household stuffe whatsoever, after my dettes and legacies paied, and my funerall expences discharged, I give, devise, and bequeath to my fonne-in-lawe, John Hall, gent. and my daughter Sufanna his wief, whom I ordaine and make executors of this my laft will and testament. And I doe entreat and appoint the faied Thomas Ruffell, efquier, and Frauncis Collins, gent. to be overfeers hereof, and doe revoke all former wills, and publishe this to be my last will and teftament. In witnefs whereof I have hereunto put my hand, the daie and yeare first above written.

2만

232 no Mercan Exha просить

Witness to the publyfhing hereof,

Fra. Collyns,
Julius Shaw,

John Robinson,

Hamnet Sadler,

Robert Whatcott.

Probatum coram Magiftro Willielmo Byrde, Legum Doctore Comifs., &c., xxjj.do-die menfis Junii, Anno Domini, 1616; juramento Johannis Hall unius executorum. &c., cui de bene, &c., jurat. refervat. potestate, &c., Sufanna Hall, alteri executorum, &c., eum venerit, &c., petitur, (Inv. ex.)

* Seale was originally written.

Σ

Dedication of Heminge and Condell

TO THE FIRST FOLIO EDITION,
PUBLISHED IN 1623.

TO THE MOST NOBLE AND INCOMPARABLE PAIRE OF BRETHREN,

William Earle of Pembroke, etc.

LORD CHAMBERLAINE TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY, AND

Philip Earle of Montgomery, etc.

GENTLEMAN OF HIS MAJESTIES BED-CHAMBER.

BOTH KNIGHTS OF THE MOST NOBLE order of THE GARTER,
AND OUR SINGULAR GOOD LORDS.

RIGHT HONOURABLE,

HILST we ftudie to be thankful in our particular, for the many fauors we haue receiued from your L. L. we are falne vpon the ill fortune, to mingle two the most diuerfe things that can bee, feare, and rashneffe; rashneffe in the enterprize, and feare of the fucceffe. For, when we valew the places your H. H. fustaine, we cannot but know their dignity greater, then to descend to the reading of these trifles: and while we name them trifles, we haue depriu'd ourfelues of the defence of our Dedication. But, fince your L. L. haue beene pleas'd to think these trifles fomething, heeretofore; and haue profequuted both them, and their Author liuing, with fo much fauour: we hope that (they out-liuing him, and he not hauing the fate, common with fome, to be exequutor to his owne writings) you will vse the like indulgence toward them, you haue done vnto their parent. There is a great difference, whether any Booke choose his Patrones, or finde them This hath done both. For, fo

much were your L. L. likings of the seuerall parts, when they were acted, as before they were published, the Volume asked to be yours. We haue but collected them, and done an office to the dead, to procure his Orphanes, Guardians; without ambition either of felfe-profit, or fame: onely to keepe the memory of fo worthy a Friend, & Fellow aliue, as was our SHAKESPEARE, by humble offer of his playes, to your most noble patronage. Wherein, as we haue juftly obferued, no man to come neere your L. L. but with a kind of religious addreffe; it hath bin the height of our care, who are the Presenters, to make the present worthy of your H. H. by the perfection. But, there we must also craue our abilities to be confidered, my Lords. We cannot go beyond our owne powers. Country hands reach foorth milke, creame, fruites, or what they haue and many Nation (we haue heard) that had not gummes & incenfe, obtained their requests with a leauened Cake. It was no fault to approch their Gods, by what meanes they could: And the moft, though meaneft, of things are made more precious, when they are dedicated to Temples. In that name, therefore, we most humbly confecrate to your H. H. these remaines of your feruant SHAKESPEARE, that what delight is in them, may be euer your L. L. the reputation his, & the faults ours, if any be committed, by a payre so carefull to shew their gratitude both to the liuing and the dead, as is Your Lordshippes most bounden,

JOHN HEMINGE.

HENRY CONdell.

Preface

TO THE FIRST FOLIO EDITION PUBLISHED IN 1623.

TO THE GREAT VARIETY OF READERS,

ROM the most able, to him that can but spell: There you are number'd. We had rather you were weighd. Especially, when the fate of all Bookes depends vpon your capacities: and not of your heads alone, but of your purses. Well! it is now publique, & you wil ftand for your priuiledges wee know: to read, and cenfure. Do fo, but buy it first. That doth best commend a Booke, the Stationer faies. Then, how odde foever your braines be, or your wifedomes, make your licence the fame, and spare not. Iudge your fixepen'orth, your fhillings worth, your fiue fhillings worth at a time, or higher, so you rife to the just rates, and welcome. But, what euer you do, Buy. Cenfure will not driue a Trade, or make the Iacke go. And though you be a Magistrate of wit, and fit on the Stage at BlackFriers, or the Cock-pit, to arraigne Playes dailie, know, these Playes haue had their triall alreadie, and stood out all Appeales; and do now come forth quitted rather by a Decree of Court, then any purchas'd Letters of commendation.

It had bene a thing, we confeffe, worthie to have bene wifhed, that the Author himfelfe had lived to haue fet

forth, and ouerfeen his owne writings; But fince it hath bin ordain'd otherwise, and he by death departed from that right, we pray you, doe not envie his Friends, the office of their care, and paine, to haue collected & publifh'd them; and fo to have publish'd them, as where (before) you were abus'd with diuerfe ftolne, and furreptitious copies, maimed and deformed by the frauds and stealthes of injurious impoftors, that expos'd them: euen those are now offer'd to your view cur'd, and perfect of their limbes; and all the rest, abfolute in their numbers, as he conceived the Who, as he was a happie imitator of Nature, was a moft gentle expreffer of it. His mind and hand went together and what he thought, he vttered with that eafineffe, that we have scarfe receiued from him a blot in his papers. But it is not our prouince, who onely gather his works, and giue them you, to praife him. It is yours that reade him. And there we hope, to your diuers capacities, you will finde enough, both to draw, and hold you for his wit can no more lie hid, then it could be loft. Reade him, therefore; and againe, and againe : And if then you doe not like him, surely you are in fome manifeft danger, not to vnderstand him. And so we leaue you to other of his Friends, whom if you need, can bee your guides; if you neede them not, you can leade your felves, and others. And fuch readers we with him.

JOHN HEMINGE,

HENRIE CONDELL.