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diff --git a/17652-8.txt b/17652-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7ba3bae --- /dev/null +++ b/17652-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2599 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The History of Sir Richard Whittington, by T. H. + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The History of Sir Richard Whittington + +Author: T. H. + +Editor: Henry B. Wheatley + +Release Date: January 31, 2006 [EBook #17652] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF SIR RICHARD *** + + + + +Produced by Julie Barkley, Janet Blenkinship and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + + _Chap-Books_ + + _and_ + + _Folk-Lore Tracts._ + + + _Edited by_ + + _G.L. Gomme, F.S.A._ + + _and_ + + _H.B. Wheatley, F.S.A._ + + + _First Series._ + + ~V.~ + + + + + THE HISTORY + + OF + + SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON. + + BY T. H. + + + EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, + + BY + + HENRY B. WHEATLEY, F.S.A. + + + + + LONDON: + PRINTED FOR THE VILLON SOCIETY. + 1885. + + + + + ~Introduction.~ + + +The popular story of Whittington and his Cat is one in which a version +of a wide-spread folk-tale has been grafted upon the history of the life +of an historical character, and in the later versions the historical +incidents have been more and more eliminated. The three chief points in +the chap-book story are, 1, the poor parentage of the hero; 2, his +change of mind at Highgate Hill by reason of hearing Bow Bells; and, 3, +his good fortune arising from the sale of his cat. Now these are all +equally untrue as referring to the historical Whittington, and the +second is apparently an invention of the eighteenth century. When the +Rev. Canon Lysons wrote his interesting and valuable work entitled _The +Model Merchant_ he showed the incorrectness of the first point by +tracing out Whittington's distinguished pedigree, but he was loath to +dispute the other two. It is rather strange that neither Mr. Lysons nor +Messrs. Besant and Rice appear to have seen the work which I now present +to my readers, which is the earliest form of the life of Whittington +known to exist. This is printed from the copy in the Pepysian Library, +a later edition of which, with a few typographical alterations, will be +found in the British Museum library. This _History_ will be found to +differ very considerably from the later and better-known story, which +appears to have been written early in the eighteenth century. A +comparison between the latter which I print at the end of this Preface +(p. xxix.) with T. H.'s earlier text will not, I think, be found +unprofitable. _The Famous and Remarkable History_ here reprinted is +undated, but was probably published about 1670; the later edition in the +British Museum is dated 1678. One passage on page 7--"The merchant went +then to the Exchange, which was then in Lumber-street, about his +affairs"--seems to show that it was originally written quite early in +the century, and it is just possible that T. H. stands for the +voluminous playwright and pamphleteer Thomas Heywood. The Exchange was +removed to its present site in 1568, and therefore our tract could not +have been written before that date, but must have appeared when the +memory of the old meeting-place was still fresh in public memory. On +page 11 it will be seen that Whittington, when discontented with his +position in Fitzwarren's house, set out before day-break on All +Hallows-day with his clothes in a bundle, in order to seek his fortune +elsewhere. He had only got as far as Bunhill when he heard Bow bells +ring out what appeared to be-- + + "Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London, + Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London." + +These words took complete possession of him, and he returned before it +was known that he had run away. In the more modern chap-book Whittington +is made to reach Holloway, where it would be less easy to hear Bow +bells, and from which place he would have found it more difficult to +return before the cook had risen. As far as I can find there is no +allusion to Holloway or Highgate hill in any early version, and it is +evident that this localization is quite modern. Mr. Lysons is certainly +wrong when he says that at Highgate "a stone continued to mark the spot +for many centuries." It is not known when the stone was first erected +there, but it was probably put up when the name of the place was first +foisted into the tale. One stone was taken away in 1795, but others have +succeeded it, and now there is a Whittington Stone Tavern; and the +situation of Whittington College, which was removed to Highgate in 1808, +has helped to favour the supposition that Whittington himself was in +some way connected with that place. + +The form of invitation which the bells rung out varies very much in the +different versions. + +In Richard Johnson's ballad (1612) we find-- + + "Whittington, back return." + +which is then amplified into-- + + "Turn againe, Whittington, + For thou in time shall grow + Lord Maior of London." + +In T. H.'s _History_ (see p. 11) we have-- + + "Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London." + +In the later chap-book version this is altered into-- + + "Turn again, Whittington, + Lord Mayor of great London." + +It will be seen that the special reference to the fact that Whittington +was three times Lord Mayor is not to be found in either the ballads or +the chap-books. + +In the _Life_, by the author of _George Barnwell_ (1811), however we +read-- + + "Return again, Whittington, + Thrise Lord Mayor of London." + +And in _The Life and Times of Whittington_ (1841)-- + + "Turn again, turn again, Whittington, + Three times Lord Mayor of London." + +In the early version of the _History_ by T. H. the fanciful portions are +only allowed to occupy a small portion of the whole, and a long account +is given of Whittington's real actions, but, in the later chap-book +versions, the historical incidents are ruthlessly cut down, and the +fictitious ones amplified. This will be seen by comparing the two +printed here. Thus T. H. merely says (p. 6) that Whittington was +obscurely born, and that being almost starved in the country he came up +to London. In the later chap-book the journey to London is more fully +enlarged upon (p. xxxiii.), and among those at Whittington's marriage +with Alice Fitzwarren the name of the Company of Stationers not then in +existence is foisted in (pp. xlii.) It does not appear in T. H.'s +_History_. + +In many other particulars the later chap-book which contains the story +as known to modern readers is amplified, and thus shows signs of a very +late origin. + +With regard to the three fictitious points of Whittington's history +mentioned at the beginning of this preface, the first--his poor +parentage--is disposed of by documentary evidence; the second--his +sitting on a stone at Highgate hill--has been shown to be quite a modern +invention; and the third--the story of the cat--has been told of so many +other persons in different parts of the world that there is every reason +to believe it to be a veritable folk-tale joined to the history of +Whittington from some unexplained connection. None of the early +historians who mention Whittington allude to the incident of the cat, +and it is only to be found in popular literature, ballads, plays, &c. +The story seems to have taken its rise in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. +The reason why however the life of Whittington should have been chosen +as the stock upon which this folk-tale should be grafted is still +unexplained. Some have supposed that he obtained his money by the +employment of "cats," or vessels for the carriage of coals; but this +suggestion does not appear to be worthy of much consideration. + +It is said that at Newgate, which owed much to Whittington, there was a +statue of him with a cat, which was destroyed in the Great Fire; and in +1862, when some alterations were made in an old house at Gloucester, +which had been occupied by the Whittington family until 1460, a stone +was said to have been dug up on which was a basso-relievo representing +the figure of a boy carrying a cat in his arms. This find, however, +appears rather suspicious. + +Keightley devotes a whole chapter of his _Tales and Popular Fictions_ to +the legend of Whittington and his Cat, in which he points out how many +similar stories exist. The _Facezie_, of Arlotto, printed soon after the +author's death in 1483, contain a tale of a merchant of Genoa, entitled +"Novella delle Gatte," and probably from this the story came to England, +although it is also found in a German chronicle of the thirteenth +century. Sir William Ouseley, in his _Travels_, 1819, speaking of an +island in the Persian Gulf, relates, on the authority of a Persian MS., +that "in the tenth century, one Keis, the son of a poor widow in Siráf, +embarked for India with a cat, his only property. There he fortunately +arrived at a time when the palace was so infested by mice or rats that +they invaded the king's food, and persons were employed to drive them +from the royal banquet. Keis produced his cat; the noxious animals soon +disappeared, and magnificent rewards were bestowed on the adventurer of +Siráf, who returned to that city, and afterwards, with his mother and +brothers, settled on the island, which from him has been denominated +Keis, or according to the Persians Keisch." Mr. Halliwell-Phillipps +quotes from the _Description of Guinea_ (1665) the record of "how +Alphonso, a Portuguese, being wrecked on the coast of Guinney, and being +presented by the king thereof with his weight in gold for a cat to kill +their mice; and an oyntment to kill their flies, which he improved +within five years to 6000l. in the place, and, returning to Portugal +after fifteen years traffick, became the third man in the kingdom."[1] +Keightley also quotes two similar stories from Thiele's _Danish Popular +Traditions_ and another from the letters of Count Magalotti, a +Florentine of the latter half of the seventeenth century. + +Mr. Lysons gives much information as to the great value of cats in the +Middle Ages, but the writer of the _History of Whittington_ does not +lead us to believe that they were dear in England, for he makes the boy +buy his cat for one penny. The two following titles are from the +Stationers' Registers. The ballad is probably the one subsequently +referred to as by Richard Johnson:-- + +"The History of Richard Whittington, of his lowe birthe, his great +fortune, as yt was plaied by the Prynces Servants. Licensed to Thomas +Pavyer, Feb. 8, 1604-5." + +"A Ballad, called The vertuous lyfe and memorable death of Sir Richard +Whittington, mercer, sometymes Lord Maiour of the honorable Citie of +London. Licensed to John Wright, 16 July, 1605." + +The first reference that we find to the cat incident is in the play +_Eastward Hoe_ by Chapman, Ben Jonson, and Marston; for, as the portrait +which was said to have existed at Mercers' Hall is not now known, it can +scarcely be put in evidence. This half-length portrait of a man of about +sixty years of age, dressed in a livery gown and black cap of the time +of Henry VIII. with a figure of a black and white cat on the left, is +said to have had painted in the left-hand upper corner of the canvas the +inscription, "R. Whittington, 1536." + +In _Eastward Hoe_, 1605, Touchstone assures Goulding that he hopes to +see him reckoned one of the worthies of the city of London "When the +famous fable of Whittington and his puss shall be forgotten." + +The next allusion is in Thomas Heywood's _If you know not me, you know +nobody_, 2nd part, 1606. + + _Dean Nowell._ "This Sir Richard Whittington, three times Mayor, + Sonne to a knight and prentice to a mercer, + Began the Library of Grey-Friars in London, + And his executors after him did build + Whittington Colledge, thirteene Alms-houses for poore men, + Repair'd S. Bartholomewes, in Smithfield, + Glased the Guildhall, and built Newgate. + + _Hobson._ Bones of men, then I have heard lies; + For I have heard he was a scullion, + And rais'd himself by venture of a cat. + + _Nowell._ They did the more wrong to the gentleman." + +Here it will be seen that, although the popular tale is mentioned, it is +treated as a mere invention unworthy of credence. + +The next in point of time is the ballad by Richard Johnson, published in +the _Crowne Garland of Goulden Roses_ (1612), which probably had a much +earlier existence in a separate form. It is the earliest form of the +story of Whittington now in existence. + +_A song of Sir Richard Whittington, who by strange fortunes came to bee +thrice Lord Maior of London; with his bountifull guifts and liberallity +given to this honourable Citty._ + + (To the tune of "_Dainty come thou to me_.") + + "Here must I tell the praise + Of worthie Whittington, + Known to be in his dayes + Thrice Maior of London. + But of poor parentage + Borne was he, as we heare, + And in his tender age + Bred up in Lancashire. + + Poorely to London than + Came up this simple lad, + Where, with a marchant-man, + Soone he a dwelling had; + And in a kitchen plast, + A scullion for to be, + Whereas long time he past + In labour grudgingly. + + His daily service was + Turning spits at the fire; + And to scour pots of brasse, + For a poore scullions hire. + Meat and drinke all his pay, + Of coyne he had no store; + Therefore to run away, + In secret thought he bore. + + So from this marchant-man + Whittington secretly + Towards his country ran, + To purchase liberty. + But as he went along + In a fair summer's morne, + London bells sweetly rung, + 'Whittington, back return!' + + 'Evermore sounding so, + Turn againe, Whittington; + For thou in time