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Veneris 11° Februarij Termino Hillarij Anno dni One thousand six hundred and forty eigh
Inter Edru Nash

Eliza Nash

and

Quer

Deftem

C

Forasmuch as this Court was this present day informed by Mr. Catlin being of the Plaintiff's Counsel that th Plaintiff having exhibited his Bill into this Court to be relieved touching certain lands devised to the Defendan or her life, the remainder to the Plaintiff and his heirs the Defendant by her Answer hath confessed the having the Original Will and the Plaintiff's estate which being an estate of an inheritance and the Defendants but a estate for life and witnesses being examined in the Cause it was prayed that the Defendant might bring the sai Original Will confessed in her answer into this Court, there to remain indifferently for both parties which is ordere accordingly, unless the Defendant having notice thereof shall within a week after such notice shew unto this Cour good cause to the contrary.

B 1648 folio 343 C.

F. BODWELL, Clerk.

Lune 15° May Termino Pas Anno Regni Caroli Regis 24° One thousand six hundred an forty eight.

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Elizabeth Nashe executrix Thome Nash et Thoma Withers Deftes.

Upon Motion this day made unto this Court by Mr. Catlin being of the Plaintiff's Counsel It is Ordered tha process of duces tecum be awarded against the Defendants to bring into this Court the will evidences and writing confessed by their answer to be in their custody or at the return thereof to shew unto this Court good cause t the contrary.

B 1647 folio 573 C.

F. BODWELL, Clerk.

Sabbi 10° Junij Term Trin A° Rs Car 24° One thousand six hundred and forty eight.
Inter Edru. Nash

Eliza Nash executrix Tho: Nash and Thoma Withers

Quer
Deftes

Whereas by an order of the 15th of May last process of duces tecum was awarded against the Defendants t bring into this Court the will evidences and writings confessed by their answer to be in their custody or at the return thereof to shew unto this Court good cause to the contrary, upon opening of the matter this present day unto this Court by Mr. Dighton being of the Defendants Counsel in the presence of Mr. Chute being of the Plaintiffs Counsel and upon reading of the said Order It was alleged that the Defendant Elizabeth hath an estat for life in the Lands in question and being executrix of the said Thomas Nash hath proved the will and justifies the detaining of the said evidences in her hands for the maintenance of her title but the Plaintiffs Counsel alleging that the inheritance of the lands being in the Plaintiff the said evidences do properly belong to the Plaintiff Whereupon and upon hearing what was alleged on either side It is Ordered that the will be brought into this Court to the end the Plaintiff may examine witnesses thereupon and then to be delivered back to the Defendant and that the Defendant shall also bring the said evidencies and writings into Court upon oath the first day of the next term there to remain for the equal benefit of both parties and shall within ten days after notice deliver unt the Plaintiff a true Schedule thereof.

B 1647 folio 742 C.

F. BODWELL, Clerk.

NASH'S WILL.

By this will, dated August 25, 1642, which appears to have been kept in the Chapel of the Rolls from the period when Mrs. Nash was ordered to produce it in Court, Thomas Nash makes the following disposition of that portion of his property in which alone we are interested,—the inheritance of the poet's grand-daughter :

"That is to saie ffirst I give dispose and bequeath unto Elizabeth my welbeloved wife and her assignes for and duringe the terme of her naturall life in lieue of her Joynture and thirdes All that messuage or Tenemente wh thappurtenances scituate lyeinge and beinge in Stratford uppon Avon in the said County of Warwicke in a streete there called or knowen by the name of the Chappell streete and nowe in the tenure use and occupacon of one Johane Norman widowe, And alsoe one meadowe wth thappurtenances lyeinge and beinge wthin the parishe of Old Stratford in the said County of Warwicke and called or knowen by the name of the Square meadowe and lyeinge nere unto the greate stone bridge of Stratford aforesaid And nowe in the tenure use & occupacon of one Willm Abbottes Inholder And alsoe one other meadowe wth thappurtenances lyeinge and beinge wthin the parishe of

