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Book Wn. /4' «^ ^

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

' i

y///' trite portraietitre of RlClIAltl) WJIJTIXGTOX, thriisr Lord Muior of
Lo)idn», a rertmus nnd godly man, full of good Works (and those famous) ; he huilded
the (late of London, ealled Newegate, uhich before teas a miserable doungeon. He huilded
Vhitinglon Colledge, & made it an Ahnose house for poore people. Also he huilded a
grente parte of ,/ hospitall of S. Bartholomeues in Vestsmith field in London. lie also
huilded the heautifull Lihrarij at y' Grag Friers in Lovdon. ealled Christe's Ilospitnll ;
Also he huilded the Guilde Halle Chappell, and inereased a greate parte of the East
ende of the sai.d halle. Inside ininni othrr iiund vorkes.

niK 3I()I)EL MEIICHAXT

01' THE MIDDLE xVGES.

KXlOiriJlTKI) IN TIIK

STOEV OF WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT

BEING

AX ATTEMPT 10 KKSCUK THAT TXTERKSTING STOKY FROM THE REGION OF

FABLE, AND TO PLACE IT IN ITS PROPER POSITION IN THE

LEGITIMATE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY.

REV. SAMUEL LYSONS, M.A.,

ItECTOU or RODMARTOX, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, AND PEKPETIAI,

CURATE OF ST. LUKE'S, GLOUCESTER;

AUTHOR or "'the ROMANS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE," " .«SOP's FABLES

CHRISTIANIZED," ETC.

Now I think of the somic

Of Merchandy — Richard of M'hitingdoii,
That Loade stcrro and chief chosen floure ;
What hath by liim our England of honoure .-
And what profit Iiath been of his riches ?
And vet lasteth daily of his worthinesse."

Libd of Etiglaiid' s Policie, &o.,

printed in Ilackluvt's Collection.

LONDON :

HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO.. .33, PATEItNOSTEI! KOAV

(GLOUCESTER :
A. LEA. 2, WESTGATE STREET.

1860.

cr

.^^

THIS MEMOIR

OF ONE OF THE MOST

DISTINGUISHED MEN OF THEIR COUNTY,

(IN THE HOPE THAT THE

EXAMPLE THEREIN CONTAINED MAY BE

EXTENSIVELY FOLLOWED,)

IS AFFECTIONATELY

DEDICATED TO THE YOUTH OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE,

BY THEIR SINCERE FRIEND,

SAMUEL LYSONS.
Uempsted Court,

September Vdth, 18C0.

923134

"All thynges in this book that ye shidl rede,
Doe as ye lyst, there shall no manne you binde
Them to belcve as surely as your ercdc ;
But notwithstanding eertes in my myndo,
I durst well swere as true ye shall them fynde,
In every point each answer by and by,
As are the judgements of Astronomy e."

Sir Thos, More to them that seeic fortune.

' Sccst thou a man diligent in his business ? He shall stand before kings : he shall
not stand before mean men." — Proverbs xxii. 29.

PREFACE.

If books wore as scarce in the present day as they Avere at
the time when the subject of this Memoir lived, no apology woiild
be needed for adding one more small volume to the catalogue of
existing publications ; but when the author himself admits the im-
possibility of making acquaintance with even a thousandth part
of the literature of the age in which he lives, some sort of excuse
ought, perhaps, to be offered for obtruding another volume, however
small, upon a public already satiated with food for the mind.
In the present instance he feels that the subject of his bio-
graphical notice has never met with the commonest justice; that
his hero has hitherto been made the handle of a mere childish
romance ; * that he has been cast aside as a myth by some graver
writers, or has been so misrepresented in the histories hitherto presented
to the public, which are full of inaccuracies and anachronisms, that
it seems difficult to place his story in its true light, so as to claim
for so distinguished a character his proper place in the biography
of our country : ho trusts, therefore, that this notice of so cele-
brated a man will not be thought altogether out of place. The
author wishes it to be clearly understood that this little work does
not pretend to give a full development of the life and character
of Eichard "WTiittington ; it is simply thrown out as an essay,
compiled from documents which have come under the author's

* The author fully believes that ninety-nine persons out of a hundred are not
aware that the history of Eichard "Whittington is anj-thing else than a romance,
or child's story, and have no idea that he had a real existence.

PREFACE.

notice — attracted as he was to the subject by the fact of his having
in his possession an early copy of Elstrack's rare and curious
engraving of Whittington, coupled with the further discovery that
he was a fellow-County-man — and has gradually extended itself to
its present length out of its original intention, simply as an in-
structive and entertaining lecture to the inhabitants of his county
town, and is presented to the public at the earnest request of many
who heard it. Being unwilling therefore to place before his readers
any statements which he could not substantiate by documentary and
other evidence, he has taken such pains as time and opportunity
have allowed, in the midst of a variety of other pursuits, to collect
materials from authentic records which may, he trusts, lead others
who have more time at their disposal to give some attention to the
subject, and follow out the biography of a man so pre-eminently
worthy of an abler pen and greater research.

The author has to acknowledge his especial obligations to Mr.
Brewer, the able Secretary of the City of London School, and author
of the Life of John, Carpenter, (one of Whittington' s executors,) for
the assistance he has given him, in most liberally lending him a
collection of notes which he had himself made with a view to a
similar biography. His thanks are also due to Henry Eugene
Barnes, Esq., Clerk to the Mercers' Company, for permission to
inspect the original Ordinances of Whittington' s Hospital and other
interesting documents in the possession of that Honorable Company.
He would also wish to record his thanks to Sir Charles Young,
Garter King at Arms, to Mr. Courthopc, Somerset Herald,
and Mr. Addams, of the Heralds' College, London, for the kind
manner in which they placed the documents of the College at
liis disposal.

THE MODEL MERCHANT

MIDDLE AGES.

' ELL do I remember the extreme
delight -with which, when a boy,
I revelled in the popular story of
TJluttington " and his Cat. I con-
fess that I took an immense
interest in the narrative — an
interest, perhaps, only surpassed
by the disappointment! have felt
in after life in hearing, on all sides, that it was a mere fiction, simply a tale
made up to amuse children. Nevertheless, a certain amount of desultory
reading, in which I have indulged in later years, introducing to my
notice passages scattered here and there in historical and old topogra-
phical works, coupled with a very curious and ancient portrait which I
have in my possession, have called ray attention to the question of the
reality of my hero's existence, and have led me to make further in-
quiries into the subject. The result is that, strange as many parts
of the story may be, it appears, to my mind, to have a strong claim to
admission into a prominent place in the history and biography of our
country. It is with the view, therefore, of rescuing this interesting

a The name of "Wliittington is written in various -ways : — "Whitingdon,
Whytynton, Whityngdon, Whittington, Whyttyngton, Wityndon, Whytindon,
Witinton, Whytington, "Wittingdon, "Wittington, Wityngton. I believe that the
most usual is Avith the single t, as his will gives it, and a y, — "WTiityngton.
I have, however, preferred to adopt that mode of spelling by which the name has
been more generally known in modern times.

THE MODEL MERCHANT

history from being handed over unconditionally to the region of fable,
to withdraw it from its mere elementary character as a child's book,
and to place it in its proper light, as occupying (as I believe it has
every right to do) a distinguished place in our standard biographies,
that I have put together the result of my researches. Not that I
would rob my young friends of one atom of their amusement, or de-
prive them of one jot of their delight, in which I most fully sympathize ;
but I would give them some real foundation upon which to found the
example which the story should inculcate.

Many persons who have never heard a question as to its being any
thing else than a child's story, may think it a fzivolous theme upon
which to write a work of this kind. I would request them to
suspend their judgments until I have placed before them the facts
which I have gathered from notices of our hero, scattered here and
tliere, in books admitted as genuine histoiy, corroborated by other
circumstances which I have to show you, but which I do not think
any one has ever yet thought it worth while to string together, so as
to form a continuous biography, however brief, of AVhittington and
his Cat. I say his Cat also, because they are inseparable. I have a
great regard for Biographical Notices of distinguished persons, as one
of the most pleasing and attractive modes of instruction in our moral,
social, and religious duties ; but if the truth of the narrative be once
called into question, its value as a pattern and example is immediately
weakened, and we can no longer depend upon it for enforcing those
virtues to which it points. Indeed, in consequence of the supposed
romance of the storj', persons had begun to impugn the veiy existence
of "Whittington himself.

Next to our cstablisliing the truth of our biographies, there is
another circumstance which gives them an additional interest and
claim upon our attention. I mean Avhcre we can connect the subject
of the histoiy with ourselves, our own country, our own county, our
own town, or our own village. It is very important to excite a local
interest, especially in young people, and to show what their prede-
cessors have accomplished ; because what has been done by others may
be done by themselves; and when men have risen to eminence with
feiv facilities, surely with all our present appliances of education we
ought to be able to accomplish a great deal more.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

Divesting, then, the story of Whittington of its mere infantine garb,
I have to place him before you as a model of that description of which
I have just spoken — as a man of yourselves, a man of your own County,
a man who, from small resources, raised himself to affluence by means
of trade ; and who, when he had been blessed in his efforts, knew what
return was due to the God who had prospered him. And this is the
more remarkable because, as we shall see presently, he lived in one of
the darkest ages of the Christian Church ; at a time when there was
but a veiy faint glimmering of Gospel light. He was a man in every
way immensely in advance of the age in which he lived, a man of
enlightenment in the midst of darkness. "We claim Whittington then
as a Gloucestershire man, and we may well be proud of such a fellow
countryman ; indeed it is not surprizing that more villages than one,
and that more counties than one should contend for the privilege of
having given birth to so distinguished a character. I am told that
Herefordshire,* Somersetshii'e,' Shropshire,'' Lancashire,* and Stafford-
shire dispute wdth us the birthplace of the hero of our tale, as we also
read that no less than seven places contended for that of Homer. "We
find that there have been families of the name of "Wliittington, at
different times, in most of the counties which have laid claim to have

b The family of "WTiittington undoubtedly possessed property at Solers Hope,
in Herefordshire, but they also possessed the estate of Pauntley, in the County of
Gloucester, and most probably resided there, as in the Calendar. Inquis. post mortem,
William de "WTiitington is noted first as of Pauntley, Gloucestershire, and then of
Solers Hope, Herefordshire. The same order of precedence is obseired in the
Parliamentaiy Writs, which seems to indicate that Pauntley was at least the chief
residence ; and we find from the •wills of Eobert and Guy "WTiittington that they
made it their place of family burial.

Solers Hope is described as " an isolated and, to this day, iminviting estate ;"
•whereas the situation of Pauntley, though remote fi'om towns, is extremely
pleasing as to its picturesque features.

c Woodcock's Lives of Lord Mayors, p. 28, at Taunton Dean, Somerset.

d Life of Whityngton, London, 8vo, 1828, p. 11. at Ellesmere, Shropshire.

e Ballad Tale, CMackay's Collection), p. 4.

None of these authors, ho^wever, give any authority, and it is probable that it
■«'as a mere guess from their finding that there were villages or places of that
name in those counties. He might on such gi-ounds have been equally given to
Derbyshii-e, Stafi"ordshu-e, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire, or
Northumberland.

10 THE MODEL MERCHANT

given, birth to our hero ; but I have been able by my researches in the
British Museum to prove most satisfactorily the pedigree of the subject
of this work, and to show that he was not in any way connected with
any of the other families of the same name. The armorial bearings of
the Staffordshire and Somersetshire families are totally different from
those of the celebrated Lord Mayor of London, whose arms are identical
with those of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, viz., Gules, aFesse corn-
pone (or cheeky). Or and Azure. Crest, a Lion's head, erased Sable, lang-
gued Gules ; while those of the Staffordshire family are Argent, three
Stars, Gules. Cred, a Goat's head issuing out of a ducal coronet.
Whittington, of ^N'etsborough, Staffordshire, bears Argent in the field,
a Bugle horn between three Escalops; and the arms of the Somerset-
shire family are Azure, three Salmons Argent. Crest, a Salmon sautant
Argent; and singularly enough there does not appear to have been
any Richard in the pedigree of this latter family. The arms of our
hero which appear on the Ordinances of the college and on the hospital
which he founded, are identical with those of the Gloucestershire
family. He appears, however, from the Visitation of London, in the
Harleian MSS. in the British Museum, to have adopted a different
crest from the rest of his family, and whether the interpreters of
heraldic insects may determine the crest which he assumed to be a
bee, or an ephemera or May fly, the wings tipped with gold, (seme as I
believe it is called) they might either of them be considered emblemati-
cal of his life; the first as a mark of his industry, the latter exhibiting
his ephemeral existence, being the author of his own fortune, yet leaving
no children to inherit his wealth. "When you know all that I have to
tell you of llichard Whittington, I think you will agree with mc that
we ought not very readily to concede the privilege of having him as
a Gloucestershire worthy, descended from a Gloucestershire stock, if
not actually born in the County, the probabilities, however, being in
favor of the latter supposition, though inasmuch as there were no parish
registers ' at the time when "Whittington was born, nor until more

/ Parish registers were first introduced by order of Lord Cromwell in 1558.
See iJigland's Observations on Parish Rcyisters. It appeals, however, from the
History of Parish Registers, by Bum, that it is a disputed point, some authors
giving 1501, others 1521 as their earliest date. Whittaker's Hist, of Sheffield
traces their origin back to 1499. The Register at Pauntley is one of the highest

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 11

than 100 years after his death it would bo difficult to fix it with any
positive certainty. Our oldest county historian, Sir Robert Atkyns,
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, a veiy good antiquary and
genealogian, one who looked at facts with the keen ej'e of a lawyer,
and was not likely to admit evidence of a doubtful character, states
that about the beginning of the reign of Edwai'd L the family of
"WTiittington became possessed of an estate at Pauntley, in this County,
nearly nine miles fi-om our County Town, on the borders of Hereford-
shire and "Worcestershire. This estate was handed down from father
to son, until it came into the possession of Sir "William "Whittington "
who had three, if not more, sons, but he only makes mention of the
three eldest, of whom William possessed Pauntley, and dying without
issue the estate passed to his brother Robert, who became High Sheriff
of this County, (3 Hen. I"V.) in 1402 and again in 1407, and Richard
the younger, who, he says," was thrice Lord Mayor of London and a great
benefactor to that City." Guy "VN'hittington, son of Robert, was High
Sheriff also twice, in 1426 and 1431. Thomas "Whittington was High
Sheriff in 1472 ; anothei", Robert, was High Sheriff in 1495. John "Whit-
antiquity in this County, tracing back to 1538. It contains the entry of the
burial of Thomas "\^^littington, the last male of this branch of the family, in 1546.

g Sir Robert Atkyns commits a slight error in making Richard, our hero, to be
the son of William Whitington, who married Catherine Staimton, whereas that
William was his eldest brother. "We have Richard Whifington's own authority for
the fact that he was son of Sir "William and Joan, see his will and his ordinances.
Sir Robert appears to have followed an incorrect pedigree in the Heralds' College,
in which the same error occurs. Wc find that this William was succeeded in his
estates by his brother Robert, which would not have been the case had he left a son.

Two of Sir Richard's predecessors rcceiA'ed the honor of knighthood, but that
woiild not necessarily argue that the dignity was confencd for any distinguished
services. The Kings of England, at that period, made the fee, consequent upon
the confeiTing of that honor, a source of profit, by almost compelling persons who
had an estate of £20. per annum, i.e. £200. per annum of our money, (afterwards
it was raised to £40. or say £400. per annum) to become knights. It therefore
did not by any means prove that a knight was a man of diaracter, or even of very
large fortune. Many paid the fee to escape the honor. — Fosbroke's Enc\jchp(cdia
of Antiquities, vol. 2, p. 748. Maitland's iTw^ Z(;«<;?. vol. 1. p. 127. The practice of
extorting fines on this pretence was earned so far that the Commons petitioned
that no person should be fined twice for refusing knighthood, but the Crown
refused to comply.