shall grow + Lord-Maior of London.' + Whereupon back againe + Whittington came with speed, + Aprentise to remaine, + As the Lord had decreed. + + 'Still blessed be the bells' + (This was his daily song), + 'They my good fortune tells, + Most sweetly have they rung. + If God so favour me, + I will not proove unkind; + London my love shall see, + And my great bounties find.' + + But see his happy chance! + This scullion had a cat, + Which did his state advance, + And by it wealth he gat. + His maister ventred forth, + To a land far unknowne, + With marchandize of worth, + And is in stories shewne. + + Whittington had no more + But this poor cat as than, + Which to the ship he bore, + Like a brave marchant-man. + 'Vent'ring the same,' quoth he, + 'I may get store of golde, + And Maior of London be, + As the bells have me told.' + + Whittington's marchandise, + Carried was to a land + Troubled with rats and mice, + As they did understand. + The king of that country there, + As he at dinner sat, + Daily remain'd in fear + Of many a mouse and rat. + + Meat that in trenchers lay, + No way they could keepe safe + But by rats borne away, + Fearing no wand or staff. + Whereupon, soone they brought + Whittington's nimble cat; + Which by the king was bought; + Heapes of gold giv'n for that. + + Home againe came these men + With their ships loaden so; + Whittington's wealth began + By this cat thus to grow. + Scullions life he forsooke + To be a marchant good, + And soon began to looke + How well his credit stood. + + After that he was chose + Shriefe of the citty heere, + And then full quickly rose + Higher as did appeare. + For to this cities praise + Sir Richard Whittington + Came to be in his dayes + Thrise Maior of London. + + More his fame to advance, + Thousands he lent his king + To maintaine warres in France, + Glory from thence to bring. + And after, at a feast, + Which he the king did make, + He burnt the bonds all in jeast, + And would no money take. + + Ten thousand pound he gave + To his prince willingly, + And would not one penny have. + This in kind courtesie. + God did thus make him great, + So would he daily see + Poor people fed with meat, + To shew his charity. + + Prisoners poore cherish'd were, + Widdowes sweet comfort found; + Good deeds, both far and neere, + Of him do still resound. + Whittington Colledge is + One of his charities, + Records reporteth this + To lasting memories. + + Newgate he builded faire, + For prisoners to live in; + Christ's Church he did repaire, + Christian love for to win. + Many more such like deedes + Were done by Whittington; + Which joy and comfort breedes, + To such as looke thereon. + + Lancashire thou hast bred + This flower of charity; + Though he be gone and dead, + Yet lives he lastingly. + Those bells that call'd him so, + 'Turne again, Whittington,' + Call you back may moe + To live so in London." + +This ballad, as it stands here with the exception of the last stanza, +was reprinted in _A Collection of Old Ballads_, 1823, vol. i. p. 130. + +This ballad is the original of all the later ballads, although the +titles have been greatly varied. The Roxburghe ballad (vol. iii. p. 58) +is dated in the British Museum Catalogue 1641[?]. Its full title is as +follows:-- + +"London's Glory and Whittington's Renown, or a Looking Glass for +Citizens of London, being a remarkable story how Sir Richard Whittington +(a poor boy bred up in Lancashire) came to be three times Lord Mayor of +London in three several kings' reigns, and how his rise was by a cat, +which he sent by a venture beyond sea. Together with his bountiful gifts +and liberality given to this honourable City, and the vast sums of money +he lent the King to maintain the wars in France; and how at a great +Feast, to which he invited the King, the Queen, and the Nobility, he +generously burnt the writings and freely forgave his Majesty the whole +Debt. Tune of 'Dainty, come thou to me.' London: Printed for R. Burton, +at the Horse Shoe in West Smithfield." + +The bulk of the ballad is the same as Richard Johnson's, but the +following first stanza is added, the original first stanza becoming the +second:-- + + "Brave London Prentices, + Come listen to my song, + Tis for your glory all + And to you both belong. + And you poor country lads, + Though born of low degree, + See by God's providence + What you in time may be." + +The second half of the original seventh stanza, and the eighth, ninth, +and tenth stanzas, are left out. + +Immediately before the last stanza the following one is introduced:-- + + "Let all kynde Citizens + Who do this story read, + By his example learn + Always the poor to feed. + What is lent to the poor + The Lord will sure repay, + And blessings keep in store + Until the latter day." + +The other alterations are not many, and chiefly consist in +transpositions by which the rhymes are varied. This may be seen by +comparing with the original the Roxburghe version of the last stanza +which is as follows:-- + + "Lancashire, thou hast bred + This flower of charity; + Though he be dead and gone, + Yet lives his memory. + Those bells that call'd him so, + Turn again, Whittington, + Would they call may moe + Such men to fair London." + +At the end of one of the chap-books there is a version of the ballad in +which Lancashire is replaced by Somersetshire. + +In the same volume of the _Roxburghe Ballads_ (p. 470) is a short +version [1710?] containing a few only of the verses taken from the +ballad. It is illustrated with some woodcuts from T. H.'s earlier +_History_. + +"An old Ballad of Whittington and his Cat, who from a poor boy came to +be thrice Lord Mayor of London. Printed and sold in Aldermary Church +Yard, London." + +There is a copy of this in the Chetham Library. + +The following are some of the chief references to Whittington's story in +literature after the publication of Johnson's ballad, arranged in +chronological order:-- + + "As if a new-found Whittington's rare cat, + Come to extoll their birth-rights above that + Which nature once intended."-- + + Stephens's _Essayes and Characters_, 1615. + + "Faith, how many churches do you mean to build + Before you die? Six bells in every steeple, + And let them all go to the _City tune_, + _Turn again, Whittington_, and who they say + Grew rich, and let his land out for nine lives, + 'Cause all came in by a cat."-- + + Shirley's _Constant Maid_ (1640), act ii. sc. 2. + +"I have heard of Whittington and his cat, and others, that have +made fortunes by strange means."--Parson's _Wedding_ (1664). + +Pepys went on September 21, 1668, to Southwark Fair, "and there saw the +puppet show of Whittington, which was pretty to see." He adds in his +_Diary_ "how that idle thing do work upon people that see it, and even +myself too." + +In the _Tatler_ of September 13, 1709 (No. 67), is a list of great men +to be entered in the Temple of Fame, and in the subsequent No. 78 is +printed the following letter from a Citizen:-- + + "Mr. Isaac Bickerstaff, Sir, Your _Tatler_ of September 13 I am now + reading, and in your list of famous men desire you not to forget + Alderman Whittington, who began the world with a cat, and died + worth three hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling, which he + left to an only daughter three years after his mayoralty. If you + want any further particulars of ditto Alderman, daughter, or cat, + let me know, and per first will advise the needful, which + concludes, Your loving Friend, LEMUEL LEGER." + + "I am credibly informed that there was once a design of casting + into an opera the story of Whittington and his Cat, and that in + order to it there had been got together a great quantity of mice; + but Mr. Rich, the proprietor of the playhouse, very prudently + considered that it would be impossible for the cat to kill them + all, and that consequently the princes of the stage might be as + much infested with mice as the prince of the island was before the + cat's arrival upon it; for which reason he would not permit it to + be acted in his house."--_Spectator_ (No. 5, March 6, 1711). + +The Rev. Samuel Pegge brought the subject of Whittington and his Cat +before a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in 1771, but he could +make nothing at all of the cat. There is no record of the inquiry in the +_Archaeologia_, but it is mentioned in a letter from Gough to Tyson, 27 +Dec. 1771 (Nichols's _Literary Anecdotes_, vol. viii. p. 575). Horace +Walpole was annoyed at the Society for criticising his "Richard III." +and in his _Short Notes on his Life_ he wrote--"Foote having brought +them on the stage for sitting in council, as they had done on +Whittington and his Cat, I was not sorry to find them so ridiculous, or +to mark their being so, and upon that nonsense, and the laughter that +accompanied it, I struck my name out of their book." + +Foote brought out his comedy of _The Nabob_ at the Haymarket Theatre in +1772. Sir Matthew Mite, the hero of the piece, is elected a member of +the Society of Antiquaries, and delivers an address on Whittington and +his Cat in which he gave the following solution of the difficulty:--"The +commerce this worthy merchant carried on was chiefly confined to our +coasts. For this purpose he constructed a vessel which for its agility +and lightness he aptly christened a cat. Nay, to this our day, +gentlemen, all our coals from Newcastle are imported in nothing but +cats. From thence it appears that it was not the whiskered four-footed, +mouse-killing cat that was the source of the magistrate's wealth, but +the coasting, sailing, coal-carrying cat; that, gentlemen, was +Whittington's cat." + +We may now pass from the fictitious to the real Richard Whittington, and +although this is not the place for a life of the distinguished citizen, +which may be found elsewhere, it will be convenient to set down in order +the chief incidents of his career. + +Richard Whittington was the third son of Sir William Whittington, +knight, of Pauntley, Gloucestershire, and it is assumed, by some +writers, that he was born in or about the year 1360. We must, however, +place his birth at an earlier date, for his name appears in the city +_Letter Book_, H, fol. 110_a_, (as Richard Whyttingdone), in the second +year of Richard II. (A.D. 1379), as a contributor of five marks +towards a loan to the city authorities; about four-fifths of the +subscribers contributing the same, which is the lowest figure among the +contributions.[2] This is the first appearance of Whittington's name in +the city books. William, the eldest son, succeeded to the family +property of Pauntley, but, dying without issue, the estate went to +Robert, the second son, who became high sheriff of the county in 1402, +and again in 1407. Pauntley remained in the family as late as 1546. + +Nothing is known of Richard's early life, either as to when or how he +came to London. He appears to have married Alice, daughter of Hugh +Fitzwarren, and probably he was originally apprenticed to his +father-in-law, whose name appears in all the versions of his history. + +The second appearance of Whittington's name in the city books is in 8 +Richard II., when he was one of the eight common councilmen for Coleman +Street ward. In 11 Richard II. he is named as becoming surety to the +chamberlain in the sum of ten pounds towards providing money for defence +of the city. In the following year he appears to have been no longer a +member for Coleman Street ward. On the 12th of March, 1393, he is named +as then chosen alderman of Broad Street ward; and on 21st September of +the same year he was chosen by the mayor, William Staundon, one of the +sheriffs for the ensuing year.[3] + +When Adam Bamme died in the year 1397, during his mayoralty, Richard II. +arbitrarily put Whittington in his place, and at the lord mayor's day of +that year Whittington again filled the office, being then regularly +elected.[4] From his will we find that this king, who was a member of +the Mercers' Company, to which Whittington was apprenticed, was an +especial patron of his. In 1400 he was excused from attending the +Scottish wars, and in 1406 he was again elected mayor. He rebuilt his +parish church, and Mr. Riley has printed in his valuable _Memorials_ (p. +578) the grant by Whittington of land or the re-building of the church +of St. Michael, Paternoster, "in the street called La Riole," called +after the merchants of La Riole, a town near Bordeaux, who had +established themselves there. + +Whittington was knighted by Henry V., and in 1419 he was elected mayor +for the fourth time. It was in this year that John Carpenter commenced +the compilation of his famous _Liber Albus_. We see how highly this +distinguished citizen was appreciated from the writings of such men as +Grafton and Stow. Richard Grafton writes in his _Chronicle_ (1569, p. +433)-- + + "This yere (1406) a worthie citizen of London, named Rychard + Whittyngton, mercer and alderman, was elected maior of the sayde + citie, and bare that office three tymes. This worshipfull man so + bestowed his goodes and substaunce to the honor of God, to the + reliefe of the pore, and to the benefite of the comon weale, that + he hath right well deserved to be regestered in the boke of fame. + First, he erected one house or church in London to be a house of + prayer, and he named the same after his awne name Whittyngtons + College, and so it remayneth to this day. And in the same church, + besydes certeine priestes and clerkes, he placed a number of poore + aged men and women and buylded for them houses and lodgyngs, and + allowed unto them wood, cole, cloth, and weekly money to their + great reliefe and comfort.... He also buylded for the ease of the + maior of London and his brethren, and of the worshipfull citizens + at the solempne dayes of their assemblye, a chapell adioining to + the Guyldhall, to the entent they should euer before they entered + into any of theyr affayrs first to go into the chappel, and by + prayer to call upon God for assistaunce.... He also buylded a great + part of the east ende of the Guildhall, besyde many other good + workes that I knowe not. But among all other I will shewe unto you + one very notable, which I receyved credibly by a writyng of his + awne hande, which also he willed to be fixed as a schedule to his + last will and testament, the contentes whereof was that he willed + and commaunded his executors as they would aunswere before God at + the day of the resurrection of all fleshe, that if they found any + debtor of his that ought to him any money, that if he were not in + their consciences well worth three tymes as much, and also out of + the debt of other men, and well able to pay, that then they shoulde + never demaund it, for he cleerely forgave it, and that they should + put no man in sute for any debt due to him. Looke upon thys, ye + aldermen, for it is a glorious glasse." + +Stow writes as follows in his _Survey of London_ on some of +Whittington's good works:-- + + "Richard Whittington, mercer, three times mayor, in the year 1421 + began the library of the grey friars in London, to the charge of + four hundred pounds: his executors with his goods founded and built + Whittington College, with almshouses for thirteen poor men, and + divinity lectures to be read there for ever. They repaired St. + Bartholomew's hospital in Smithfield; they bare half the charges of + building the library there, and they built the west gate of London, + of old time called Newgate," &c.