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on his facred word, to hope for falvation and be made partaker of his heavenly kingdom, as a member of the celestial company of angels, faints and martyrs, there to refide for ever and ever in the court of my God.

III.

" Item, I John Shakspear doe by this prefent protest and declare, that as I am certain I must paffe out of this tranfitory life into another that will last to eternity, I do hereby most humbly implore and intreat my good and guardian angell to inftruct me in this my folemn preparation, proteftation, and confeffion of faith,]at leaft fpiritually, in will adoring and moft humbly befeeching my faviour, that he will be pleafed to affift me in fo dangerous a voyage, to defend me from the fnares and deceites of my infernall enemies, and to conduct me to the fecure haven of his eternall bliffe.

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IV.

Item, I John Shakspear doe proteft that I will alfo paffe out of this life, armed with the laft facrament of extreme unction: the which if through any let or hindrance I fhould not then be able to have, I doe now alfo for that time demand and crave the fame; befeeching his divine majefty that he will be pleased to anoynt my fenfes both internall and externall with the facred oyle of his infinite mercy, and to pardon me all my fins committed by feeing, fpeaking, feeling, fmelling, hearing, touching, or by any other way whatsoever.

V.

"Item, I John Shak fpear doe by this prefent proteft that I will never through any temptation whatfoever defpaire of the divine goodnefs, for the multitude and greatness of my finnes; for which although I confeffe that I have deferved hell, yet will I stedfastly hope in gods infinite mercy, know

ing that he hath heretofore pardoned many as great finners as my felf, whereof I have good warrant fealed with his facred mouth, in holy writ, whereby he pronounceth that he is not come to call the just,

but finners.

VI.

"Item, I John Shakspear do proteft that I do not know that I have ever done any good worke meritorious of life everlasting: and if I have done any, I do acknowledge that I have done it with a great deale of negligence and imperfection; neither fhould I have been able to have done the leaft without the affistance of his divine grace. Wherefore let the devill remain confounded; for I doe in no wife presume to merit heaven by fuch good workes alone, but through the merits and bloud of my lord and faviour, jefus, fhed upon the crofe for me most miserable finner.

VII.

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Item, I John Shakspear do protest by this fent writing, that I will patiently endure and fuffer all kind of infirmity, fickness, yea and the paine of death it self: wherein if it should happen, which god forbid, that through violence of paine and agony, or by fubtilty of the devill, I fhould fall into any impatience or temptation of blafphemy, or murmuration against god, or the catholike faith, or give any figne of bad example, I do henceforth, and for that prefent, repent me, and am most heartily forry for the fame: and I do renounce all the evill whatfoever, which I might have then done or faid; befeeching his divine clemency that he will not forfake me in that grievous and paignefull agony.

VIII.

" Item, I John Shakspear, by virtue of this prefent teftament, I do pardon all the injuries and

offences that any one hath ever done unto me, either in my reputation, life, goods, or any other way whatsoever; befeeching sweet jefus to pardon them for the fame: and I do defire, that they will doe the like by me, whome I have offended or injured in any fort how foever.

IX.

"Item, I John Shakspear do heere protest that I do render infinite thanks to his divine majefty for all the benefits that I have received as well fecret as manifeft, & in particular for the benefit of my Creation, Redemption, Sanctification, Confervation, and Vocation to the holy knowledge of him & his true Catholike faith: but above all, for his fo great expectation of me to pennance, when he might most justly have taken me out of this life, when I least thought of it, yea, even then, when I was plunged in the durty puddle of my finnes. Bleffed be therefore and praised, for ever and ever, his infinite patience and charity.

X.

"Item, I John Shakspear do proteft, that I am willing, yea, I do infinitely defire and humbly crave, that of this my laft will and teftament the glorious and ever Virgin mary, mother of god, refuge and advocate of finners, (whom I honour fpecially above all other faints,) may be the chiefe Executreffe, togeather with thefe other faints, my patrons, (faint Winefride) all whome I invocke and befeech to be prefent at the hour of my death, that she and they may comfort me with their defired prefence, and crave of fweet Jefus that he will receive my foul into peace.

XI.

"Item, In virtue of this prefent writing, I John Shakspear do likewife moft willingly and with all humility conftitute and ordaine my good Angel, for

Defender and Protectour of my foul in the dreadfull day of Judgement, when the finall fentance of eternal life or death fhall be difcuffed and given; befeeching him, that, as my foule was appointed to his cuftody and protection when I lived, even fo he will vouchfafe to defend the fame at that houre, and conduct it to eternall blifs.

XII.

"Item, I John Shakspear do in like manner pray and befeech all my dear friends, parents, and kinffolks, by the bowels of our Saviour jefus Chrift, that fince it is uncertain what lot will befall me, for fear notwithstanding leaft by reafon of my finnes I be to pass and ftay a long while in purgatory, they will vouchfafe to aflift and fuccour me with their holy prayers and fatisfactory workes, especially with the holy facrifice of the maffe, as being the most effectuall meanes to deliver foules from their torments, and paines; from the which, if I fhall by gods gracious goodneffe and by their vertuous workes be delivered, I do promife that I will not be ungratefull unto them, for fo great a benefitt.

XIII.

"Item, I John Shakspear doe by this my laft will and teftament bequeath my foul, as foon as it fhall be delivered and loofened from the prison of this my body, to be entombed in the fweet and amorous coffin of the fide of jefus Chrift; and that in this life-giveing fepulcher it may reft and live, perpetually inclofed in that eternall habitation of repofe, there to bleffe for ever and ever that direfull iron of the launce, which, like a charge in a cenfore, formes fo fweet and pleafant a monument within the facred breast of my lord and faviour.

XIV.

Item, laftly I John Shakspear doe protest, that

I will willingly accept of death in what manner foever it may befall me, conforming my will unto the will of god; accepting of the fame in fatisfaction for my finnes, and giveing thanks unto his divine majefty for the life he hath beftowed upon. me. And if it please him to prolong or fhorten the fame, bleffed be he also a thousand thousand times; into whose most holy hands I commend my foul and body, my life and death: and I beseech him above all things, that he never permit any change to be made by me John Shakspear of this my aforefaid will and teftament. Amen.

"I John Shakspear have made this prefent writing of proteftation, confeffion, and charter, in prefence of the bleffed virgin mary, my Angell guardian, and all the Celestiall Court, as witneffes hereunto: the which my meaning is, that it be of full value now presently and for ever, with the force and vertue of teftament, codicill, and donation in caufe of death; confirming it anew, being in perfect health of foul and body, and figned with mine own hand; carrying alfo the fame about me; and for the better declaration hereof, my will and intention is that it be finally buried with me after my death.

"Pater nofter, Ave maria, Credo.

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jefu, fon of David, have mercy on me. Amen."

Since my remarks on the epitaph faid to have been made by Shakspeare on John o'Comb, were printed, it occurred to me, that the manufcript papers of Mr. Aubrey, preferved in the Afhmolean Museum at Oxford, might throw fome light on that fubject. Mr. Aubrey was born in the year 1625, VOL. II. X

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