12 THE MODEL MERCHANT

tingtoii served that office in 1517, and "William Whittington so late as
the reign of George I. in 1 7 14. Pauntley remained in the family as late
as 1546, when Thomas Whittington, the last male of his branch died,
and the estate passed to the youngest of six daughters, co-heiresses,
who married Sir Giles Pole. A brass, commemorating her death,
is placed against the wall of the south aisle of Pauntley Church.
They had besides, in later times, possessions in other parts of
the County, as Tainton, I^otgrove '' Eodborough, Stroud, Cold Ashton,
Saint Briavels, Piisington, Pitchcombe, and Podmarton.' The Eev.
Hugh Whittington* was rector of Saint Mary de Crypt, and Saint John
the Baptist, Gloucester, in 1551. A collateral branch of this family
possessed an estate at Saint Briavels, in the Forest of Dean, and
another branch of the family still possesses a considerable property
at Hamswell, in the parish of Cold Ashton, in this County. The Eev.
William Whittington was Ecctor of Saint Mary de Ciypt, Gloucester,
and died 1G84. Leland, the antiquarj^, in his Itinerary, written in
the reign of Henry YIIL, speaks of one Whittington, whom he
calls a Gloucestershire gentleman, as being at that time proprietor of
the Scilly isles, off the coast of Cornwall; ^ upon such evidence there
appears to me no doubt that "WTiittington was a Gloucestershire man.
The family of Whittington was one of those of old landed proprietors

h There are some very interestiug monuments of the Whittington family in
Kotgrovo Church, probably John "Whittington and his son iUesandcr in the 16th
century.

i The "VVycs and "Whittingtons were Lords of Eodmarton in veiy early times,
and "William Fitzwarren held the manor at the beginning of the reign of Hen. "\*I.
— Atkyns' Gloucestershire.

Thomas "Whittington, great nephew of the Lord Mayor of London, became
possessed of the Manor of Rodmarton, by marriage with the only daughter of
John Edwards, and possibly built the Manor House there. There is an interesting
brass in that Church to the memory of John Edwards.

k This fiimily served the office of High ShcriflP for this County no less than
eight times, which is more than any family in the County, with the exception of
the Bcrkelcys and Poynty.

I " One Davcrs, a Gentilman of Wilshirc whose chief house is at Daimdescy :
andWhitington, a Gentilman of Glocestreshire be owners of Scylley but they have
scant 40 markes by ycre of Rentes and Commoditcs of it."— Lclaud's Itinerary,
Hcame's Etlit., Hen. VIII., vol. 3, p. 19, fol. 6.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 13

who arc the stability of our country; for while revolutions in foreign
lands have altered the succession of estates and destroyed that middle
class of a landed gentry between the nobility and the lower orders,
while changes in our own political and social condition have brought
about many alterations in other respects, there has always been main-
tained among us a class of landed proprietors and sturdy yeomen who
have formed a link between the upper and lower classes, occasionally
amalgamating with both, and keeping up that chain which constitutes
a nation's strength. "With the view of preserving this system, the
feudal principle of primogeniture was established, and still prevails
among us. jS^o sooner does any man, by his talents or perseverance,
accumulate a property, but he seeks to perpetuate it in his family, as
a record of his talents or his industry. So it has always been amongst
us, and I confess I, for one, should be sorry to see in this country that
levelling spirit which would destroy the system ; but I don't think
that it is very likely to occur, for we invariably remark that the men
who acquire property by the work of their brain or their hands, are
the most anxious to entail the same upon their posterity , and quite
right too, so long as they remember one thing : — Nothing without the
Lord. " The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich," and so long as
they remember that it is only the virtuous and the upright upon
whose efforts the Lord looks with satisfaction. In these cases, where
a landed estate is to be retained in a family, one alone, of course, can
be its representative; the younger branches, like the swarms of a hive
of bees, must push out to forage for themselves. Thus, while the
acres passed to "William, and, failing his issue, to Eobert "Whittington,
Richard must sally forth to seek his own fortune in the world.

At the time I am speaking of, the Manor of Pauntley must have
been of very small value, scarcely, I should imagine, more than a
knight's fee, or £20. per annum. The parish was at that time nearly
all moorland and chase, or woodland, so that there could not be much
to spare for younger children consistent with keeping up the family
estate. It was held at one knight's fee at the time of the Norman
Conquest, and had scarcely improved much in value at the time of
Eichard II. for I find it described as " Pauntelcy unum feodum per
Willum de "Whytington." — Cal. Inqiiis.post mortem, 22 Rich II.

14 TRE MOB EL MERCHANT

!N'ow in those days there were few or no professions for the junior
branches of the noble and gentle families. There were but few
government offices, few lawyers' clerks, no situations under the post-
office, " which was not then established ; few custom-house officers, "
no standing army ^ or navy. The soldier's life was one of great fatigue
and hardship; they generally followed some noble master or knight, who
engaged to serve his sovereign for certain wars, and dispersed again
as soon as their sei'vices could be dispensed with. The pay, though
comparatively large, being as much as twopence or threepence a day,
failed to make the service very attractive, and whatever distinction their
chivalrous masters might obtain, there were then none of these
decorations which adorn the breasts of our gallant soldiers and act
as an encouragement to select the path of gloiy. The profession of
physician ' was almost unknown ; surgery,*" combined with the trade
of a gossiping barber, was limited almost to shaving and bleeding.
Bankers' there were none. The clergy absorbed every situation in
which much of reading and writing was concerned. Trade was the
only resource for the junior members of the higher families, unless
the youthful scion of a gentle house should happen to possess certain
graces of form and feature which should recommend him as page to

n Post-offices were not introduccfl into England till A.D. 1581.

0 Customs ■vvero collected at a very early date, but the first custom-house in
London was not established till 1559.

p Armies were so suddenly raised, and after such short service as suddenly
dismissed, that they could not be well disciplined. Henry V. was the first of oiu-
kings who was sensible of this defect. — Henry's Sist. Great Brit. vol. 10. p. 192.

q Dr. Friend, the learned historian of physic, could not find so much as one
physician in England, in those times, who deserved to be remembered. — Henry's
mst. Great Brit. vol. 10, p. 121.

r When Henry V. invaded France, A.D. 1415, " with a great fleet and army, he
carried with him only one surgeon. The same prince found it still more difficult
to procure a competent number of siirgeons to attend his army in his second
expedition. That heroic Prince Henry V. himself, it is highly prob.ible, fell a
sacrifice to the ignorance of his medical attendants.'" — Hcmy's Hist. Great Brit.
vol. 10, p. 123.

s Banks did not commence in England tiU 1 645. See a rare and curious pamphlet,
called " The Mystery of the Netvfashioned Goldsmitlis or Bankers Discovered,"
printed in 1676, mentioned in the Loudon and Middlesex vols, of Tltc Beauties of
England and Wales.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 15

the lady of some noble or royal house; or unless they became hench-
men, or companions ' to the scions of noble houses, as many of the
sons of the principal gentry did. The Tracies, Kingscotes, Yeels, and
others -were attendants upon, and brought up with, the young barons
of Berkeley, &c. ; one of their privileges, too, was to bear the whipping
designed for the young barons in cases of misbehaviour. "WTien a
youth entered into one of these noble houses, as he grew older he
would continue as a retainer on the establishment, and follow his
patron to the wars, when necessary, marrying perhaps, eventually,
a daughter of the house, and founding another branch of his family
in some other locality. Xow poor Richard Whittington, (to judge by
Elstrack's portrait of him in mature age), did not possess in his
youth the face or figure likely to make an elegant or interesting page,
but he evidently was of that more practically useful class of whom the
adage justly says, — " Handsome is that handsome docs."

Trade was the resource of the younger branches of noble houses.
The father of the celebrated" Samuel Pepys, nearly related to the
Earl of Sandwich, and collateral ancestor of some of our present noble
families, being a younger son of an old family, became a tailor. John
Coventre, Whittington's executor, the direct ancestor of the present
Earls of Coventry, was a mercer. "" Sir Baptist Hicks, ' the founder
of a line of Baronets, and first Viscount Campden, of this County, was
a mercer, and made a large fortune in that trade. It is said that he
was then (A. D. 1612) the first person who continued to keep a shop after
he had been created a baronet. The same, then, was the case with
Richard Whittington ; his patrimony was probably very small, perhaps
not many shillings, when ^ four pounds a year was considered ample
remuneration for a parochial clergyman. We can readily imagine a
thoughtful boy in his position, (as his manhood proves to us that he
must have been), ruminating in his mind what his future lot in life
would be. It was clear that Pauntley, his native village, ' offered no

t Smytho's Lives of tJic Bcrlelojs.
V Lempriore's Biography. Biirke's Peerage. Doran's Habits and Men^ p. 301.
w Burke's Peerage and Baronetage. Collins's Peerage, S^c.
X Strype. y See Gibson on Door, Hempsted, and Holm Lacy.

z The village of Pauntley is at a considerable distance from any tovm of
consequence, and can scarcely be called a village. It consists of the Church and

X

16 THE MODEL MERCHANT

resources to a mind of this stamp. He had heard of London, and to
the metropolis he would go ; that would present the best chance of
success. Of county towns, Gloucester was the nearest and most
flourishing ; whether he tried that before he went fui'ther we cannot
say, probably not, and I will tell j'ou why he did not, and how the
story, which has been too long considered a romance, is here borne
out. According to the pedigree, which I have carefully made out
from existing documents, Pdchard Whittington must have been either

Manor House, which stand close to each other, and a fcv scattered houses
here and there at a distance from the Church. The whole present population is
only 256, (in Sir Robert Atkyns' time, houses 30, inhabitants 115,) and, doubtless,
was much smaller in Whittington's time. The Church is a beautiful specimen of
the early Norman. The zig zag arch which separates the chancel from the body
of the Church is singularly fine, as also the arch of the south doorway. To the
north is a very ancient porch, built of fine old English oak. There are still
remains to be seen of the old Manor House, a portion of which is now used as an
out house and a dove-cot, in which there is a good semi-circular-headed doorway.
There is no parsonage house at Pauntley. The living, which is valued at £80. per
annum, is in the gift of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol. I could not help
feeling a singular interest when I walked over the ground on which Whittington
had trod — sat in the church porch in which he had probably sat — and entered the
Church in which he had worshipped as a boy, and in which, doubtless, he was
baptized. The Abbey of Cormeilles, in Normandy, one of the alien priories, had
a priory in the parish, and also had the advowson of Pauntley, (Henry II.)
which remained in their possession until the dissolution of the monasteries, when
it was granted to Sir Giles Pole, who married Elizabeth, the youngest of the
co-heiresses of Thomas "Whittington, the last male of the direct branch of the
family. By the will of Robert Whittington (1424) it appears that Pauntley was
the burial place of the family. He desires to be buried in the Church of St.
John the Evangelist, in Pauntley. His son Guy, by will, (1440) desires to be
buried in the New Chapel of St. George, in the above Church, which marks the
date and name of that which is now the south aisle. The Church itself seems to
have been built soon after the Conquest, probably by Walter de Pauntley.
A dispute appears to have arisen in the reign of John, between Walter de
Solers, the then Lord of the Manor, and the Abbot of Cormeilles, as to the
patronage of the advowson. The application of the latter to the Crown, on the
subject, will be seen in the Appendix.

A second visit to Pauntley, July 10th, 1860, has brought to light circumstances
connected with the history of the Whittington family, overlooked on the occasion
of the first visit, which bear peculiarly on the confirmation of the family pedigree.
In the north window of the (chancel still exist the remains of ancient stained

OF TEE MIDDLE AGES. 17

a very young child when his fatlier died, or very probably he was not
born until after his father's death. The father, we find, died in 1350,
and, as Richard died in 1423, he would have been 73 years old at the
time he himself departed this life, which falls in with the concurrent

glass, on which are emblazoned the arms of ^^^littington,* with those of the Linets,
Stauntons, and Peresfords families with whom the Whittingtons intermarried, as
will be seen in the pedigree, (see end of volume), while in the west window, under
the tower, are found the arms of Whittington, impaling Milbourne, on the right
hand side, and on the left those of "VThittington impaling Fitzwarren, thus clearly
identifying our hero, whose wife was Alice Fitzwarren, with the Pauntley family
beyond dispute. From the fact of the appearance of the arms of Milbourne in
the position in which they are found, we may, in connection with its style of
architecture, ti-ace the building of the tower to John Whittington, who married
the heiress of Milbourne, and was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1517, and
it is not a little singular that there are evidences which mark the date of every
part of that interesting structure ; for instance, the Xorman arches point to the
probable foimder of the church,Walter de Pauntley, Lord of the Manor, A.D. 1148.
The Chantry of St. George, or side aisle, is pointed out as the place for his inter-
ment by Guy Whittington, ("Will proved 1440,) as the New Chapel of St. George,
at Pauntleij, and the position of the arms of Milbourne seems to assign the
building of the belfry to John "^T:ittington, about A.D. 1517, which John was
great great nephew of the celebrated Lord Mayor of London.

* Arms of Whittingtonjf Gules, a Fesse compone Or and Azure. Crest, a
Lion's head, erased Sable, languedGulcs. Arms of Staunton, Argent, seme of Cross
Crosslets, fitchee, a Lion Rampant Sable. Arms of Peresford, Gules, a Fesse Or, be-
tween six pears, stalked of the same three and three. Arms of Fitzwarren || party per
pale dancettee. Azure and Ermine (or in some Azure and Argent. A blazon in the
Harleian MSS., Visitation of London, gives it Gules and Ermine.) Arms of
Milbourne, Gules, a Chevron Argent (othersErmine) between three Escalops Argent,

t Slight differences occur in the drawing of the arms of the Whittington
family of Gloucestershire. Upon most buildings and monuments in which they
occur in the County, the Fesse is rendered with two lines only, cheeky, while on
other documents and pedigrees it is given with three lines, or compone. Atkyns
gives four. There is also a slight difference in the rotation of the checks, in
some the Or appears first, in others the Azure.

II The arms of Fitzwarren are given variously in different places. The party
per pale with the Fesse dancettee occurs in all those shewn in connection with this
County, but in the an-angement of the color and their distribution there is a
difference. In the London Visitation, Harleian MSS., British Museum, they are
given first and fourth, Ermine ; second and third, Gules. On Elstrack's portrait,

18 THE MO BEL MERCHANT

testimonies as to his age at his death. " His mother appears to hare
been married again '' very soon after her husband's death, to Thomas
Berkeley, of Coberley, "^ in this County, by whom she had a second
family, her eldest son by the second marriage becoming High Sheriff
for this County, an honor which his father had also enjoyed. There
is another circumstance which is well worthy of notice. I find that
shortly before the death of William Whittington (Richard's father)
he was outlawed'' by the king, and died during his outlawry. I cannot
find the cause of this heavy sentence, but whatever it was, the estate
would necessarily have to pay a heavy fine for the inlawry again of the
family. This circumstance, together with the jointure charged to his
widow upon the Pauntley estate, would leave but a small fortune to the
eldest son, to say nothing of the younger ones. Eichard, then, having
lost his father, and perhaps not being kindly treated by his elder
brothers, (for though one of them, viz. Robert, left a family, we do not
find that our hero bequeathed any of his vast riches to his nephew),
and finding, perhaps, but an uncomfortable home in the family of
strangers into which his mother had married, he determined with his
very small patrimony to seek his own fortune. Gloucester would
have been too near his own estranged family, midway as it was
between Pauntley and Coberley. To London, therefore, he would go.

first and fourth, Azure ; second and third, Ermine. In Pauntley Church, first
and fourth, Azure ; second and third, Argent. In Gloucester Cathedral, first and
fourth, Azure ; second and third, Argent.

a It also hears out the age of Elstrack's portrait, supposing the original to
have been painted within a year or two of his death.

b Calcnd. Inquis. post mort. vol. 4. p. 454. " Thomas de Cobbcrlcye filius et
hseres Johannae qute fuit uxor Willclme de "Whityngton defuncti." Probatio
Eetatis. Glouc.