[5] + + "The 1st year of Henry VI. John Coventrie and John Carpenter, + executors to Richard Whitington, gave towards the paving of this + great hall twenty pounds, and the next year fifteen pounds more, to + the said pavement, with hard stone of Purbeck; they also glazed + some windows thereof, and of the mayor's court; on every which + windows the arms of Richard Whitington are placed."[6] + +Respecting the library at Guildhall, Stow, after relating how the Duke +of Somerset, Lord Protector, borrowed the books and never returned them, +writes:--"This library was built by the executors of Richard Whittington +and by William Burie; the arms of Whittington are placed on the one side +in the stone work, and two letters, to wit W and B, for William Burie, +on the other side; it is now lofted through, and made a storehouse for +clothes."[7] + +Whittington appears to have died childless, and in the interesting +picture of his deathbed, copied by Mr. Lysons from an illumination in +the ordinances of his college, his executors are seen around his bed. +His will was proved in 1423 by John Coventry, John White, William Grove +and John Carpenter. The College of St. Spirit and St. Mary consisted of +a master, four fellows (masters of arts), clerks, conducts, chorists, +&c. It was dissolved by Edward VI.; but the memory of it remains in the +name College Hill, Upper Thames Street. God's House or Hospital for +thirteen poor men was moved to Highgate in 1808. + +By his will Whittington directed that the inmates of his college should +pray for the souls of himself and his wife Alice, of Sir William +Whittington, and his wife Dame Joan, of Hugh Fitzwarren and his wife +Dame Malde, as well as for the souls of Richard II. and Thomas of +Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, "special lords and promoters of the said +Whittington." + +Whittington's epitaph is preserved by Stow and is in Latin; yet the +author of a _Life of Whittington_ (1811) makes the following +misstatement:-- + + "Record, however, has handed down to us the original epitaph, as it + was cut on the monument of Sir Richard, by order of his executors; + and, exclusive of its connection with the subject of these pages, + it may be subjoined as a curious specimen of the poetry of an age + which was comparatively with the present so entirely involved in + the darkness of superstition and ignorance." + + "Beneath this stone lies Whittington, + Sir Richard rightly named; + Who three times Lord Mayor served in London, + In which he ne'er was blamed. + + He rose from indigence to wealth + By industry and that; + For lo! he scorned to gain by stealth + What he got by a cat. + + Let none who reads this verse despair + Of providences ways; + Who trust in him he'll make his care, + And prosper all their days. + + Then sing a requiem to departed merit, + And rest in peace till death demands his spirit."-- + + _Life of Sir R. Whittington_, by the author of _Memoirs of George + Barnwell_, 1811, p. 106. + + + * * * * * + + + LIST OF VERSIONS, EDITIONS, &c. + + 1604-5, Feb. 8. Play licensed, see _ante_, p. vii. + + 1605, July 16. Ballad licensed, see _ante_, p. vii. + + 1612. Johnson's Ballad published in _Crowne Garland of Goulden + Roses_, see _ante_, p. ix. + + 1641? Roxburghe Ballad ("London's Glory"), see _ante_, p. xiv. + + 1670? Famous and Remarkable History by T. H., reprinted in this + volume (see p. 1). + + 1678. Another edition with the same title as the above (see p. 1), + but with the following imprint: + + "London: Printed by A. P. and T. H. for T. Vere and J. Wright, and + are to be sold at their shops at the Angel without Newgate and at + the Crown on Ludgate Hill. 1678." + + There are a few alterations in spelling, &c. but otherwise it is + the same as the earlier edition. + + 1730. The History of Sir Richard Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of + London. Durham: Printed and sold by I. Lane. + + This is the earliest version of the common chap-book tale in the + British Museum. It is divided into chapters, and the headings of + these chapters are given at p. xxx. of the present preface. All the + other chap-books that I have seen are more or less versions of this + story, but one of the most complete is that printed in this + Introduction (p. xxxii.) The book was printed in most of the chief + towns, as Newcastle, Edinburgh, &c. but one of the most interesting + editions is that printed at York and illustrated by Bewick:-- + + The History of Whittington and his Cat; how from a poor country boy + destitute of parents or relatives he attained great riches and was + promoted to the high and honorable dignity of Lord Mayor of London. + York: Printed by J. Kendrew, Colliergate. + + The frontispiece represents the stiff figure of a man in wig and + gown of the time of Charles II., underneath which is printed-- + + "Sir Richard Whittington behold + In mayor's robes and chain of gold." + + 1808. In the _Antiquarian Repertory_ (vol. ii. pp. 343-346) there + is a good account of Whittington. + + 1811. The Life of Sir Richard Whittington, Knight, and four times + Lord Mayor of London, in the reigns of Edward III. Richard II. and + Henry V. Compiled from authentic documents; and containing many + important particulars respecting that illustrious man never before + published: intended to amuse, instruct, and stimulate the rising + generation. By the Author of "Memoirs of George Barnwell." Harlow: + Printed by B. Flower for M. Jones, No. 5, Newgate Street, London. + 1811. Small 8vo. + + 1828. The Life of Sir Richard Whittington, Knight, four times Lord + Mayor of London. London: Published by Thomas North, 64, Paternoster + Row. 1828. (Lysons.) + + 1841. The Life and Times of Dick Whittington: an Historical + Romance. London: Hugh Cuningham, St. Martin's Place. 1841. 8vo. + + This is a novel written in imitation of Ainsworth, illustrated with + plates in imitation of Cruikshank. + + [1845.] Woodcock's "Lives of Illustrious Lords Mayors and Aldermen + of London, with a Brief History of the City of London." London. + 8vo. Pp. 28-46, Life of Whittington; but it contains no information + of any value. + + 1860. The Model Merchant of the Middle Ages, exemplified in the + Story of Whittington and his Cat: being an attempt to rescue that + interesting story from the region of fable, and to place it in its + proper position in the legitimate history of this country. By the + Rev. Samuel Lysons, M.A. London: Hamilton, Adams & Co. 1860. 8vo. + + 1871. The Story of Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London in + the years 1397, 1406-7, and 1419 A.D. Written and + illustrated by Carr. London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1871. Folio. + + A new Ballad prettily illustrated, in which Canon Lysons's + researches are taken into account, and the boy is made of good + parentage, but the rest of the legend is retained. + + 1881. Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London. By Walter + Besant and James Rice. London: Marcus Ward and Co. 1881. Sm. 8vo. + + Whittington and his Cat. By Ernest J. Miller. Published by the + Albany Institute, Albany, N.Y. Weed, Parsons, and Company. 1881. + 8vo. + + A valuable paper, which contains a great mass of information on + both the true and----the fictitious Whittington. + + Whittington and his Cat, an Entertainment for Young People, by Miss + Corner. + + The Remarkable History of Richard Whittington and his Cat. Aunt + Busy Bee's New Series. Dean and Son. Coloured illustrations on the + page. + + The following title is taken from Mr. Lysons's book, and I presume + it is merely an edition of the ordinary chap-book. + + History of Sir Richard Whittington. Printed at Sympson's in + Stonecutter Street, Fleet Market. + + + * * * * * + + +The following extract from Granger's _History of England_ is curious as +showing that the public would not have a portrait of Whittington without +a representation of his famous cat:-- + + "The true portraicture of Richard Whitington, thrise Lord Maior of + London; a vertuous and godly man, full of good works, and those + famous. He builded the gate of London called Newegate, which before + was a miserable doungeon. He builded Whitington College, and made + it an almose-house for poore people. Also he builded a great parte + of the hospitall of St. Bartholomew's, in West Smithfield, in + London. He also builded the beautiful library at the Grey Friars in + London, called Christe's Hospitall. He also builded the Guildehalle + chappell, and increased a great parte of the east ende of the said + halle, beside many other good workes."--_R. Elstracke sc. Collar of + SS.; his right hand on a cat._ + +Granger says of this: + + "The cat has been inserted as the common people did not care to buy + the print without it. There was none originally in the plate, but a + skull in the place of the cat. I have seen only two proofs of this + portrait in its first state, and these were fine + impressions."--1775, vol. i. p. 62. + +The following is a copy of the headings of the chapters in an early form +of the chap-book version of Whittington's life: + + + + + THE + + HISTORY + + OF + + SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON, + + THRICE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON. + + + _Durham: Printed and sold by I. Lane._ [1730.] + + + + + THE LIFE OF + + SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON. + + + CHAP. I. + + How, Whittington, being born of unknown parents, was left to a + desperate fortune, and rambled the country till necessity and fear + made him come to London. + + + CHAP. II. + + How, at the instance of Mrs. Alice, the Merchant's daughter, he + became a servant in the family under the cook maid, who used him + cruelly, and how Mrs. Alice took pity on him, and interpos'd her + authority. + + + CHAP. III. + + How, lying in a garret, he was ready to be devoured by rats and + mice, and to prevent it purchased a cat with a penny given him for + cleaning shoes; and how, with the servants, he adventured the cat, + being all his stock. + + + CHAP. IV. + + How the bitter jade of a cook maid encreasing her cruelty towards + him he grew weary of his service, and was running away on + All-Hallow's day; but upon hearing the ringing of Bow bells came + back again. Also how the merchant abroad disposed of his cat. + + + CHAP. V. + + Of the great riches received for Whittington's cat more than for + all the goods in the ship; on the arrival of which his master sent + for him upstairs by the title of Mr. Whittington, and the excuses + he made, and how he distributed part of his wealth to his + fellow-servants giving the ill-natur'd cook maid 100l. + + + CHAP. VI. + + How Mr. Whittington, being genteely dress'd, became, to all + appearance, a very comely, proper person; how Mrs. Alice, his + master's daughter, fell in love with him, and, by her father's + consent, married him; and also how he was chosen sheriff of London. + + + CHAP. VII. + + How he was thrice elected Lord Mayor of London; how he entertain'd + King Henry V. in his return from the conquest of France: with an + account of his buildings for pious and charitable uses, great + liberality to the poor, his death, burial, and epitaph. + + + EPITAPH. + + Here lies Sir Richard Whittington, thrice mayor, + And his dear wife, a virtuous, loving pair; + Him fortune rais'd to be belov'd and great, + By the adventure only of a cat. + Let none who read of God's great love despair, + Who trusts in Him of him He will take care; + But growing rich chuse humbleness, not pride, + Let these dead persons' virtues be your guide. + + +The following reprint of a later version of the chap-book is almost +identical with a large number of editions: + + + + + THE + + ADVENTURES + + OF + + SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON, + + WHO WAS + + THREE TIMES + + LORD MAYOR OF LONDON. + + _And the Surprising History of his_ + + CAT, + + TO WHICH IS ADDED + + THE CALEDONIAN, A POEM. + + + _Banbury: + Printed and sold by J. Cheney, in the High Street._ + + + * * * * * + + + + + THE + + HISTORY + + OF + + WHITTINGTON. + + + * * * * * + + +Dick Whittington was a very little boy when his father and mother died; +little indeed, that he