Shakespeare and his London Associates 27 



1 /To the ffirste Interr this deponent sayth he hath knowne the 



plaintiff twelue yeares, and the defendt about twentye yeares. 

 2/ To the seconde Interr this deponent sayth that the defendt is 

 Amongest his neighboures thought to be a Suffitient man in estate 

 and abillitie, and Reporte is amongste the neighboures that he 

 hath Diuerse leases neere about wheare he dwelleth and at Brayn- 

 forde woorthe by reporte thirtye pounds per Annum or there- 

 abouts. And by reporte he hath latelie takne newe leases of 

 them./ but what yeares are yett to come in them his leases this 

 deponent knoweth not./ And sayth he thinketh in his Con- 

 scyence the defendt Receiveth about thirtye pounds yerely Rent 

 de Claro for the same houses/ And sayth he herd one Chris- 

 topher Weaver save that the defendt hadd A good estate to paye 

 euerye man his owne and to geue the plaintiff his pordon yf he 

 pleased./ but the defendt hadd made an othe that Althoughe 

 the Lawe gaue him the plaintiff his pordon, he the deft would 

 Rott in prison before he would geue the plaintiff any one groate 

 thereof./ And more he Cannott depose 

 3/ To the thirde Interr this deponent sayth that the pltes ffath r in 

 Lawe Humphrey ffludd, reported in this deponents presents & 

 the presents of others that he the plaintiff was often and seuerall 

 tymes Apparrelled by him the said Homphrey ffludd and the 

 plaintiffcs mother and others of the plaintiffes ffrends, duringe 

 the moste parte of the tyme of his service w th the defendt./ And 

 more he cannott depose touchinge the same Interr./ 

 4 To the iiij th Interr this deponnt sayth that the defendt did never 

 send him this deponnt vnto the Complainant to make modon of 

 Marriadge betwixte the Complainant and the said Marye 

 Mountioye beinge the defendts sole daughter and Childe but 

 M r : William Shakespeare tould him this deponent that the defendt 

 sent him the said M r Shakespeare to the plaintiff about suche a 

 marriadge to be hadd betweene them, And Shakespeare tould 

 this deponent that the defendt tould him that yf the plaintiff 

 would Marrye the said Marye his daughter he would geue hime 

 the plaintiff A some of money w th her for A pordon in Marriadge 

 w th her./ And that yf he the plaintiff did not marry w th her the 



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