The Ncivly-Discovercd Shakespeare Documents 9 



that hee thinketh it to be true that the said Compltes are lavvfullye 

 severally seised in theire Demesne as oi fee of and in one capitall 

 messuage or dwellinge house w*^ thappurtenances and othe'r the 

 tenementes Stables edefices and voide groundes mencdned in the 

 said bill of complaynte and likewise thinketh it to be true that the 

 same were late the messuages tenementes and inheritances of Wil- 

 liam Blackwell the elder deceased Henry Blakwell and william 

 Blakwell the yonger and of Anne Bacon deceased mother of the 

 said Defend*^ or of some of them And this Defendant further saieth 

 that hee doth not nowe clayme to haue any estate right title or in- 

 terest of in or to the said p'misses or any parte or parccll thereof 

 And hee also saieth that one tres patentes and certeyne deedes evi- 

 dences writinges and mynumentes concernynge the said messu.^ges 

 tenementes and other the p'misses menconed in the said bill of com- 

 playnte or some of them are come to the custodie & possession of 

 this Defen i* as executor vnto the said Anne Bacon his mother But 

 this Defend*^ denieth that the said tres patentes evidences writinges 

 and mynumentes or any of them were left in trust with the said 

 Anne Bacon for and to the vse and behoofe of the said Complayn*^*, 

 or any of them to the knowledge of this Defend*^ in any such man- 

 ner as in the said Compltes bill is sett forth and alledged And this 

 Defend*^ further saieth that hee doth not certeynelie knowe whether 

 the said tres Patentes evidences writinges and mynumentes doe 

 onlie belonge vnto the said Complaynantes or any of them or to any 

 other pson or psons aswell as to the said Complt^^ And therefore 

 hee this Defend*^ hath deteyned the same vntill such tyme as hee may 

 be lawfully and orderlie discharged thereof vpon his deliu'ie of the 

 same And soe as hee may be discharged and saved harmles from 

 all further trouble charge and damage w'^^ male hereafter happen 

 vnto him for or concernynge his possession of the said tres patentes 

 deedes evidences writinges and mynumentes hee this Defend*^ is and 

 wilbe readie to deliver all such tres patentes evidences writinges 

 and mynum^^^ concernynge the p'misses as came to the custodie and 

 possession of this Defend*^ to his knowledge and doe of right belonge 

 vnto the said Complaynantes or any of them, vnto such pson or 

 psons and in such sorte as this Honorable Co^' shall order and thinke 

 meete without that that anie other matter or thinge in the said bill 

 of complaynte menconed materiall or effectuall in lawe to be an- 

 sweared'vnto And herein before not sufificiently answeared vnto 

 confessed and avoyded traversed or denied is true All w'^^ this 

 Defendante is and wilbe readie to averre maynteyne and prooue 

 as this most honorable Court shall awarde And Humblie prayeth 

 to be dismissed forth of the same with his reasonable costes and 

 charges in this behalfe most wrongfully susteyned. 



Blakwell 



335 