Dame Joan "Whittington held the estate at Pauntley* as her jointure from her
fiSt' husband, and died possessed of it in 1373-4. She also held Stoke Orchard,
in Cleeve parish, as jointure from her 'sotioW husband. It appears she outlived

both.t

c The monument of Thomas Berkeley is still to be seen in Coberley or Cubberley
Church, and also that of a female figure, probably his wife, Whittington' s mother.
d Calendarium Inquis. post mortem. Edw. III.

* Parliamentary "Writs,
t Atkyns' History of Gloucestershire, under Cleeve.

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t The second wife of Sir Thomas de Berkeley, jun., is called "iUice" by Sir
Robert Atkyns, in his History of Gloucestershire (under Cubherley). She is said by

him to have remarried, after her husband's death, to Browning; to have held

the Manor of Cubbcrley in jointure ; and to have died 2 Henry V., A.D. 141o.
But in \hQ Calendar. Inqiiis. p. m., 7 Henry IV., A.D. 1406, the wife of Thomas
de Berkeley, of Cubberley, is called "Margaret," and is described as seized of
one-third of the Manor of Childecote, in Derbyshire ; one-third of the Manors of
Stoke Archer and of Cubberley, in Gloucestershire ; and of the Manor of Elders-
field, in Worcestershire. I confess I do not see how to reconcile these differences,
and can only suppose that there must be a mistake in the Christian names and
dates. It is not probable that the Calendar. Inqiiis. p. m. should be in error, and
therefore the presumption is, that the mistake lies with our worthy old County
Historian, whose general accuracy is unquestionable. It is, however, just possible
that there may have been a third Sii- Thomas de Berkeley, of Cubbcrley, in
succession, who has been overlooked by both Atkyns, in his History of Gloucester-
shire, and Fosbroke, in his edition of Smith's Lives of the Berkeleys. In this case
the pedigree should probably run thus : —

(1) Sir Thomas de Berkeley = Jo.v>', daughter of "William Mansell,

mother by her fust husband (or ac-
cording to some her second husband)
of Richai'd Whittington and his

brothers, obt. 1373-4.

I First Wife. Second Wife.

(2) Sir Thoalas de Berkeley = Elizabeth, Margaret, outlived
obt. 1404. sister of her husband, and

John Lord held Cubberley as

Chandos. her jointure, obt.

1406.

I First Husband. Second Husband.

(3) Sir Thomas de Berkeley == Alice = Browning.

outlived her
husband, and held
Cubbcrley as her
jointure, obt. 1415.
I
Alice de Berkeley = Sir Thomas Bbydges.

This solution of the difficidty, however, is scarcely reconcilable with dates.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 19

The story book tells us that Eichard travelled to London on foot,
getting an occasional lift in the wagon of a friendly carrier. Xow as
to the former part of this account, nothing is more probable, though,
for the carrier's wagon, I would say read packhorse ; there were
certainly no coaches in that day, nor till nearly two centuries after-
wards * I very much doubt whether there were any wagons such as
the carrier's wagons (which are now indeed almost exploded by the
invention of railways) for there were literally no roads in those days,
nor anything but green tracks across the countiy, through which pack-
horses,-'^ carrying merchandize, floundered up to their knees in mud,
from the frequent use of the tracks without adequate repair/ AVhen
the gently and ladies travelled, they did so on horseback,'' while
invalids or ladies unequal to the fatigue of riding were generally
carried in litters. Precisely the same state of travelling existed in
the island of Sicily when I made the tour in the spring of 1826.
It is not probable that Whittiugton, in setting out to seek his fortune,
had the means of supplying himself with a horse of his own ; it is
therefore not at all unlikely that he did walk, or avail himself of a lift
upon one of those packhorses which travelled in companies along the
great highways of those days, and, perhaps, rode many a mile perched
up among the bales of cloth, of wool,' or of spices. In the age when

e The first coach, ever puhlicly seen in England was the equipage of Robert
Fitz Allen, steward of the household of Queen Elizabeth.

/ A master mercer was fined 203. in Henry the Sixth's reign, for himself riding
with wares of mercery "in fardell and horsepacks for sale in the country," this
being considered, I presume, undignified in a master mercer.

g The first general statute for mending highways in England was passed in
1555, and surveyors then appointed for the first time. — Andi-cw's CoiitimMtion of
Henri/' s History of England, vol. II. p. 243.

h Ladies first rode on side saddles in the fourteenth centuiy (a plan introduced
by Queen Anne, of Luxembourg, wife of Eichard II., sister of ^yinceslaus, Emperor
of Germany), having before these days ridden astride like men. — Beauties of
England and Wales, vol. 10, part 1, p. 181, Note.

i Gloucestershire has always been a celebrated county for wool. There were
many woolstaplers and clothiers established there, and if (as is not improbable)
Whittington fell in with a caravan of these packhorses, it might have been the
means of his introduction to the mercers, who at that time dealt almost cxchi-
sively in that article. — (See Sumptuary Act, 37, Edw. III.)

20 THE MODEL MERCHANT

Whittington lived, men had not half the advantages which the
Britons enjoyed under the early rule of the Romans in this countrj'.
Gibbon * tells us that they had post-horses and posting-houses, at suit-
able distances along the lines of road, throughout their extensive
dominions. The Eomaus carried civilization -with them wherever they
went. When they quitted Britain desolation followed ; the knowledge
of the arts and sciences, which had been previously cultivated to a
considerable extent by the Druids, died out with them. Learning was
confined to the priests and monks ; schools, except at the monasteries,
there were none ; ' educated men were few and far between, so that
even kings and nobles could do little more than sign their name, if
they could do even that ; while one king (Henry I.) who had advanced
a little beyond his predecessors in learning, was, on that account, called
Beauclerc, or the good scholar. When learning was in so low a state
among those of high rank and the learned professions, we may conclude
that the common people were totally illiterate. It was not till the
reign of Henry IV. that villeins, i. e. farmers and mechanics, were
permitted by law to put their children to school, and long after that
they dared not educate a son for the church without a licence from
their Lord.'"

That Richard '\Miittington should have picked up any education at
all, at such a time, proves that he must have been a persevering youth,
seeking information under difficulties, which we are thankful to say do
not beset young people of the present age, when the school master is
indeed abroad, and when ignorance is not only the fruitful parent of
crime, but is a crime itself — that is to say, wherever it is wilful
ignorance. It is a sin to neglect and wilfully refuse the knowledge
which is to save the soul alive, and that education through which it is
to be obtained. Many stories have been tokl of painstaking and per-
severing youths of olden times, who have educated themselves by
picking up a book here and there at a book- stall, when the expense of
a school would have been quite beyond their reach ; but if we are
inclined to give them credit, what must we give to our friend "Wliit-

k Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. 1. p. 82, and Note.

/ Henry's Jlistory of Great Britain, vol. 10, p. 109, &c.

m Statutes, 7th Ilcnr}- IV. ch. 17.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 21

tington when — inasmuch as the art of printing was not discovered by
Lorenz Koster, at Haerlem, until 1430," or seven years after "Whit-
tington's death ; and was not introduced to England by Caxton" until
1472 — there could have been no book-stalls, and it would have been of
little use to expose for sale manuscripts which, not only the people,
but many even of the monks and priests were unable to read, to such a
degraded state was the church and society at large reduced in those
days. When we look at our steam printing presses, at an unstamped
copy of the Times, with its sixteen closely printed pages for fourpence,
and at the Standard, Telegraph, and other papers for a penny, and a
New Testament for fourpence,^ we are apt, perhaps, to look with con-
tempt or pity upon the ages that are past, and hug ourselves with
satisfaction at our superiority ; but do we look up to Him who has
made us to differ, and seek to glorify Him in the use we make of the
superior privileges which we possess ?

In the midst of our brilliant men of talent and research, lean scarcely
point out amongst ourselves (even advantages not being excepted) the
equal to Richard Whittington. Education obtained under diflBculties
is perhaps the more valued, and, with a truly benevolent mind, "Whit-
tington did not grudge to others what he had himself acquired at so
great a cost of pains and perseverance, as I shall hope to show you
when I come to speak by and by of the libraries which he founded.
Indeed I think it very probable that AVhittington was instrumental
in getting the law passed which, in the reign of Henry IV.,
took off the restrictions upon education, and allowed the children of
the middle classes to go to school.

The stoiy books tell us that young Whittington was attracted
to London by the report that its streets were paved with gold :
perhaps this figurative expression may have been taken literally
by the poor youth. I don't believe that the streets of London

« See Henry's History of Great Britain, vol. 10, book 5.

0 "William Caxton was agent to the Mercer's Company. It is highly creditable
to that great company that they have had amongst their number some of the most
intellectual men of early times.

p "WicklifF's first translation of the Testament sold for a sum equal to £40 of
our money : — See Hartwell Home's Critical Introduction to the Study of tht
Scriptures, vol. 2.

22 TEE MODEL MERCHANT

were paved at all, at that early period. Even in Mr. Pepys' day,
more than two centuries afterwards, carriages had great difficulty
in moving through the streets, and could not do so without danger
to the vehicle, which was of much ruder and stronger build than those
of our day. Still the figure had a very significant meaning, namely,
that the path to riches was through the streets of the metropolis, as
doubtless our friend eventually found out, even though sorely dis-
appointed at first. That London is now paved with gold may also be
said in more senses than one, when we calculate the expense per mile,
or yard, of the paving, pitching, or macadamizing, and the cost
of the beautiful ^EilBt pavement, with its fossil shells and madri-
pores, which ornament the foot- way over London Bridge; when
we reckon also the enormous amount of traffic which passes over any
great thoroughfare of the metropolis in one day, to say nothing of the
thousands of cart loads of manure, in the way of scavenging, which are
daily taken from the streets, and sold for large sums, and go to fertilize
the market gardens in the neighbourhood, and to reproduce food for
man and beast.

Most young people have a fancy, like our friend Eichard, to see
something of the world, and have, like him, to purchase their
experience through many a bitter struggle and many a severe disap-
pointment. The lesson, however, is not the less valuable when it
causes the lad to retrace his steps "a sadder yet a wiser youth."
The path to riches is a very slippery one, especially when the ascent
is rapid, and the slide downwards is not generally veiy pleasant.

AVhether Eichard really found his resources so utterly fail him on
his arrival in London that he was obliged to undertake a menial
situation, we do not know, except from the story book, though it is
not improbable, because every junior position in a house of trade iu
those days was, to a certain degree, what we should now call menial.
"Wliittington's journey from Pauntley to London must have occupied
him fully four days. When roads first became fit for wheels, it took
a week or ten days, for a coach to go from York to London, and the
travellers generally made their wills before they set out on so perilous
an expedition. The inns' were such that travellers often bought
their own meat, and got it cooked at the inn, and as to accommodation
q Fynea Morrison.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 23

for the night none, except the highest nobility, disdained to sleep
two or three in a bed, whence arose that old saying, — " Poverty
acquaints men with strange bedfellows." "

AVe who travel with the luxuries of first and second class carriages,
and enter papered, painted, and gilded refreshment rooms, decorated
with splendid mirrors, and can afford a bed apiece, can scarcely picture
to our mind's eye the difficulties with which travellers had to contend
in those days.

The danger, too, from robbers, was such as we can form no adequate
idea of in our present age and country, or perhaps in any country
in Europe now-a-days, unless it be Spain or Italy. Persons of high
rank did not disdain to become freebooters, and brigands. Witness
the feats of Eobin Hood, the bold Earl of Huntingdon ; and hero
a singular occurrence may be mentioned as illustrative of the man-
ners and habits of the age in which our hero lived. It so happened
that his brother Eobert and his nephew Guy where riding on horse-
back, in the neighbourhood of the city of Hereford, when eight
servants of a certain Richard Oldcastle, Esq. with other miscreants,
to the number of thirty, seized, and carried them off to a hill called
Dynmore Hill, and after robbing them of their horses and property, kept
them all' night in a deserted chapel, and threatened them with death,
or to be carried off into Wales. At last Guy was liberated to pro-
cure a ransom, on condition that he returned the following day ;
meanwhile his father was led by these robbers from wood to wood, to
a certain mill, where, on Guy's return, they were both imprisoned
until they promised to pay the robbers six hundred pounds upon tlieir
release, and to enter into a bond to forego all actions from the creation
of the world down to the feast of All Saints then next ensuing. Upon
these grounds, Eobert "Whittington supplicates the king, through the
Parliament, to declare such bonds and covenants null and void, and to
take legal proceedings against those miscreants. The copy of the
original grant of the application from the Parliamentary Polls is
given in the Appendix.

r The celebrated bed at the inn at Ware, Hertfordshire, existing at that time,
was twelve feet sqiiare, and would accommodate a goodly number of bedfellows.
— Rees' Ct/clopeedia, under Ware.

24 THE MODEL MERCHANT

Eichard's journey being over, he had of course to set to work
to get his own living ; and as the first struggles for a maintenance,
with really few exceptions, are the same in all ages and countries,
we can readily imagine the conflicting thoughts which possessed him.
How many of us have experienced the same feelings, — now despairing
of success; now disheartened by sharp and angry words from employers
and their subordinates, or galled by false insinuations and the mis-
repesentation of our best motives ; now envious at the more rapid
progress of others, or their (to our views) unmerited promotion;
and now repining at the want of opportunity for distinction, feeling
that we have the ability, if a way were only opened, and thinking
it a long time to wait. Even if we do not accept the narrative
of Whittington's early adventures (so far at least as concerns his
rough treatment by the cook, at the house where he first ob-
tained employment), some disappointment seems, according to
tradition, to have led him to qiiit the metropolis soon after he had •
arrived there, and wearied, vexed at heart, and depressed in spirit, he
sat down at the first milestone out of London, and there heard the
sound of Bow bells pronouncing to his ears, —
" Turn again AVhittington,
Lord Mayor of London."
A stone continued to mark the spot for many centuries, to which
tradition points as Whittington's stone. It has been objected that
this stone could not have been erected to commemorate such an event,
but that it was the basement plinth of an ancient village cross. Be it
so ! the idea is so much the more beautiful, and not the less probable,
when we think of the poor boy sitting down at the foot of the cross,
there to reflect upon the past and to look forward to the future.
Crosses were very common in those days in the centre of nearly every
village ; whither, then, could poor Eichard better seek for rest when no
friendly house was open to him. We can well imagine the thoughts
which would crowd into his mind, either as to the toil entailed by that
high stool at which he sat at his master's desk, or the drudgery of
sweeping out his master's shop, but wc should form a very erroneous
impression of what commerce was then if we were to judge of it by the
vast warehouses of our own day, and the really comfortable clerks'
offices, decorated with maps and charts of every country- under the

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 25

sun. A merchant's apprentice was in every sense of the word a
menial servant ; he had to work his way up through the commonest
drudgery of sweeping out the shop, washing the door-steps, and
sundry other offices at which many would rebel in the present day.
And when I say the shop, the great merchants were shopkeepers,
(witness my former remark about Sir Baptist Hickcs), and yet the
same gradations of society were kept up, and the shop was not des-
pised by the younger branches of our most illustrious houses. For
an idea of the kind of life rather more than two centuries later, we can
scarcely have a better illustration than Mr. Pepys' Diary, which was
published a few years ago. It is foUy, therefore, to say that the tale
of "Whittington is a romance or an improbability, simply because it
gives a different picture of life from that which we see in our own
day. Nevertheless the same feelings of humanity, the same passions,
the same hopes and fears, the same propensities, the same joys and
sorrows and struggles and rewards have always accompanied the life
of man ; there is the same model of virtue to be imitated and the
same example of vice to be avoided. If Whittington arrived at the
cross at the foot of Highgate Hill, as it was getting dark, and hesitated
to ascend the hill until he had offered up a prayer to the throne of grace
for guidance, how gladly would he hail the sound which, under the
influence of his present impressions, spoke peace to his mind, and, if
they did not actually present to his imagination the words attributed
to them, induced him to return with cheerfulness and an eased mind
to a toil which roving about in the world would not be likely to im-
prove. We read in Stowe's Survey of London that " Bow bell (and I
don't find that there was more than one in those days) was usually
rung somewhat late, as seemed to the young men, 'prentices and others,
in Cheape, i. e. Cheapside. That Curfew was then the signal to leave
off work, and these young men thinking it delayed unreasonably late,
set up a rhyme against the clerke as followeth : —

" Gierke of the Bow Bell,
With the yellow lockes,
For thy late ringing
Thy head shall have knockes."

