her bodie lawfullie issueinge; and for defalt of such issue, to
the right heires of me the saied William Shakspeare 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, chattels, leases, plate, jewels,
and household stuffe whatsoever, after my dettes and legasies paied,
and my funerall expenses dischardged, I give, 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. And 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 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,[12]
JULYUS SHAWE,
JOHN ROBINSON,
HAMNET SADLER,
ROBERT WHATTCOTT.

Probatum coram magistro Willielmo Byrde, legum doctore comiss. &c.
xxij^do. die mensis Junii anno Domini 1616, juramento Johannis Hall,
unius executorum, &c. cui &c. de bene &c. jurat. reservat. potestate
&c. Susannae Hall, alteri executorum &c. cum venerit petitur, &c.
(Inv. ex.)

[10] The words which have been erased are put between brackets; those
which have been interlined are printed in italics.

[11] So Lambert, Halliwell-Phillipps reads "sonne in L."

[12] Francis Collyns was the lawyer at Warwick who prepared the will, of
which the draft only was executed, no time being possible for an
engrossed copy.--Note by Lambert.

[Page Heading: Biographical Documents]

10

THE HERALDS' COLLEGE has the two drafts of a grant of arms to John
Shakespeare in 1596 (Ms. Vincent. Coll. Arm. 157, arts. 23, 24); and the
confirmation of the grant in 1599 (L. 30, 55). For further details on
the matter of the coat of arms, see _Herald and Genealogist_, i. 510,
and for facsimiles, _Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica_, 2d ser.
1886, i. 109. On the criticism of the herald's complaisance in the
matter of the Shakespeare and similar grants, see Preface to New Edition
(1909) of Lee's _Life_, pp. xi-xv.

11

THE STATIONERS' R