Inédit

2. Le document est évidemment incomplet, car il commence par les mots: « Quo die etc. ».

from the by the way, and then after supper at the night of the same day caused the said ffisher to departe homewardes aduisinge him not to returne the same way he came for feare the said will should be taken from him and directed him to goe a bye way.

Si Richard avait de si grandes craintes au sujet de son testament, c’est qu’il y déshéritait sa fille, laquelle à ce moment-là — Lyly étant mort en 1606 — avait épousé en secondes noces Thomas Staunton, esq.1. Ceci ressort des paroles suivantes, que Richard Browne prononça devant plusieurs de ses amis, et qui forment le passage intéressant la biographie de notre auteur :

T have maid my will and settled my estate to my contentment and my meaninge and intention is that my daughter Mrs Staunton shall not inherite or inioye any parte or parcell of my landes after my decease and likewise that he had put his trust in his Cosen Mr John Browne and had delyuered vnto him his last will and testament written all with his owne

1. Les renseignements fournis par le présent document sont confirmés par un memorandum enregistré par la Probate Court, et dans lequel Mrs. Staunton porte, en effet, le prénom de Béatrice, qui était bien celui de la femme de Lyly. Je donne ce document in extenso, car il est très curieux :

« Memorandum That Thomas Staunton late of the parish of St Bartholomew the lesser neere West Smythfeild London Esquire deceased in the tyme of his sicknes whereof hee died, and in or vppon the xvijth day of Iune Anno Domini 1617 was visited by Mris Elizabeth Ward the wife of Raphe Ward of London gent. and others and the said Thomas Staunton then lyeng sick in his bed, and Beatrice Staunton wief of the said Thomas Staunton beinge then present, shee the said Mris Ward amongest other speeches then vsed by her vnto the said Thomas Sftlaunton said or spake vnto him as followeth or the like in effect, viz. Mr Staunton heere is yor lovinge wief, howe doe you meane to dispose of all yor goodes are you willinge that yor wief should have them, wherevnto the said Mr Stanton answered yea, or I am willinge that my wief shall have them, and there vppon the said Mris Ward asked the said Mr SftJaunton agayne sayinge are you willinge to give her all vnto whome the said Mr SftJaunton answered yea all, and the said Mris Ward did then will or request the said Mr Stanton to hold vpp his hand in token or signe thereof who then did hold vp his hand accordingly and he the said Thomas Staunton then tooke or held his said wief by the hand, and then after that prayers beinge read before him, hee lifted vpp his eyes and said Amen at the end or conclusion of the said prayers, and the said Thomas Staunton at all and singuler the premisses was of good and perfect mynde and memorie, theis beinge then and there present the foresaid Elizabeth Ward, ffrances Collier, Mary Middleton, Awdry Hanwood, Ellen Heywood and others » (Somerset House, Wills proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Weldon, 56).

hand in w® said will he had made and appointed the said Mr John Browne his executor whearevpon the said Mr Richard Browne beinge perswaded to be good vnto Robert Browne Lyllie he answered that in the said will he had given him an annuitie of fiue poundes a yeare w® will he was fully resolued should stand and neuer be altered and the same night that Mr Richard Browne departed 3 or 4 houres before his decease after he had made vp some rekoninges and conferred wt* his seruantes after supper as he was goinge to bed findinge himselfe not well tould his houskeeper that he was very ill and wished that some of Stamford from his Cosen Mr John Browne weare w'® him because if he should die and none of Stamford from his Cosen Mr. John B. there present at his death there would be ould riflinge vnto whome his house keeper answered that if he would send for the said Mr John Browne his Cosen he would assuredly come then the said Mr Richard Browne answered that he thought the said Mr John Browne was at London but it made noe matter for he had settled his estate and left it w‘* the said Mr John Browne his Cosen whome he doubted not would haue care to performe the trust reposed in him sayinge that he had made straight w‘* God and the world and readie for God and soe he dyed the same night, &c. &c.

(British Museum. Additional Mss., 29439, ff. 194-196.)

LXIIT

MORT DE LYLY

1606 The 30* of Novemb' was buried Iohn Lyllie gent : (St. Bartholomew’s Register, d’après Bond, Lyly. Works, I, 66, A2)