It will be only necessary cursorily to allude to the other remarkable or prominent tombs of the church, for here everything sinks into subordination to the interest attaching to the great painter of life and death. On the north of the great east window, is a marble tomb and effigy of John Combe, only thought of now as connected with Shakespeare, and who certainly in his life-time bore a bad odour as a stern money lender, doubtless on good security, and ridiculing whose usurious deeds, some doggerel rhymes are attributed to Shakespeare. Mr. Halliwell has taken up the cudgels to defend Combe, who lived at Stratford College, a mansion since pulled down, and remarks that he left five pounds to Shakespeare, "and that as far as can be judged from his will, nothing is there to be found inconsistent with a character of perfect fairness and liberality." A niggardly fellow might, however, make a very good will, and a man who would not give a poor devil sixpence in his life-time, might, in contemplation of death, leave a hundred pounds to "poor young tradesmen" by his will, as Combe did, though characteristically enough, from him, they were to pay interest for it. Judging by his effigy now remaining, we should not have felt much dependance upon his generosity or "liberality” in a loan transaction! Within the communion rails, under the north wall, and in front of Combe's monument, is what was once a highly enriched altar tomb, and supposed to be that of Thomas Balshall, D.D., who rebuilt the chancel as it appears at present, and died in 1491. This ornamented tomb, which appears to have once had figures upon it, in various groups, effigies of saints, and other decorations, has evidently been wilfully defaced. The stalls, or old oak misericords, for the members of the College, thickly covered with paint, yet remain against the walls. Under them are some singular quaint carvings. With regard to modern monuments, these we leave for the topographer to record; and only glancing at the altar, with its compartments above, and the floor within the rails now entirely covered with highly glazed tiles, the effect at present rather too brilliant, and wanting the dimness of coloured "religious light" to make it quite complete,— —we retrace our steps to the nave. The visitor will, however, find a book in the vestry (the southern transept) where he if it so pleaseth him, may record his name for the curiosity of future generations. At the east end of the north aisle of the nave, was anciently a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary,. To the altar was an ascent of three steps, still remaining, but this has been converted into a monumental chapel of the Clopton family, who formerly resided at Clopton, a manor in this parish from which they took their names. Of the tombs here placed together, one is altar-shaped, without figure or inscription, but is presumed to have been raised by Sir Hugh Clopton, the former benefactor of Stratford, and remembered by the long bridge built in his life-time; it so happened, however, that he was buried in London. Against the north wall of the chapel is another altar-tomb sustaining the recumbent figures in white marble of William Clopton, Esq., and Anne his wife, who died respectively in 1592 and 1596. The husband is represented clothed in armour, his hand reclining on his helmet, his sword and gauntlets lying by his side, and a lion at his feet. Over this tomb are several small figures of their children, with their names. These two monuments may have come under the attention of Shakespeare, as the last must have been erected in his life-time. On the east side of the same chapel is a costly but gaudy monument, representing full-length figures in painted robes, of George Carew, Earl of Totness and Baron Clopton, and Joice his countess, eldest daughter of the above William Clopton. The figures which (with a vain display of pomp which should have "taken physic" ere entering this last retreat of frail humanity) are coroneted, repose beneath an ornamented arch supported by Corinthian pillars gaily adorned with the splendors of heraldic insignia in gold and colours. Arrived again at the old massive church door, as it opens, if in summer, the cool green avenue of limes at once reminds us of the "lime grove" about the cell of Prospero, though this is an addition long posterior to Shakespeare's day, and we walk under its ample shade to take a passing glance at the gray tombstones of olden date, many of which are time-worn slabs of massive aspect. No inscribed stone dates earlier than the seventeenth century. Ere we leave the church-yard, its western front and lofty central window, beneath the embattlements and pinnacles on either side, merits attention, and immedi ately above the door there still remain entire three spiral-crowned niches, though the images once within them have been long gone. They doubtless once held sculptuies emblematical of the Holy Trinity, to which the church was dedicated. In connection with the church, it deserves notice that the parish register contains a record that stands like a buoy upon the boundless tide of conjecture, that commentators have so often ruffled and darkened in their vain traverses through the mists of the past. Thus it reads: 1564. April 26, Gulielmus filius Johannes Shakspere. William, son of John Shakspere, baptized the 26th April, 1564. The day of the bard's birth is unproved -tradition gives it as April 23rd, and it was the practice of that time for christenings to take place very soon after birth. Seldom are registers troubled, except some inheritance is involved in the enquiry-and here the world has a life interest in "the brightest heaven of invention" entailed upon mankind for ever. Births, Marriages, Deaths; how tersely they include the short romance of life, "Turning the accomplishment of many years, STRATFORD COLLEGE. To the west of the church-yard, within the wall there apparent, stood till the beginning of the present century a handsome quadrangular building known as the College, and originally appropriated to the Chantry Priests of the Collegiate Church of Stratford, who were first appointed in 1332, but the church does not appear to have been recognised as collegiate before the reign of Henry V., when Ralph de Stratford, Bishop of London, here built a mansion, or college, for the Warden and five endowed Priests. Their revenues, and the persons connected with them, after this much increased, till with other similar establishments they were dissolved by authority of parliament in the 37th year of Henry VIII. Their buildings, however, remained intact, and were granted by Edward VI. to John, Earl of Warwick, afterwards Duke of Northumberland, after whose attainder the site, &c., was leased for a term of years which was completed in 1596, when John Combe, so well known as an usurer, and by his connection with Shakespeare, purchased the same, and here resided. By a strange fatality which has attended most of the buildings which must have met Shakespeare's eye in G |