spere, gent. to bear and use the same shields of arms, single or impaled as aforesaid, during his natural life, and that it shall be lawful for his children, issue, and posterity (lawfully begotten) to bear, use, and quarter, and show forth the same with their due differences in all lawful warlike facts and civil use or exercises, according to the laws of arms and custom that to gent[lemen] belongeth, without let or interruption of any person or persons for use or per[1] bearing the same. In witness and testimony whereof we have subscribed our names and fastened the seals of our offices. Given at the Office of Arms, London, the .[2] . . in the xliito year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign, Elizabeth by the grace of God [Queen of England, France] and Ireland, Defender of the faith, &c. 1599.
Note. See document XIII for Dethick’s earlier grant of arms to John Shakespeare. William Camden, the famous antiquary, who is associated with Dethick in the present document, had been made Clarenceux herald in 1597, after the date of Dethick’s first drafts.
XXVIII. SHAKESPEARE’S NAME EXPLOITED BY W. JAGGARD (1599).
Title-page of a collection of short poems by various authors.
THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM. By W. Shakespeare. At London. Printed for W. Jaggard . . . 1599.
- ↑ The manuscript has ‘per bearing,’ which may, however, be a slip for ‘forbearing.’
- ↑ The precise date of the present paper is uncertain because of a tear in the paper at this point; but as Elizabeth’s 42d regnal year did not begin till November 17, 1599, it was evidently late in the calendar year, 1599, or in the period, Jan. 1–Mar. 24, 1600.