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old Stratford aforesaid in the said County of Warwicke and Called or knowen by the name of the Washe meadowe and lyeinge nere unto the said greate stone bridge of Stratford Item I give dispose and bequeath unto my loveinge kindsman Edward Nash gentleman sonne and heire of my Uncle George Nashe of London gentleman and to his heires and assignes for ever after the death and deceasse of Elizabeth my said wife All that the said messuage or Tenement wth thappurtenances scituate lyeinge and being in Stratford uppon Avon aforesaid in the said County of Warwicke in the said Streete there Called the Chappell streete and nowe in the tenure use and occupacon of the said Johane Norman And alsoe the said meadowe wth the appurtenances lyeing and beinge wthin the parishe of old Stratford aforesaid in the said County of Warwicke Called or knowen by the name of the square meadowe and lyeinge nere unto the said greate stone bridge of Stratford aforesaid and nowe in the tenure use and occupacon of one Willm Abbottes Inholder Item I give dispose and bequeath unto my said kindesman Edward Nash and to his heires and assignes for ever one messuage or Tenement wth the Appurtenances comonly called or knowen by the name of the Newe place scituate lyeing and being in Stratford uppon Avon Aforesiad in the said County of Warwicke in a streete there Called or knowen by the name of the Chappell streete Togeather alsoe wth all and singuler howses outhowses barnes stables orchardes gardens easementes proffittes and Comodities to the same belonginge or in anie wise appertayninge or reputed taken esteemed or enjoyed as thereunto belonging and nowe in the tenure use and occupacon of mee the said Thomas Nashe And alsoe floure yard land of earrable land meadowe and pasture wth Thappurtenances lyeinge and beinge in the Comon ffieldes of old Stratford in the said County of Warwicke togeather wth all easementes proffitts Comons Comodities and hereditaments to the same ffoure yard landes or anie of them belonging or in anie wise appertayninge * And alsoe one other messuage or tenement wth thappurtenances scituate lyeinge & beinge in the parishe of in London and Called or knowen Dickes by the name of the wardropp and nowe in the tenure use and occupacon of one And alsoe the said messuage or tenemente wth Thappurtenances scituate lyeinge and beinge in Stratford uppon Avon aforesaid in the said County of Warwicke in the said streete there Called the Henley streete and nowe in the tenure use & occupacon of the said John Horneby blacksmith And alsoe one other messuage or Tenemt w Thappurtenances scituate lyeing and being in Stratford uppon Avon aforesaid in the said County of Warwicke in a certayne street there Called the Chappell streete and nowe in the tenure use and occupacon of the said Nicholas Ingram All the rest and other of my goodes Chattles Cattells leases Jewells plate howseholdstuffe and Implementes of howsehold moveable and unmoveable my debtes and legacies being paid and my funerall expences being discharged I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth my wife whom I make full and whole Executrix of this my last will and Testament And I revoke and renownce all former & other Will and Wills by mee made And I appoynt and entreate my Loveinge ffrendes Edmund Rawlins gent Willm Smith and John Easton to bee the overseers of this my last Will and Testament desiringe them to see this my last Will to bee performed soe farre as in them lyeth And for their paines therein I give them and every of them fforty shillings apeece In witness to this my Will I have putt my hand & seale the day and yeare above Written. Tho: Nashe.

Witnesses to the sealing and publishinge hereof,

John Soch.
Michaell Johnson.

Samuell Rawlins.

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THE following are translations of two Recoveries hitherto unpublished, by which Mrs. Nash, after disputing the will in question, succeeded in limiting a portion of the poet's estates to his descendants. The first refers to the land purchased by him in 1602, of William and John Combe: the other to the house in Blackfriars, bought in 1612-13. It will be observed that the parties concerned with Mrs. Nash in this confirmation of the property are two of the Hathaways, or Hathways, an additional proof, to that afforded by her will, of her friendly intercourse with the members of her grandmother's family.

RECOVERY ROLL, 23. CHARLES 1. MICHAELMAS. ROLL 103 (on the back).

Pleas of Land Inrolled at Westminster before Peter Phesant and John
Godbold Justices of the Lord the King of the Common Pleas, of
Michaelmas Term in the twenty third year of the reign of Lord Charles
by the grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland, King,
Defender of the Faith, &c.

Warwick Ss. William Hathway and Thomas Hathway in their proper persons demand against Richard Lane gentleman and William Smyth gentleman, three messuages, three gardens, one hundred and seven acres of land and twenty acres of pasture with appurtenances in Stratford upon Avon, Olde Stratforde, Bishopton and Welcombe as their right and inheritance And into which the same Richard and William Smyth have not entry

but after the disseisin which Hugh Hunt thereof unjustly and without judgment hath made to the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas within thirty years &c And whereupon they say that they were seised of the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances in their demesne as of fee and right in time of peace in the time of our Lord the King that now is, by taking the profits thereof to the value &c And into which &c. And thereof they bring Suit &c.

