Shakespeare and his London Associates 67 



and answered vnto him longe after the tyme of the makeinge 

 of the said supposed Release. And as vnto the entrie and tytle 

 of the said Anne the Executrix into the same premises the lawe 

 doeth expresse and sett downe hovve and in what manner and 

 forme shee should and ought to haue the same parte w th was to 

 her devised and bequeathed if theire weare noe speciall and ex- 

 presse kind of declarac/on howe and in what sorte shee claymed 

 the same when shee entered therein and claymed the same at the 

 tyme of her enterie, w ,h will and must fall out to be verie cleare 

 both in lawe and equitie on the said Complaynante j behalf e. And 

 yet further to avoyde and take awaye the doubte and scrupull w ch 

 the said defend 1 maketh against her and the said Complaynante 

 therein he sayeth that the Condic/on or provisoe in the said will 

 and in the said Answeare rehearsed whervpon the said defend* 

 doeth incist ys not good nor availeble in our lawes nor yet in the 

 Ecclesiasticall lawes of this Realme, nor in the imperiall or 

 Romane Civill lawes whereby noe woman is to be bound or tyed 

 from law full marriadge nor to lose or forfaite any executorshipp 

 legacie or other matter or thinge to her devised bequeathed gyven 

 or appointed as this case ys, for or by reason of mariadge. And 

 yet yf the lawe weare otherwise and the said provisoe or Con- 

 dia'on good and of force in the lawe yet as this case ys) it cannot 

 bynd or tye the said Complaynante or his right tytle or interest 

 aforesaid nor yet benyfyt or helpe the said defend 1 for asmuch 

 as shee the said Anne the Executrix had first lawfullie and duelie 

 proved the said will of her said former husband Phillipps and 

 tooke vpon her the execution thereof wildest shee was his 

 wydowe, and did alsoe afterwards and before her intermariadge 

 with the Complaynante assigne and graunte the same vnto the said 

 Complaynante (as shee well and lawfully might doe) before the 

 said Condic/on was broken and before the said defend 1 Hem- 

 mynges any thinge had or could haue or clayme therein. And 

 alsoe before he had the Executorshipp by him nowe claymed or 

 anythinge to doe or intermedle for touchinge or concerninge the 

 premises or executorshipp aforesaid. Whereby when and after 

 the same lease or parte of the said Anne Phillipps was duelie and 



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