Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/34

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. x. JULY n, iocs.

ance with the lives and characters of a number of professional false-swearers as well as of the details of legal proced.ure, such as could only have been obtained by some one who had constantly attended law courts. Further, the revelations about these shady characters are represented as being made on a walk from London to Exeter, and we have the various stages, (Hounslow, Basingstoke, Andover, Salisbury, Shaftesbury, Exeter), the inns to which the travellers went, and the sights they saw. This is just the road Edward Sharp- ham must have known best. So I venture to think he was the author of the tract.

In 1607 appeared the two plays 'The Fleire,' by Edward Sharpham, and ' Cupids Whirligig' (dedication signed " E. S."), which, as was seen by Malone, is also un- doubtedly Sharpham' s. The latter play is dedicated by its author to " his much honoured, beloued, respected and judiciall friend Maister Robert Hayman." The have done, that this Robert Hayman is, with little doubt, the Devonian Robert Hayman who was an early colonist of New- foundland and Guiana, and who published in 1628 ' Quodlibets,' a collection of poems partly original, partly translations of the Latin epigrams of John Owen. The dedica- tion to Hayman contains the tantalizing words, " Since our trauailes I have been pregnant with desire to bring forth some- thing whereunto you may be witnesse." It would seem from this that, at some date before this, Hayman, who was born with the roving spirit, had had Sharpham, his fellow-Devonian and fellow-lawyer, as his Companion. This fact, and the terms in which Sharpham here addresses Hayman, are a sign that there was something good in Sharpham, even though Ben Jonson told Drummond " that Sharpham, Day, Dicker, were all rogues" ; for no one can read Hayman' s writings without recognizing in him a goo,d, brave, and lovable man.
 * D.N.B.' does not point out, as it might

'The Fleire' was republished in 1610, 1615, and 1631; 'Cupids Whirligig' in 1611, 1616, arid 1630 ; but no further works issued from the author's pen. The reason for this became clear on the discovery of Sharpham' s will. He had died in 1608. The document is of sufficient interest to print in full. It is calendared " Winde- banck, 46 " :

"In the name of God amen. The twoe and twentithe dale of A prill one thowsand sixe hun- dred and eighte and in the yeares of the Raigne of oure sovereign Lorde James by the grace of god

kinge of England Scotland ffraunce and Ireland* defendo* of the faithe &c. (that is to saie of Eng- land ffrau'ce and Ireland the sixth and of Scot- land the one and fourtithe) I Edwarde Sharphann of Allington in the countie of Devon gent beinge sicke in bodye but of good and perfect memorie lawde and praise be therfore given vnto- allmightye god doe make and ordeine this my last will and testament in manner & fourmfr followinge (that is to saie) ffirste and principallie I give and commende my soule into the handes of allmightye god my Creator and Maker trusting^ & moste assuredlye beleevinge in his mercye that throughe the merritts deathe and passion of hi* only sonne my Savio' and Redeemer Jhesus- Christe I have and shall have full and free- Remission of all my synnes and after this; tfansitorie lief ended everlastinge ioye in the- Kingdome of Heaven w ch nevir shall nave ende^ Amen. Item I give and bequeethe my bodie to the earthe of whence it came to be buried in a. Christian buriall at the discrec'on of my executor and Overseers hereafter named. Item I geve- devise and bequeathe vnto William Gay ton of Westm r in the countie of Midd Taylo 1 " all and singuler my Apparell goods Chattells debts som'es of money due and oweinge vnto me by any person or persons whatsoeu' by special tye com posic'on or other- wise. Item I doe geve devise and bequeathe vnto- my Broth 1 George Heckste my damosin coloured Cloake lyned throughe w th blacke velvett & my Rapier beinge hatched w th silver and a gyrdle and Hangers trymmed w th silver belonginge to the same Item I give devise and bequeathe vnto my Cosyn Bridgitt ffortescue my Cheyne of small pearle and my goulde Ringe w th the diamond therm Item I give devise and bequeathe vnto my Brother in lawe Richard Goteham my rydinge Clothe cloake and one Gyrdle and Hanger of Leather playne & vn- wrougnte And I give devise and bequeathe vnto* my Cosynne William Langworthie my pale Carna- tion silke Stockings. And of this my last will and! testament I make nominate and appointe my well beloued the sayde William Gayton my full& and whole Executor And I make and ordeine- Robert Browne of Westm r in the said Countie of Midd. Notary publicque and Thomas Rowpe of Milton in the County of Devon gent. Oversews of the same desyringe them to see the Execuc'on thereof performed And I vtterlie revoke adni- hilate and make voide all and everye other former Wills Testaments Legacies and bequests in any wise by me heretofore made In wittnes whereof I have to this my last will and testament conteyninge- twoe sheetes of paper severallie putte my hande- and sealle the daie and yeare firste of all written.

The marke of Edwarde Sharpham Signed sealled published and declared by the saide Edwarde- Sharpeham to be his last will and testam* in the- presence of John Owen Rob'te Browne No'* publique- Robert Askewe.

Probatum fuit Testamentu' suprascript apud

London cora' Magro Willmo Birde legum d'tore-

Nono die mensis Maij Anno millesimo sex-

centesimo octavo Juramento Willm' Gayton Ex- ecu toris "

I add a few notes on this will.

1. It appears that Sharpham had little- to leave beyond his clothes ; and as his chief heir was a tailor, I conclude that even his clothes had not all been paid for.