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ted to us by John Anftis, Efq; Garter King at Arms: It is mark'd, G. 13.

· P. 349.

[There is alfo a Manufcript in the Heralds Office, mark'd W. 2. p. 276; where notice is taken of this Coat, and that the Perfon to whom it was granted, had born Magiftracy at Stratford upon Avon.]

O all and fingular Noble and Gentlemen of all

TEftates and Degrees, bearing Arms, to whom

thefe Prefents fhall come; William Dethick, Garter Principal King of Arms of England, and William Camden, alias Clarencieulx, King of Arms for the South, Eaft, and Weft Parts of this Realm, fend Greetings. Know ye, that in all Nations and Kingdóms the Record and Remembrance of the valiant Facts and virtuous Difpofitions of worthy Men have been made known and divulged by certain Shields of Arms and tokens of Chivalrie; the Grant or Testimony whereof apperteineth unto us, by virtue of our offices from the Queen's moft Excellent Majefty, and her Highness's most noble and victorious Progenitors: Wherefore being follicited, and by credible Report informed, that John Shakefpere, now of Stratford upon Avon in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, whofe Great Grandfather for his faithful and approved Service to the late moft prudent Prince, King Henry VII. of famous Memory, was advanced and rewarded with Lands and Tenements, given to him in those Parts of Warwickshire, where they have continued by fome Defcents in good Reputation and Credit; And for that the faid John Shakefpere having married the Daughter and one of the Heirs of Robert Arden of VOL. I. Wellingcote

d

Wellingcote in the faid County, and alfo produced this his ancient Coat of Arms, heretofore affigned to him whilft he was her Majefty's Officer and Bailiff of that Town. In confideration of the Premises, and for the Encouragement of his Pofterity, unto whom fuch Blazon of Arms and Atchievements of Inheritance from their faid Mother, by the ancient Custom and Laws of Arms, may lawfully defcend; We the faid Garter and Clarencieulx have affigned, granted, and confirmed, and by these Presents exemplified unto the faid John Shakespere, and to his Pofterity, that Shield and Coat of Arms, viz. In a Field of Gold upon a Bend Sables a Spear of the first, the Point upward, headed Argent; and for his Creft or Cognifance, A Falcon, Or, with his Wings displayed, ftanding on a Wreathe of his Colours, fupporting a Spear armed headed, or feeled Silver, fixed upon an Helmet with Mantles and Taffels, as more plainly may appear depicted in this Margent; And we have likewife impaled the fame with the ancient Arms of the faid Arden of Wellingcote; fignifying thereby, that it may and fhall be lawful for the faid John Shakespere, Gent. to bear and use the fame Shield of Arms, fingle or impaled, as aforefaid, during his natural Life; and that it fhall be lawful for his Children, Iffue, and Pofterity, lawfully begotten, to bear, ufe, and quarter, and fhew forth the fame, with their due Differences, in all lawful warlike Feats and civil Use or Exercifes, according to the Laws of Arms, and Cuftom that to Gentlemen belongeth, without Let or Interruption of any Perfon or Perfons, for ufe or bearing the fame. In Witnefs and Teftimony whereof we have fubfcribed our Names, and faftned the Seals of our Offices. Given at the Office in the Forty

of Arms, London, the Day of fecond Year of the Reign of our moft Gracious Sovereign Lady Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, Queen of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. 1599.

то

MEMORY of my beloved the AUTHOR,

Mr. WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR,

T

And what he hath left us.

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O draw no envy (Shakespear) on thy Name, Am I thus ample to thy Book, and Fame: While I confess thy writings to be fuch, As neither Man, nor Mufe can praife too much. 'Tis true, and all mens fuffrage. But thefe wayes Were not the paths I meant unto thy praife: For feelieft Ignorance on thefe may light, Which, when it founds at beft, but ecchoes right; Or blind Affection, which doth ne'er advance The truth, but gropes, and urgeth all by chance Or crafty Malice might pretend this praise, And think to ruine, where it feem'd to raife. Thefe are, as fome infamous Baud, or Whore, Should praife a Matron. What could hurt her more? But thou art proof against them, and indeed Above th' ill fortune of them, or the need. I therefore will begin, Soul of the Age! The applaufe! delight! the wonder of our Stage! My Shakespear rife; I will not lodge thee by Chaucer, or Spenfer, or bid Beaumont lye A little further, to make thee a room: Thou art a Monument without a Tomb, And art alive ftill, while thy Book doth live, And we have wits to read, and praise to give. That I not mix thee fo, my brain excuses; I mean with great, but difproportion'd Mufes: For if I thought my judgment were of years, I fhould commit thee furely with thy Peers,

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And tell bow far thou didst our Lily out-fhine,
Or Sporting Kid, or Marlow's mighty Line.
And though thou hadft fmall Latin and lefs Greek,
From thence to honour thee, I would not seek
For names; but call forth thund'ring Eschylus,
Euripides, and Sophocles to us,

Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead,
To live again, to hear thy Buskin tread,
And shake a Stage: Or, when thy Socks were on
Leave thee alone for the comparison

Of all, that infolent Greece, or haughty Rome
Sent forth, or fince did from their afbes come.
Triumph, my Britain, thou hast one to fhow,
To whom all Scenes of Europe homage owe.
He was not of an age, but for all time!
And all the Mufes, ftill were in their prime,
When like Apollo be came forth to warm
Our ears, or like a Mercury to charm!
Nature berfelf was proud of his defignes,
And joy'd to wear the dreffing of bis Lines!
Which were fo richly fpun, and woven so fit,
As, fince, he will vouchsafe no other wit.
The merry Greek, tart Ariftophanes,
Neat Terence, witty Plautus, now not please;
But antiquated, and deferted lye,

As they were not of Nature's family.
Yet must I not give Nature all: Thy Art,
My gentle Shakespear, must enjoy a part.
For the the Poet's matter Nature be,

His Art doth give the Fafhion. And, that be
Who cafts to write a living line, must fweat,
(Such as thine are) and ftrike the fecond heat
Upon the Mules Anvile; turn the fame,
(And himself with it) that he thinks to frame;
Or for the Lawrel, he may gain a scorn,
For a good Poet's made, as well as born.
And fuch wert thou. Look how the Father's face
Lives in bis Iffue, even fo the race

Of

Of Shakespear's mind and manners brightly shines
In his well torned, and true filed lines:

In each of which he seems to shake a Lance,
As brandifl'd at the eyes of Ignorance.
Sweet Swan of Avon! what a fight it were
To fee thee in our water yet appear,

And make thofe flights upon the Banks of Thames,
That fo did take Eliza, and our James!

But Atay, I fee thee in the Hemisphere
Advanc'd, and made a Conftellation there!
Shine forth, thou Starre of Poets, and with rage,
Or influence, chide, or chear the drooping Stage,
Which, fince thy flight from bence, bath mourn'd like night,
And defpairs day, but for thy Volume's light.

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