And the aforesaid Richard and William Smyth in their proper persons come and defend their right when &c. And thereupon vouch to warrant Elizabeth Nashe widow who is present here in Court in her proper person And freely warrants the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances to them &c. And hereupon the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas demand against the same Elizabeth tenant by her own warranty the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances in form aforesaid &c. And whereupon they say that they were seised of the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances in their demesne as of fee and right in time of peace in the time of our Lord the King that now is, by taking the profits thereof to the value &c. And into which &c. And thereof they bring Suit &c.

And the aforesaid Elizabeth Tenant by her own Warranty defends her right when &c. And thereupon further voucheth to warrant Robert Lee who is also present here in Court in his proper person And freely warrants the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances to her &c. And hereupon the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas demand against the same Robert Tenant by his own warranty the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances in form aforesaid &c. And whereupon they say that they were seised of the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances in their demesne as of fee and right in time of peace in the time of Our Lord the King that now is by taking the profits thereof, to the value &c. And into which &c. And thereof they bring Suit &c.

And the aforesaid Robert Tenant by his own warranty defends his right when, &c. And saith that the aforesaid Hugh did not disseise the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas of the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances as the same William Hathway and Thomas by their writ and declaration aforesaid above do suppose And of this he putteth himself upon the Country &c. And the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas thereupon crave licence to imparl And they have it &c. And afterwards the same William Hathway and Thomas come again here into Court in this same Term in their proper persons And the aforsaid Robert although solemnly called cometh not again but departed in contempt of the Court And maketh default. Therefore it is considered that the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas recover their seisin against the aforesaid Richard and William Smyth of the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances And that the same Richard and William Smyth have of the land of the aforesaid Elizabeth to the value &c. And that the same Elizabeth further have of the land of the aforesaid Robert to the value &c. And the same Robert in Mercy, &c. And hereupon the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas pray a writ of our Lord the King to be directed to the Sheriff of the County aforesaid to cause full seisin of the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances to be delivered to them And it is granted to them returnable here without delay &c. Afterwards that is to say on the twenty ninth day of November in this same Term come here into Court the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas in their proper persons And the Sheriff namely Richard Lucy Esquire now returns that he by virtue of the said writ to him directed on the twenty sixth day of November last past did cause full seisin of the tenements aforesaid with appurtenances to be delivered to the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas as by the said writ he was commanded. &c.

RECOVERY ROLL, 23. CHARLES 1. MICHAELMAS. ROLL 103 (on the back).

Pleas of Land Inrolled at Westminster before Peter Phesant and John God-
bold Justices of the Lord the King of the Common Pleas, of Michaelmas
Term in the twenty third year of the reign of Lord Charles by the grace of
God of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the
Faith, &c.

LONDON SS. William Hathway and Thomas Hathway in their proper persons demand against Richard Lane gentleman and William Smyth gentleman, one messuage with appurtenances in the parish of St Anne Blackfriers as their right and inheritance And into which the same Richard and William Smyth have not entry but after the disseisin which Hugh Hunt thereof unjustly and without judgment hath made to the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas within thirty years &c. And whereupon they say that they were seised of the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances in their demesne as of fee and right in time of peace in the time of our Lord the King that now is by taking the profits thereof to the value &c. And into which &c. And thereof they bring suit &c.

And the aforesaid Richard and William Smyth in their proper persons come and defend their right when &c. And thereupon vouch to warrant Elizabeth Nashe widow who is present here in Court in her proper person And freely warrants the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances to them &c. And hereupon the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas demand against the same Elizabeth tenant by her own warranty the messuage aforesaid

with appurtenances in form aforesaid &c. And whereupon they say that they were seised of the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances in their demesne as of fee and right in time of peace in the time of the Lord the King that now is by taking the profits thereof to the value &c. And into which &c. And thereof they bring suit &c.

