Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes." Hamlet. "Now if these men have defeated the law, and King Henry V. outrun native punishment, though they can outstrip men, they have no wings to fly from God." King Henry V.

"The stretching of a span Hamlet. Buckles in his sum of age." As You Like It.

THE MARRIAGE TIE A SACRED ONE. Knock there."

Few would expect to find in the pages of Shakespeare so rich an echo of Bible thoughts, so just an appreciation of Bible morality. And yet the materials for further illustration are by no means exhausted. Doubtless, most readers will recall many other passages equally striking.

But for the Bible, Shakespeare had been a Samson bereft of the power which constitutes the most important feature of his literary greatness. "Far more of the purely moral element goes to the build of what we call genius, than the majority of people are prepared to admit. Even in our greatest authors it will be found that their true fame rests altogether on the pure metal, and never, as some would almost hint upon the earthly ore with which it is alloyed, however enhanced such impurity may be by the brilliancy of the talent which accompanies it." And this pure metal this enlightened recognition of the moral law-can only be attained through acquaintance with God's Word.

In the memorable language of Lord Bacon, language well worthy of philosophic consideration in this age of skepticism, - "It must be confessed that great part of the moral law is of that perfection whereunto the light of nature cannot aspire. Though men have, even from the light and law of nature, some notions of virtue, vice, justice, wrong, good and evil, the light of nature is to be understood in two senses: first, as it springs from sense, induction, reason, argument, according to the laws of heaven and earth; secondly, as it is imprinted and shines upon the spirit of man by an inward instinct, according to the law of conscience, which is a kind of spark and relic of his former and primitive purity: in which latter sense, chiefly, the soul participates of some light to behold and discern the perfection of the moral law; which light, however, is not altogether clear, but of such sort as rather to check the vice, than fully to inform the duty. So, then, the doctrine of religion, as well moral as mystical, depends upon Divine Revelation."

SHAKESPEARE'S WILL.

FROM THE ORIGINAL IN THE OFFICE OF THE PREROGATIVE COURT OF CANTERBURY.*

Vicesimo quinto die Martii, Anno Regni Domini nostri Jacobi, nunc Regis Angliæ, etc., decimo quarto, et Scotia quadragesimo nono. Anno

Domini A.D. 1616.

IN the name of God, Amen. I, William Shakespeare, of Stratford-uponAvon in the county of Warwick, Gent., in perfect health and memory, (God be praised,) do make and ordain this my last will and testament, in manner and form following; - that is to say:

First, I commend my soul into the hands of God my Creator, hoping, and assuredly believing, through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting; and my body to the earth, whereof it is made. Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds of lawful English money, to be paid unto her in manner and form following that is to say, one hundred pounds in discharge of her marriage portion, within one year after my decease, with consideration after the rate of two shillings in the pound for so long time as the same shall be unpaid to her after my decease; and the fifty pounds residue thereof, upon her surrendering of, or giving of such sufficient security as the overseers of this my will shall like of, to surrender or grant all her estate and right that shall descend or come unto her after my decease, or that she now hath of, in, or to, one copyhold tenement, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Stratford-uponAvon aforesaid, in the said county of Warwick, being parcel or holden of the manor of Rowington, unto my daughter Susannah Hall, and her heirs for ever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Judith one hundred and fifty pounds more, if she, or any issue of her body, be living at the end of three years next ensuing the day of the date of this my will, during which time my executors to pay her consideration from my decease according to the rate aforesaid: and, if she die within the said term, without issue of her body, then my will is, and I do give and bequeath one hundred pounds thereof to my niece, Elizabeth Hall; and the fifty pounds to be set forth by my executors during the life of my sister, Joan Hart, and the use and profit thereof coming, shall be paid to my said sister Joan, and after her decease the said fifty pounds shall remain amongst the children of my said sister, equally to be divided amongst them; but if my said daughter Judith be living at the end of the said three years, or any issue of her body, then my will is, and so I devise and bequeath the said hundred and fifty pounds to be set out by my executors and overseers for the best benefit of her and her issue, and the stock not to be paid unto her so long as she shall be married and covert baron; but my will

The spelling is modernized.

is, that she shall have the consideration yearly paid unto her during her life; and after her decease the said stock and consideration to be paid to her children, if she have any, and if not, to her executors or assigns, she living the said term after my decease; provided that if such husband as she shall at the end of the said three years be married unto, or at any [time] after, do sufficiently assure unto her, and the issue of her body, lands answerable to the portion by this my will given unto her, and to be adjudged so by my executors and overseers, then my will is, that the said hundred and fifty pounds shall be paid to such husband as shall make such assurance, to his own use.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said sister Joan twenty pounds, and all my wearing apparel, to be paid and delivered within one year after my decease; and I do will and devise unto her the house, with the appurtenances, in Stratford, wherein she dwelleth, for her natural life, under the yearly rent of twelve pence.

Item, I give and bequeath unto her three sons, William Hart,

Hart,

and Michael Hart, five pounds a-piece, to be paid within one year after my decease.

Item, I give and bequeath unto the said Elizabeth Hall, all my plate that I now have (except my broad silver and gilt bowl), at the date of this my will. Item, I give and bequeath unto the poor of Stratford, aforesaid, ten pounds; to Mr. Thomas Combe, my sword; to Thomas Russell, Esq., five pounds; and to Francis Collins, of the borough of Warwick, in the county of Warwick, Gent., thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence, to be paid within one year after my decease.

Item, I give and bequeath to Hamlet [Hamnet] Sadler twenty-six shillings eightpence, to buy him a ring; to William Reynolds, Gent., twenty-six shillings eightpence, to buy him a ring; to my godson William Walker, twenty shillings in gold; to Anthony Nash, Gent., twenty-six shillings eightpence; and to Mr. John Nash, twenty-six shillings eightpence; and to my fellows, John Hemynge, Richard Burbage, and Henry Cundell, twenty-six shillings eightpence a-piece, to buy them rings.

1

Item, I give, will, bequeath, and devise unto my daughter Susanna Hall, for the better enabling her to perform this my will, and towards the performance thereof, all that capital messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances, in Stratford aforesaid, called the New Place, wherein I now dwell, and two messuages or tenements with the appurtenances, situate, lying, and being in Henley Street, within the borough of Stratford aforesaid; and all my barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever, situate, lying, and being, or to be had, received, perceived, or taken within the towns, hamlets, villages, fields, and grounds of Stratford-upon-Avon, Old Stratford, Bishopton, and Welcome, or in any of them, in the said county of Warwick; and also all that messuage or tenement, with the appurtenances,