never knew them, nor the place where he was +born. He strolled about the country as ragged as a colt, till he met +with a waggoner who was going to London, and who gave him leave to walk +all the way by the side of his waggon without paying anything for his +passage, which pleased little Whittington very much, as he wanted to see +London badly, for he had heard that the streets were paved with gold, +and he was willing to get a bushel of it; but how great was his +disappointment, poor boy! when he saw the streets covered with dirt +instead of gold, and found himself in a strange place, without a friend, +without food, and without money. + +Though the waggoner was so charitable as to let him walk up by the side +of the waggon for nothing, he took care not to know him when he came to +town, and the poor boy was, in a little time, so cold and so hungry that +he wished himself in a good kitchen and by a warm fire in the country. + +In this distress he asked charity of several people, and one of them bid +him "Go to work for an idle rogue." "That I will," says Whittington, +"with all my heart; I will work for you if you will let me." + +The man, who thought this favoured of wit and impertinence (tho' the +poor lad intended only to show his readiness to work), gave him a blow +with a stick which broke his head so that the blood ran down. In this +situation, and fainting for want of food, he laid himself down at the +door of one Mr. Fitzwarren, a merchant, where the cook saw him, and, +being an ill-natured hussey, ordered him to go about his business or she +would scald him. At this time Mr. Fitzwarren came from the Exchange, and +began also to scold at the poor boy, bidding him to go to work. + +Whittington answered that he should be glad to work if any body would +employ him, and that he should be able if he could get some victuals to +eat, for he had had nothing for three days, and he was a poor country +boy, and knew nobody, and nobody would employ him. + +He then endeavoured to get up, but he was so very weak that he fell down +again, which excited so much compassion in the merchant that he ordered +the servants to take him in and give him some meat and drink, and let +him help the cook to do any dirty work that she had to set him about. +People are too apt to reproach those who beg with being idle, but give +themselves no concern to put them in the way of getting business to do, +or considering whether they are able to do it, which is not charity. + + "Think of this ye affluent, + And when the overplus of your fortunes disturb + Your minds, think how little stops the lash of penury, + And makes the wretched happy!" + +I remember a circumstance of this sort, which Sir William Thompson told +my father with tears in his eyes, and it is so affecting that I shall +never forget it: + + + + + STORY + + OF + + SIR WILLIAM THOMPSON. + + +"When Sir William Thompson was in the plantation abroad, one of his +friends told him he had an indentured servant whom he had just bought, +that was his countryman and a lusty man; 'but he is so idle,' says he, +'that I cannot get him to work.' 'Aye,' says Sir William, 'let me see +him.' Accordingly they walked out together and found the man sitting on +a heap of stones. Upon this Sir William, after enquiring about his +country, asked why he did not go out to work. 'I am not able,' answered +the man. 'Not able?' says Sir William, 'I am sure you look very well; +give him a few stripes.' Upon this the planter struck him several times, +but the poor man still kept his seat. + +"Then they left him to look over the plantation, exclaiming against his +obstinacy all the way they went; but how surprised were they, on their +return, to find the poor man fallen from off the place where he had been +sitting, and dead! 'The cruelty,' says Sir William, 'of my ordering the +poor man to be beaten while in the agonies of death lies always next my +heart. It is what I shall never forget, and will for ever prevent my +judging rashly of people who appear in distress. How do we know what our +children may come to? The Lord have mercy upon the poor, and defend them +from the proud, the inconsiderate, and the avaricious." + +But we return to Whittington: who would have lived happy in this worthy +family had he not been bumped about by the cross cook, who must be +always roasting or basting, and when the spit was still employed her +hands upon poor Whittington! 'till Miss Alice, his master's daughter, +was informed of it, and then she took compassion on the poor boy, and +made the servants treat him kindly. + +Besides the crossness of the cook, Whittington had another difficulty to +get over before he could be happy. He had, by order of his master, a +flock-bed placed for him in a garret, where there were such a number of +rats and mice that often ran over the poor boy's nose and disturbed him +in his sleep. After some time, however, a gentleman, who came to his +master's house, gave Whittington a penny for brushing his shoes. This +he put into his pocket, being determined to lay it out to the best +advantage; and the next day, seeing a woman in the street with a cat +under her arm, he ran up to know the price of it. The woman (as the cat +was a good mouser) asked a deal of money for it, but on Whittington's +telling her he had but a penny in the world, and that he wanted a cat +sadly, she let him have it. + +This cat Whittington concealed in the garret, for fear she should be +beat about by his mortal enemy the cook, and here she soon killed or +frightened away the rats and mice, so that the poor boy could now sleep +as sound as a top. + +Soon after this the merchant, who had a ship ready to sail, called for +his servants, as his custom was, in order that each of them might +venture something to try their luck; and whatever they sent was to pay +neither freight nor custom, for he thought justly that God Almighty +would bless him the more for his readiness to let the poor partake of +his fortune. "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord, who will +return it seventy-fold." + +All the servants appeared but poor Whittington, who, having neither +money nor goods, could not think of sending anything to try his luck; +but his good friend Miss Alice, thinking his poverty kept him away, +ordered him to be called. + +She then offered to lay down something for him, but the merchant told +his daughter that would not do, it must be something of his own. Upon +which poor Whittington said he had nothing but a cat which he bought for +a penny that was given him. "Fetch thy cat, boy," said the merchant, +"and send her." Whittington brought poor puss and delivered her to the +captain, with tears in his eyes, for he said he should now be disturbed +by the rats and mice as much as ever. All the company laughed at the +adventure but Miss Alice, who pitied the poor boy, and gave him +something to buy another cat. + +While puss was beating the billows at sea, poor Whittington was severely +beaten at home by his tyrannical mistress the cook, who used him so +cruelly, and made such game of him for sending his cat to sea, that at +last the poor boy determined to run away from his place, and, having +packed up the few things he had, he set out very early in the morning on +All-Hallows day. He travelled as far as Holloway, and there sat down on +a stone to consider what course he should take; but while he was thus +ruminating, Bow bells, of which there were only six, began to ring; and +he thought their sounds addressed him in this manner: + + "Turn again, Whittington, + Lord Mayor of great London." + +"Lord Mayor of London!" said he to himself; "what would not one endure +to be Lord Mayor of London, and ride in such a fine coach? Well, I'll go +back again, and bear all the pummelling and ill-usage of Cicely rather +than miss the opportunity of being Lord Mayor!" So home he went, and +happily got into the house and about his business before Mrs. Cicely +made her appearance. + +We must now follow Miss Puss to the coast of Africa, to that coast where +Dido expired for loss of Ænus (_sic_). How perilous are voyages at sea, +how uncertain the winds and the waves, and how many accidents attend a +naval life! + +The ship, which had the cat on board, was long beaten at sea, and at +last, by contrary winds, driven on a part of the coast of Barbary which +was inhabited by Moors, unknown to the English. These people received +our countrymen with civility, and therefore the captain, in order to +trade with them, shewed them the patterns of the goods he had on board, +and sent some of them to the king of the country, who was so well +pleased that he sent for the captain and the factor to his palace, which +was about a mile from the sea. Here they were placed, according to the +custom of the country, on rich carpets, flowered with gold and silver; +and the king and queen being seated at the upper end of the room, dinner +was brought in, which consisted of many dishes; but no sooner were the +dishes put down but an amazing number of rats and mice came from all +quarters, and devoured all the meat in an instant. The factor, in +surprise, turned round to the nobles and asked "If these vermin were not +offensive?" "O yes," said they, "very offensive; and the king would give +half his treasure to be freed of them, for they not only destroy his +dinner, as you see, but they assault him in his chamber, and even in +bed, so that he is obliged to be watched while he is sleeping for fear +of them." + +The factor jumped for joy; he remembered poor Whittington and his cat, +and told the king he had a creature on board the ship that would +despatch all these vermin immediately. The king's heart heaved so high +at the joy which this news gave him that his turban dropped off his +head. "Bring this creature to me," says he; "vermin are dreadful in a +court, and if she will perform what you say, I will load your ship with +gold and jewels in exchange for her." The factor, who knew his business, +took this opportunity to set forth the merits of Miss Puss. He told his +majesty "That it would be inconvenient to part with her, as, when she +was gone, the rats and mice might destroy the goods in the ship--but to +oblige his majesty he would fetch her." "Run, run," said the queen; "I +am impatient to see the dear creature." + +Away flew the factor, while another dinner was providing, and returned +with the cat just as the rats and mice were devouring that also. He +immediately put down Mrs. Puss, who killed a great number of them. + +The king rejoiced greatly to see his old enemies destroyed by so small a +creature, and the queen was highly pleased, and desired the cat might be +brought near that she might look at her. Upon which the factor called +"Pussy, pussy, pussy," and she came to him. He then presented her to the +queen, who started back, and was afraid to touch a creature who had made +such a havoc among the rats and mice; however, when the factor stroked +the cat and called "Pussy, pussy," the queen also touched her and cried +"Putty, putty," for she had not learned English. + +He then put her down on the queen's lap, where she, purring, played with +her majesty's hand, and then sung herself to sleep. + +The king having seen the exploits of Mrs. Puss, and being informed that +she was with young, and would stock the whole country, bargained with +the captain and factor for the whole ship's cargo, and then gave them +ten times as much for the cat as all the rest amounted to. With which, +taking leave of their majesties, and other great personages at court, +they sailed with a fair wind for England, whither we must now attend +them. + +The morn had scarcely dawned when Mr. Fitzwarren stole from the bed of +his beloved wife, to count over the cash, and settle the business for +that day. He had just entered the compting-house, and seated himself at +the desk, when somebody came, tap, tap, at the door. "Who's there?" says +Mr. Fitzwarren. "A friend," answered the other. "What friend can come at +this unseasonable time?" "A real friend is never unseasonable," answered +the other. "I come to bring you good news of your ship _Unicorn_." The +merchant bustled up in such an hurry that he forgot his gout; instantly +opened the door, and who should be seen waiting but the captain and +factor, with a cabinet of jewels, and a bill of lading, for which the +merchant lifted up his eyes and thanked heaven for sending him such a +prosperous voyage. Then they told him the adventures of the cat, and +shewed him the cabinet of jewels which they had brought for Mr. +Whittington. Upon which he cried out with great earnestness, but not in +the most poetical manner,-- + + + "Go, send him in, and tell him of his fame, + And call him Mr. Whittington by name." + + +It is not our business to animadvert upon these lines; we are not +critics, but historians. It is sufficient for us that they are the words +of Mr. Fitzwarren; and though it is beside our purpose, and perhaps not +in our power to prove him a good poet, we shall soon convince the reader +that he was a good man, which was a much better character; for when +some, who were present, told him that this treasure was too much for +such a poor boy as Whittington, he said, "God forbid that I should +deprive him or a penny; it is his own, and he shall have it to a +farthing." He then ordered Mr. Whittington in, who was at this time +cleaning the kitchen, and would have excused himself from going into the +compting-house, saying, the room was rubbed, and his shoes were dirty +and full of hob-nails. The merchant, however, made him come in, and +ordered a chair to be set for him. Upon which, thinking they intended to +make sport of him, as had been too often the case in the kitchen, he +besought his master not to mock a poor simple fellow, who intended them +no harm, but let him go about his