And the aforesaid Elizabeth Tenant by her own warranty defends her right when &c. And thereupon further voucheth to warrant Robert Lee who is also present here in Court in his proper person And freely warrants the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances to her &c. And hereupon the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas demand against the said Robert Tenant by his own warranty the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances in form aforesaid &c. And whereupon they say that they were seised of the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances in their demesne as of fee and right in time of peace in the time of the Lord the King that now is by taking the profits thereof to the value &c. And into which &c. And thereof they bring suit &c. And the aforesaid Robert Tenant by his own warrantry defends his right when &c. And saith that the aforesaid Hugh did not disseise the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas of the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances as the same William Hathway and Thomas by their writ and declaration aforesaid above do suppose And of this he putteth himself upon the Country &c.

And the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas thereupon crave leave to imparl And they have it &c. And afterwards the same William Hathway and Thomas come again here into Court in this same Term in their proper persons And the aforesaid Robert although solemnly called cometh not again but departed in contempt of the Court And maketh default.

Therefore it is considered that the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas recover their seisin against the aforesaid Richard and William Smyth of the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances And that the same Richard and William Smyth have of the land of the aforesaid Elizabeth to the value &c. And that the same Elizabeth have lastly of the land of the aforesaid Robert to the value &c. And the same Robert in mercy &c. And hereupon the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas pray a writ of Our Lord the King to be directed to the Sheriffs of London aforesaid to cause full seisin of the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances to be delivered to them And it is granted to them returnable here without delay &c. Afterwards, that is to say, on the Twenty ninth day of November in this same Term come here into Court the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas in their proper persons And the Sheriffs namely Samuel Averey and John Bide now return that they by virtue of the said writ to them directed on the twenty seventh day of November last past did cause full seisin of the messuage aforesaid with appurtenances to be delivered to the aforesaid William Hathway and Thomas as by the said writ they were prayed. &c.

THE SUPPOSITITIOUS SHAKESPEARE DOCUMENTS.

In addition to the MS. annotations of Mr. Collier's "Corrected folio, 1632,” and those on the margins of Lord Ellesmere's folio, 1623, every one of which has been pronounced by the most competent authority to be of quite recent fabrication, the following documents, after careful inspection, have been found to present unmistakeable evidences of being counterfeit.

IN BRIDGEWATER HOUSE.

1. Memorial of the players, James Burbidge, Richard Burbidge, John Laneham, &c. &c. November, 1589 (See note, p. xxiii.) and COLLIER'S Life of Shakespeare, p. 82.

2. List of Claims made by R. Burbidge: Laz. Fletcher: W. Shakspeare, &c. No date, which Mr. Collier describes as "a paper, which shows, with great exactness and particularity, the amount of interest then claimed by each sharer, those sharers being Richard Burbadge, Laurence Fletcher, William Shakespeare, John Heminge, Henry Condell, Joseph Taylor, and Lowin, with four other persons not named, each the owner of half a share.”COLLIER'S Life of Shakespeare, p. 189.

"For avoiding of the playhouse in the Blacke Friers.

Impr Richard Burbidge owith the Fee, and is alsoe a sharer therein. His interest he rateth at the grosse summe of 1000 li for the Fee, and for his foure Shares the summe of 933 li 68 8d Item Laz Fletcher owith three shares wch he rateth at 700 li, that is at 7 years purchase for eche share, or 33 li 6s 8d one year with an other.

Item W. Shakspeare asketh for the Wardrobe and properties of the same playhouse 500 li, and for his 4 shares, the same as his fellowes Burbidge and Fletcher, viz. 933 li 6s 8d Heminges and Condell eche 2 shares

Item

Item Joseph Taylor one share and an halfe

Item Lowing one share and an halfe

Item Foure more playeres with one halfe share unto eche of them

1933 li 6s 8d

700 li.

1433 li 6s 8d

933 li 6s 8d

350 li

350 li

466 li 13s 4d

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"Moreover, the hired men of the Companie demaund some recompence for their greate losse, and the Widowes and Orphanes of players, who are paide by the Sharers at diuers rates and proporcōns, soe as in the whole it will coste the Lo. Mayor and Citizens at the least 7000 li."

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3. A letter from Samuel Daniel to the Rt. Hon. Sir Thomas Egerton, from which, Mr. Collier remarks, may perhaps conclude that Shakespeare, as well as Michael Drayton, had been candidates for the post of Master of the Queen's revels."-(See note 75, p. xxxv.) and COLLIER's Life of Shakespeare, p. 173.

To the Right honorable Sir Thomas Egerton, Knight, Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England.

