22
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
- D.N.B.' does not point out, as it might
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.
'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.
