Judith, and the heirs males of her body lawfully iffuing; and for default of fuch iffue, to the right heirs of me the said William Shakespeare for ever.

ITEM, I give unto my wife my brown beft bed with the furniture.

ITEM, I give and bequeath to my said daughter Judith my broad filver gilt bole. All the rest of my goods, chattels, leafes, plate, jewels, and houfhold-ftuff whatsoever, after my debts and legacies paid, and my funeral expences difcharged, I give, devise, and bequeath to my fon-in-law John Hall, gent. and my daughter Suianna his wife, who I ordain and make executors of this my last Will and Teftament. And I do intreat and appoint the faid Thomas Ruffel, efq; and Francis Collins, gent, to be overfeers hereof. And do revoke ali former Wills, and publish this to be my last Will and. Teftament. In witnefs whereof I have hereunto put my hand, the day and year firft above-written, by me

William Shakespeare.

Withes to the publishing hereof,

FRA. COLLINS,

JULIUS SHAW,

JOHN ROBINSON,

HAMLETT SADLER,

ROBERT WHATTCOTT.

Probatum coram magifiro William Byrde legum doctore commissario &c. v.cefimo fecundo die menfis Junii anno domini 1616. Juramento Jobannis Hall unius ex. et cui &c. do bene et jurat refervata poteftate et Sufannæ Hall alt. ex. c. cui vendit &c. petitur.

To the foregoing Accounts of SHAKESPEARE'S
Life, we have only one Paffage to add, which

Mr. POPE related, as communicated to him by
Mr. RowE.

'N' the time of Elifabeth, coaches being yet uncommon,

I and hired coaches not at all in ufe, there who were toe

proud, too tender, or too idle to walk, went on horseback to any diftant business or diverfion. Many came on horseback to the play; and when Shakespeare fled to London, from the terror of a criminal profecution, his first expedient was to wait at the door of the playhoufe, and hold the horses of thofe that had no fervants, that they might be ready again after the performance. In this office he became fo confpicuous for his care and readiness, that in a fhort time every man as he alighted called for Will. Shakespeare, and scarcely any other waiter was trufted with a horfe while Will, Shakespeare could be had. This was the firft dawn of better fortune. Shakespeare finding more horfes put into his hand than he could hold, hired boys to wait under his inspection, who, when Will. Shakespeare was fummoned, were immediately to present themselves, "I am Shakespeare's boy, fir" In time Shakespeare found higher employment; but as long as the practice of riding to the playhoufe continued, the waiters that held the horfes retained the appellation of Shakespeare's Boys.

VOL. I.

POEMS

UPON

THE

AUTHO

R.

Upon the Effigies of my worthy Friend, the Author, Mafter WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, and his Works.

Pectator, this life's fhadow is ;-to fee

SP

The truer image, and a livelier he,

Turn, reader: but obferve his comick vein,
Laugh;
and proceed next to a tragick ftrain,
Then weep: So, when thou find'st two contraries,
Two different paffions, from thy rapt foul rife,
Say, (who alone effect fuch wonders could)
Rare Shakespeare, to the life thou doft behold.

TO THE READER.

THIS figure, that thou here fee'ft put,
It was for gentle Shakespeare cut;

Wherein the graver had a ftrife

With nature, to out-do the life:
O, could he but have drawn his wit
As well in brass, as he hath hit
His face; the print would then surpass
All that was ever writ in brass:
But, fince he cannot, reader, look
Not on his picture, but his book.

B. J.

To the Memory of my beloved, the Author Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, and what he hath left us.

To draw no envy, Shakespeare, 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 praise too much?
'Tis true, and all men's fuffrage: but thefe ways
Were not the paths I meant unto thy praise :
For feelieft ignorance on these may light,
Which, when it founds at best, but echoes right;
Or blind affection, which doth ne'er advance
The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chance;
Or crafty malice might pretend this praife,
And think to ruin where it feem'd to raise :
These are as fome infamous bawd, or whore,
Should praise a matron; What could hurt her more?
But thou art proof against them; and, indeed,
Above the fortune of them, or the need:
I, therefore, will begin :-Soul of the age,
Th' applause, delight, the wonder of our stage,
My Shakespeare, rise! I will not lodge thee by
Chaucer, or Spenfer; or bid Beaumont lye
A little further, to make thee a room:
Thou art a monument, without a tomb;
And art alive still, while thy book doth live,
And we have wits to read, and praife to give.
That I not mix thee fo, my brain excuses;
I mean with great but disproportion'd mufes :
For, if I thought my judgment were of years,
I should commit thee furely with thy peers;

And tell how far thou didst our Lily outshine,
Or fporting Kyd, or Marlow's mighty line.

And though thou hadst small Latin, and lefs Greek,-
From thence to honour thee, I would not feek
For names; but call forth thundring Æschylus,
Euripides, and Sophocles to us;

Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead;—
To live again, to hear thy buskin tread

And shake a stage; or, when thy focks were on,
Leave thee alone; for the comparison

Of all, that infolent Greece, or haughty Rome,
Sent forth, or fince 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 herself was proud of his defigns,
And joy'd to wear the dreffing of his lines;
Which were fo richly fpun, and woven fo fit,
As, fince, fhe will vouchfafe no other wit:
The merry Greek, tart Ariftophanes,
Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please;
But antiquated and deferted lye,

As they were not of Nature's family.
Yet muft I not give nature all; thy art,
My gentle Shakespeare, muft enjoy a part :--
For, though the poet's matter nature be,
His art doth give the fashion: and that he,
Who cafts to write a living line muft sweat,
(Such as thine are) and ftrike a fecond heat