Please, read now the will of the man from Stratford :
http://home.hiwaay.net/~paul/shakspere/shakwill.html

                               THE TESTAMENT OF JOHN FLORIO, 1625
                               WILL OF JOHN FLORIO PROVED
                               IN THE PREROGATIVE COURT
                               OF CANTERBURY QY HELE

In the blessed name of God the Father my gracious Creator & Maker,
of God the sonne Jesus Christ my mercifull Savyor and in Unity &
Trinity my most loving Comforter and preserver Amen. I John Florio of
Fullham in the Countie of Middlesex Esquire, being of good health of
sound minde & perfecte memory, hearty thankes bee ever ascribed and
given therfore unto Allmighty God And well remembring & knowing
that nothing is more ccrtayne unto mortall man then death, and noe one
thing more uncertayne then is the houre therof, doe make appoint
pronounce and declare this my Testament, therein fully contayning my
last direct & unrevocable will and .intention in manner and forme following
That is to say First & principally as duty and Christianity willeth
mee, I most heartily and penetently sorrowfull for all my sinnes committ
and recommend my soule into the mercifull hands of Almighty God,
assuredly trusting and Faythfully beleeving by the onely meritts bitter
passion, precious bloud, and glorious death of the immaculate Lambe
Jesus Christ his sonne, to have full remission, and absolute Forgivenes
of all my sinnes whatsoever, and after this transitory life, to live and
raigne with him in his most blessed kingdome of heaven. As for my
wretched Body, I commit to the same as earth to earth and dust to dust,
to bee buried in such decent order, as to my deare Wife, and by my
Executors heere undernamcd shalbee thought meete and convenient.
And as touching the disposing and ordering of all and whatoever such
goods, Cattle, chattle, Leases, monie, plate, Jewells, bookes, apparrell,
bedding, hangins, peawter, brasse, houshould stuffe moveables, immoveables,
and all other things whatsoever named, or unnamed, specifide,
or unspecifide wherwith my most gracious God, hath beene pleased to
endowe mee with, or hereafter shall of his infinite mercy bee pleased to
bestowe or conferre upon me in this transitory life, I will appoint, give
order dispose, & bequeath all, and evary part, and parcell of the same
flrmely and unalterably to stand in manner and forme following That is
to say, Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Aurelia Molins the
Wedding Ring wherewith I married her mother, being aggrievcd at my
very heart, that by reason of my poverty I am not able to leave her anything
els. Item I give and bequeath as a poore token of my love to my sonne in
law James Molins, a Faire blacke velvett deske, embroidered with scede
pearles, and with a silver and guilt inkehorne and dust box therin, that
was Queene Annes. Item, I give and bequeath unto the right honourable,
my singulare, & ever honored good Lord William Earle of Pembroke Lord
Chambérlaine: to the Kings most excellent Majestie, and one of his royall
counsell of state (if at my death hee shall then bee living) all my Italian,
French and Spanish bookes, as well printed as unprinted, being in number
about Three hundred and Fortie, namely my new and perfect Dictionary, as
also my, tenn Dialogues in Italian and English, and my unbound volume of
divers written Collections and rapsodies, most heartilie entreating his Honourable
Lordshippe (as hee once promised mee) to accept of them as of a
signe and token of my service and affection to his honor, and for my sake to
place them in his library, eyther at Wilton or els at Baynards Castle at London,
humbly desiring him to give way and favourable assistance that my
Dictionarie and Dialogues may be printed and the profitt therof accrud unto
my wife. Item, I doe likewise give and bequeat unto his noble Lordshippe
the Corinne stone as a jewell fitt for a Prince which Ferdinando the great
Duke of Tuscanie sent as a most precious gift (among divers others) unto
Queene Anne of blessed memory; the use & vertue wherof is written in
two peeces of paper both in Italian and English bring in a little box with
the stone, most humbly beseeching his honor (as I right, confidently hope &
trust hee will in charity doe if neede require) to take my poore and deere wife
into his protection, & not suffer her to be wrongfully molested by any enemi
of myne, as also in her extremity to affoorde her his helpe, good word
and assistance to my Lord Treasurer, that shee may bee paid my wages,
and the arrearages of that which is unpaid or shal bee behinde at my
death. The rest, the residue & remainder, of all whatsoever and singular
my goods, cattles, chattles, jewells, plate; debts Leases, money, or monie