business. The merchant, taking him by +the hand, said, "Indeed, Mr. Whittington, I am in earnest with you, and +sent for you to congratulate you on your great success. Your cat has +procured you more money than I am worth in the world, and may you long +enjoy it and be happy." + +At length, being shown the treasure, and convinced by them that all of +it belonged to him, he fell upon his knees and thanked the Almighty for +his providential care of such a poor and miserable creature. He then +laid all the treasure at his master's feet, who refused to take any part +of it, but told him he heartily rejoiced at his prosperity, and hoped +the wealth he had acquired would be a comfort to him, and would make him +happy. He then applied to his mistress, and to his good friend Miss +Alice, who refused to take any part of the money, but told him she +heartily rejoiced at his good success, and wished him all imaginable +felicity. He then gratified the captain, factor, and the ship's crew, +for the care they had taken of his cargo. He likewise distributed +presents to all the servants in the house, not forgetting even his old +enemy the cook, though she little deserved it. + +After this Mr. Fitzwarren advised Mr. Whittington to send for the +necessary people and dress himself like a gentleman, and made him the +offer of his house to live in till he could provide himself with a +better. + +Now it came to pass that when Mr. Whittington's face was washed, his +hair curled, and dressed in a rich suit of clothes, that he turned out a +genteel young fellow; and, as wealth contributes much to give a man +confidence, he in a little time dropped that sheepish behaviour which +was principally occasioned by a depression of spirits, and soon grew a +sprightly and good companion, insomuch that Miss Alice, who had formerly +seen him with an eye of compassion, now viewed him with other eyes, +which perhaps was in some measure occasioned by his readiness to oblige +her, and by continually making her presents of such things that he +thought would be most agreeable. + +When her father perceived they had this good liking for each other he +proposed a match between them, to which both parties cheerfully +consented, and the Lord Mayor, Court of Aldermen, Sheriffs, the Company +of Stationers, and a number of eminent merchants attended the ceremony, +and were elegantly treated at an entertainment made for that purpose. + +History further relates that they lived very happy, had several +children, and died at a good old age. Mr. Whittington served Sheriff of +London in the year 1340, and was three times Lord Mayor. In the last +year of his mayoralty he entertained King Henry V. and his Queen, after +his conquest of France, upon which occasion the King, in consideration +of Whittington's merit, said, "Never had prince such a subject;" which +being told to Whittington at the table, he replied "Never had subject +such a king." His Majesty, out of respect to his good character, +conferred the honour of knighthood on him soon after. + +Sir Richard many years before his death constantly fed a great number of +poor citizens, built a church and a college to it, with a yearly +allowance for poor scholars, and near it erected an hospital. He also +built Newgate for criminals, and gave liberally to St. Bartholomew's +Hospital and other public charities. + + + * * * * * + + +Two old houses in London, which were pulled down at the beginning of the +present century, have been associated with the name of Whittington, but +there is no evidence that he really dwelt in either of them. One ruinous +building in Sweedon's Passage, Grub Street, engravings of which will be +found in J.T. Smith's _Topography of London_, was pulled down in 1805, +and five houses built on its site. A tablet was then set up, on which +was an inscription to the effect that the house had been called Gresham +House, and that Whittington once inhabited it. + +The magnificent house which stood in Hart Street, Crutched Friars, a few +doors from Mark Lane, is said to have been called Whittington's palace +in the old leases, but this is the only evidence in favour of the +popular belief. The front was elaborately carved in oak, the work of a +much later date than that of Whittington. The decoration is attributed +to the latter part of the reign of Henry VIII., and on the ceiling among +other forms was that of a cat's head, from which possibly the tradition +of its having been the residence of Whittington arose. There was a +popular superstition that the cat's eyes followed the visitor as he +walked about the room. This house was taken down in 1801, but both it +and the house in Sweedon's Passage were reproduced in the interesting +Old London Street at the International Health Exhibition of 1884. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] _Catalogue of Chap Books, Garlands, &c._ 1849, p. 69. + +[2] Riley's _Memorials of London and London Life_, p. 534 (note). + +[3] Riley's _Memorials_, pp. 533-4. + +[4] The Royal Mandate, dated June 8, is printed in Riley's _Memorials_, +p. 545. + +[5] _Survey of London_, ed. Thoms, 1842, p. 41. + +[6] _Survey of London_, ed. Thoms, 1842, p. 162. + +[7] _Ibid._ p. 103. + + + * * * * * + + + + + THE + + FAMOUS AND REMARKABLE + + HISTORY + + OF + + SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON, + + THREE TIMES LORD MAYOR OF LONDON: + + + _who lived in the time of King Henry the Fifth in the year 1419, with + all the Remarkable Passages, and things of note, which happened in his + time: with his Life and Death._ + + + WRITTEN BY T. H. + + + _Printed by W. Thackeray and T. Passinger._ + + + + + _The Printer to the Reader._ + + +Courteous Reader,--I here present unto thee no strange or forreign news, +no imagination, or vain conceit of poetical fiction; neither do I tell +thee of Gallagantua or of the Red Rose Knight, nor such like stories; +but I here offer to thy view a true pattern of humility; being the glory +of our Kingdom, and raised to Honour by desert; the title tells you that +it is the life and death of Richard Whittington, who for his clemency +and understanding was three times chosen Lord Mayor of the Honourable +City of London, who always acknowledged his beginning to be of mean and +low rank; yet he was beloved of the King for his fidelity and trust, as +may appear in larger volumes, and the entertainment that he gave at his +own house to his Soveraign at several times: his bounty upon all +occasions, when the King wanted his purse; his love to the City and +Commons; which are not to be buried in oblivion, but rather to be +proclaimed as living monuments to all people of what condition soever, +to animate them never to be dejected though never so poor, as the story +will more at large declare; all which happened in the days of our +forefathers, and very probable it may be for us to believe; if we will +not give credit to former historians who will give the like to us in +future ages: read it through, and you will find something worthy +of note, and thou shall do thy self some pleasure and me a high +favour. _Vale._ + + + + + _The Life and Death of Sir Richard Whittington; + who was three times Lord Mayor of the + City of London._ + + +The saying is not so old as true, He that refuseth to buy counsel cheap +shall buy repentance dear; neither let any work [mock?] a man in his +misery, but rather beware by him how to avoid the like misfortune; if +thou intend to do any good, defer it not till the next day, for thou +knowest not what may happen over night to prevent thee. Behold thyself +in a looking glass, if thou appearest beautiful do such things as may +become thy beauty; but if thou seem foul or deformed, let the actions of +thy life make good that splendor which thy face lacketh. Tell not thy +mind to every man, make thy self indebted to no man, be friend to few +men, be courteous to all men, let thy wit be thy friend, thy mind thy +companion, thy tongue thy servant, let vertue be thy life, valour thy +love, honour thy fame and heaven thy felicity. These (Reader) be good +documents for thee to follow, and I am now to present thee with a +worthy president to imitate; observe his beginning, forget not the +middle passage of his life, and thou wilt no question crown his head. He +that made all things of nothing can of a little make much, and multiply +a mite into a magazine, as will easily appear by the succeeding history. + +This Richard Whittington was so obscurely born that he could scarcely +give account of his parents or kindred, and being almost starved in the +country, necessity compelled him up to London, hoping to find more +charity in the town than in the country: to beg he was ashamed, to steal +he did abhor: two days he spent in gaping upon the shops and gazing upon +the buildings feeding his eyes but starving his stomach. At length meer +faintness compell'd him to rest himself upon a bench before a merchant's +gate, where he not long sat but the owner of the house having occasion +of business into the town finding him a poor simple fellow, and thinking +that he had no more within him than appeared without, demanded of him +why he loytered there, and being able to work for his living did not +apply himself unto some lawful calling, threatning him at the first with +the stocks and the whipping-post; but the poor man, after the making of +some plain leggs and courtesie, desired him to pardon him, and told him +that he was a dejected man, who desired any imployment, and that no +pains how mean or course (_sic_) soever could seem tedious or +burthensome unto him, so he might but find some good master, by whose +charity he might relieve his present necessity: for his great ambition +was but to keep his body from nakedness and his stomach from hunger, +and told him withal how long it was since he had tasted meat or drink. + +The worthy merchant seeing him of a personable body, and an ingenious +aspect howsoever both were clouded under a rustick habit, began somewhat +to commiserate his estate, and knocking for a servant had him take in +that fellow and give him such victuals as the house for the present +afforded, and at his return he would have further conference with him. +The servant did as he was commanded and took him in. + +The merchant went then to the Exchange, which was then in Lumber Street, +about his affairs; in which intrim (_sic_) poor Whittington was hied +into the kitchin to warm himself, for faintness by reason of hunger and +cold (for it was then in the winter time) had quite rob'd him of his +colour. Meat was set before him in plenty, and being bred in the +country, as the proverb goeth, _He fed like a farmer_, and having +satisfied himself sufficiently and warm'd him to the full, a fresh +colour began to come into his cheeks: at which the Merchant's daughter +(hearing of a new come guest) came into the kitchin, and began to +question him of divers things concerning the country, to all which he +gave her such modest and sensible answers that she took a great liking +unto him, and so left him. + +Dinner time came, and Master Fitzwarren (for so was the merchant called) +came home with a good stomach, and brought a friend or two with him from +the Exchange; down they sat to meat, and had speech of many things at +the table; meanwhile the servants were set also at dinner, who would +needs have Whittington, though he had so lately broke his fast, to keep +them company, some of them delighting in his country speech, others +deriding his supposed simplicity. + +But to come to the purpose, the table being withdrawn in the parlour, +and the guests departed, and Master Fitzwarren and his daughter left +alone, she being of a good and gentle disposition, began to commend his +charity concerning the poor man whom he relieved that morning, to whom +he answered, God-a-mercy daughter, thou hast done well to remember me, +such a one I sent indeed, but have my servants done as I commanded them? +and where is he now? who answered him, that she had given order he +should stay dinner, and not depart the house till he himself had further +spoken with him. At which they both went unto the Hall, and called the +fellow before them; who appeared unto them with such a bashful humility +that it seemed to them both to beg a charity; some language past betwixt +them concerning him, which gave them content; at length they bid him +retire himself. + +When the father and the daughter had some private conference concerning +him she urged him to entertain him into his house, and that there would +be some employment for him, either to run or to go of errands or else to +do some drudgery in the kitchin, as making of fires, scouring kettles, +turning the spit, and the like: To whom the father reply'd that indeed +his work might be worth his meat, but he had no lodging to spare, and +she again answered that there were garrets in the house that were put to +no use at all, and in one of them he might conveniently be lodged and +put the house to no trouble at all. + +Well at length he was admitted, and made a member of the family, in +which he demeaned himself so well by his willingness to run or go or do +any service how mean so ever that he had got the good will of all the +whole houshold, only the kitchin maid being a curst quean, and knowing +him to be an under servant to her, domineered over him and used him very +coursely and roughly, of which he would never complain, though he had +cause enough. The garret in which he lay, by reason it had been long +unfrequented, was troubled with rats and mice, insomuch that he could +not sleep in the night but they ran over his face, and much disturb'd +him in his rest: to prevent which having got a penny either for going of +an errand, or for making clean boots or shooes or the like, with that he +bought a young cat which he kept in his garret, and whatsoever he had +from the