" Whereto the clerke replying, wrote—

26 TEE MODEL MERCHANT

" Children of Cheape,

Hold you all still,

For you shall have the

Bow bell rung at your will."
The sound of Bow bell was much admired by others, whatever the
notions of the apprentices might have been as to its musical tone ; and
we find that John Dunne, mercer and parishioner, about 1499, left
two houses inBow Lane, for the maintaining of Bow bell. Whatever it
was that brought the young truant back, he returned with a steady
determination to stick to business, in spite of difficulties and the frowns
of the world. The trade which he entered appears to have been that
of mercer; and what that was in his day we learn from the Introduction
to the Chronique de London, published by the Camden Society: —
" The mercers, as a metropolitan guild, may be ti'aced back to A.D.
1 172; it was not until the fifteenth century that they took their station
among the merchants, and from being mere retailers became the first city
company. Towards the close of the fourteenth century, the mercers
monopolized the silk trade ; woollen stuff's having, prior to that period,
constituted their stajjle business, and up to which time they had been
only partially incorporated."

Thus we discover that in Whittington's younger days the mercers
were mere retail dealers. " Mercery," says one writer ' on this subject,
" was originally pedlary, or haberdashery ; and it was not until the
reign of Henry YI. that they dealt largely in silks and velvets, and
turned over their previous trade to the haberdashers. There was,
doubtless, j)lenty of hard work to undergo before Whittington Avas a
proficient in the trade. He had, like many others since, to begin at
the lowest round of the ladder of success, before he could reach to the
top ; that he did eventually reach that high and distinguished position,
authentic history and the noble charities left by him, still extant,
leave no room to doubt. But how did he get the first start in life ?

Here we must revert to the tale, and then we have to compare it
with genuine history and with contemporaneous events, so as to

« Eistory of the Ttcclvc Companies of London, by William Herbert, Librarian to
the Corporation cf London, 2 vols, 8vo. 1837.

Hie Sumptmry Act oi 37, Edward III. shows that the mercers then only sold
woollen, but not silk.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 27

establish either its trutli, or such an extreme probability as to leave
in my mind, and I think in yours also, very little room to doubt.

The story book tells lis that his master, a rich merchant, was about
to fit out a ship to trade to the Coast of Barbary (some say Guinea),
and that being of a generous and kind hearted disposition, ho called
his servants together and asked of them whether they would like
to have shares in the venture, as a speculation was then called.
In those days there were no savings banks, or indeed any other
banks, in which the lower orders could invest their savings and
obtain a fair jirospect of increasing their little capital. It was there-
fore very kind of this liberal minded merchant to give his domestics
a chance of bettering their condition. When all had responded to
this invitation to the best of their abilities, Eichard "was asked
whether he had anything to venture. The poor lad hung down his
head, ashamed that he alone should have nothing to offer, and most
bashfully he whispered no ! A malicious fellow-apprentice, however,
who was envious of Richard's steadiness of character, which he had no
desire to imitate, and jealous of the pleasure he enjoyed in caressing a
favorite kitten -which he had bought for a penny, (his only pleasxire,
probably,) craftily suggested that Richard might venture his cat. The
master caught at the suggestion, and it was decided that the cat
should be sent. "We need not dwell upon the grief of the guileless
lad at parting with his favorite, the only creature he thought that he
had in the wide metropolis on which to bestow affection, and the only
one which, by purring and other signs of feline satisfaction, would ap-
pear to return his love. This may be supposed to have been a mark of
weakness on Richard's part by some who are made of sterner stuff.
The cat, however, w^as sent and shortly became a great favorite of the
captain of the ship. Immediately on the arrival of the vessel at its
destination begun that process of barter which was customary with
those barbarous nations. It happened that the king of the country
(for kings themselves at those times and in those parts were traders)
invited the captain to dinner ; but while apparently thus agreeably
employed, little enjoyment could be had from the swarms of rats
which ran over the table and carried off the viands, nothing terrified
by the presence of royalty, or royalty's guests, though represented by

28 THE MOB EL MERCHANT

a bluff, honest, John Bull captain of a good English merchant ship.
The captain naturally expressed his surprise at this intrusion, and
was told by his sable majesty in reply that it was unfortunately too
common an occurrence. The captain said that he had an animal on
board his ship which could, in a trice, rid him of such troublesome and
annoying vermin. Upon this the king invited him to dinner on the
following day, and requested him to bring his remedy. Accordingly
the captain presented himself at the appointed hour, when, the
meat being placed on the table, a scene followed similar to that of
the previous day ; upon which pussy was liberated from the captain's
capacious pocket, and a few seconds sufficed for hgr to make the most
satisfactory havoc of her natural enemies. The king and queen, for-
getting their dignity, shouted with delight, and oflPered to give a rich
casket of jewels for so valuable an animal. The bargain was soon
made, and the captain, having completed his business, set sail on his
return voyage to England, when safely arriving, he communicated to
his employer the wonderful success he had met with. The honest
merchant was of too noble a character to touch a penny of this
wealth, but handed it all over to poor Eichard, who was thus, in a
moment, advanced from the position comparatively of a beggar to be
as rich as a prince, to the infinite disgust of the malicious apprentice,
who could not help inwardly regretting that he had been thus unde-
signedly the means of his rival's good fortune. The story goes on to
say that he subsequently married his patron's daughter, Alice Fitz-
warren, and became extremely rich and prosperous, and was thrice
made Lord Mayor of the City of London.

Now let us see how this story is corroborated by other evidence,
because a story so strange and unparalleled in modern times has met
with many incredulous persons who are ready enough to pronounce
their judgment, without taking the trouble to inquire into the proba-
bilities of its truth. Dr. Lempriere' very summarily rejects the tale
at once in the following words : — " The various stories reported of
him arc calculated for the amusement of children, but have no foun-
dation in truth." Pennant " says, " I leave the history of the Cat to

i Biographical Diclionnry, under Whittington.
V History of London, 4to., 1790, pp. 312, 313.

OF THE MIBBLE AGES. 29

the friend of my younger days, Mr. Punch, and his dramatical troop,"
yet he says that " his fortune was not -without a parallel, for it is
recorded 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 £6000. on the place, and re-
turning to Portugal after fifteen years traffic becoming the third man
in the kingdom." But the author who has carried his objections to
the tale to the greatest lengtli is Mr. Thomas Keightley, in his ingeni-
ous little work on Tales and Popular Fictions "" and he says, " In the
whole of this legendary history there is, as we may see, not a single
word of truth further than this, — that the maiden name of Lady
Whittington was Fitzwarren I" Surely Mr. Keightley, as an historian,
must have known something of the histories of Stow, and Stiype, and
Eapin, and the History of the Mercer s Company, and should have known
that Whittiugton was Lord Mayor of London three times, at least, if
not more. Yet he quotes the first scene in Beaumont and Pletchcr's
Knight of the Burning Pestle, written about A.D. 1613, in which the
citizen says to the prologue, " "Why could not you be contented as
well as others with the legend of ^Whittiugton ? or the life and death
of Sir Thomas Gresham, with the building of the Eoyal Exchange ?
or the story of Queen Eleanor with the rearing of London Bridge
upon woolsacks?" " The word legend," says Mr. Keightley, "in this
place would seem to indicate the stoiy of a cat, and we cannot there-
fore weU assign it a later date than the sixteenth century." Sui'ely
Mr. Keightley did not mean that the word legend ' necessarily meant
a fable. Beaumont and Fletcher coupled the tale of "VMiittington,
in this instance, with well known historical facts or traditions, such as
the life of Sir T. Gresham and Queen Eleanor ; even that of London
Bridge '■' being built upon woolsacks may have had a fertile meaning,
w Tales (Did Popular Fictions, their Eescmblance and Transmission from Country
to Country, by Thomas Keightley, author of Outlines of Sistory. London, 1834.
8vo. chap. vii.

X Johnson's Dictionary gives foxir meanings to the word legend. 1. A chronicle
or register of the lives of saints. 2. Any memorial or relation. 3. Any inscrip-
tion, particularly on coins and medals. 4. An incredible, unauthentic narrative.
y London bridge, then built of timber, was burnt down 1136, and was rebuilt
of stone, 1176. The building occupied 33 years. The architect, Peter, died four

30 THE MODEL MERCHANT

the suggestion being that the tide ran so strong at that point of the
river that it carried away all the stones thrown in for a foundation,
and it was not until stones were sewed up in woolsacks and thrown in
in this manner that they could be kept together. Mr. Keightley
argues the improbability of the tale of Whittington's Cat from the
fact that there were tales of a similar nature current, both before and
at "Whittington's date, in several other countries. In South America,
in Denmark, in Tuscany, in Venice, and in Persia; but surely instead
of that being a proof that the stoiy of Whittington's Cat was a
fabrication, it strikes me on the contrary as a corroboration, and shews
that it was the more probable from its not being a singular instance. The
price said to have been paid by Don Diego Almagro (the companion of
Pizarro in 1535) to ITontenegi'o, for the first Spanish cat that ever was
taken to the Indies, i. e. Chili, viz., 600 pieces of eight, is related as
a matter of history by Alonzo de Ovalle, a native of that country,
and is given in a Collection of Voyages and Travels, 6 vols. fol. ' In
another volume of the same collection is a description of the Coasts of
South Guinea by Mons. Jean Barbot, translated in 1732, in which
appears the following account:" — "Cats, by the blacks called
Amboyo, tchose Ireed came from Europe, retain their first form
and shape and do not alter their nature. They are generally
much valued by the blacks for clearing their houses of rats and
mice, which are vciy numerous, especially the first, doing much
harm to the inhabitants by devouring and gnawing all they can
come at. They are exactly like ours in Europe, as to shape, color,
and mischievousness. They did us such considerable damage — that

years before it was completed. A priest, named Isenbert, was recommended by
King Jobn for the honor of completing it, but the city rejected the prince's
choice and committed the work to three merchants (qy. wool merchants) of London.
This great work was founded on enormous piles, driven as closely as possible
together; on them was placed the base of the pier, the lowermost stones of
which were bedded in pitch, to prevent the water from damaging the work. —
Pennant's London^ p. 296.

r Collection of Voyages and Travels, 6 vols. fol. London, 1732, in which (vol. 3.)
is given an historical relation of the kingdom of ChUc, by Alonso de Ovalle, of the
Company of Jesus, a native of Saint Jago, in Chile, and procurator of Eome for
that place. Printed at Rome by Francisco Cavallo, 1649.

a Collection of Voyages and Travels, as above, vol. v. p. 216.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 31

to encourage the destroying of them I allowed a pound of salt butter
for every score of rats tliey, i. e. his sailors, catched. It is worth
observing in this place that the rats were so ravenous as to eat several
of our parrots alive, and even to steal away our breeclies and stockings
in the night and to bite us severely." Here we have a strong corrobo-
ration of the probabilities of the tale of Whittington's Cat, both in
beai-iug testimony as to the value of a cat, the abundance of rats
in Guinea in the time of Monsieur Barbot, 1680, and the source from
whence that people received their cats. And this draws forth an
interesting inquiry as to when the cat was first domesticated, and from
whence we received it. It is not a little singular that neither the cat
nor the rat are mentioned at all in the Eible, cither in the Old or Xew
Testament. We know that cats were highly prized, and even had
divine honors paid to them in Egypt. "We read inGesner,* "Feles anti-
quitus non erant mansuefactce, vivehant in agris inde urbes et domos
replevere." Cats were not tamed of olden time, they lived in the
fields, and from thence filled cities and houses. The Pannoniau cats
were higlily valued by the Romans. Martial * says that Pudens sent
a present of one to his lady love.

Jacobus Diaconus, in the Life of Saint Gregory the Great,' who
died A.D. 604, speaking of that mild and benevolent pontiff, after he
had retired from all secular employments to live in a monastery,
says, ' ' He possessed nothing in the world except a cat, which he
carried in his bosom, frequently caressing it, as his sole companion."
Mahomet,-'^the great prophet of the Turks, who lived about the same time
as Gregoiy the Great, was also extremely attached to a cat which ho
kept in the sleeve of his gown, and carefully fed with his own hands.

b Conrad Gesner, Med. Togur. -ffw^. ^wma/, fol. under J^t'ft's. Frankfort, 1620.
e Epigr. lib. xii. — " Pannonicas nobis ntimquam dfdit Umbria Cattas*

JMavult hcec domitKe mittere dona Pudens."
Umbria has never produced Pannonian cats. Pudens begs to send a present of
one to bis lady love.

e Lib. vi., c. 24. / "Wood's Zoology, vol. 1, 229.

* Cat, with little variety, is the same in most languages : —

English, Cat ; Latin, Cattus, Catta ; Hebrew, 7]JlD Catul ; Saracenic, Katt ;

GrecJc, Ka7rrr]g ; Modern Greek, kutiq ; Italian, Gatto - a ; Spanish, Gato - a ;

French, Chat ; German, Katz ; Ilhjrian, Kotzka.

E

32 THE MODEL MERCHANT

His followers at Damascus, in consequence of their prophet's attach-
ment to the animal, established a college of cats, which were attended
to with the greatest regard. These instances show that the animal
had then, at least, been occasionally domesticated.

Goldsmith" says that "it is one of those quadrupeds which is common
to the new as well as the old world, for when Columbus first discovered
that country, a hunter brought him one which he had found in the
woods ;" but this, of course, was not a domestic cat. Pennant
argues that " cats were not aborigines of these islands, or known to
its earliest inhabitants. The large prices set on them (if we consider
the high value of specie at that time), and the great care taken of the
improvement and breed of an animal that multiplies so fast, arc almost
certain proofs of their being little known at that period."

The scarcity of cats in Europe in its earlier ages is also well known,
and in the tenth and eleventh centuries a good mouser brought a high
price. Domestic cats were probably first imported from Egypt to
Cyprus, and thence to England. In a letter to the Editor of the
Antiquarian Repertory,^ a correspondent says — " There is a tradition
I have somewhere met with, that cats were brought from Cyprus
by * some foreign merchants who came hither for tin." The ancient
Laivs and Listitutes, supposed to be enacted by Hoel Dha,' or Howell
the Good, have some very stringent clauses as to the preservation of

g Goldsmith's Natural Sistory. (Cat.) h Pennant's Zoology. (Cat.)
i Antiquarian Repertory, vol. 2, pp. 364-5.

k A Natural llintory of Quadrupeds, 2 vols. 8vo. printed and published by
Brightly and Co., Bungay, 1811, gives the following curious account of cats,
showing the value of them and respect paid to them from an early period down
to a comparatively recent date : —

At Aix, in Provence, on the festival of Corpus Christi, "the finest Tom Cat in
the country, wrapped in swaddling clothes like a child, was, on this occasion,
exhibited to the admiration of the gaping multitude in a magnificent shrine.
Flowers were strewed before him, every knee bent as he passed, and the adorations
he received unequivocally pointed him out as the god of the day. The strongest
circumstance attending this ceremony is that it continued in all its splendour in
the eighteenth century, and was not finally suppressed till about the year 1757."

I Published by the Commissioners of the Public Kecords of the Kingdom, 1841.

