In July John Combe left Shakespeare £5 as a legacy.
In the autumn an attempt was made by W. Combe, the squire of Welcombe, to inclose a large portion of the neighbouring common fields; this attempt was opposed by the Corporation, but supported by Mr. Manwaring and Shakespeare. The latter clearly acted simply with a view to his own personal interest. His name as an ancient freeholder occurs in a list, 5th September, as having claim for compensation if the inclosure took place. On 18th October, Replingham, Combe's agent, covenanted to give him full compensation for injury by "any inclosure or decay of tillage:" on 16th November he went to London: on 17th November his "cousin," T. Greene, town clerk of Stratford and at the same time his own solicitor, called to see him: he said the inclosures were to be less than had been represented, that nothing would be done till April, and that he and Mr. Hall thought nothing would be done at all. On 23d December letters to Mr. Manwaring and Shakespeare were written, with "almost all the company's hands" to them, and a private letter in addition by Greene to "my cousin," with copies of all the acts of the Corporation, and notes of the inconveniences that would result from the inclosure. The inclosure was not made, and Shakespeare did not get his compensation.
1616.
On 25th January the first draft of Shakespeare's will was drawn up. On 10th February his daughter Judith was married without a license to T. Quiney, vintner of Stratford; they were summoned in consequence to the Ecclesiastical Court of Worcester a few weeks after. On 25th March the will was executed, and on 25th April "Will. Shakspere, gent." was entered in the burial register at Stratford. He died just before completing his fifty-fourth year; but it is usually supposed on the 23d, his birthday.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] A dor, dorne, or drone is the lazy male bee that makes no honey: hence Doron, the dorne (pronounce dor´un). There was a myth that dors or drones were produced by mules, hence Muli-dor (see Minshew drone). But a drone is also the drone of a bagpipe, or the bagpipe itself, which was called chevrau (see Cotgrave, chevrau) or cheveril: and chevrau is Kyd. It is evident from Greene's tracts that Doron was meant for the writer of The Taming of a Shrew, and Mulidor for the same author—there cannot be a doubt of the identity of the characters. Nash's address identifies The Taming of a Shrew writer with Kyd.
[5] These dates are so given by Henslow: they should be June 5 and June 15.
[6] Simpson. But rather in 1 Tamburlane v. 2: "Hell and Elysium swarm with ghosts of men," and similarly a few lines before "where shaking ghosts," &c.
[7] Henry V. was transferred to T. Pavier on 14th August.
[8] Mr. Halliwell (Outlines, p. 128, 2d edition) says they performed four plays at Whitehall, but quotes no authority.