No details have been preserved of Shakspeare's life at Stratford; but the general tenour of his occupations may be gathered from the few suggestive particulars collected in the preceding pages. Rowe says that his pleasurable wit and good nature engaged him in the acquaintance, and entitled him to the friendship, of the gentlemen of the neighbourhood.' The only anecdote, however, that survives of his wit is utterly irreconcileable with his good-nature, and is otherwise as unworthy of him as the quips and doggrels of the Mermaid. Fortunately, there is equal reason for doubting its authenticity. There was in Stratford a certain John Combe, an old gentleman noted for his wealth and usury, who, in a lively conversation with Shakspeare, told him that he fancied he intended to write his epitaph, and, as he could not know after his death what might be said of him, he requested Shakspeare would write it at once. Shakspeare immediately produced these lines :—

Ten in the Hundred lies here ingraved ;
'Tis a hundred to ten his soul is not saved:

If any man ask, Who lies in this tomb?

Oh! ho! quoth the devil, 'tis my John-a-Combe.

There are several versions of these lines; and Mr. Halliwell has shown that the same joke is to be found in a variety of shapes in the epigrammatical collections of the seventeenth century. One of them, which bears the date of 1608, encloses the whole idea in a single couplet :

:

Ten in the hundred lies under this stone,

And a hundred to ten to the devil he's gone.

It was said that Combe never forgave this satire; but the story, from first to last, is completely disproved by the fact that John Combe left a legacy of five pounds to Shakspeare, and that Shakspeare, in testimony of his regard for the family, bequeathed his sword to Mr. Thomas Combe.

On the 10th of February, 1616, Shakspeare's younger daughter, Judith, was married to Thomas Quyney, a vintner. At this time, if the conjecture that his will had been drawn up shortly before be correct, Shakspeare was in perfect health; but the close of his career was at hand, and from certain

interlineations in his will, which appear to have been hurriedly introduced, his last illness is supposed to have been sudden and short. The only circumstantial reference to the cause of his death that has descended to us is found in the memorandum book of Mr. Ward, already quoted, and it seems to confirm this view. Mr. Ward says that 'Shakspeare, Drayton, and Ben Jonson had a merry meeting, and it seems drank too hard, for Shakspeare died of a fever there contracted.' This is the whole account we possess of the death of the greatest of the world's poets. Dr. Hall, his son-in-law, who probably attended him, left no statement of the case behind him.

William Shakspeare died at New Place, on the 23rd of April, 1616, at the age of fifty-two, and was buried in Stratford church two days afterwards. A flat stone, covering the spot in the chancel where he was interred, still bears its quaint and solemn inscription:

:

GOOD FRIEND FOR IESUS SAKE FORBEARE

TO DIGG THE DVST ENCLOASED HEARE:

BLEST BE THE MAN THAT SPARES THES STONES,
AND CVRST BE HE THAT MOVES MY BONES.

The following is a copy of Shakspeare's will:

SHAKESPEARE'S WILL.

Vicesimo quinto die Martii, Anno Regni Domini nostri Jacobi nunc Regis Angliæ, &c. decimo quarto, et Scotia quadragesimo nono. Anno Domini 1616.

In the name of God, Amen. I William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon, in the county of Warwick, gent., in perfect health and memory, (God be praised !) do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following; that is to say:

First, I commend my soul into the hands of God my creator, hoping, and assuredly believing, through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting; and my body to the earth whereof it is made.

Item,-I give and bequeath unto my daughter Judith, one hundred and fifty pounds of lawful English money, to be paid unto her in manner and form following; that is to say, one hundred pounds in discharge of her marriage portion within one year after my decease, with consideration after the rate of two shillings in the pound for so long time as the money shall be

unpaid unto her after my decease; and the fifty pounds residue thereof, upon her surrendering of, or giving of such sufficient security as the overseers of this my will shall like of, to surrender or grant, all her estate and right that shall descend or come unto her after my decease, or that she now hath, of, in, or to, one copyhold tenement, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford-upon-Avon aforesaid, in the said county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Susannah Hall, and her heirs for ever.