It is a little circumstance not unworthy perhaps of note, that one of the charges
against the Knights Temjdars in 1309 was "quod adorabant quendain cation sibi
in ipsa congregationc apparentcm." "That they worshiped a certain cat which was

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 33

cats, and give some very striking proofs of their value at that time.
Heel Dha died about A.D. 948, after a reign of 33 years, about 400
years before Whittington's birth. Tliese enactments are so curious that
I cannot help inserting a few of them in illustration of my argument.

" The Vendotian Code :" —

" XI. The worth of a cat and her teithi (t. e. her qualities) this is —

"1st. The worth of a kitten, from the night it is kittened until it shall open its
eyes, is a legal penny,

*' 2nd. And from the time that it shall kill mice, twopence.

" 3rd. And after it shall kill mice, four legal pence ; and so it always remains.

" 4th. Her teithi are to see, to hear, to kill mice, and to have her claws."

The "Dimetian Code" is as follows: —

"XXXII. Of Cats.

"1st. The worth of a cat that is killed or stolen. Its head is to be put down-
ward upon a clean even floor, with its tail lifted upwards, and thus suspended,
whilst wheat is poured about it until the tip of its tail be covered, and that is to
be its worth. If the corn cannot be had," (remark this, " if the com cannot bo
had," because when corn is scarce it enhances the cat's value,) then " a milch
sheep, with her lamb and its wool, is its value, if it be a cat which guards the
king's barn.

" 2nd. The worth of a common cat is four legal pence.

" 3rd. The teithi of a cat, and of every animal upon the milk of which people
do not feed, is the third part of its worth, or the worth of its litter.

"4th. Whosoever shall sell a cat {cath) is to answer, &c., and that she devournot
her kittens, and t'nat she have ears, eyes, teeth, and nails, and be a good mouscr."

In " The Gwentian Code," chap. XX., the value of a cat is increased
since the former edicts. After relating the mode of calculating tlie
value of the king's cat, by holding it by the tail and coveiiug it with
wheat, it says, as to the cat's qualities : —

" 3rd. That it be perfect of car, perfect of eye, perfect of teeth, perfect of tail,
perfect of claw, and without marks of fire."/«

If a cat was found faulty in any one of those particulars, a third
of her price was to be refunded to the purchaser. There were two

present in the very congregation." If they had introduced that animal from the
East, and had become thereby acquainted with its valuable properties, and had,
consequently, like good IIocl, some stringent laws as to its preservation, it might
readily be supposed by an ignorant multitude, that the cat was an object of worship
among them.

m Ut adustus timet incendia Cattus. — Metellns, in Quinnalihus, in Du Cange's
Glossary.

34

THE MODEL MERCHANT

reasons for the condition with respect to fii'e, for cats which lie
much by the fire side are generally lazy and bad mousers, and also if
they have been singed at all the rats would be sure to discover them
by the smell. It then goes on to say : —

"4th. That the Teithi and the legal vrorth of a cat are coequal."
And then follows a curious comparison of the value of a cat in
proportion to the rank and dignity of the owner, viz : —
" 5. A pound is the worth of a pet animal of the king,
" 6. The pet animal of a breyer is six score pence in value.
" 7. The pet animal of a taoog is a curt penny in value."
And in the 39th chapter, 53rd section, it is said, " there are three
animals whose tails, eyes, and lives, are of the same worth — a calf, a
filly for common work, and a cat, excepting the cat which shall watch
the king's barn," indicating that such a cat was still more valuable.
Another old "Welsh law says, (chap. 11, sec. 36), "Three animals
reach their worth at a year ; a sheep, a cat, and a cur," i.e. a dog :
and it goes on to say, (chap. 33), " This is the complement of a law-
ful hamlet ; nine buildings, and one plough, and one kiln, and one
churn, and one cat, " and one cock, and one bull, and one hcrdman."
A note on the above law, apparently in a difterent hand, and of a later
date, says that a cat was then valued as worth "a whole barn full " of
wheat (plenum horreum tritici)" and that there might be no mistake
as to the animal that was meant by the word Cath, and that no boor
might kill one through ignorance or inadvertence, pussy's picture is

given in the MSS. of the Laws. This drawing of a cat in Howel
Dha's Laws, observe, was about coeval, according to some authorities,

n Cats, in the old Latin, arc called Murilegus (or the mouscr) and Cattus ; in
British, Cath.

0 " Pro cat est loneit scuhaur o wcnithc," ("plonuni honeuni tritici, &c.")

OF TEE MIDDLE AGES. 35

with the White Horse, in Berkshire, cut a-^ainst the clialk hill, but
there is no more mistaking that for anything but a horse, than there
is a possibility of mistake as to this figure being meant for a cat, not-
withstanding the Pre-Raphaelite execution of the design.

Bewick, the naturalist, in noticing Hoel Dha's Xat^-s, says: —
" 'Whatever credit we may allow to the circumstances of the well
known story of JJlu'ttinfffon and his Cat, it is another proof of the
great value set on this animal in former times." Seeing, then, what
was the value of a cat in this country a few centuries before Whit-
tington's time, and in other countries for some centuries afterwards,
there is no reason to reject the story of Whittington having laid the
foundation of his fortune by the means attributed to him.

I find some curious notices in Du Gauge's Glossary, under the head
of Cats, mentioning the frequent use of their skins for the pelisses of
abbots and abbesses, and some regulations made by the ecclesiastical au-
thorities '' respecting the fastidiousness of the clergy, and their extrava-
gance in respect of furs. Nothing would satisfy them but the skins of
the rarest wild Spanish cats. I could hardly, however, imagine that
trade in these skins was the source of Whittington's wealth, though it
might be more consistent than some opinions which have been sug-
gested, because peltries would have been a legitimate part of the
dealings of a mercer or haberdasher. But as there is a great tendency
in mankind to judge of ancient history by what is passing before their
own eyes, and to dispute everything which does not coincide with
their own limited notions, so several attempts have been made to
explain the story of the cat in some other way than that of the
popular tale. Keightley, who has taken more pains to invalidate
Whittington's history than anyone else, says, "I hardly ever knew in
my own country an instance of the attainment to opulence by a man
who, as the phrase goes, had risen from nothing, that there was not
some extraordinary mode of accounting for it among the vulgar, and

p Cattinarum sive aliarum pellium notabilis ct damnabilis curiositas quoe iu
tantum ut ipse novi processcrat, ut Gallicanorum cattorum pellibus contemptis ad
Iberorum vel Italorum cattos, religiosorum hominiun curiositas transmigraret.

Consuetudines Cluniac. Petri Yenerabilis c. 17. in Gloss. Du Cange.

Pellicias habcbant ; jacebant super cilicia ; habebant coopcrtorias cattinas. —
Hist. Monast. Abbenton in Any lid.

36 THE MODEL MERCHANT

then he ti'cats with the utmost ridicule the tale of a man whose
original name had been Halfpenny (who when he rose in the world
refined it to Halfpen) who had grown rich from the humblest means.
To show that there is nothing so extravagant in the story, * let
us take the Biography of the Successful Merchant, Mr. Samuel
Budgett, also a Gloucestershire man. He tells us himself that the
foundation of his fortune was the picking up of a horseshoe, which he
sold for a penny, and there is a gentleman of title and large posses-
sions in this and an adjoining county whose grandfather commenced
his fortune with half-a-crown in his pocket. Surely it would reflect no
discredit on the Biography of Mr. Samuel Budgett, even should it
be shown that other successful youths had made their fortunes by
means of a horseshoe, in France, in Spain, in Italy, in Portugal, in
Persia, in India, or elsewhere.

Mr. Keightley then proceeds to throw more ridicule on the story of
AYhittington by quoting from Foote's farce called The JVabob, in which
a burlesque is cast upon the Society of Antiquaries in the character of
Sir Matthew Mite. That person is introduced as saying " That
Whittington lived no doubt can be made ; that he was Lord Mayor of
London is eqiially true ; but as to the Cat, that, gentlemen, is the
Gordian knot to untie. And here, gentlemen, be it permitted me to
define what a cat is. A cat is a domestic, whiskered, four-footed animal,
whose employment is catching of mice ; but let puss have been ever
so successful, to what could pussy's captures amount ? 'No tanner can
curry the skin of a mouse, no family make a meal of the meat, conse-
quently no cat would give "WTiittington his wealth." Foote had not
heard, of course, of the vast sums which were made in Paris a few
years ago when there was a general cleansing of the sewers, and many
millions of rats were destroyed, the skins of which were tanned and
made into ladies' gloves, realizing a very large amount of wealth.''

q Could it be sho\ni in our expected intercourse with China and Japan that
there were parts of those countries in which rats were very numerous and cats
cither unknown, or very scarce, the export of the latter animal to those quarters
might not be a bad speculation ; and though it might not be the means of realizing
a large fortune, it might give some return in cash which, by judicious management,
might be improved, and thus become the formdation of an individual's wealth.

r Household Words, vol. 2, p. 214. The wTitcr in this article. Rats, mentions

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 37

But this, by the bye — The sapient knight is made to continue his dis-
course as follows: — "From whence, then, does this error proceed ?
Bo that my care to point out. The commerce this worthy mer-
chant carried on was confined to our coasts ; for this purpose he con-
structed a vessel which, from its agility and lightness, he christened a
cat. Now to this our day, gentlemen, all our coals from Newcastle are
imported in nothing but cats ; from hence 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." One cannot help being surprised
that any one should gravely attempt to overturn a tradition so old as
that of "Richard "Whittington, upon the authority of a writer of farces,
who flourished in 1752 to 1777, and who undoubtedly, as such, ex-
ercised talents so great as to have obtained tlie name of the English
Aristophanes.' But then Hkc him whose name he acquired, it was
his business to turn everything to ridicule, and he succeeded. Surely
no one would quote Aristophanes to settle a disputed point in history.
One would as soon look to Punch's Comic Grammar to settle a point in
grammar, or his Comic History of England for an historical fact, as
select a writer of farces as evidence on a subject of this sort.

But I must introduce you to one more play writer who has touched
upon this subject, and that is Thomas Hey wood, who published
a play, in 1606, on the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth, in-
tituled, '^ If you know not ms, you know nobody,^'' Act 1, scene 1. —
Dr. Nowell Dean of St. Pauls, after entertaining at his house his friends

the circunistauce of the vast number of these animals which were destroyed in
cleansing the sewers at Paris, and gives this cixrious calculation: — That " one pair of
rats, with their progeny, will produce in three years no less than 646,808 rats,
which will consume as much food as 64,680 men." No wonder that the King of
Barhary, or Guinea, whichever it might have been, to whose coimtry Dick "Whit-
tington's puss was sent, should have hailed it as the most valuable acquisition
ever introduced to his dominions. That the foundation of a fortune may be laid
by such simple means, the author would observe that it is within the sphere of his
own knowledge that a poor man made a fair living by catching moles, which were
tanned and made into ladies' mufi's. Had he been a younger and more adventur-
ous man, who would venture to say that he might not have become a second
Whittington !

« JjomT^rieic's Bwtjiraphical Dktionar I/, (Foote, Samuel).

38 THE MODEL MERCHANT

Sir Thomas Gresliam, Sir Thomas and Lady Ramsey, and Hobson,
a Haberdasher, introduces them to his Gallery of Pictures, containing
the portraits of "good Citizens," some of whose notable deeds he
relates to them ; when he comes to Whittiugton the Dean says : —

" This Sir Richard WMttington — three times Mayor, son to a Knight and
prentice to a mercer — ^hegun the library of Grey Friars in London. And his
executors after him did build "Whittington College, thirteen almshouses for poor men,
repaired St. Bartholomews in Smithfield, glazed the Guildhall and built Newgate."

Upon which Hobson says, using a quaint kind of expletive in vogue

in those days : —

" Bones a me, then I have heard lies,
For I have heard he was a scullion
And raised himself by venture of a cat."
Dr. Nowell replies,

" They did more wrong to the gentleman."

The dean's objection probably refers to the expression of tlie scullion,
for, after all my researches, that incident in the story which relates to his
ill-treatment by the cook is the only part which I have not been able
in some way, T think, to substantiate ; but supposing that it referred to
the cat, it is after all only the suggestion of Heywood, the play-
writer, who puts these words in the dean's mouth, which were
probably the foundation of Foote's scepticism.

Mr. Itiley, in his edition of the Liher Alhus, suggests two solutions
of the cat question: — 1st, That "Whittington made his fortune by
achats, which was the French name for traffic. 2ndly, That he
made it by the coal trade, in the ships called cats, as suggested
by Foote.

!N'ow let us examine these two suggestions. In the first place,
there would be nothing in the use of the word achats to distinguish
"Whittington from every other pedlar or retail dealer of his day ; and I
do not use the word pedlar in a ridiculous sense, for it was then the
legitimate term of a petty dealer' or retail merchant; they all made
their fortunes by achats. Mercery was originally achats, or pedlary.
See Herbert's History of the Ticelvc Companies. Stow says that " the
milloncrs," or haberdashers, " sold mousetraps, bird cages, shoeing
hoiTis, lanthorns, Jews' trumps, &c."

t Todd's Johnson's Bietionary. (Pedlar.)

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 39

In the second place, let us take a review of the coal trade ; and on
this subject we find ' the first notice of coal, in a paj-ment, in kind, to
the Abbey of Peterborough, A.D. 8o2. viz., " twelve cart loads of fossil,
or pit coal." Henry III. granted a charter to the freemen of Newcastle
for liberty to dig coals, A.D. 1239. In 1350, towards the end of the
reign of Edward I., the merchants and artizans began to use coal, wood
becoming scarce. In consequence of an application from the nobility
and gentry, a royal proclamation was published against the use of it,
as a public nuisance and injurious to the health. A commission was
issued to punish those who burnt it, and to destroy the furnaces and
kilns. "■ It was not until the latter part of the sixteenth century that
the use of coal became pretty general for manufacturing and culinarj-
purposes, but not for domestic fires. Harrison observes, in 1577, that
"it crept from the forge into the kitchen and hall." He also says,
"an infinite deal of wood hath been destroyed within these few
years," and " I dare aflirm that if woods do go so fast into decay in
the next hundred years of grace as they have done, or are likely to do,
in this, it is to be feared that sea coal will be good merchandize, even
in the City of London." This evidently shows that the coal trade
had not been a particularly profitable investment up to his time.

"We are told also by Gray, in his Chorocjraphia, published in 1649,
that " the coal trade began not past four score years since," i.e. about
the year 1560 or 1570; coals in former days being, as he explains,
only used for smiths and for burning lime, but " woods decaying and
cities and towns growing populous, made the tirade increase greatly."
At that time Whittington had been dead nearly 150 years. With the
strong prejudice against the use of coal, its only partial use at any
rate, and with the uni-epealed royal proclamation against it, there docs
not seem much probability of Whittington's having made his fortune
by that trade. Besides M'hich, we have no account of merchants
travelling out of their own legitimate business in those days, for they
were not general merchants, as became the custom at a later date. That

t' Memoir Illustrative of th^ History and Antiquities of Korthumberland, com-
municated to the annual meeting of the Aichseological Institute of Great Britain
and Ireland, held at Newcastle, Aug. 1852, p. 166.

to Evelyn, wi-iting in 1661, proposed to rescue the citj- from that ''hellish
cloude" — Fumifugixm, a curious tract.