reversion of the servants table he would be sure to reserve +part for her, because he had found by experience that she had rid him of +the former inconveniences. + +The History tells us that this merchant, Master Hugh Fitzwarren, was so +generous that he never adventured any ship to sea but he would have his +daughter, his cashire, and every one of his servants, whar (_sic_) or +whatsoever, to put in something, and to adventure with him, and +according to that proportion which they could spare, every one received +to a token at the return of the ship. His daughter she began, the rest +followed, and the servants borrowed out of their wages everyone +according to their abilities, and when they all had done Whittington was +remembered and called for, and his master telling him the custome of his +home, asked him what he had to hazard in this adventure, who replyed +again, he was a poor man, and had nothing in the world saving the +cloaths upon his back, but for money he had none at all: then his +daughter drew out her purse and told her father, that for his servant +Whittington she would lay down whatsoever he would desire. Who answered +again, that what she had spoke was nothing to the purpose; for +whatsoever was ventured in that kind must be out of ones proper goods +and chattels, and again demanded of him if he had anything he could call +his own to put to hazard, and charged him deeply concerning that point, +who making some unnecessary leggs, told him that he had nothing which he +could call his saving a cat, which he had bought with his penny, which +he could not spare because she had done him so many good offices, and +told them every circumstance before, related, which when the merchant +heard he told him that he should venture that commodity and none else, +and charged him to fetch her instantly (for the ship which was called +the Unicorn) was fallen down as low as Blackwal and all their lading +was already had aboard. Whittington although unwilling to part from so +good a companion yet being forced by his masters command by whom he had +his subsistence he brought her and (not without tears) delivered her to +his factor who was partly glad of her, by reason they were troubled with +mice and rats in the ship, which not only spoyled their victuals but +damaged their wares and commodities. + +I must leave the cat upon her voyage at sea and honest Whittington on +land, who by that cursed quean the kitchin maid was so beaten and abused +that he was as weary of his life as of his service: for she (usurping +upon his plainness and modesty) would be quarrelling with him, upon +every small or no occasion at all; sometimes beating him with the broom, +sometimes laying him over the shoulders with a laddle, the spit or what +came next to her hands, being of so dogged a disposition that she still +continued her cruelty towards him, and therefore he resolved with +himself to run away, and for that purpose he had bundled up those few +clothes which he had, and before day broke was got as far as Bunhill, +and then he sat down to consider with himself what course he were best +to take; where by chance (it being all-hallows day) a merry peal from +Bow Church began to ring, and as he apprehended they were tun'd to this +ditty,-- + + Turn again Whittington, Lord Mayor of London, + Turn again Whittington, Lord Mayor of London. + +This took such a great impression in him, that finding how early it was, +and that he might yet come back in his masters house before any of the +family were stirring, he resolved to go back, and found every thing +according to his own wishes and desires, insomuch that when the +household were up none could challenge him to have been missing. And +thus he continued as before in his first plainness and honesty, well +beloved of all save the kitchin drudge; I come now to tell you what +became of his adventure. + +It so hapned that this goodly ship Unicorn was by contrary gusts and bad +weather driven upon the utmost coast of Barbary, where never any +Englishman (or scarce any Christian) had ever traded before, where they +showed their commodities and offered them to be vended. The Moors came +down in multitudes, much taken with the beauty of their ship, for they +had never seen any of that bigness or burthen before, but when they had +taken a serious view of their commodities as hatchets, knives and +looking-glasses, fish-hooks, &c. but especially their cloth and kersies +of several sizes and colours, they brought them gold in abundance for it +was more plentiful with them then (_sic_) lead or copper with us. + +Presently the news was carryed to the king who sent some of his chief +nobility to bring him some sorts of every commodity that was aboard, +which when he saw they pleased him highly, sending for the master and +merchants factor to court. He at their own rate bargained with them for +their whole lading, nor would he suffer them to depart till he had +feasted them royally. + +Now the fashion of the Moors is not to sit at the table as the custom is +among us, but to have a rich carpet spread upon the ground, and when the +meal or banquet is served in, as well the king himself as the rest sit +round about cross-legg'd as taylors commonly used to do upon their +shop-boards, and in that manner our English are set at the king's +banquet, but the meal was no sooner served in but swarms of rats and +mice seized upon the dishes, and snatched away the meat even from the +king and queen's trenchers: at which the factor being annoyed asked one +of the nobility (by an interpreter) if they preserved those vermin for +sport, or if they were noysome, and troublesome unto them: who answered +him again, that they were the greatest vexation unto them that could be +possible, and by reason of their multitudes they could not be destroyed, +but the king would willingly give half the revenue of his crown if he +could but only clear the court of them, for not only his table but his +very bed-chamber swarmed with them, insomuch that he durst not lay him +down to rest without a watch about him, to keep them off his pillow: To +whom the factor replyed, that they had a strange beast aboard which he +made no doubt would rid them of those vermine: which being told the king +he rose from his place and imbracing the factor told him if he could +shew him such a creature he would ballast his vessel with silver and +lade her with gold and pearl. Who apprehending the occasion made very +coy of the business, telling him it was a creature of great value and +not common. Besides they could not spare her from the ship, in regard +when they were asleep yet she was still waking in the night, not only to +preserve their merchandise but there dyet from the like spoyl. The more +dainty that he made of the matter the more earnest was the king for this +beast, insomuch that he was presently sent for. + +And a second feast being prepared and the rats and mice appearing as +they did before, the young merchant having the cat under his cloak the +king desired to see the thing which he had before so much commended; +when presently he discovered her, and cast her among them; she no sooner +saw these vermine but fell upon them with such a fury that here lay one +panting, there another quite dead; nor left them till she had frighted +and disperst the whole number, but such as she seized their carkasses +lay there as witnesses of their unexpected slaughter. + +Great pleasure took the king and the nobility in the sport, vowing that +the hunting of the lyon (of which there was plenty in that country) was +not answerable unto it. In the interim one began to praise her for her +colour, another commending her for her valour, one said she had the +countenance of a lyon, and every one gave his sentence. When the poor +cat finding no more work for her to do, went round to the King and Queen +purling and curling (as their manner is), which they apprehended to be, +as if she inquired of them what she had deserved for that late service. + +To cut off circumstance, no price could part them, and the rather when +the factor had told the king that she was with kittens, and that her +brood would in some few years, being carefully lookt into, furnish the +whole kingdom, so that Whittingtons cats adventure only surmounted all +the ships lading beside, with which fortune and unexpected gain we bring +them safe into England; the ship lying at anchor near Blackwal, and the +Pilot and Cape-merchant, with some other officers in the ship at Mr. +Fitzwarrens house, which was by Leaden-Hall, to give accompt of their +voyage. But these caskets of jewels and pearls, with other unvaluable +(_sic_) riches which were given for the cat, they caused to be brought +along, not daring, by reason of their inestimable value, to trust them +in the ship. The Bills of lading and the benefit of the return of the +Commodities being viewed and considered of by the owner, he praised God +for so prosperous a voyage, and called all his servants and gave order +that according to their adventures every one should receive his portion. + +At length casting his eye upon those rich caskets and cabinets, he asked +to whose share they belonged; who whispered him in the ear, and told +him to his poor Whittington, relating every particular as is before +discoursed. To whom Master Fitzwarren replyed, if they then be his, God +forbid I should keep from him the least farthing that is his right, and +presently commanded Whittington to be sent for by the name of Mr. +Whittington. + +The servants not knowing anything of the business, went unto him into +the kitchin, where he was then rubbing the spits, scouring the kettles, +and making clean the dressers, and told him he must come to his Master +presently into the parlor. The poor man excused himself, that his shooes +were dirty and the room was rubb'd, and if he should but touch any thing +there he should spoyl and deface those things in the room. But still the +master of the House called for Master Whittington, sending one servant +after another till he was brought before him; and having scraped some +few legs, instantly his master took him by the hand, and called for a +chair for Master Whittington, his daughter, the pilot, and the factor, +every one of them saluted him by the name of Mr. Whittington and forced +him to sit down. He wondering what this should mean desired them not to +mock a poor simple man who meant none any harm, &c. and wept (the tears +dropping from his eyes), desiring them not to deride his poverty, for +his ambition was never to come so high as from the kitchin to the hall +much more from the hall to the parlor. + +Then came his master to him seriously and said, Indeed Mr. Whittington, +we are all in very good earnest, for you are at this time a better man +than myself in estate, and then shewed him all those cabinets and +caskets, and how richly they were lined. + +When he perceived by all their earnest asservations that all was true he +first fell down upon his knees and gave God most hearty thanks, who out +of his great bounty would vouchsafe to cast an eye upon so poor and +wretched a creature as himself; then turning to his master he presented +all his riches before him and told him that all he had was at his +disposing and service, who answered him again, that for his own part God +had sent him sufficient of his own, neither would he take from him the +value of one Barbary ducket. He came nere and with a low leg saluted his +mistris, and told her that when she pleased to make choice of a husband +he would make her the richest marriage in London, because she was so +willing out of her own purse (when he was altogether penniless) to lay +out for his adventure. To the pilot, and master, and every officer, and +common saylor he gave liberal according to their degree, even to the +ship boy, and then to every servant of the house, nay to the very +kitchin wench who was so churlish unto him, and had so often basted him +instead of her roast meats; having caused her to be called unto him he +gave her an hundred pounds towards her marriage. + +This being done, taylors were sent for, sempsters and the like to put +him into cloaths and linnen of the best, who were to accommodate him +with all speed possible, and his lodging in the garret was chang'd into +the best chamber of the house. And when the barber had been with him and +the rest to make him compleat in his habit, there was a strange and +sudden metamorphosis; for out of a smoky and dirty kitchin-drudge there +appeared a proper and well-proportioned man, and gentile merchant, in so +much that his young mistris began to cast a more amorous eye upon him +than before, which not a little pleased Master Fitzwarren her father, +who intended a match betwixt them. + +The brute of this great adventure was presently revised through the +whole city, insomuch that his master intreated his late servant to walk +with him into the Exchange to see the fashion of the merchants, which he +did, when all of them came about him and saluted him, some bid God give +him joy of his fortune, others desired of him better and further +acquaintance, and every one as his several fancy led him: some commended +him for his person, others for his modest answers and discreet carriage. +Indeed, wealth is able to make all these good where they are most +wanting, which was not in him as appears by the sequel. + +Within few weeks the match was propounded betwixt Master Whittington +and Mistris Alice, and willingly entertained by both parties and not +without great cost, with the invitation of the Lord Mayor and the +Aldermen very nobly celebrated, and the bridegroom by this means had got +acquaintances with the best. + +After this his father-in-law demanded of his son what he purposed to +take in hand (his freedom being offered him). Who made answer again that +since God had so blest him in