Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet [Hamnet] Sadler twenty-fix shillings eight pence, to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, gent. twentyfix fhillings eight-pence, to buy him a ring; to my godfon William Walker, twenty shillings in gold; to Anthony Nash,3 gent. twenty-fix fhillings eightpence; and to Mr. John Nash, twenty-fix shillings eight-pence; and to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell,5 twenty-fix fhillings eight-pence apiece, to buy them rings. Item, I give, will, bequeath, and devise, unto my daughter Susanna Hall, for better enabling of her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital messuage or tene - to Hamnet Sadler-) This gentleman was godfather to Shakspeare's only fon, who was called after him. Mr. Sadler, I believe, was born about the year 1550, and died at Stratfordupon-Avon, in October 1624. His wife, Judith Sadler, who was godmother to Shakspeare's youngest daughter, was buried there, March 23, 1613-14. Our poet probably was godfather to their fon William, who was baptized at Stratford, Feb. 5, 1597-8. MALONE. 2 - to my godfon, William Walker,] William, the fon of Henry Walker, was baptized at Stratford, Oct. 16, 1608. I mention this circumftance, because it ascertains that our author was at his native town in the autumn of that year. Mr. William Walker was buried at Stratford, March 1, 1679-80. MALONE. 3to Anthony Nash,] He was father of Mr. Thomas Nash, who married our poet's grand-daughter, Elizabeth Hall. He lived, I believe, at Welcombe, where his eftate lay; and was buried at Stratford, Nov. 18, 1622. MALONE. 4 - to Mr. John Nash,] This gentleman died at Stratford, and was buried there, Nov. 10, 1623. MALONE. 5 - to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, These our poet's fellows did not very long furvive him. Burbage died in March, 1619; Cundell in December, 1627; and Heminge in October 1630. See their wills in The Account of our old Actors, in Vol. III. MALONE. 6 ment, with the appurtenances, in Stratford aforefaid, called The New Place, wherein I now dwell, and two messuages or tenements, with the appurtenances, situate, lying, and being in Henley-ftreet, within the borough of Stratford aforesaid; and all my barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, situate, 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 messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, wherein one John Robinson dwelleth, situate, lying, and being, in the Blackfriars in London near the Wardrobe ; & and all other my lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever ; to have and to hold all and fingular the said premises, with their appurtenances, unto the said Susanna Hall, for and during the term of her natural life; and after her decease to the first son of her body lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said first son lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to the second son of her body lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said second son lawfully issuing; and for default of such heirs, to the third son of the body of the said Susanna lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said third son lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, the same so to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, fixth, and seventh fons of her body, lawfully issuing one after another, and to the heirs males of the bodies of the faid fourth, fifth, fixth, and seventh sons lawfully issuing, 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 such issue, the said premises to be and remain to my faid niece Hall, and the heirs males of her body lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to my daughter Judith, and the heirs males of her body lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to the right heirs of me the said William Shakspeare for ever. received, perceived,] Instead of these words, we have hitherto had in all the printed copies of this will, referved, preServed. MALONE. - Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe,] The lands of Old Stratford, Bishopton, 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 erroneoufly printed Bushaxton, and the error has been continued in all the subsequent editions. The word in Shakspeare's original will is spelt Bushopton, the vulgar pronunciation of Bifhopton. I searched 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 inquisition taken after his death, by which its value might have been afcertained. I suppose it was conveyed by the former owner to Shakspeare, not by bargain and fale, but by a deed of feoffment, which it was not necessary to enroll. MALONE. that messuage or tenement-in the Blackfriars in Lon don near the Wardrobe ;) This was the house 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 second 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. |