40 THE MODEL MERCnANT

Whittington was a mercer is a known fact; but there is no historical
warrant for saying that he dealt in coals — it is a mere surmise from
the discovery that vessels, called cats, have, at some period, been used
in the coal trade, and therefore it appeared a good guess that such
were the means by which our hero made his fortune ; and we may
say with the old Italian proverb, " Se non e vera e ben trovato.'^

Xow let us inquire a little into the subject of these ships. I cannot
find that coal- carrying ships were called cats, in England, at all, so far
back as Whittington's "^ time. In Todd's edition of Johnson's Dictio-
nary, a cat is said to be a sort of ship," and he quotes Bryant's Ohser-
vaiions on Rowley'' s Poems. " There are, (says Bryant), vessels at this
day which are common upon the northern part of the English coast,
and are called cats; part of the harbour at Plymouth is called Catwater,
undoubtedly from ships of this denomination, which were once common
in those parts." This note ' was made about 1778. We now turn to
Rees' Cyclopaedia, to the word. Cat. He says "cat, in sea language, de-
notes a ship, formed on the Norwegian model, used by the northern
nations of Europe, and sometimes employed in the Enylish coal trade.'"
Mark only sometimes. " It has three masts and a bowsprit, rigged
like an English ship, having, however, pole masts and no top-gallant
sails. The mizcn is with a gaff. These vessels usually carry from
four to si.v hundred tons." I appeal to my sea-going friends to say
whether a verier tub was ever desciibed. Where is the agility and
lightness of the cat so poetically described by Foote .^ There is very
great reason to doubt the use of ships of that burden in Whittington's

X It is singular that ia the liofitU Kormannia, 5 Henry V. 1417, we have the
name of almost every kind of shij) then in use; that sovereign having had occasion
to hire ships in Ilolland, from his inability to procure sufficient for the transport of
his army in England. They are as follows : — Coggeships, Crayeres, Balingcres,
Helebotes, Busses, Farecosts, Doggers, Lodeships, or lioldships, Collets, Bargees,
Picards, Spinas, Del Skaffs, Niefs de Tourc, Passagers, and Navis. To these may
bo added, from Mr. Riley's introduction to the Liber Alius: — Escouts or Scuts,
Iloc-scips, Niefs de Scaltcrs, Vessels ovc Bcillcs, Boats en Tholles or Dcinz Ilorlocs,
Spindcleres Botes, Mangbotes, and Welkhotcs ; but no Cats.

y Cattaj inter navium appellationes pouuntur a Gcllio, lib. 10, c. 2.5. — Calepini's
Dictionary, sub voce.

z Wo should be as little disposed to take the authority of the author of Itotvlci/'s
Poems as that of Foote. Bryant, however, believed them to be genuine.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 41

time, but no reason is there to suppose that Whittington employed them.
Dr. Henry" says, that the shipping at that time did not increase cither in
size or number, but the contraiy ; that the fullest equipment of the largest
men-of-war did not contain more than t-sventy men. Shipping had
decreased to such an extent in 1381, when Whittington flourished,
that to remedy this evil the first Navigation Act was passed, and
Government seized all the English ships and sailors for puq)oscs of
war. "We find that the ships which were originally used in the coal
trade were called keels and hoys, and not cats, and the men who
worked them were called keelers. Some one has suggested tliat
Whittington made his fortune by privateering, a suggestion quite
unworthy of his high character and the reputation for honor and
humanity which he justly enjoyed.

All these circumstances taken together render it very improbable
that Whittington made his fortune by a cat of that description, but
the possibilities of his having made it by an animal of that name
having been already placed before you, we will now go on to see what
he did deal in, and this we find from the Ancient Kalendars and In-
ventories of the Exchequer to have been wool,*" and costly di-esses,
made from that and other materials, for the nobility and royalty of

a Henry's History of Great Britain, vol. 8, pp. 354-356.

b To show what "Whittington really did trade in we may quote the Ancient
Kakndars and Inventories of the Exchequer, collected and edited by Sir Francis
Palgrave, vol. 2, p. 75 : —

6 "M*' qd qued^m oblig com || ciiii'^.vii.ti. xvi.s. xd. oh. fact p
Ricm Whityngton * Henr. |! London Gives * Merceres London Dno
Regi *c p cust f subs div''^s Janar-^ *c reiii in hanapio de tmino Pasch
anno viij° Eeg- Honi^ qarto Que quidm oblig liBaf tc Epo Londoii
Thes Angl f p | ad i9 ppr xx die Julii anno viij° "
"lib cx^ "Also p. 78:—

3 "Ponder ad tronand lanas in Portu London de novo foct vidctt
mens Marcii anno x° Eeg Hour nuarti. T. Tiptot Thes Angt existent."
"viii Ponder voc q^rtiii quodtt ponder xiii. ct.

iii Pondci' quodtt ponder viii. ct.

iii Ponder quodtt ponder iiii. ct.

Sm* I pec xxii pond

\ ponder cxlviii. ct di."

" Que quidm ponder lib anf viii° die Marcii anno r ^ Henr'
quarti Pico AYhityngton * Johi || Hend custumar ^ in portu London
undo iidem debent respondei"."

42 THE MODEL MERCHANT

the laud. He appears by the Isme Rolls, copies of which will appear
in the Appendix, to have supplied the wedding trousseau of the Princess
Blanche, King Henry the Foiu-th's eldest daughter, on her marriage
with the son of the King of the Eomans. And, again, he supplied the
wedding dresses, pearls, and cloth of gold, for the marriage of the Princess
Phillippa, the King's daughter. Queen of Sweden and iS'orway, with the
King of the Eomans. In short, "NYhittington appears to have been the
great HoweU and James of his day, dealing in rich dresses and fancy arti-
cles, and to have had no dealings whatever in coal that we can discover.
But to connect our hero with the Cat ; Malcolm * says, " The clerk
of the Mercer's Company has, in his apartment at Mercer's Hall, a
portrait on canvas, ten inches and a half broad, and twelve inches
high, of a man of about sixty years of age, in a fur livciy gown and
black cap, such as the Yeomen of the Guard now wear. The figure
reaches about half the length of the arms from the shoulders ; on the
left hand of the figure is a black and wliite cai, whose right ear
reaches up to the band or broad turning down of the shirt of the
figure. On the left upper corner of the canvas is painted in Boman
characters, R. Whittington, 1536. The size of the canvas of this
portrait has, for some reason, been altered, and the inscription has
evidently been painted since the alteration; yet it is hardly to be sup-
posed it was then invented, and if not, it carries the common vulgar
opinion of some connection between Whittington and a cat as far back
as 1536." This, observe, is only 113 years after Whittington's death,
when the tradition of two generations, from father to son, might have
readily conveyed a story which none Avould then be found to dispute.
This pictui'e, it seems, does not now exist, though what has become
of it I have been unable to learn on inquiiy at Mercer's Hall. They
have, however, a portrait of our worthy, with a cat, apparently of
more modern date, though evidently of some antiquity, but it does not
answer the description of the portrait given by Malcolm. The portrait
which now adorns the Mercer's Hall has been engraved by Benoist,
and illustrates the Neto History, Description, and Survey of London, by
William Thornton and others, folio, 1784. There is, however, another
portrait of Bichard Whittington extant, in an engraving (reproduced
especially for this biography, from a copy in my possession,) by
b Malcolm, Londiii. Rcdiviv., vol. 1, p. 515.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 43

Reginald Elstrack, ' wlio flourislicd in 15D0. It professes to be a ''vera
effigies" or true likeness of that most illustrious gentleman, Iticliard
Whittington, Knight, and I see no reason to doubt the statement. In
this portrait '' our hero is represented in his robes as Lord Mayor, -with
a collar of S.S., and his hand resting on a very pretty cat. This again
carries back the connection of "Whitlington with a cat to the times when
two generations only might have sufficed to have handed it down. It is
recorded in Granger's' -History of Engrailed Portraits that the cat was
inserted afterwards ; that Whittington was represented in the original
engraving with his right hand on a skull; but the people generally would
not buy the print under those conditions, it did not fall in with the gene-
rally received account of the person of whom it assumed to be the por-
trait, and it was not until the skull was removed, and replaced by the
cat, that the artist could get any sale for his work. This entirely silences
the suggestion that the story was fabricated to suit the picture— on the
contrary we see that the public desired to have the cat inserted, in
conformity with the tradition which they had received, and which at
that early date was fully accepted. The alteration must have been
made at the very earliest opportunity, for the prints with the skull
are so rare that Granger had never seen more than two of them.-' It
is said that it is an anachronism to represent him with the collar of
S.S. and the Eose " and Portcullis. Now we find that the collar of

c Reginald Elstrack was one of the earliest engravers in this country, and his
works have now become rare.

d This plate seems to have been preserved for many years, for it has been rc-
eugi-aved and retouched, as given in the Antiquarian Rcpcrtori/, vol. 2.

e Biographical History of England^hy^QX. J. Granger, 4 vols. 8vo., vol. 1. p. 63.
Bromley, British Forfraifs, 4to. p. 11 .

/ It is not a little singular that oue of these engravings with the skull is in
the possession of W. J. Phelps, Esq., of Chcstal House, near Dursley, the present
High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, who possesses a valuable collection of portraits of
the worthies of this County.

g The Red Rose, rosa rubra, was a common redditus, or acknowledgment of
property held under the Crown. The Rose appears on the seal of Richard, Duke
of York, 1430, (Dallaway's ^waW/c Jwj^t/iV/w), and quarter rose nobles were the
current coin of this reabn, commencing with Edward III., and continued down to
the successive reigns ; it seems, therefore, that this cognizance may be traced
even as far back as Edward III.

44 TEE MODEL MERCHANT

S.S.'' was introduced by Henry the Fourth, in 1407, as his livery; and
that the red rose was the distinguishing badge of the Lancaster family,
of which Henry IV. was a member ; indeed Dallaway says that it was his
cognizance. There was in possession of the late Horace Walpolc, Earl of
Orford,' a picture of Henry the Fifth and his family, in which appeared
the roses and portcuUis. Lord Orford, therefore, presumed that it must
have been painted in a later reign ; this, however, might or might
not have been the fact, and it would be difficult to decide, unless we could
positively assign a date to the introduction of these ornaments. If,
however, "Whittington sat for his portrait the year previous to his
death, as is very probable, Henry the Sixth had then begun to reign,
the known badge of whose family was the Eed Eose : but supposing
that these were trifling anachronisms, I don't think they would afiect
the case. Elstrack had to represent Whittington to the public in the
robes by which he would be known to them as Lord Mayor of London,
such as they were acquainted with. Painting in oil had not been
invented above two years at the time when Whittington died. John
Van Eyck, the inventor of that art, was then painting in Germany, but
it is questionable whether there were any painters in oil at that time in
England, and Elstrack may have been obliged to draw somewhat on
his fancy, for the embellishments of his portrait , not indeed, for the
likeness, for fortunately we do possess a contemporary likeness of him
on his death bed, illuminated * on the deed of the Ordinances of his
Alms Houses, of which I shall have to speak by and bye. Now on
comparing Elstrack' s print with that drawing, the likeness is as
identical as can possibly be, considering the circumstances, — one being
represented in health and the other on a death bed. But it is not at
all improbable that there had been another original likeness from which
Elstrack made his engraving ; for John Carpenter, Whittington's noble

h Tromptorium Parvulorum, published by Camdon Society, in Note, p. 87.
Sec also Fosbrokc's EncyclojiacUa of Antiquities, p. 293.

i Walpole's Anecdotes, vol. 1, p. 55.

k Dr. Ilcnry {History of Great Britain, vol. 10. p. 213.) says the illuminators
of books supplied the place both of historians and portrait painters at that period.
They canicd their art to great perfection, and give us a view not only of the
persons and dresses of our ancestors, but also of their customs, manners, and
employments.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 45

and worthy executor, who caused this very illumination to be made,
was, we learn, a great patron of the art, then, for the first time, in-
troduced into England, "^'e read in Stow's' Surveij of London, that
"John Carpenter, Town Clerk of London, in the reign of Henry V.,
caused, with great expences, to be curiously painted upon board, about
the North Cloister of St. Paul's, a monument of Death leading all
estates, with the speeches of Death and answers of every estate."
Is it not then very probable that Carpenter had caused a portrait taken
of his dear and excellent friend "Wliittington, wliich, doubtless, shared
the fate of many other valuable records and specimens of art, in that
all devouring element, the great fire of London in 1666."

I Stow's Survey of London, vol. 1. p. 261., and Walpole's Anecd<ites of Painting,
vol. 1. p. 71.

m The over zealous promoters of the Reformation are also culpable for the
destruction of some of our most valuable historical documents. At the time of the
dissolution of the Abbey of Tewkesbury, the records and evidences belonging to
the monastery were directed to be left in the treasury there, under the custody
of John "Whittington, Knight. The houses and buildings assigned to remain
undcfaced, were also committed to the custody of John "Whittington (Bennett's
Hist, of TewJcesbury, 8vo. 1830, p. 12-5.) This John Whittington was probably
John of Pauntley and Xotgrove, who was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1-517;
or it might have been John, son of Richard, the direct ancestor of the "^Tiitting-
tons of Saint Briavels and Hamswell, though I have discovered no other evidence
that either of these Johns received the honor of knighthood.

The portions of the monasteiy deemed to be superfluous were the Church,
Chapels, Cloisters, Chapter-house, Library, &c. These, too, were committed to
Sir John "WTiittington's custody. How little he cared for the Library is shown
in the fact that the greater part of the records belonging to the monastery have
been lost. What an unworthy representative of that AVhittington to whose
suggestions we are indebted for the preservation of the Becords of the City of
London, and the compilation of the Liber Albtts I Would that there were more
Richard Whittingtons and fewer Sir Johns !

Our materials for English history have, at various times, suffered great
losses. First, from the way in which, in the time of the Romans, the invaders
barbarously endeavoured to destroy all vestiges of the history of the previous
inhabitants of the island. Secondly, from the ruthless destruction of the
Saxons and Danes. Then, again, in the rebellions of Wat Tyler and Jack
Straw, there was a wholesale destruction made of eveiy document they could
get at. The injudicious promoters of the Reformation next gave another
serious blow to our country's e\'idence3. Bale, who was made Bishop of
Ossery by Edward VI., and was obliged to fly to HollaQd on the accession

46 THE MODEL MERCHANT

There is every indication about the engraving of Elstrack that it was
copied from an original. A ftxncy porti'ait would undoubtedly have taken
pains to represent liim in the best light, and would have endeavoured to
give him such good looks as a poetic or romantic imagination would have
suggested ; whereas in Elstrack' s portrait there is none of that fictiti-
ous attempt at embellishment so amusingly described in Foote's Farce
called Taste, in which Lady Pentweasel is represented as addressing
the artist as follows : —

Lady Pentweasel: "Pray now Mr. Carmine, how do you limners contrive to
overlook the ugliness and yet preserve the likeness r "

Mr. Carmine : " The art, Madam, may be conveyed in two words ; where
nature has been severe, we soften ; where she has been kind we aggravate."

Now there has evidently been no such tampering with the subject
in the instance of Elstrack' s engraving, and we have therefore every
reason to believe that it is taken from a genuine and original portrait.

Up to this point we have established two early representations of
"VVhittington in connection with a Cat, we now come to a third. In
the Patent Rolls, 1, Ilen.YL, there is a grant to the Executors of the "Will
of Richard Whittington, late Citizen and Mercer of London, that they
may pull down and build anew the King's Gaol at Newgate, together

of Queen Mary for his opposition to Popery, says " that a greate nombre

of them whych purchased those superstycyouse mansyons {i.e. the monasteries)

reserved of the lybrary bookes some to scoure their candlestycks, and some to

rubbe their bootes ; some they sold to the grossers and sopesellers, and some they

sent over see to the bookcbj-nders, not in small nombre, but at tj'mes whole

shyppes full, to the wonderingc of foren nacyons. Tea, the universities of this

realme are not all clere in this detestable fact. I know a merchauntman, whych

shall at this tyme be namelesse, that boughte the contentes of two noble lybrares

for forty shillings pryce, a shame it is to be spoken. This stuffe hath he occupied

in the stede of graye paper by the space of more than these ten ycrcs, and yet he

had store ynough for as many yercs to come ; a prodigyouse example is this, and

to be abhorred of all men who love their nacyon as they should do."* It is

certainly to be feared that Sir John Whittington either cared less for books than

his pocket, or was a more zealous reformer than lover of the history of his country.

Lastly, the Great Fire of London deprived us of a vast number of valuable

muniments. Xo wonder, then, that with such serious losses to our nation's

records, many of our traditions have nearly passed into fable, and it needs to work

them out, bit by bit, by the most careful investigation, and to replace them in

their true position.

