Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

6

his own hand to write an amicable letter to Mr. Shakspeare; which letter, though now loft, remained long in the hands of Sir William D'Avenant, as a credible perfon now living can teftify." Mr. Oldys, in a MS. note to his copy of Fuller's Worthies, obferves, that "the story came from the Duke of Buckingham, who had it from Sir William D'Avenant."

It appears from Rofcius Anglicanus, (commonly called Downes the prompter's book,) 1708, that Shakspeare took the pains to inftru&t Joseph Taylor in the character of Hamlet, and John Lowine in that of King Henry VIII. STEEVENS.

The late Mr. Thomas Ofborne, bookfeller, (whole exploits are celebrated by the author of the Dunciad) being ignorant in what form or language our Paradife Loft was written, employed one of his garretteers to render it from a French tranflation into English profe. Left, hereafter, the compofitions of Shakfpcare fhould be brought back into their native tongue from the verfion of Monfieur le Comte de Catuelan, le Tourneur, &c. it may be neceffary to observe, that all the following particulars, extracted from the preface of thefe gentlemen, are as little founded in truth as their defcrip

6 which letter, though now loft, remained long in the hands of Sir William D'Avenant,] Dr. Farmer with great probabi lity fuppofes that this letter was written by King James in return for the compliment paid to him in Macbeth. relater of this anecdote was Sheffield Duke of Buckingham.

The

MALONE.

tion of the ridiculous Jubilee at Stratford, which they have been taught to represent as an affair of general approbation and national concern.

They say, that Shakspeare came to London with-out a plan, and finding himself at the door of a theatre, instinctively stopped there, and offered himself to be a holder of horfes:-that he was remarkable for his excellent performance of the Ghost in Hamlet: —that he borrowed nothing from preceding writers:that all on a fudden he left the ftage, and returned without eclat into his native country:-that his monument at Stratford is of copper-that the courtiers of James I. paid feveral compliments to him which are ftill preferved:that he relieved a widow, who, together with her numerous family, was involved in a ruinous lawfuit:-that his editors have restored many paffages in his plays, by the affiftance of the manufcripts he left behind him, &c. &c.

Let me not however forget the juftice due to thefe ingenious Frenchmen, whose skill and fidelity in the execution of their very difficult undertaking, is only exceeded by such a difplay of candour as would ferve to cover the imperfections of much lefs elegant and judicious writers. STEEVENS.

BAPTISMS, MARRIAGES, and BURIALS, of the Shakfpeare family; tranfcribed from the Registerbooks of the Parish of Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.'

8

JONE, daughter of John Shakspere, was bap

tized Sept. 15, 1558.

Margaret, daughter of John Shakfpere, was buried April 30, 1563.

WILLIAM, fon of John Shakspere, was baptized April 26, 1564."

Johanna, daughter of Richard Hathaway, otherwife Gardiner, of Shottery, was baptized. May, 9, 1566.

Gilbert, fon of John Shakspere, was baptized Oct. 13, 1566.

7 An inaccurate and very imperfect lift of the baptifms, &c. of Shakspeare's family was tranfmitted by Mr. Weft about eighteen years ago to Mr. Steevens. The lift now printed I have extracted with great care from the Regifters of Stratford; and I truft, it will be found correct. MALONE:

This lady Mr. Weft fupposed to have married the anceftor of the Harts of Stratford; but he was certainly mistaken. She died probably in her infancy. The wife of Mr. Hart was undoubtedly the fecond Jone, mentioned below. Her fon Michael was born in the latter end of the year 1608, at which time fhe was above thirty-nine years old. The elder Jone would then have been near fifty. MALONE.

9 He was born three days before, April 23, 1564.

MALONE.

2 This Richard Hathaway of Shottery was probably the father of Anne Hathaway, our poet's wife. There is no entry of her baptifm, the Regifter not commencing till 1558, two years after he was born. Thomas, the fon of this Richard Hathaway, was baptized at Stratford, April 12, 1569; John, another fon, Feb. 3, 1574; and William, another fon, Nov. 30, 1578. Malone.

1

Jone,' daughter of John Shakspere, was baptized April 15, 1569.