I will not indeavour, Right honorable, to thanke you in wordes for this new great and vnlookt for favor showne vnto me, whereby I am bound to you for ever, and hope one day with true harte and simple skill to prove that I am not vnmindfull.

Most earnestly doe I wishe I could praise as your Honour has knowne to deserue, for then should I, like my maister Spencer, whose memorie your Honor cherisheth, leave behinde me some worthie worke, to be treasured by posteritie; What my pore muse could performe in haste is here set downe, and though it be farre below what other poets and better pennes have written it commeth from a gratefull harte and therefore maye be accepted. I shall now be able to liue free from those cares and troubles that hetherto haue been my continuall and wearisome companions. But a little time is paste since I was called vpon to thanke yor honor for my brothers advancement and nowe I thanke you for my owne wch double kindnes will alwaies receive double gratefullnes at both our handes. I cannot but knowe that I am lesse deseruing then some that sued by other of the nobilitie vnto her Matic for this roome, if M. Drayton my good friend had bene chosen I should not have murmured for sure I am he wold have filled it most excellentlie: but it seemeth to myne humble iudgement that one which is the authour of playes now daylie presented on the publick stages of London and the possessor of no small gaines, and moreover himself an actor in the kinges companie of Commedias, could not with reason pretend to be m' of the Queenes Maties Reuelles for as much as he wold sometimes be asked to approue and allowe of his owne writinge. Therfore he and more of like qualitie cannot iustly be disappointed because through yor Honors gracious interposition the chance was haply myne. I owe this and all else to yor Honors and if euer I haue time and abilitie to finishe anie noble vndertaking as God graunt one daye I shall, the worke will rather be yor Honors then myne. God maketh a poet but his creation would be in vaine if patrones did not make him to liue. Yor Honor hath ever showne yo' selfe the friend of desert, and pitty it were if this should be the first exception to the rule. It shall not be whiles my poore witt and strength doe remaine to me, though the verses wch I nowe sende be indeed noe proofe of myne abilitie I onely intreat yor Honor to accept the same the rather as an earnest of my good will then as an example of my good deede. In all thinges I am yor Honors

Most bounden in dutie and obseruance,
S. DANYELL.

4. A letter assumed to be from Henry Lord Southampton to the Lord Chancellor Ellesmere on behalf of Shakespeare and Burbadge. No date.—(See note 8, p. xxxvii.) and Collier's Life of Shakespeare, p. 193 :— My verie honored Lo. the manie good offices I haue receiued at yo1 Lps handes whh ought to make me backward in asking further favours onely imbouldeneth me to require more in the same kinde. Yor Lp wilbe warned howe hereafter you graunt anie sute seeing it draweth on more and greater demaundes: this weh now presseth is to request yo' Lp in all you can to be good to the poore players of the blacke Fryers who call themselues by authoritie the Servantes of his Matte and aske for the proteccōn of their most gracious maister and Soueraigne in this the tyme of there troble. They are threatened by the Lo. Maior and Aldermen of London never friendly to their calling wth the distruccōn of their meanes of livelihood by the pulling downe of their plaiehouse wch is a priuate theatre and hath never giuen ocasion of anger by anie disorders. These bearers are two of the chiefe of the companie, one of them by name Richard Burbidge who humblie sueth for yor Lps kinde helpe for that he is a man famous as our english Roscius one who fitteth the action to the worde and the word to the action most admira [b]ly. By the exercise of his qualitie industry and good behaviour he hath become possessed of the Blacke Fryers playhouse weh hath bene imployed for playes sithence it was builded by his Father now nere 50 yeres agone. The other is a man no whitt less deseruing fauor and my especial friende till of late an actor of good account in the cumpanie, now a sharer in the same, and writer of some of our best english playes wch as your Lp. knoweth were most singulerly liked of Quene Elizabeth when the cumpanie was called vppon to performe before her Matie at Court at Christmas and Shrove tide. His most gracious Matie King James alsoe since his coming to the crowne hath extended his Royall favour to the companie in diuers waies and at sundrie tymes. This other hath to name William Shakespeare and they are both of one countie and indeede allmost of one towne, both are right famous in their qualities though it longeth not of yo1 Lo. grauitie and wisdome to resort vnto the places where they are wont to delight the publique eare. Their trust and sute nowe is not to bee molested in their waye of life whereby they

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