memorie, was advaunced and rewarded with lands and tenements, geven to him in those parts of Warwickshere, where they have continewed by some descents in good reputacion and credit; and for that the said John Shakspeare having maryed the daughter and one of the heyrs of Robert Arden of Wellingcote, in the said countie, and also produced this his auncient cote of arms, heretofore assigned to him whilest he was her Majesties officer and baylefe of that towne ': In consideration of the premisses, and for the encouragement of his posteritie, unto whom suche blazon of arms and achievements of inheritance from theyre said mother, by the auncyent custome and lawes of arms, maye lawfully descend; We the said Garter and Clarencieulx have assigned, graunted, and by these presents exemplefied unto the said John Shakspeare, and to his posteritie, that shield and cote of arms, viz. In a field of gould upon a bend sables a speare of the first, the poynt upward, hedded argent; and for his crest or cognizance, A falcon with his wyngs displayed, standing on a wrethe of his coullers, supporting a speare armed hedded, or steeled sylver, fyxed uppon a helmet with mantell and tassels, as more playnely maye appeare depected on this margent and we have likewise uppon on other escutcheon impaled the same with the auncyent arms of the said Arden of Wellingcote; signifieng therby, that it maye and shalbe lawfull for the said John Shakspeare

2

his auncient cote of arms, heretofore assigned to him whilest he was her Majesties officer and baylefe of that towne ;] This grant of arms was made by Robert Cook, Clarencieux, in 1569, but is not now extant in the Herald's Office. MALONE.

3- and we have likewise-impaled the same with the auncyent arms of the said Arden-] It is said by Mr. Jacob, the modern editor of Arden of Feversham (first published in 1592 and republished in 1631 and 1770) that Shakspeare descended by the female line from the gentleman whose unfortunate end is the subject of this tragedy. But the assertion appears to want sup

gent. to beare and use the same shield of arms, single or impaled, as aforsaid, during his natural lyffe; and that it shalbe lawful for his children, yssue, and posteryte, (lawfully begotten,) to beare, use, and quarter, and show forth the same, with theyre dewe differences, in all lawfull warlyke facts and civile use or exercises, according to the laws of arms, and custome that to gentlemen belongethe, without let or interruption of any person or persons, for use or bearing the same. In wyttnesse and testemonye whereof we have subscrebed our names, and fastened the seals of our offices, geven at the Office of Arms, London, the day of in the xlii yere of the reigne of our most gratious Sovraigne lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God, quene of Ingland, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. 1599."

CONVEYANCE FROM WALKER TO SHAKSPEARE, March 10, 1612-13.

This Indenture made the tenthe day of Marche, in the yeare of our Lord God according to the computacōn of the church of England one thousand six hundrede and twelve, and in the yeares of the reigne of our sovereigne Lord James by the grace of God king of England, Scotland ffraunce and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. that is to saie, of England, ffraunce and Ireland the tenth, and of Scotland the six and fortith: Betweene Henry

port, the true name of the person who was murdered at Feversham being Ardern and not Arden. Ardern might be called Arden in the play for the sake of better sound, or might be corrupted in the Chronicle of Holinshed: yet it is unlikely that the true spelling should be overlooked among the Heralds, whose interest it is to recommend by ostentatious accuracy the trifles in which they deal. STEEVENS.

Ardern was the original name, but in Shakspeare's time it had been softened to Arden. MALONE.

Walker Citizein of London and Minstrel of London of thone partie, and William Shakespeare of Stratforde Upon Avon in the countie of Warwick gentleman, William Johnson citizein and Vintner of London, John Jackson and John Hemyng of London gentlemen, on thother ptie: Witnesseth, that the said, Henry Walker for and in consideracōn of the some of one hundred and fortie pounds of lawful money of England to him in hand before thensealing hereof by the said William Shakespeare well and trulie paid, whereof and wherewth hee the said Henry Walker doth acknowledge himselfe fully satisfied and contented, and thereof and of every part or parcell thereof doth cleerlie acquite and discharge the saide William Shakespeare, his heires, executors, admistrators, and assignes; and every of them, by these pnts hath bargayned and soulde, and by theis pnts doth fullie cleerlie and absolutlie bargayne and sell vnto the said William Shakespeare, William Johnson, John Jackson, and John Hemyng, theire heires and assignes for ever, All that dwelling house or Tenement with thappurtenancs situate and being w'hin the Precinct Circuit and Compasse of the late black fryers London, sometymes in the tenure of James Gardyner Esquire, and since that in the tenure of John ffortescue gent. and now or late being in the tenure or occupacōn of one William Ireland or of his assignee or assignes; abutting vpon a streete leading downe to Puddle Wharffe on the east part, right against the kings Maiesties Wardrobe; part of wch said Tenement is erected over a great gate leading to a Capitall Mesuage wch sometyme was in the tenure of William Blackwell Esquire deceased, and since that in the tenure or occupacōn of the right Honorable Henry now Earl of Northumberland. And also all that plott of ground on the west side of the same Tenement wch was lately inclosed wth boords on two sides thereof by Anne Bacon, widowe, soe farre and in such sorte as the same was inclosed by the said Anne Bacon, and not otherwise; and being on