* Dugdale's Monaaticon,

OF TEE MIDDLE AGES. 47

with the gate thereof within the City of London. Xow if we turn to
Maitland's History of London, we find that " the Gate of jS'ewgate
heing very much damaged hy the (great) fire (of London) in 1666,
was afterwards strongly rebuilt of stone, and continues to be the county
gaol for Middlesex as well as London. The west side of the Gate is
adorned with three ranges of pilasters and their entablements, of the
Tuscan order. Over the lowest is a circular pediment, and above it
the King's arms. The intercolumns are four niches, with as many
figures as large as life. One of these, representing liberty, has caiwed
on her hat the word lihertas, and the figure of a Cat lying at her feet,
alluding to the figure of Sir Eichard Whittington, a former founder,
who is reported to have made the first step to his good fortune by a
Cat." Pennant after mentioning the rebuilding of Xewgate by "WTiit-
tington's executors says " his Statue with the Cat remained in a niche
to its final demolition, on the rebuilding of the present Prison. It was
destroyed in the fire of 1666 and rebuilt in its late form." This re-
mark of Pennant would lead us to suppose that the statue with the
Cat was placed there by "Whittington's own executors, than whom
nobody could have known better his connection with a Cat. "We have
again one more (a fourth) instance to bring before you of a connection of
a Cat with "^Tiittington and the Company to which he belonged, and to
which he was a great benefactor. By the kindness of Mr. Barnes, the
Clerk of the Mercers' Company, I was permitted to see a beautiful
piece of gilt plate in the possession of that Honorable Company, consisting
of a sort of triumphal wagon, or car, beautifully chased and enamelled,
standing on four wheels, and bearing a barrel or tun on the top. It is
made to move by clock work, and will run round a table ; being one of
the earliest specimens of an automaton in this country. In the Arch-
ives of the Company it is said to have been given to them by William
Burde, who was their "Warden in the year 1572. It weighs 201 oz.
and is worth 100 marks." It is singular that on this wagon arc four
medallions in enamel, two on each side ; on one of them is the repre-

n As the value of the mark vras 13s. 4d., this piece of plate must have Leen

worth £66. 13s. 4d. of the currency of that period. I imagine that a goldsmith

would ask £300, at least, for a similar article in our day. Dr. Henry, vol. 10, p.

272, makes the mark to be equal to £6. 13s. 4d. of our money, if .so, this car

■would be worth £6GG. 13s. 4d.

G

48 TUB MODEL MERCHANT

sentation of the blessed Virgin, with a crown, which is the insignia of
the Mystery of tlic Company, on tlie other are the arms of the City of
London, and on the two others are heraldic Cats ; while, enamelled in lilac
and green, on the stems of two upright figures are rats and birds, the
natural food of those animals ; doubtless intended to commemorate the
Mercers' most distinguished member, Richard Whittington.

Let me then recapitulate the evidences aa totheprobability of the truth
of the story of a cat, and we find them to be as follows: — 1st, From the
ancient and generally received tradition ; 2nd, From the scarcity and
value of domestic cats at that period; 3rd, From its not being a
solitary instance of a fortune made by such means ; 4th, From the
ancient portraits and statues of Whittington in connection with a cat,
some of which may be reasonably traced up to the times and orders
of his own executors.

But some persons may say, why take all this trouble about the cat ?
The answer is simply this, that the truth or falsehood of our histories
and traditions depends upon our being able to confirm them in their
minutest particulars by concurrent testimony. History is made up of
details, and it is of the greatest importance that those details should
be able to stand the test of the closest investigation. Both in sacred
and secular history, the sceptic is widely on the alert, anxious to under-
mine its truth, by loosening its proofs : it is part of their system. If the
foundations of secular history can be readily sapped, then those of
Scripture history they hope will speedily follow. " Hume, the well-
known historian," says Archdeacon "Williams," "in preparing the
ground for one of his most insiduous attacks upon Christian Revela-
tion, lays it down as an axiom that the evidence in support of any
fact, whether occurring in the course of real events or supposed to
have been the result of miraculous intervention, must necessarily grow
weaker as time advances, and finally be regarded as entitled to little
weight when examined by judicious criticism." The Archdeacon most
properly combats so monstrous a maxim, and shows that on the con-
trary " the lapse of time, instead of weakening the evidence of any
such fact, has rather in most known cases tended to confirm it, by
bringing to light proofs in its support which time, and time alone,
could have produced." I would add also, that it requires some one
o Chudia and Fudem, by Archdeacon Williams, 8vo., 1858, p. 1,

OF THE MILBLE AGES. 49

willing to give the time and labor necessary for the investigation of
the facts, and I believe that such facts are worth investigating, both
for theii- historical and archaeological value.

Now in all these instances, unless there was some extraordinary
connection between Whittington and a Cat, I do not think so much
pains would have been taken to repeat it ; and if, as some pretend, his
fortune was not made through means of the animal, but bj^ a ship of
that name, I think we should have had him represented in his
portraits with a ship, and not with a Cat/

But by whatever process it was that Whittington raised himself,
rise he did, and became a most distinguished character, as we shall
see. "We do not know at what date he set up for himself in business,
but we find that he was a member of the Mercers' Company in 1392,
in which year he was elected both AJderman and Sheriff of the City,
and that he had five youths bound apprentice'' to him. And here we
find one of the first instances of his patriotism and obedience to the
laws of his country. A law had been passed to prevent the admission
of foreign apprentices into the English guilds, as there had been an
attempt on the part of foreigners '' to usurp all the trade of this
country, and stringent enactments were required to put a stop to it.
Previous wardens had been fined for taking bribes to admit foreigners.
Whittington strenuously resisted all overtures of the sort. Bribery
and corruption were the order of the day, and from some complaints
on this score the Mayor and Sheriff's of London were, A.D. 1391, by
virtue of the King's writ, removed and committed to prison, and a
custos civitatis and new Sheriff's appointed.

p The tradition, indeed, is that the name of the ship by which he made his
fortune was called the Unicom, and not the Cat.

q There appeai-s to have existed almost an absolute necessity that apprentices
should be of gentle blood, at least if they were ever to expect to become master
tradesmen, for "an enactment was repeatedly promulgated, even so late as 11th
Richard II., A.D. 1388, that no serf should, under any circumstances whatsoever,
be admitted to the freedom of the citj' ;"* and without the freedom of the city I
suspect none could legally carry on a trade on his awn account. This, one would
think, would be conclusive evidence that Richard Whittington was not himself of
low birth, even if we had no other proofs of the respectability of his parentage.

»• Henry's History of Great Britain, vol. 10, p. 238,, and Midddlcsex and London,
by Edward Wedlake Brayley, in Beauties of England and Wales, vol. 10, p. 622,
Note. * Introduction to Riley's edition of the Liher Alhm, p. 24.

50 THE 21 OB EL MERCHANT

In the following year, 1 392, the king, being pacified by a fine, issued a
writ, allowing the citizens to elect their Sheriffs as they were anciently
accustomed, notwithstanding any commission to the contrary. Sheriffs
were accordingly elected that year by the common hall, composed of the
Mayor, Recorder, Sheriffs, Aldermen, and very many commoners from all
the wards. It was in the next year to this that Whittington was elected
Sheriff.'' In 1397, 20th Eichard II., a writ was issued from the king,
appointing Hichard Whittington Mayor ' and escheator in place of
Adam Baunne "who had gone the waye of all flesh."' "Whittington
was elected Mayor the year following, and was again elected to that
ofiice October 13th, 1406, 8th Heniy lY. Ten years afterwards, viz.,
in 1416, "Whittington was elected Member of Parliament for the City

r His election as Sheriff is entered in the C/Yy Records, September 21st,
1393, 17th Richard II.

s In Wright's edition of Heylin's Help to E>iglisk History, published in 1773,
Sir Richard "NMiittington is named as eighty-sixth Lord Maj'or of London in 1397;
but this, so far as the title of Lord is concerned, is clearly a mistake, as we find
them called simply Mayors for many years after that date. It is very difficult to
decide the precise time when the title of Lord was accorded to that dignity. Sup-
posing that in other respects "Wright's remark is correct, and supposing also that
the office was always an annual one, it would fix the fii^st establishment of the
Mayoi'alty in 1311 which, however, is at variance with other authoiities.

In the Tabkt of Memory, (p. 47) it is said that Whittington was either the first,
or one of the first, who was called Lord Mayor : and that the title of Lord was
annexed to the office by Richaid II. According to Ilaydu's Dictionary of Bates,
the titles of Lord and Right Honorable were granted by Edward III.
t City Records, Lib. H. fo. 316. From Sir R. Baker's Chronicle: —
17 Richard II., 1394. Richard Whittington, Sheriff.
21 Eichard II., 1398. Sir Richard AVhittington, Mayor.
8 Henry IV., 1407. Sir Richard "^Tiittington, Mayor.
4Henr5-Y., 1417. iJ/cM* Whittington, Sherifl".
7 Henry V , 1420. Sir Richard Whittington, Mayor.
Robt. Whittington, Shcrifl'.
It is difficult to assign a correct date to the time when Whittington received
the honor of knighthood. Sir R. Baker seems to fix it at the time of his first
Shrievalty in 1394, but we certainly find him described in Rymer's Fadera as
simply AiTOiger bo late as 1403 and 140;;.

• This is probably a mistake for Robert, as it was not usual for one who had
served the office of Mayor again to seiTC that of Sheriff.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 51

of London, and lie was again elected Mayor, October 13th, 1419, Tth
Henry V. A modem MS. memoir of "VMiittington in possession of
the Mercers' Company says, " The company attended the cavalcade of
Whittington, chosen Mayor for the fourth time," -with eight new
banners, eight trumpeters, four pipers, seven nakerers," and furnished
eight minstrels for the cavalcade of J. Butler, chosen Sheriff." Not-
withstanding this note, it is questionable whether "^'hittington was
Lord Mayor more than three times. Those authors who have so
stated have probably en-oneously included his shrievalty, or they have
reckoned, as one of his mayoralties, the portion of the year in which
he was appointed by King Richard II. to fill up the vacancy caused
by the death of Adam Baunne. In that sense it is true that he was
Lord Mayor four times. His last attendances which are recorded at
City meetings were in September, and October, 1422, at the election
of the Sheriffs and the Lord Mayor. The following spring brought
him to his grave. But, before we touch upon this, let us look at some
of those acts by which he has gained a right to a high place in his
country's biography; a place far beyond that to which his acquisition
of wealth in such an extraordinary manner as that attributed to him,
or, indeed, the acquisition of wealth alone, acquired by whatever amount
of ability or perseverance, would have entitled him. Difficult as it may
be to acquire a fortune, that difficulty comparatively ceases when the
first step is over; wealth, by judicious management, engenders wealth,
as we see in the case of "Whittington. The greater difficulty, in a
social point of view, is to know how to use the fortune when acquii'ed,
and here it is that our hero shines as such a brilliant example.

V Malcolm, Londin. Eediviv., vol. 4. p. 314, says/owr times.
w Nacaires, an instrument of music which, though often mentioned by the old
poets, both of France and England, it is not certain whether it was an instrument
of percussion or a wind instriunent. In the JRomau d' Alexandre it is said —
" Chascim a parte tronipe ou vielle atempre'e,
Kacaires ct tabars de grande renomme'e."

Du Cange describes Kaeara to be a kind of brazen dnun used in cavalry, yet

Chaucer names it in company with wind instruments : —

" Pipes, tromps, nakcres, and clarioimes.
That in the bataille blowen blody sounes."

Rccs' CyclopcEdxa. (Nacaires.)

52 THE MOB EL MERCHANT

I have said that he was a man of enlightenment far in advance of
his age, and the first instance of it which I shall give is this. One of
the greatest improvements of the last few years, one of the most recent
suggestions of humanity, and one of the most approved preventives of
that dreadful vice, drunkenness, is that of having drinking fountains
in different parts of the metropolis and our large country towns, where
the wayfarer may slake his thirst, without being obliged to purchase
his draught at the expense of his pocket, or perhaps of his soul. In
passing St. Sepulchre's Church in London, a short time since, I could not
but notice the neat drinking fountain which adorns the corner of the
churchyard, but when I observed upon it the inscription — " This is
the first drinking fountain established in the metropolis," or words to
that effect, I could not help mentally ejaculating, as the novelists style
that process of the mind — "Alas, how transient is fame ! Alas, that
Eichard Whittington's memory should be so soon forgotten!" Friends
of humanity, fully and freely as I honor you, and deem your cause one
of the highest and noblest, yet candour bids me say that Whittington
was long before you in this. Let us turn to that venerable histoiian
Stow, and we shall find that " there was a water conduit, east of the
Church, (St. Giles, Cripplegate) which came from Highbury ; and that
"Whittington, the Mayor, caused a ' bosse,' •"■ or tap, of water to be made

X It would appear that the water of this fountain Avas made to issue fi'om a hoss, or
stud, in the shape of a bear's head, (as our door knockers often represent that of a
lion,) which went by the name of "Whittington's boss. This emblem was adopted
in a singular paper war of satirical repartee, in the beginning of the sixteenth
centurj", between the celebrated grammarians of the day, William Lilyc, Eobcrt
Aldridge, William Ilorman, and Robert Whittington. The latter being a man of
conceited notions, though undoubtedly of much talent, had supplicated the Uni-
versity of Oxford to grant him the honor of the Laureate, which dignity was
solemnly conferred upon him on the 4th of July, 1513, when he was publicly
crowned with a wreath of laurel. Upon this he gave himself great airs, and
assumed the title of Profo-vates Anglice, which provoked the spleen of his fellow
grammarians who, unwilling to allow his presumption to pass imnoticed, applied
to him, in ridicule, the nickname of Whittington's boss; partly, perhaps, on account
of a personal resemblance in feature, or manner, to the animal there represented,
and the bearish way in which he behaved towards his contemporaries ; or partly,
perhaps, on account of the similarity of the name he bore to that of the philanthropic
founder of the foiintain, -nath whom, perhaps, in his boastful manner he may have
claimed relationship. I cannot, however, find that he belonged to the Gloucester-

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 53

in the church wall. On the bank of the town ditch, he adds, was a
spring, arched over with stone by "Whittington." But it was not only-
water which this noble minded man would give freely to the poor ;
he was an advocate of their rights in other matters, " helping them to
right that suffer •\\Tong," in whatever respect it might be. Accordingly

shire family of that name, of whom Sir Richard "WTiittington undoubtedly was a
member, for there is no Eobert iji the Gloucestershire pedigrees of the date of the
poet, who, according to Wood's Athom Oxoniemis, was bom at Lichfield. This
conceited poet having then been unmercifully attacked by these gi-eat wits of the
day, retorts upon them, applying to them, in return, the nicknames of Bavius and
Maevius, two low satirical poets of the Augustan age, in a Latin satire which he
affixed to the door of St. Paul's School, of which, at that time, W. Lilye was
master. In the signature to his lines he adopts the soubriquet of Boss which
they had given him, latinized into Bossks. This, not being a word of pure
Latinity, provoked more and more the pungent wit of his opponents, and gave
them an excellent handle for their punning invectives as follows : —

" Nomine sic Bossus dissecto Bos erit et sus,"
says Lilye, and Horman afterwards : —

" Xomine diviso, Bossus, bos efficit et sus,
Ex junctis Bossus protinus ursus erit."
It would seem, according to these critical grammarians, that if the word boss
were to be translated into Latin by any other than its classical term, umbo, it
should have been bossa, (see Du Gauge's Glossary, in loco) and not bossus, and this
produced a most caustic epigram from one of these gentlemen: —
" Absolus Agrigentinus ad lectorem.

Quod latet in Bosso, quicunque htec legeris hospes,

Ne forte ignores, hoc tibi carmen habe.

Urbs est Londinum populis opibusque superba,

Quam supra reliquas Anglia jure colit.

