Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/104

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History of the Church and Manor of Wigan.

Item, I bequeth to eche of John Appulby and Edward Tagge, my serunts, a blak gowne a pece of iijs a yarde and vis viijd a pece; and I woll that all my serunts and housholde have mete and drynke for a moneth next after my deceſſe. Item, I bequeth to my cosyn, Robert Wright of Chester, a doblet cloth of blak satyn, beyng in the keping of my sister Alice. Item, I bequeth to Richard Wright a black gowne and xxs in money. Item, I bequeth to Elizabeth, my mayde serunt, a blak gowne and hir wages after the rate of xxvjs viijd by yere. The residue of all my goodes, whatsoever they be after that my detts be paide, my funerall charges doon, and these my legacies and bequets expressed in this my present testament and last Wille fulfilled and perfourmed, I woll shalbe solde by myn executours; and the money comyng of the sale of the same to be applyed for and towards the pformauns and fulfilling of this my present testament and last Wille. And of this my present testament and last Will I make and ordeyn my Lord Cuthbert, Bishop of London, Sir Thomas More, knyght, and Maister John Stokesley, Prebendary of St. Stevyne at Westmynster, myn executours, desiring and requiring them to substitute and make som honest proctour vnder them, to take the labours aboute the pforming of this my testament; and the same proctour to be rewarded for his diligence in that behalfe wt parte of my goodes, after the discrecons of my said executours. These witnesse, Maister William Dancaster, clerk, William Latymer, clerk, John Wylford, Notary, Richard Hardyng, John Appulby."

The said will was proved on 18th July, 1525. It is remarkable that his brother should have borne the same Christian name as himself, but this was not very unusual.

"The character of Linacre," says Johnson, his biographer, "has been drawn in high but not undeserved terms by those who were best qualified to give an opinion of his merits. It has been questioned whether he was a better Latinist or Grecian, a better grammarian or physician, better as a scholar or as a man for his moral deportment. For his accurate skill