied daughter Judith my broad silver gilt bole. All the rest of my goodes, chattel, leases, plate, jewels, and household stuffe whatsoever, after my dettes and legasies paied, and my funerall expences dischardged, I gyve, devise, and bequeath to my sonne in lawe, John Hall gent., and my daughter Susanna, his wief, whom I ordaine and make executours of this my last will and testament. I doe intreat and appoint the saied Thomas Russell esquier and Frauncis Collins gent. to be overseers hereof, and doe revoke all former wills, and publishe this to be my last will and testament. In witness 21 On this interlineated item see p. 34. And whereof I have hereunto put my [seale] hand, the daie and yeare first abovewritten. By me WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. Witnes to the publyshing hereof, FRA: COLLYNS, JULYUS SHAWE, JOHN ROBINSON, HAMNET SADLER, ROBERT WHATTCOTT. Probatum coram magistro Willielmo Byrde, legum doctore comiss. &c. xxijdo. die mensis Junii, anno Domini 1616, juramento Johannis Hall, unius executorum, &c. cui &c. de bene &c. jurat. reservat. potestate &c. Susanna Hall, alteri executorum &c. cum venerit petitur. &c. (Inv. ex.) APPENDIX. No. I. Certificate of the Sharers of the Blackfriars Theatre, found by Mr. Collier in the Ellesmere Collection. (See note 23, p. 47.) "These are to sertifie your Right Honble Lordships that her Maiesties poore playeres, James Burbidge, Richard Burbidge, John Laneham, Thomas Greene, Robert Wilson, John Taylor, Anth. Wadeson, Thomas Pope, George Peele, Augustine Phillippes, Nicholas Towley, William Shakespeare, William Kempe, William Johnson, Baptiste Goodale, and Robert Armyn, being all of them sharers in the Blacke Fryers playehouse, have neuer giuen cause of displeasure in that they haue brought into their playes maters of state and religion, vnfitt to be handled by them or to be presented before lewde spectators: neither hath anie complainte in that kinde ever beene preferred against them or anie of them. Wherefore they truste moste humblie in your Lordships' consideracion of their former good behauiour, beinge at all tymes readie and willing to yeelde obedience to anie commaund whatsoever your Lordships in your wisdome may thinke in such case meete, &c. Novr. 1589." No. II. Verses relating to a "wager laid by some brother actor, that Alleyn would be adjudged superior to Kempe in some part not mentioned." Collier's Memoirs of Edward Alleyn, p. 13. (See note 34, p. 50.) "Sweete Nedde, nowe wynne an other wager For thine old frende and fellow stager. The moneyes downe, the place the Hope, Thou still as macheles Ned shall shyne. No. III. Petition of the Players. (See note 6, p. 60.) First printed by Mr. Collier in his Hist. of English Dram. Poetry, &c., where he introduces it with the following remarks: "The Blackfriars Theatre, built in 1576, seems, after the lapse of twenty years, to have required extensive repairs, if, indeed, it were not, at the end of that period, entirely rebuilt. This undertaking, in 1596, seems to have alarmed some of the inhabitants of the Liberty; and not a few of them, 'some of honour,' petitioned the Privy Council, in order that the players might not be allowed to complete it, and that their farther performances in that precinct might be prevented. A copy of the document, containing this request, is preserved in the State Paper Office, and to it is appended a much more curious paper—a counter petition by the Lord Chamberlain's players, entreating that they might be permitted to continue their work upon the theatre, in order to render it more commodious, and that their performances there might not be interrupted. It does not appear to be the original, but a copy, without the signatures," &c. Vol. i. p. 297. "To the right honorable the Lords of her Maiesties most honorable Priuie Counsell. "The humble petition of Thomas Pope, Richard Burbadge, John Hemings, Augustine Phillips, William Shakespeare, Wil |