SECTION VI. The manufacture of gloves, which was, at this period, a very flourishing one, both at Stratford and Worcester (in which latter city it is still carried on with great success), however generally beneficial, should seem, from whatever cause, to have afforded our poet's father but a scanty maintenance. Of his circumstances, about the time of his eldest son's birth, some conjecture may be formed from a subscription entered into, for the relief of those that were visited by the plague, in 1564, and from other contributions towards the aid of the poor in the same year: the benefactions of John Shakspeare, at that time, seem to denote a moderate, though not the lowest, rank among the contributors 5. He was not, 5" At a hall holden in oure garden, the 30 daye of Auguste, ao. 1564, money pd towards the relief of the poure. Mr Baylie, iiis. iiijd. John Taylor, viiid. Jhon Sadler, viid. Jhon Aylmer, xiid. Wm Smyth, haberdasher, xiid. Jhon Belle, xiid. Wm Brace, ijs. Thomas Dixun, viiid. Th' Dyer, ijs. Rich Symens, viis. iiijd. On the 6th of Sep. the bailif and six aldermen gave twelve pence each "to the relief of those that were visited; " Mr. Quiney, indeed, then an alderman. There is, however, abundant proof that, about twelve years after he had obtained that station, when our author was about fourteen years old, he was, by no means, in affluent, or even easy, circumstances. Though his wife was an heiress, and King Henry the Seventh had been very liberal to her grandfather, she brought to her husband, we have seen, no other land but the small estate of Asbies, which was mortgaged, for forty pounds, to Mr. Edmond Lambart, in 1578; probably to pay for the purchase of two houses in Stratford, for which that sum, precisely, was disbursed, The valuable lease, which had been made to her grandfather, it should be remembered, expired in 1528, some years before she was born. With respect, however, to the distressed situation of Mr. Alderman Shakspeare, at this period, we have surer grounds to rest upon, than conjecture; for the following extracts, from the records of the borough of Stratford, afford a decisive proof of what has been suggested: Burgus Ad aulam ibm tent. xxix die Janu Stratford. Sarii, a° regni dnæ Elizabeth, &c. vicesimo [1577-8]. I "At this hall yt is agreed that every alderman except such underwrytten excepted, shall paye towards the furniture of three pikemen, ij billmen, 1s. 6d.; Jn. Shakspeare, John Sadler, Wm. Smyth, haberdasher, Jn. Botte, and Jn. Taylor, 6d. each; and Rob. Brat, 4d.; and on the 27th of Sept. another donation nearly in the same proportion. Registr. Burg. Stratford. A. and one archer, vis. viijd. and every burgess, except such under wrytten excepted, shall paye iijs. ivd. "Mr. Plymley, vs.° "Mr. Shaxpeare, iij. ivd. "John Walker, ijs. vid. "Robert Bratt, nothinge in this place. "Thomas Brogden, ijs. vid. "William Brace, ijs. 66 Anthony Tanner, ijs. vid. "Sum vili. xiiijd. "The inhabitants of every ward are taxed as by the notes to them delivered yt may appear.' "Ad aulam ibm tent. xix. die Novembris a regni dnæ Elizabeth &c. xxi.° [1578]: "Itm yt is ordeined that every alderman shall paye weekely towards the releif of the poore iiijd. saving John Shaxpeare, and Robert Bratt, who shall not be taxed to paye anythinge. Mr. Lewes and Mr. Plimley are taxed to pay weekely, eyther of them iijd. apece, and every burgesses are taxed weekeley at ijd. apece 7." An account of money levied on the inhabitants, in the following year (1579), for the purpose of purchasing armour and weapons of defence, corresponds with the foregoing statements; for the name of John Shakspeare is found among the defaulters". 6 Humphrey Plymley died in such poor circumstances in April, 1594, that the sum total of his effects, as appears from his inventory, amounted only to 6l. 15s. 2d. 7 Registr. Burg. Stratford. A. 8 6 Accompt of money levied xi°. die Marcii An°. regine Elizabeth xxi. [1578-9]: by John Smith and William Wilson : A will, also, which I found some time ago, in the Prerogative Office, has furnished me with a further confirmation of the distressed circumstances of our High strete warde―xls. ijd. Ship strete warde-xxxis. vid. Henley strete warde-xxxis. viijd. Sum vli. iijs. viijd. whereof disbursed iijli. xis. xid. so remaneth xxxis. vijd. wch was payd to Mr Barber, and not yet accounted for. which was payd to Mr. Barber; whereof leid out by him for iij corselets for iij calivers with the furniture accompted for; remaneth. iijl. xijs. xls. vis. iijd. for the cariage of them Sum vl. xviijs. iijd. Remaneth xxixs. ijd. dew by "Richard Court ys to accompt for money collected by him for the hygh waye." I am aware that among the above defaulters, are some persons who were probably in easy circumstances; but though their neglect may not have arisen from want of money, the other proofs which have been given relative to the straitened circumstances of John Shakspeare, warrant us in supposing that he was a defaulter, from its not being convenient to him to pay the rate imposed. poet's father, at this time. Mr. Roger Sadler, as has been already mentioned, was a baker, in Stratford; and, living in the same street with him, probably served him with bread. He died in the latter end of the year 1578. To his will, made on the 14th of November, in that year (in which he appoints his kinsman, and our author's friend, Hamnet Sadler, one of his residuary legatees, as well as one of his executors), he has subjoined a list of debts due to him (a common practice at that time); by which it appears, that John Shakspeare was then considered insolvent, if not as one depending rather on the credit of others than his own 1. The following extract from the register of the Bailiff's Court is also observable. "Stratford Curia dnæ Reginæ ibm tent. xiii. die Januarii, anno } Burgus. regni &c. vicesimo octavo [1585-6]. 66 Ad hunc diem Servien. ad Clavam burgi predict. retorn. pr. [præceptum] de distr. eis direct. versus Johem Shackspere ad sect. Johis Browne, q. predict. Johes Shackspere nihil habet unde distr. potest levari. Ideo fiat Ca. [Capias] versus Johem Shackspere ad sect. Johis Browne, si petatur." On the 2d of March following an alias Capias was issued against him. I "Debtes which are owing unto me Roger Sadler. 66 Imprimis, of Mr. John Combes, the elder, for a horse, 34. "Item, of the same J. C., due to me by bond at Christmas next, 201. 66 Item, of Richard Hathaway, alias Gardyner, of Shottery, 61. 8s. 4d. 66 Item, of Edmond Lambart *, and Cornishe, for the debt of Mr. John Shacksper, 5l.” * Mr. Edmond Lambart, who it appears had entered into a security for John Shakspeare to the amount of five pounds, and had also furnished him with forty pounds on a mortgage of his |