his small adventure he would not leave it +of so, but prove his goodness in a greater, and that his purpose was to +turn merchant, which reply gave him no small content in regard he knew +the best among them would be glad to have the society of so hopeful a +citizen, which he continued adventuring in divers bottoms with his +father, and had very happy and prosperous returns. + +The time being come when he was prickt for Sheriff he modestly refused +it as unable to take so great a charge, and would willingly have paid +his fine, which his father-in-law would not suffer, at whose persuasion +he took the place upon him, in which he so well behaved himself in the +management of all affairs belonging to his office that he not only left +it without the least taxation, but with a general love and approbation, +insomuch that the universal eye of the whole city was fixt upon him in +an hopeful expectation what a profitable member of that united body he +might futurely prove, and this hapned in the year of our Lord 1493, Sir +John Hodley grocer being mayor and Drewerie Barentine his fellow +Sheriff, of the truth of which Mr. Fabian in his _Chronicle_ and Mr. +John Stow in his _Survey of London_ can fully satisfie you. + +In the year 1497 and the one and twentieth of the same Kings reign, Sir +Richard Whittington was Lord Mayor of London, John Woodcok and William +Askam being Sheriffs, and he held the place with great reputation and +honour. In which time of his Mayoralty there was much discontent in the +kingdom, by reason of many differences betwixt the King and the Commons; +the circumstances whereof were here too long to relate, only one thing +is worthy of observation that whether by his adventures or no may it be +questioned, bringing in yearly such store of gold, silks, sattins, +velvets, damasks, stones, and jewels, &c. into the kingdom might be the +cause of that great pride and rioting in apparel which was used in those +days. But as Harding, Fabian, and others have left to me how in that +year of his Mayoralty and after there resorted to the Kings Court at +their pleasures daily, at the least ten thousand persons. In his kitchin +were three hundred servitors, and in every office according to that +rate. Moreover of ladies, chambermaids, and laundresses about three +hundred, and they all exceeded in gorgeous and costly apparel far above +their degrees; for even the yeomen and grooms were clothed in silks and +velvets, damasks, and the like, with imbroydery, rich furs, and +goldsmiths work, devising very strange and new fashions. + +And in this year also, about the feast of St. Bartholomew, grew a great +discord betwixt the Duke of Hereford and Mowbery, Duke of Norfolk, the +beginning thereof being as followeth: The two Dukes riding from the +Parliament towards their lodgings, the Duke of Norfolk said to the +other, Sir, you see how variable the King is in his words, and +(reflecting upon what had past) how without mercy he putteth his Lords +and kinsfolks to death, imprisoning some and exciting others. Therefore +it behoveth us not too much to trust to his fair and smooth language, +for doubtless in time he will bring even to us the like death and +destruction. Of which words he accused him to the King, which the other +denying it was to be tryed by combate. The lists were appointed and the +day of meeting the eleventh day of September, to which place and on the +day assigned came both the Dukes and bravely accoutred, appeared before +the King ready to enter into battel; when the King threw down his +warder, and staying the combate banished the Duke of Hereford for ten +years, but the Duke of Norfolk for ever, was travelling many countries, +at the last came to Venice and then ended his life. + +Again in 1406, and in the eighth of Henry the fourth, Sir Richard +Whittington was the second time Lord Mayor, Nicholas Worton and Geffery +Brook being Sheriffs. Again in the year 1409, being the seventh year of +Henry the fifth, he supplyed the Pretorship, Robert Whittington (his +near Kinsman) and John Butler being Sheriffs, and which is more +remarkable of him then of any other that ever preceded him in that place +of honour, he was once Sheriff and three times Lord Mayor of this famous +and honourable City in three several Kings reigns. + +Now to cut off all circumstances and come close to the matter, we may +easily find what this man was, by the pious and religious acts done in +his life to the Cities present grace, use and benefit, and to his own +blessed memory for ever. + +In the Vintry-ward he built a church and dedicated it to S. Michael +calling it Pater Noster in the Royal, and added to it a Colledge founded +to St. Mary, and placed therein a President and four fellows which ought +to be masters of arts, besides other yearly allowance to clerks and +young schollars, near which he erected an Hospital which he called God's +house, for thirteen poor men, and there according to the devout +superstition of those days were to pray for the souls of his +father-in-law Hugh Fitzwarren and Dame Molde his wife, for whom he +erected a fair tomb in the church he before built, leaving also a place +for himself and Dame Alice his lady when it should please God to call +them. In which place they were afterwards both of them according to +their degree very honourably interred, great mourning and much +lamentation being made for him by the Commons of the City in regard he +was a man so remarkable for his charity. + +He builded another brave structure which he called after his own name +Whittington Colledge, with a perpetual allowance for Divinity Lectures +to be read there for ever, leaving good land for the maintenance +thereof. + +And on the west side of the City he built that famous gate and prison to +this day called Newgate, and thereupon caused the Merchants arms to be +graven in stone. He added to St. Bartholomew's Hospital in Smithfield +and was at the charge of repairing thereof. + +Further at the Grey-Fryars in London he erected a Library as a testimony +of the great love he had to Learning, which he began in the year of our +Lord 1421 and finished it in the year following. Moreover that place +which is called the Stocks to this day, betwixt Cheapside and Cornhill, +a good house of stone, which for a flesh market and a fish market +greatly beneficial to the City. + +Besides he enlarged Guild Hall and glazed most or all of the windows at +his own costs or charges, paving the Hall and contributing largely to +the Library, adding to those places a conduit which yieldeth store of +sweet and wholesome water to the general good and benefit of the City. + +In the year 1497, when Sir Richard Whittington was first elected Lord +Mayor, that rebel Sir John Oldcastle was taken in the territories of the +Lord Powess, not without danger and hurt of some that took him, at which +time all the States of the realm were assembled at Parliament in +London, therein to provide the King of a subsidy and other aid of money +and ammunition, who took great pains beyond the seas in France. These +Lords and others when they heard that the publick enemy was taken they +agreed all not to dissolve the Parliament, until he were examined, and +heard to answer in the same. Whereupon the Lord Powess was sent for to +fetch him up with power and great aid, who brought him to London in a +lyter wounded very much having received seventeen wounds and also a +clerk which he called his Secretary with him that was of his counsel in +all his secrecy. As soon as the aforesaid Sir John Oldcastle was brought +into the Parliament before the Earl of Bedford who was then left Regent +and Governour of the Realm in the time of the King's absence being in +France and other Lords and States, his indictment being read before him +of his forcible insurrection against the King and State in St. Gyles's +Fields, and other treasons and outrages by him committed, the question +was asked how he could excuse himself and show why he should not be +judged to dye according to the law. But he seeking other talk and +discourse of the mercies of God, and that all mortal men that would be +followers of God ought to prefer mercy above judgment and that vengeance +pertained only to the Lord, and ought not to be practised by them that +worship, but to be left to God alone, with many other words to protract +the time, until the Lord Chief Justice admonished the Regent not to +suffer him to spend the time so vainly, in molesting the nobles of the +Realm, whereupon the Duke of Bedford, Regent, commanded him to answer +formally and punctually to the matter laid to his charge. + +Then said Sir John, being thus urged at last after deliberation taken, +he said, It is the least thing that I account of to be judged by you as +of man's judgment, and again he began to talk, but nothing to the +purpose until the Chief Justice commanded him again to answer finally, +and to answer them if he could, why he should not suffer death according +to his desert. To which he stoutly answered that he had no judge amongst +them, so long as his liege Lord King Richard was alive and in his realm +of Scotland, which answer when he had made, because there needed no +further witness, he was then presently censured to be drawn and hanged +on a gallows and then to be burnt hanging upon the same, which judgment +was executed upon him the thirtieth day of December in St. Gyles's +Fields, where many honourable persons were present, and the last words +that he spake were to Sir Thomas Upingham, adjuring him that if he saw +him rise from death to life again the third day he would procure that +his sect which he had raised might be in peace and quiet. He was hanged +by the neck in a chain of iron and after consumed by fire. + +Moreover it is recorded that in the time of this worthy pretor Sir +Richard Whittington the glorious city of Constantinople was taken by +Mahomet the Second, Prince of the Turks, whose souldiers sacked it with +all extremity and omitted no manners of cruelty by violence to either +virgins, aged women, or sucking babes. This Sir Richard Whittington had +traffick from thence by his factors which there abode, and were then +taken prisoners, so that he lost near upon fifteen thousand pounds, +which when he heard of never was so much as cast down or dismayed, but +said God will send more; yea such was the incessant practice of the +Turkish tyranny upon this imperial city, as it exceeded the damage, +rapes and spoyls of other cities. They also beheaded at the same time +Constantine, sticking his head upon a launce, and with derision caused +it to be carried thorow the Turkish camp. + +In the space of a week after, there hapned a horrible tempest of thunder +and lightning which burned almost eight hundred houses and spoiled three +thousand people at the sacking of the aforesaid city by the said +Mahomet. The Turks found therein so much treasure that they wondred that +the citizens would not spend it in souldiers for their own defence, but +so dotingly to spare the true spending thereof to become an enticing +prey for their irreconcileable enemies, for indeed it was thought that +if the State would have hired souldiers, and given them good pay they +might have raised the siege of the Turks. It is an old and true saying, +Covetousness is the mother of ruine and mischief. + +This strange thing happened in the second time that he was elected Lord +Mayor and that was upon the twenty-seventh of April, being Tuesday in +Easter week: William Foxley, Pot maker for the Mint in the Tower of +London, fell asleep, and so continued sleeping and snoring and could not +be wakened with pricking, cramping, or otherwise burning or whatsoever +till the first day of the term, which was full 14 days and 15 nights. +The cause of this his sleeping could not be known though the same was +diligently searched for by the King's Command of his Physicians and +other learned men, yea the King himself examined the said William +Foxley, who was in all points sound at his awaking to be as if he had +slept but one night, and yet lived 41 years after. But in length of time +did call to mind how he did wish to God that he might sleep a fortnight +together if it was not so and so concerning a bargain between a +neighbour of his and himself. + +One Thursday in Whitson week following the Duke of Somerset with Anthony +Rivers and four others kept Justs and Tournament before the King and +Queen and others of the nobility in the Tower of London, against three +Esquires of the Queen's Bedchamber, which were performed before some of +the French nobility that then were Prisoners to the King, which he took +in France, to the great admiration of those strangers who never saw the +like action before, being so earnestly performed. There was also Sir +Richard Whittington and the two Sheriff's, and that night the King and +Queen did sup with the Lord Mayor. + +Those strangers which beheld those Justs were prisoners in the Tower at +that time, namely, the Duke of Orleance and Burbon, brother to the Duke +of Britain, the Earls of Vaudosine, of Ewe and Richmond, and the High +Marshal of France, and many other Knights and Esquires to the number of +seven hundred, all which were at one time prisoners to the King, but +nobly used and attended every one according to their rank and quality, +who when they were ransomed made it known to their King how honourably +they were attended in England, and what respect the King and our English +nation shewed them being prisoners who might have taken their lives away +as well as their persons prisoners. + +The second thing that was remarkable in Sir Richard Whittington's year +was that the King kept his Christmas at Lambeth, and at the feast of +Purification seven Dolphins of the sea came up to the River of Thames +and played there up and down until four of them were kill'd. + +On Saturday the eve of