· Item,-I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if she, or any issue of her body, be living at the end of three years next ensuing the day of the date of this my will, during which time my executors to pay her consideration from my decease according to the rate aforesaid: and if she die within the said term without issue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece Elizabeth Hall, and the fifty pounds to be set forth by my executors during the life of my sister Joan Hart, and the use and profit thereon coming, shall be paid to my said sister Joan, and after her decease the said fifty pounds shall remain amongst the children of my said sister, equally to be divided amongst them; but if my said daughter Judith be living at the end of the said three years, or any issue of her body, then my will is, and so I devise and bequeath the said hundred and fifty pounds to be set out by executors and overseers for the best benefit of her and her issue, and the stock not to be paid unto her so long as she shall be married and covert baron; but my will is, that she shall have the consideration yearly paid unto her during her life, and after her decease the said stock and consideration to be paid to her children, if she have any, and if not, to her executors and assigns, she living the said term after my decease; provided that if such husband as she shall at the end of the said three years be married unto, or at any [time] after, do sufficiently assure unto her, and the issue of her body, lands answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged so by my executors and overseers, then my will is, that the said hundred and fifty pounds shall be paid to such hushand as shall make such assurance, to his own use.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said sister Joan twenty pounds, and all my wearing apparel, to be paid and delivered within one year after my decease; and I do will and devise unto her the house, with the appurtenances, in Stratford, wherein she dwelleth, for her natural life, under the yearly rent of twelve pence.

Item,-I give and bequeath unto her three sons, William

Hart,

Hart, and Michael Hart five pounds apiece, to be paid within one year after my decease.

Item,-I give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth Hall all my plate, (except my broad silver and gilt bowl,) that I now have at the date of this my will.

Item,—I give and bequeath unto the poor of Stratford aforesaid ten pounds; to Mr. Thomas Coombe my sword; to Thomas Russel, Esq. five pounds; and to Francis Collins of the borough of Warwick, in the county of Warwick, gent. thirteen pounds six shillings and eight pence, to be paid within one year after my decease.

Item,-I give and bequeath to Hamlet [Hamnet] Sadler twenty six shillings eight pence, to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, gent. twenty six shillings eight pence, to buy him a ring; to my godson William Walker, twenty shillings in gold; to Anthony Nash, gent. twenty six shillings eight pence; and to Mr. John Nash, twenty six shillings eight pence; and to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, twenty six shillings eight pence apiece, to buy them rings.

Item,-I give, will, bequeath, and devise, unto my daughter Susannah Hall, for better enabling of her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, in Stratford aforesaid, called The New Place, wherein I now dwell, and two messuages or tenements, with the appurtenances, situate, lying, and being in Henley Street, within the borough of Stratford aforesaid; and all my barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, situate, lying, and being, or to be had, received, perceived, or taken, within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford-upon-Avon, Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcombe, or in any of them, in the said county of Warwick; and also all that messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, wherein one John Robinson dwelleth, situate, lying, and being, in the Blackfriars in London near the Wardrobe; and all other my lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever; to have and to hold all and singular the said premises, with their appurtenances, unto the said Susannah Hall, for and during the term of her natural life; and after her decease to the first son of her body lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said first son lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to the second son of her body lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said second son lawfully issuing; and for default of such heirs, to the third son of the body of the said Susannah lawfully issuing, and to the heirs males of the body of the said third son lawfully issuing; and for default of such

issue, the same so to be and remain to the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sons of her body, lawfully issuing one after another, and to the heirs males of the bodies of the said fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sons lawfully issuing, in such manner as it is before limited to be and remain to the first, second, and third sons of her body, and to their heirs males; and for default of such issue, the said premises to be and remain to my said niece Hall, and the heirs males of her body lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to my daughter Judith, and the heirs males of her body lawfully issuing; and for default of such issue, to the right heirs of me the said William Shakespeare for ever.

Item,-I give unto my wife my second best bed, with the furniture. Item,-I give and bequeath to my said daughter Judith my broad silver gilt bowl. All the rest of my goods, chattels, leases, plate, jewels, and household stuff whatsoever, after my debts and legacies paid, and my funeral expenses discharged, I give, devise, and bequeath to my son-in-law, John Hall, gent. and my daughter Susannah his wife, whom I ordain and make executors of this my last will and testament. And I do entreat and appoint the said Thomas Russel, Esq. and Francis Collins, gent. to be overseers hereof. And I do revoke all former wills, and publish this to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand, the day and year first above written.

By me,

дияват бушватает

Witness to the publishing hereof,

FRA. COLLYNS,
JULIUS SHAW,
JOHN ROBINSON,
HAMNET SADLER,
ROBERT WHATTCOAT.

Probatum fuit testamentum suprascriptum apud London, coram Magistro William Bryde, Legum Doctore, &c. vicesimo secundo die mensis Junii, Anno Domini 1616; juramento Johannis Hall unius ex. cui, &c. de bene, &c. jurat. reservata protestate, &c. Susanna Hall, alt. ex. &c. eam cum venerit, &c. petitur, &c.