Anne, daughter of Mr. John Shakspere, was baptized Sept. 28, 157i.

Richard, fon of Mr. John Shakfpere, was baptized March 11, 1573. [1573-4.]

Anne, daughter of Mr. John Shakspere, was buried April 4, 1579.

Edmund, fon of Mr. John Shakfpere, was baptized May 3, 1580.

Susanna, daughter of WILLIAM SHAKSPERE, was baptized May 26, 1583.

4

Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Shakfpere, of Hampton, was baptized Feb. 10, 1583. [1583-4.]

It was common in the age of Queen Elizabeth to give the fame chriftian name to two children fucceffively. (Thus, Mr. Sadler who was godfather to Shakspeare's fon, had two fons, who were baptized by the name of John. See note 5.) This was undoubtedly done in the prefent inftance. The former Jone having probably died, (though I can find no entry of her burial in the Regifter, nor indeed of many of the other children of John Shakfpeare) the name of Jone, a very favourite one in thofe days, was transferred to ano ther new-born child. This latter Jone married Mr. William Hart, a hatter in Stratford, fome time, as I conjecture, in the year 1599, when he was thirty years old; for her eldest fon William was baptized there, Auguft 28, 1600. There is no entry of her marriage in the Regifter. MALONE.

4 There was also a Mr. Henry Shakfpeare fettled at Hampton-Lucy, as appears from the Register of that parish: 1582-Lettice, daughter of Henry Shakspeare, was baptized. 1585-James, fon of Henry Shakspeare, was baptized. 1589-James, fon of Henry Shakspeare, was buried. There was a Thomas Shakspeare fettled at Warwick; for in the Rolls Chapel I found the inrolment of a deed made in the 44th year of Queen Elizabeth, conveying "to Thomas Shakspeare of Warwick, yeoman, Sachbroke, alias BishopSachbroke, in Com. Warw." MALONE.

VOL. I.

G

[ocr errors]

John Shakfpere and Margery Roberts were married Nov. 25, 1584.

Hamnets and Judith, fon and daughter of WILLIAM SHAKSPERE, were baptized February 2, 1584. [1584-5.]

Margery, wife of John Shakspere, was buried Oct. 29, 1587.

Mr. Weft imagined that our poet's only fon was chriftened by the name of Samuel, but he was mistaken. Mr. Hamnet Sadler, who was related, if I mistake not, to the Shakspeare family, appears to have been fponfor for his fon; and his wife, Mrs. Judith Sadler, to have been godmother to Judith, the other twin-child. The name Hamnet it written very diftin&ly both in the entry of the baptifm and burial of this child. Hamnet and Hamlet seem to have been confidered as the fame name, and to have been used indifcriminately both in fpeaking and writing. Thus, this Mr. Hamnet Sadler, who is a witnefs to Shakspeare's Will, writes his christian name, Hamnet; but the fcrivener who drew up the will, writes it Hamlet. There is the fame variation in the Register of Stratford, where the name is fpelt in three or four different ways. Thus, among the baptifms we find, in 1591, May 26, John, filius Hamletti Sadler;" and in 1583, "Sept. 13, Margaret, daughter to Hamlet Sadler." But in 1588, Sept. 20, we find John, fon to Hamnet Sadler;" in 1596, April 4, we have "Judith, filia Hamnet Sadler;" and in 1597-8, Feb. 3. Wilhelmus, filius Hambuet Sadler;" and in 1599,"April 23, Francis, filius Hamnet Sadler." This Mr. Sadler died in 1624, and the entry of his burial ftands thus: 1624, Oct. 26, Hamlet Sadler." So alfo in that of his wife: " 1623, March 23, Judith, uxor Hamlet Sadler.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

66

"

The name of Hamlet occurs in feveral other entries in the Regifter. Oct. 4, 1576, "Hamlet, fon to Humphry Holdar," was buried; and Sept. 28, 1564, "Catharina, uxor Hamoleti Haffal." Mr. Hamlet Smith, formerly of the borough of Stratford, is one of the benefactors annually commemorated there.

Our poet's only fon, Hamnet, died in 1596, in the twelfth year of his age. MALONE.

« AnteriorContinuar »