worth, houseould stuffe, utensills, English bookes, moveables, or immoveables,
named or not named, and things whatsoever, by mee before not
given, disposed or bequeathed (provided that my debts bee paid and my
Funerall discharged) I woolly give, fully bequeath, absolutely leave, assigne,
& unalterably consigne unto my deerly beloved wife Rose Florio,
most heartily greiving and ever sorrowing, that I cannot give or leave her
more, in requitall of her tender love, loving care, painfull dilligence, and
continuall labour, to mee, and of mee in all my Fortunes, and many sicknesses,
then whome never had husband a more loving wife, painfull
nurce, or comfortable consorte, And I doe make institute, ordaine, appoint
& name the right Reverend Father in God, Theophilus Feild, Lord
bishoppe of Landaffe, and Mr Richard Cluet Doctor of divinity, Vicar,
and preacher of the Word of God at Fulham, both my much esteemed,
doarely beloved, & truely honest good Frends my sole and onely Executors
and overseers; And I doe give to each of them for their paines an
ould greene velvett deske with a silver inke and dust box in each of them,
that were sometymes Queene Annes my Soveraigne Mistrisse, entreating
both to accept of them, as a token of my hearty affection towards them,
and to excuse my poverty which disableth mee to requite the trouble,
paines, and courtesie, which I confidently beleeve they will charitably
and for Gods sake undergoe in advising directing and helping my poore
and deere wife in executing of this my last and unrevocable will and
Testament, if any should bee soe malicious or unnaturall as to crosse or
question the same; And I doe utterly revoke, and for ever renounce,
frustrate, disanull, cancell, and make void, all and whatsoever former
Wills, legacies, bequests, promises, guifts, executors or overseers (if it
should happen that anie bee forged or suggested for until this tyme, I
never writt made or finished any but this onely) And I will appoint &
ordaine that this, & none but this onely written all with mine owne
hand, shall stand in full force and vigor for my last and unrevocable.
Will and Testament, and none other nor otherwise. As for the debts that
I owe, the greatest, and onelie is upon an obligatory Writing of myne
owne hand, which my daughter Aurelia Molins with importunity wrested
from of about threescore pound, wheras the truth, and my conscience
telleth mee, & soe knoweth her conscience, it is but Thirty Foure
pound or therabouts. But let that passe, since I was soe unheedy, as to
make and acknowledge the said writing, I am willing that it bee paid and
discharged in this forme and manner, My sonne in lawe (as my daughter
his Wife knoweth full well) hath in his hands as a pawne a faire gold ring
of mine, with thirteenc Faire table diamonds therein enchased; which
cost Queene Anne my gracious Mistrisse seaven and Forty pounds starline,
and for which I might many tymes have had forty pounds readie
money: upon the said ring my sonne in the presence of his wife lent mee
Tenne pounds, I desire him and pray him to take the overplus of the said
Ring in parte of payment, as also a leaden Ceasterne which hee hath of
myne standing in his yard at his London-house that cost mee at a portesale
Fortie shillings, as also a silver candle cup with a cover worth about
Forty shillings which I left at his house being sicke there; desiring my
sonne and daughter, that their whole debt may bee made up, & they
satisfied with selling the Lease of my house in Shoe-Lane, and soe accquitt
and discharge my poore wife who as yet knoweth nothing of this
debt. Moreover I entreat my deare wife that if at my death my servant
Artur [blank] shall chance to be with mee, & in my service, that for my
sake shee give him, such poore doubletts, breeches, hattes, and bootes as
I shall leave, and there withall one of my ould cloakes soe it bee not
lyned with velvett. In Witnesse whereof I the said John Florio to this my
last Will & Testament (written every sillable with myne owne hand, and
with long and mature deliberacon digested, contayning foure shieetes of
paper, the First of eight and twenty lynes, the second of nyne & twenty,
the third of nine & twenty and the Fourth of six lines), have putt, sett,
written and affixed my name, and usual seale of my armes. The twentieth
day of July in the Yeare of our Lord and Savyour Jesus Christ 1625
and in the First yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord and King
(whom God preserve) Charles the First of that name of England,
Scotland, France and Ireland King. By mee John Florio being, thankes
bee ever given to my most gracious God in perfect sence and memory.
Proved 1 June 1626 by Rose Florio the relict, the executors
named in the Will for certain reasons renouncing execution.