the thirde side inclosed wth an olde Brick wall; Which said plott of ground was sometyme parcell and taken out of a great voide peece of ground lately vsed for a garden; and also the soyle wherevppon the said Tenement standeth, and also the said Brick wall and boords wch doe inclose the said plott of ground: With free entrie, accesse, ingresse, egresse, and regresse, in by and through the said greate gate and yarde there vnto the vsual dore of the said Tenement; And also all and singuler cello's, sollers, romes, lights, easiaments, profitts, comodities, and hereditaments whatsoever, to the said dwelling house or Tenement belonging or in any wise app'teyning; And the reversion and reversions whatsoever of all and singuler the premisses, and of every parcell thereof; And also all rents, and yearlie profitts whatsoever reserved and from hensforth to growe due and paiable vpon whatsoever lease, dimise or graunt, leases dimises or graunts, made of the premisses or of any parcell thereof, And also all the state, right, title, interest, propertie, vse, possession, clayme, and demaunde whatsoever wch hee the said Henry Walker now hath, or of right may, might, should, or ought to have, of in or to the premisses or any parcell thereof; And also all and every the deeds, evidencs, charters, escripts, miniments, & writings whatsoever wch hee the said Henry Walker now hath, or any other person or persons to his vse have or hath, or which hee may lawfullie come by w'hout suite in the lawe, which touch or concerne the premisses onlie, or onlie any part or parcell thereof, Together with the true coppies of all such deeds, evidencs, and writings as concerne the premisses (amounge other things) to bee written and taken out at the onlie costs and charg" of the said William Shakespeare his heires or assignes. Which said dwelling house or Tenement, and other the premisses above by theis prnts mencōned to bee bargayned and soulde the saide Henry Walker late purchased and had to him his heires and assignes for ever of Mathie Bacon of Graies Inne in the

Countie of Midd gentleman, by Indenture bearing date the fifteenth day of October in the yeare of our Lord god one thousand six hundred and fower, and in the yeares of the reigne of our said Sovereigne Lord king James of his realmes of England ffraunce and Ireland the second, and of Scotland the eight and thirtith: To have and to holde the said dwelling house or Tenement, shopps, cello's, sollers, plott of ground and all and singuler other the premisses above by theis pntes mencōned to bee bargayned and soulde and every part and parcell thereof wth thappurtenants, vnto the said William Shakespeare, William Johnson, John Jackson, and John Hemyng, their heires and assignes for ever: To thonlie & proper vse and behoofe of the said William Shakespeare, William Johnson, John Jackson, and John Hemyng, their heires and assignes for ever. And the said Henry Walker for himselfe, his heires, executo's, administrato's, and assignes, and for every of them, doth Covenant, promise and graunt to and wth the said William Shakespeare his heires and assignes by theis pñtes in forme following, that is to saie, That hee the said Henry Walker his heires, executo's administrato's or assignes shall and will cleerlie acquite, exonerate, and discharge or otherwise from tyme to tyme and at all tymes hereafter well and sufficientlie save and keepe harmles the said William Shakespeare his heires and assignes and every of them of for and concernyng the bargayne and sale of the premisses, and the said bargayned premisses and every part and parcell thereof wth thappurtenancs of and from all and almanner of former bargaynes, sales, guifts, graunts, leases, statuts, Recognizauncs, Joynters, dowers, intailes, lymittacōn and lymittacons of vse and vses, extents and judgments, execucōns, Annuities, and of and from all and every other chargs titles and incumbrancs whatsoever, wittinglie and wilfullie had, made comitted, suffered, or donne by him the said Henrye Walker or any other under his authoritie or right, before thensealing and deliverye of theis puts; Except the rents