www.documentsonline.pro.gov.uk: Little did he know when he wrote it nearly 400 years ago that his will would end up on the internet for millions of people to read. But William Shakespeare's final requests are now available online ...

A GOVERNMENT website is making historic documents available to the public online.

William Shakespeare, Lord Nelson, Jane Austen, Francis Drake, Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren are a few of the famous names whose wills you can now read on your computer screen at Documents Online, thanks to the National Archives.

In total the wills of more than 100 historical figures are available to view at the site, which is part of the Public Records Office.

Shakespeare's will is especially significant as it contains three of the last six survivng examples of his signature.

In the three-page document, dated March 25, 1616 (less than one month before Shakespeare died) the great playwright bequeaths his "second best bed" to his wife.

The second best gift may not have been a snub as the best bed, in fact the best of any item, was usually regarded as an heirloom to be passed to the heir.

And The Bard's best bed may have been reserved for guests, so the second best may have been the one Shakespeare shared with his wife Anne.

The will also includes bequests to Shakespeare's fellow actors and his neighbours in Stratford.

Aside from his gifts, Shakespeare's will is also well worth a look as it demonstrates typical handwriting of the day, according to the National Archives.

Downloading Shakespeare's will from the Documents Online site is currently free, though it costs £3.50 a time to download other documents.

The wills are presented as colour images of the original documents.