in difcharge of her marriage portion within one year after my deceafe, with confideration after the rate of two fhillings in the pound for fo long time as the fame fhall be unpaid unto her after my decease; and the fifty pounds refidue thereof, upon her furrendering of, or giving of fuch fufficient fecurity as the overfeers of this my will fhall like of, to furrender or grant, all her eftate and right that shall descend or come unto her after my deceafe, or that he now hath, of, in, or to, one copyhold tenement, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford-upon-Avon aforefaid, in the faid county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Sufanna Hall, and her heirs for ever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my faid daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if the, or any iffue of her body, be living at the end of three years next enfuing the day of the date of this my will, during which time my executors to pay her confideration from my deceafe according to the rate aforefaid: and if the die within the faid term without iffue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my nieces Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be fet forth by my executors during the life of my fifter Joan Hart, and the ufe and profit thereof coming, fhall be paid to my faid fifter Joan, and after her deceafe the faid fifty pounds fhall remain amongst the children of my faid fifter, equally to be divided amongst them; but if my S to my niece-] Elizabeth Hall was our poet's granddaughter. So, in Othello, A&t I. fc.i. Iago fays to Brabantio: "You'll have your nephews neigh to you;" meaning his grandchildren. See the note there. MALONE. faid daughter Judith be living at the end of the faid three years, or any iffue of her body, then my will is, and fo I devife and bequeath the faid hundred and fifty pounds to be fet out by my executors and overfeers for the beft benefit of her and her iffue, and the ftock not to be paid unto her fo long as the shall be married and covert baron; but my will is, that the fhall have the confideration yearly paid unto her during her life, and after her decease the faid ftock and confideration to be paid to her children, if the have any, and if not, to her executors or affigns, the living the faid term after my decease: provided that if fuch hufband as the fhall at the end of the faid three years be married unto, or at any [time] after, do fufficiently affure unto her, and the iffue of her body, lands answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged fo by my executors and overfeers, then my will is, that the faid hundred and fifty pounds fhall be paid to fuch husband as shall make fuch affurance, to his own use. Item, I give and bequeath unto my said fifter Joan twenty pounds, and all my wearing apparel, to be paid and delivered within one year after my decease; and I do will and devife unto her the house, with the appurtenances, in Stratford, wherein the dwelleth, for her natural life, under the yearly rent of twelve-pence. Item, I give and bequeath unto her three fons, William Hart, Hart, and Michael Hart, 6 Hart,] It is fingular that neither Shakspeare nor any of his family should have recollected the chriftian name of his nephew, who was born at Stratford but eleven years before the making of his will. His chriftian name was Thomas; and he was baptized in that town, July 24, 1605. MALONE. five pounds apiece, to be paid within one year after my decease. Item, I give and bequeath unto the faid Elizabeth Hall all my plate, (except my broad filver and gilt bowl,7) that I now have at the date of this my will. Item, I give and bequeath unto the poor of Stratford aforefaid ten pounds; to Mr. Thomas Combe3 my fword; to Thomas Ruffel, efq. five pounds; and to Francis Collins of the borough of Warwick, in the county of Warwick, gent. thirteen pounds fix fhillings and eight-pence, to be paid within one year after my decease. 7 except my broad filver and gilt bowl,] This bowl, as we afterwards find, our poet bequeathed to his daughter Judith. Inftead of bowl, Mr. Theobald, and all the fubfequent editors, have here printed hoxes. MALONE. Mr. Malone meant-boxes; but he has charged us all with having printed hores, which we most certainly have not printed. STEEVENS. 8 s Mr. Thomas Combe,] This gentleman was baptized at Stratford, Feb. 9, 1588-9, fo that he was twenty-feven years old at the time of Shakspeare's death. He died at Stratford in July 1657, aged 68; and his elder brother William died at the fame place, Jan. 30, 1666-7, aged 80. Mr. Thomas Combe by his will made June 20, 1656, directed his executors to convert all his perfonal property into money, and to lay it out in the purchase of lands, to be fettled on William Combe, the eldeft fon of John Combe of Allchurch in the county of Worcester, Gent. and his heirs male; remainder to his two brothers fucceffively. Where, therefore, our poet's fword has wandered, I have not been able to difcover. I have taken the trouble to afcertain the ages of Shakspeare's friends and relations, and the time of their deaths, because we are thus enabled to judge how far the traditions cocerning him which were communicated to Mr. Rowe in the beginning of this century, are worthy of credit. MALONE. 9 to Francis Collins-] This gentleman, who was the fon of Mr. Walter Collins, was baptized at Stratford, Dec. 24, 1582. I know not when he died. MALONE. I 2 Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet [Hamnet] Sadler twenty-fix fhillings 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 fhillings in gold; to Anthony Nash,3 gent. twenty-fix fhillings eightpence; and to Mr. John Nafh,4 twenty-fix fhillings eight-pence; and to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, twenty-fix fhillings eight-pence apiece, to buy them rings. Item, I give, will, bequeath, and devise, unto my daughter Sufanna Hall, for better enabling of her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital meffuage or tene I 1 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. 3 to 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. to Mr. John Nash,] This gentleman died at Stratford, and was buried there, Nov. 10, 1623. MALONE. S to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell,] Thefe 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. ment, with the appurtenances, in Stratford afore- or taken, within the towns, hamlets, fields, and grounds of Stratford-upon-Avon, Old 8 •-received, perceived,] Inftead of these words, we have hitherto had in all the printed copies of this will, reserved, preferved. MALONE. ? 7 Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe,] The lands of Old Stratford, Bifhopton, and Welcombe, here devised, were in Shakspeare's time a continuation of one large field, all in the parish of Stratford. Bifhopton is two miles from Stratford, and Welcombe one. For Bishopton, Mr. Theobald erroneoufly printed Bufhaxton, and the error has been continued in all the fubfequent editions. The word in Shakspeare's original will is fpelt Bufhopton, the vulgar pronunciation of Bishopton. I fearched the Indexes in the Rolls chapel from the year 1599 to 1616, with the hope of finding an enrolment of the purchasedeed of the estate here devised by our poet, and of ascertaining its extent and value; but it was not enrolled during that period, nor could I find any inquifition taken after his death, by which its value might have been afcertained. I fuppofe it was conveyed by the former owner to Shakspeare, not by bargain and fale, but by a deed of feoffment, which it was not necellary to enroll. MALONE. that mefuage or tenement-in the Blackfriars in Lon |