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. छ By me, te Pannbehere Witness to the publishing hereof, FRA. COLLYNS, JULIUS SHAW, HAMNET SADLER. ROBERT WHATTCOAT. Probatum fuit testamentum suprascriptum apud London, coram Magistro William Byrde, Legum Doctore, &c. vicesimo secundo die mensis Junii, Anno Domini 1616; juramento Johannis Hall unius ex. cui. &c. de bene, &c. jurat, reservata potestate, &c. Susannæ Hall, alt. ex. &c. eam cum venerit, &c. petitur, &c. Within seven years of Shakspeare's death a monument was erected to the poet's memory in the chancel of the church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon. It is partly of marble and partly of stone, and consists of a "Judicio Pylium, genio Socratem, arte Maronem "Stay, passenger, why dost thou go so fast? Read, if thou canst, whom envious death hath plac'd Within this monument; Shakspeare with whom Quick nature dy'd; whose name doth deck the tomb Far more than cost, since all that that he hath writ Leaves living art but page to serve his wit. Obiit Ano. Dni. 1616 aetatis 53 die 23 Ap." The bard's remains repose under a flat stone, where they were placed two days after his death, on the north side of the chancel, which bears the following lines, which it is commonly believed Shakspeare wrote: "Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear To dig the dust enclosed here! Bless'd be the man that spares these stones There is nothing to warrant this supposition except that the word "my" occurs in the last line. They were most likely added by some friend to prevent the bones being removed to the charnel-house adjacent, which, said Ireland, contained "the greatest assemblage of human bones I ever saw." This ghastly edifice has been removed. The bust was originally painted to represent the poet in his habit as he lived, with a black cloak falling over a scarlet doublet, and the scant hair, eyes, and complexion coloured like life. However, Malone—who is very properly stigmatized as an "indefatigable mountebank "-had it painted white, although it had been allowed to present its pristine appearance for one hundred and sixty years, and had been renewed as lately as 1748. This gave rise to the following lines: 66 Strangers to whom this monument is shown, Whose meddling zeal his barbarous taste displays, On another occasion a foolish youth broke the pen in the poet's hand, so that a common quill had to be substituted. Even the curse has not altogether protected the poet's last resting-place from intrusion: the sexton, in preparing a grave for Dr. Davenport, a deceased rector, broke a large hole through, so that the poet's remains were visible, and a gentleman told Dr. Drake, the eminent com |