St. Michael the Archangel the year following, in +the morning before day, betwixt the hour of one and two of the Clock, +began a terrible earthquake with Lightning and thunder which continued +the space of six hours, and that universally through the whole world, so +that most men thought the world as then would have ended. The +unreasonable beasts roared and drew to the town with a hideous noise, +also the fowls of the ayr cryed out, such was the work of God at that +time to call his people to repentance. + +The four and twentieth day of January following a battel or combat was +fought in Smithfield within the lists before the King between the men of +Feversham in Kent, John Upton Notary Appelant and John Down Gentleman +defendant. John Upton accused John Down that he and his compiers should +design the King's death on the day of his Coronation following. When +they had fought somewhat long and received each of them some wounds, and +still persisting in their violent action and no hopes to find out the +truth, the King took up the matter and forgave both parties. + +On Candlemas eve following in divers places of England was great +weathering of wind, hail, snow, rain with thunder and lightning, whereby +the church of Baldock in Hertfordshire and the church and part of the +town of Walden in Essex, with other neighbouring villages, were sore +shaken, and the steeple of St. Pauls in London about two in the +afternoon was set on fire in the midst of the shaft first on the west +side and then on the south, and divers people espying the fire came to +quench it in the steeple, which they did with vinegar, so far as they +could find, so that when the Lord Mayor with much people came to Pauls +to have holpen if need had been they returned again every man to his own +home, trusting in God all had been well, but anon after between eight +and nine of the clock the fire burst out again afresh out of the +steeple, by reason of the wind more hot and fervent then before, and did +much hurt to the lead and timber thereof. Then the Lord Mayor and many +people came thither again and with vinegar quenched the fire which was +so violent, but no man received any hurt. + +Moreover in Sir Richard Whittington's time lived one Richard Fleming, +Bishop of Lincoln, in the year 1430 who founded Lincoln Colledge in +Oxford, which was afterwards in Richard the third's time in the year of +our Lord 1479 by Thomas Rotherham Bishop of the same sea (_sic_) much +augmented and enlarged with great revenues. Likewise Magdalen Colledge +in Oxford was built by William Wainfleet Bishop of Winchester, who was a +loving and constant friend to Sir Richard Whittington and did much good +in many parts of this kingdom, and the said Sir Richard did largely +contribute to these and the like pious uses by the intreaty of this +Bishop. + +In the year of our Lord 1419, in which Sir Richard Whittington was the +third time inaugurated into the Mayoralty as is before mentioned King +Henry the fifth, who having conquered the greatest part of France and +espoused Katherine sole daughter to the King and heir to the crown, +taking leave of his father-in-law, embarked with his Royal bride and +landed at Dover upon Candlemas Day, leaving in France for his deputy his +brother the Duke of Clarence, from thence arrived in London the +fourteenth day of February, and the Queen came thither the one and +twentieth day of the same month, being met upon Black-Heath by the Lord +Mayor and three hundred aldermen and prime citizens in gold chains and +rich costly habits with other sumptuous and brave devices as pageants, +speeches and shows to the great delight and content of both their +Maiesties. + +The four and twentieth day of February following being St. Mathew's Day +her coronation was solemnized in St. Peter's Church in Westminster; +which being ended, she was afterwards royally conveyed into the great +hall and there under a rich canopy of State sat to dinner, upon whose +right hand sate at the end of the table the Lord Archbishop's grace of +Canterbury and Henry called the rich Cardinal Bishop of Winchester, upon +the left hand of the Queen sat the King of Scots in a chair of State, +and was served with covered dishes, as the Bishops were. But after them +and upon the same side next to the Boards end were seated the Dutchess +of York and Countess of Huntington, the Earl of March holding a scepter +in his hand, kneeling upon the right side, the Earl Marshal in the like +manner kneeled upon the left hand of the Queen: the Countess of Kent sat +under the table at the right foot, and the Countess Marshal at the left +foot of her Majesty. + +Humphery Duke of Glocester was that day overseer and stood before the +Queen bareheaded, Sir Richard Newel was carver and the Earl of Suffolk's +brother cup-bearer, Sir John Stewart, Sewer, the Lord Clifford (instead +of the Earl of Warwick) Pantler, the Lord Willoby (instead of the Earl +of Arundel) chief Butler, the Lord Gray Caterer, Naperer, the Lord +Audley (in the stead of the Earl of Cambridge) Almner, the Earl of +Worcester was Lord high Marshal, who rode about the Hall on a great +courser, with many tip-staves about him to make room in the Hall. In the +which Hall next after the Queen, the Barons of the Cinque Ports began +the table, upon the right hand towards St. Steven's Capel (_sic_), and +beneath them at the table sat the Vouchers of the Chancery, and upon the +left hand next to the cupboard sat Sir Richard Whittington (now the +third time Lord Mayor) and his brethren the Aldermen of London. The rest +of the Bishops began the table over against the Baron of the Cinque +Ports, and the ladies and chief noble-women the table against the Lord +Mayor and the Aldermen, at which two tables of the Bishops the Bishop of +London and the Bishop of Durham sat highest at the one and the Countess +of Stafford and the Countess of March on the other. And for ordering of +the service divers chief lords were appointed officers as Steward, +Controuler, Surveyor, and the like, which places were supplyed by the +Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, the Lord Fizmur, the Lord +Farneval, the Lord Gray of Wilton, the Lord Feres of Groby, the Lord +Poynings, the Lord Harrington, the Lord Ducy, the Lord Daker, the Lord +Delaware, &c. + +I have shewed you onely the ordering of this rich feast, but the cost +and sumptuousness of the fare would ask too long and large a +circumstance to discourse; what I have hitherto done was onely to show +to the world that at those high solemnities inaugurations and +coronations the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Aldermen have +place, and their presence is still required; the City being the King's +Chamber and in an interregnum he the first and prime officer in the +kingdom. But I fear I have dwelt too long on the premises which I hope +none will hold for an unnecessary deviation. I come now to discourse +unto you of Sir Richard Whittington's invitation of the King and Queen +into the City when he bountifully feasted them in his own house at his +own proper charge. + +How great and magnificent the Londoners feasts be even amongst +themselves especially at that high and pompous festival at Guild-Hall +the day after Simon and Jude, at the solemn inauguration of his Lordship +who but knows, as also the ordinary Tables of the Lord Mayor and the +Sheriffs where there is free and generous entertainment for all men of +fashion and quality, the like both for plenty of dishes and order of +service is not elsewhere to be or found through Europe. If then their +daily provision be so curious and costly, what may we think their +variety and rarity was at the invitation and entertainment of two such +great majesties? I must therefore leave it to the Readers imagination +being so far transcending my expression. Let it therefore give +satisfaction to any one that shall doubt thereof, that it was performed +to the everlasting reputation of the honour of the city and great +content of these royal personages invited. The bounty of the table not +to be question'd. I come now to the fire that he made in the Presence +chamber where the King and Queen then dined, which was only of sweet and +odoriferious (_sic_) wood, far exceeding the smell of juniper, for it +was mixed with mace, cinnamon, and other rare and costly spices, which +did cast such a pleasant and delightful savor through the room that it +pleased his majesty to call him unto him and say, my good Lord Mayor, +though your fare be choice, costly and abundant, yet above all things I +have observed in your noble entertainment this fire which you have +provided for me gives me more content. To whom Sir Richard Whittington +making a low obeysance made answer, It much rejoyceth me dread Soveraign +that any that remaineth in my power can give your highness the least +cause to be pleased, but since you praise this fire already made I +purpose ere your sacred majesty depart the house to entertain you with +one (I hope) that shall content you much better. The King not thinking +it could be possible desired him to make a proof thereof, when he +(having before provided himself for that purpose) brought a great bundle +of Bonds, Indentures and Covenants under his arm, said thus to the King, +Royal Soveraign to whom I owe both my fortunes and my life, I have here +a faggot of purpose left for this fire, which I hope will smell much +more sweetly than the first in your nostrils, for saith he, here is +first your Highness security for ten thousand marks, lent you for the +maintainance of your royal wars in France, by the Right Worshipful +Company of the Mercers, which I here cancel and cast into the fire, +fifteen hundred lent by the City to our Majesty I send after the former, +two thousand marks borrowed of the Grocers Company, three thousand of +the Merchant Taylors, one thousand of the Drapers, one thousand of the +Skinners, one thousand of the Ironmongers, one thousand of the Merchant +Staplers, of the Goldsmiths three thousand, of the Haberdashers as much, +of the Vintners, Brewers and Brown Bakers three thousand marks. All +these you see are cancel'd and burnt, saith he, with divers other bonds +for money lent by my father in law Aldermen Fitzwarren for the payment +of your souldiers in France, which coming unto me by executorship I have +taken in and discharged. + +Others there likewise due to me of no small sums by divers of your +nobility here present, all which with the former I have sacrificed to +the love and honour of my dread sovereign, amounting to the sum of three +score thousand pounds sterling, and can your Majesty (saith he) desire +to sit by a fire of more sweet scent and savour? At this the King was +much extasi'd and the rather because it came unexpectedly and from so +free a spirit, and embracing him in his arms said unto him that he +thought never King had such a subject, and at his departure did him all +the grace and honour that could descend from a King to a subject, +promising him moreover that he should ever stand in the first rank of +those whom he favoured. And so the Lord Mayor bearing the sword before +their two most sacred Majesties as far as Temple Bar the King for his +former service and his most kind and loving entertainment at that time, +and the noble men for that extraordinary courtesie offered them all +unitely (_sic_) and unanimously commended his goodness, applauded his +bounty and wished that he might live to perpetual memory and so bid both +him and the City for that time adieu. + +To omit all other circumstances having acquainted you with the poor and +mean estate of this Sir Richard Whittington when he came first into the +City of London, and by what means he was relieved in his miserable +poverty, as also the fortunate success of his small adventure whereby he +was raised unto so great honour, that he became the Cities Governour, +and how discreetly and wisely he behaved in his authority and office, +gaining thereby the love and probation (_sic_) of all men. And further +having shewed you what goodly buildings have been raised by his great +cost and charge, as one church, two colledges, and certain almshouses, +with yearly means left for the maintenance of all such as shall be +admitted into them, and many other charitable acts performed by him +which are before related, to the great good and benefit of the City, and +what things of note happened in his time, I will now conclude with +Master Stow, O that London had a Park near adjoining to it, stored with +such Deer (as doubtless it hath, though not easily known) for some build +Alms houses, free schools, causies and Bridges in needful and necessary +places, others repair ruinated and decayed churches, relieving Hospitals +in a bountiful manner, and are weekly benefactors to Prisons and those +performed by such agents faithfully, that the true bestowers are not +publicly noted, howsoever they may be easily supposed. But the glory +they seek to invade here will (no doubt) for ever shine on them +elsewhere. And that great God who hath created us, and plentifully +distributed in his great bounty all things to men, and yet not given all +things to any one man, lest it might take away that necessary commerce +and mutual society which ought to be amongst us, stir up the minds of +more of them to imitate at least, though not to exceed them in their +bounty and liberality. + + +FINIS. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The History of Sir Richard Whittington, by T. H. + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HISTORY OF SIR RICHARD *** + +***** This file should be named 17652-8.txt or 17652-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/6/5/17652/ + +Produced by Julie Barkley, Janet Blenkinship and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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