Hie tibi qua portus Belini * est, sculptilis ursa

Rauca ciet scatebris murmiu^a dulcis aquae.

Nuncupat hanc vulgus Bossam cognomine, quo nil

Crebrius ore suo grex muliebris habet.

Nomen enim Bossae crebro volat hinc volat iUinc,

Dum furit, et turpis jurgia lingua serit.

Deperit hanc adeo quidam, ut sua nomina mutct

Et dici Bossm;» se patiatur amans.

Nee facit hoc temere, quum sit memorabile dictum

Consimilem semper quarere quenque sui. •

lUaque dicatur multa dignissima conjux,

y Malcolm's Londin. Rediviv,, vol. 3. p. 272.

54 THE MODEL MERCHANT

we learn from the Cotton MSS. in the British Museum, that "one of
the last acts of his life, indicating his honesty and public spirit, was
his active prosecution of the London brewers for forestalling meat and
selling dear ale ; for which interference with their proceedings, the
brewers were voiy wroth."- From this we should suppose that the
brewers had monopolized the sale of meat as well as beer. Our hero,
as the poor man's champion, not only procures for the people fresh and
wholesome water, but he insists upon it that they shall have cheap and
wholesome meat and beer ; he uses his magisterial influence for this
purpose, and is willing, in the cause of the people, to risk the wrath
and abuse of the sturdy John Barleycorns, the brewers and innkeepers
of his day. But this is not all, or half all, that good Bichard Whit-
tington did. I have spoken of the friends of humanity, and, on the
whole, I think we have (with our improvements of prison discipline,
with our male and female reformatories, and schools J some claim to

Ingenio si qua convenit apta viri.

Est Bossus Bossa dignus mihi crede maritus,

Est conjux Bosso Bossaque digna viro.

Aufer de Bosso tantum discrimina vitsc,

Jam melior Bossa non erit illc sua.

Hoc facile et poteris coUatis discerc Bossis,

Dicere me verum, res tibi testis erit.
Another epigram also followed, representing the bear as baited by dogs : —

" Ileus ursus ne es quem video ? Sum. Bsclua cujus ?

Belini. Nomen dicito. Bossus ego

Cur agitat te turba canum ? Soleo quia doctos

Lsedere. Quid docti commeruere ? Nihil.

Ergo cur la:dis ? Domince compulsus amore.

Qua mihi non est uUa dulcior. Invidite

Invidia ipsa suo se gladio negat. Ergo

Tu simili fato ne moriarc, cave."
It should be remarked that Whittington'sboss, mentioned in Stow's Survey, was
situate at St. Giles, Cripplegate, and not at Billingsgate ; but perhaps Belini partus
is only a general name for London. If there was another at Billingsgate, it only
shows the extensive nature of "Whittington's good deeds.

The polemics above alluded to arc fully noted in Wood's Athena; Oxoniensi.i,
fol. p. 21 ; and the Ant ibossicon is mentioned in the List of some of the Early Printed
Books in the Archiepiacopal Library at Lambeth, by the Kev. Dr. Maitland.
Privately printed, 8vo., London, 1843.

s Cotton MSS., S. Galb., B. 5.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

the name of a philanthropic age ; but ccuturies before a Howard, or a
Sir George Paul," rose to set us the example, there was Ricliard
"Whittington leuding his purse and his influence to better the condition
of the poor prisoner, and to raise him in the scale of humanity. He
began to rebuild, during his lifetime, the prison of Xewgate Avhich we
read in the Patent Rolls of Henry YII. " was then so small and in-
fected that it occasioned the death of many." The City ' itself (A.D.
1422), had become alarmed at the pestilence likely to ensue from the
overcrowding of prisoners, and it petitioned the king's council for
permission to remove the prisoners out of Xewgate, in order to rebuild

a To show the state of Gloucester Couaty Prison in 1778-9, when Howard first
began his reformation of prison discipline, 400 years after Whittington's time, wc
may quote Howard's own notes : —

" Oxford Circuit. Gloucestershire County Gaol, Gloucester Castle. Xo alteration.
Eight prisoners died about Christmas, 1778, of small-pox. No proper separation of
the sexes, or of the Bridewell prisoners from the rest. From the magistrates'
inattention to this most important point, there is the most licentious intercourse ;
and all the endeavours of the chaplain to promote reformation must necessarily be
defeated where the most abandoned are daily encouraging others to vice. Five or
six children have lately been born in this gaol. Eleven of the twenty-four felons
were fined without any allowance. The clause of the act against spirituous liquors,
and the act for preserving the health of the prisoners was not hung up."

"The gaol disease so prevailed that the proportion was three dead of distemper

to one executed."

Mr. Howard's first report on this prison says,

" County Gaol, Gloucester Castle.

"Gaoler — Salary none — {i.e. his emoluments wci'c derived from selling beer

and fees.)

Fees, Debtors 1 0 10

Felons at Assize 0 17 8

Felons at Quarter Sessions . . 0 13 4

"License beer. Prisoners' allowance. Debtors and fines — none. Felons, each

a sixpenny loaf in two days. Garnish, is. 6d. Surgeon — none, but on applying to a

justice. The Castle is also one of the County Bridewells, yet only one court for

all the prisoners, one small day room, 12 feet by 11, for men and women felons.

The free ward for debtors is 19 feet by 11, which having no window, part of

th4: plaster tcall is broken doicn for light and air. The night room (the main) for

men felons, though up many stone steps, is close and dark, and the floor is so

niinous that it cannot be washed."

b New Descrijition and Survey of London, by William Thornton and otlicrs,
fol. 1784,

H

56 TILE MODEL MERC LL ANT

tliat prison, agreeably to tho will of Sir Richard Whittiagton, late
Lord Mayor of London, and the petition being granted the work was
performed under the inspection of Sir Richard's executors. " This,"
says a writer quoted in the Antiquarian Repertory," " appears from
preceding circumstances to have been a most necessary charity, as only
eight years before, viz., in 1414, the keepers of Ludgate and 2^ewgate
died, and prisoners in the latter prison, to the number of sixty-four,
merely from disorders occasioned by improper accommodation and air.
His executors, to their great credit, wishing to give full effect to the
pious intentions of the deceased, which were, to administer all possible
comfort to those confined, petitioned Parliament '' for power to enforce a
former legacy of Sir John Pouuteney's, which had been withheld in
consequence of the fulfilment of this part of Whittington's will."

Xewgate is thus described in the quaint language of the time : —
" Yat hit was febel over litel, and so contagious of eyre yat hit caused
the deth of many men." ' The new structure, built by Whitting-
tou's executors, was that on which they placed his statue with his
Cat.-^ Nor docs it at all invalidate our theory that M. Thiele, (according
to Kcightley) says that "there is a carving still to be seen over the
east door of Ribe Cathedral, in Jutland, representing a cat and four
mice ; and a story is told there of a poor sailor who had made his
fortune in a similar way by the sale of a cat in a foreign island, whose
inhabitants were grievously plagued with mice." But it is not only tlie
prisoner and the oppressed who occupy AVhittington's attention, the
ignorant and uneducated also come in for a share of his solicitude. One
of his most anxious cares was for those who, like himself iu his younger
days, had lacked that blessing which doubles a man's joys, I may say
doubles his existence, viz., the blessing of a good education.

" In 1421 0 Whittington began the foundation of the Library of the
Grey Friers Monastery, in Newgate Street. This noble building was
c Antiquarian Ecpertory, vol. 2, p. 3'13, &c.

(I Ilcnricus Sextus Rex. Pio. Ao. " Thya ycre Newgate was now made by
Richard Wyttyntonc and he dyde the same yeTc"—Chron. of Grey Friers, p. 15.
e Grafton saya it was before a most ugly and loathsome prison.

/ Even Kcightley, in a note, admits that the figure of Whittington, with a Cat
in his arms, carved in stone, was over the archway of the old prison that went
across Newgate Street. It was taken down, he says, in 1780.

ff Stow's Si/rtr;/ of London. Antiquarian Repertory, vol. 2. p. 313.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. bl

129 feet long, 31 feet in breadth, entirely ceiled with wainscot, with
twenty-eight wainscot desks and eight double settees. The cost of
famishing it with books was £5oG. 10s., four hundred pounds of which
(equal to £4000. of our pi-esent money) was subscribed by Whittiug-
ton. Tliis edifice still remains in tolerable preservation, and forms
the north side of the great cloister of Christ's Hospital, having, in two
places, an escutcheon, with the arms '' of Whittington." Pennant
says * that " in three years it was filled with books, that Whittington
contributed £400. and Dr. Thomas Winchelsej^, a frier,* supplied tho
rest; " and this, he adds, was "about thirty years before the invention
of printing," when of course books must have been proportionately rare'

h The arms of TThittington* upou this building and upon the Ordinances of
his Hospital arc identical -with those used by the ancient family of "Whittington
of Gloucestershire, viz., Azure, a Fess, chequy Or and Aziu'e, and in the ri^ht
comer of the shield an Annulet Or. t Pennant's London, p. 183.

k The order of the Grey Friers appears to have received the especial patronage
of the Mercers. John Twyn, citizen and mercer, gave them the land in the parish
of St. Xicholas in the Sliarables, where they erected their original building. The
foundation of ^Vhittington's Library is thus described in a note to the preface of tho
Chronicle of the Grey Friers, edited by the Camden Society, p. 13, "Anno Domini, M°-
cccc° xxj° venerabilis vir Eicardus "NVyttyngton, mercer, et maior Lond' incepit
novam librariam posuit que primum lapidem fundalem xsj" die Octobris, in festo
sancti Hillarionis Abhatis. Et anno sequente ante festum Xativitatis Christi fuit
domus erecta et coperta. Intribus annis sequentibus, fuit terrata, dealbata, vitrata,
ambonibus scannis et cellatura omata, et libris instaurata, et expensaj factae circa
praidicta se extendunt ad ccccc,lvj.li. 16s. 8d. de qua summa solvit praedictus
Ricardus "Wliytyngton cccc et residuum solvit Reverendus pater frater Thomas
"Wynchelsey et amici sui, quorum animabus propicietur Deus."

I The Ivings of England were not so well provided with books. Henry Y.. who
had a taste for reading, borrowed several books which were claimed bv their
owners after his death. — Dr. Henry's Hist, of Great Brit., vol. 10, p. 11.5.

" The great scarcity and high price of books continued to obstruct the progress
of learning. Xone hut great kings, princes, and prelates, universities aud monas-
teries could have libraries, and the libraries of the gi-eatest kings were not equal
to those of many private gentlemen or country clergymen in the present age." —
Dr. Henry's Uist. Great Brit., vol. 10, p. 115.

• The Anns of the "NMiittingtons, of Whittington, in Derbyshire, were Sable, a
Cross Engrailed Argent between four Pomegi-anates Or. — Lysons's Jfaff)?a Britan-
nia, Berb'jshirc, p. cxi. The arms of the Statfordshire and Somersetshire families
of the same name will he seen at page 10 of this Memoir.

THE MODEL MERCHANT

and expensive, being all of them manuscripts. By these means,
doubtless, Whittington hoped to help on the reformation of the lan-
guage of his country whicli, amongst the higher classes at least, had,
from the time of William the Conqueror, been that of jN'orman French,
while the lower orders spoke a most barbarous mixture of Anglo-
Saxon and Norman. The teaching of French was oidy left off, and
English substituted in its stead, in 1385.

In the extremely interesting Mevioir of tin Life and Times of John
Carpenter, one of AVhittington's executors, published by Mr. Brewer,
Secretary of the City of London School, there is given a list of books,
belonging to that individual, which gives us a clue to the style of
literature with which "Whittington probably furnished his library."'
Stow, says Malcolm, mentions "another library, built by the ex-
ecutors of Eichard 'Whittington, which belonged to Guildhall " and
the College," and our worthy old author adds that " three cars
loaded with books were lorroivcd, but never returned, by Protector
Somerset."

Yerily there seems to be no end to the good deeds of this good
man. " Hungry and ye gave me meat, thirsty and ye gave me drink.
Xaked and ye clothed me. I was in prison and ye came unto me.
Sick and jq visited me," according to his divine master's estimate,
appear to have been the rule and guide of his life. We have, therefore,
to follow him through all. And now we come to speak of the Hospital

wt Sec Ap2)endix.

n This Library was built by "Whittington's instructions, for the preservation of
City Records, shewing his great value of documents of that description, and that
he was probably the first, or one of the first, to make a collection of the Municipal
Records which arc so important in an historical point of view.

Among the documents relating to the City of London was the celebrated Liber
Albus, so called, probably, from its having originally had a white vellum binding,
in which were entered " laudable customs not written, wont to be observed in the
Cit)', and other notable tilings worthy of remembrance here and there scattered."
This book was compiled, as is supposed by Strjpc, by John Cai-pcnter, who was
then Town Clerk, and is dated November 5th, 1419, during the mayoralty of
[Master * Ricliard Whyttington, and in the seventh year of the reign of Henry V,
It is most probable that this work was executed at "Wliittington's suggestion.

* Whittington is still called Master; it would therefore appear that he did not
receive the honour of knighthood before the termination of his last mayoralty.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 59

of Saint Bartholomew " iu Smitlifield, wliich, iu accordance with
his instructions, his executors repaired. This noble institution was
founded by Rayere, in 1102, for the relief of the sick and lame poor;
but falling into decay, it became a worthy object of "SVhittington's
thoughts. This, at a time when physicians and surgeons were so scarce,
was indeed a most timely aid to the wants of suffering humanity.

In short there seems to have been scarcely any legitimate want of
a poor man to which "Whittington had not turned his attention, with a
view of alleviating his distresses; and surely they who have themselves
suffered need ought to know best where the shoo of poverty and afflic-
tion pinches. It is not, however, all who will take the pains and
interest in them which Whittington took. That passage in the Psalms
has always struck me as peculiarly striking and appropriate, —
" Blessed is the man that considereth the poor and needy." The con-
sideration of their wants, the supply of the right thing at the right
time, even if it be only a cup of cold water, is worth double the
same gifts when not so immediately required. This was peculiarly
Whittington's character, he considered the poor and needy, and made
their wants his study.

In the midst of these acts of charity it might be supposed that he
would have had no means to spare for the embellishment and improve-
ment of the City ; far from it, he was one of the first to advance im-
provements, architectural and otherwise, in the City in which he had
acquired his wealth. We find, from Stow, that his executors had in-
structions for glazing '' and paving Guildhall. Xow this was indeed
progress, for at that time few houses were glazed, glass having been
but recently introduced, and paving in public buildings was scarcely
known ; the floors of churches generally remained in their original
clay, strewed from time to time with fresh layers of rushes. So high
was the king's opinion of "Whittington's good judgment and taste
with regard to the improvements in the City, that we find the follow-
ing entry in the Minutes of the Council at the Tower of London, 27th
May, 3rd Henry V. 1415 : — " Item q le dit maire no face riens en la

0 Stow's Survey of London.
p Glass was first introduced for glazing windows about 1180. It was im-
ported from the continent at so vast an expense that it was little used, except in
royal palaces. It was first manufactured in England in loo7.

60 THE MODEL MERCHANT

dte citee toucTi la demolicon d'aucuns lieu ou murs en la dte citee
sans I'avis de "Whittington," &c. — Bill. Cotton. Cleopatra, Y. iii.
f. 145, a contemporary MS. Such was the confidence which King
Henry V. placed in this illustrious citizen, that he had no person to
whom, for sterling integrity, for taste in architecture, and zeal for
improvement, he could better intrust the repair of that noble fabric
the Abbey Church at "Westminster, the nave of which had been burnt
down in a former reign, and had remained in ruins for many years.

The king associated ^yhittiugton with Richard Harweden, a monk of
the Abbey at AVcstmiustcr, as commissioner for carrying this noble
work into execution ; so that we ai'c chiefly indebted to the taste and
vigilance of Hichard Whittington for that beautiful fane beneath
which repose the ashes of so many of the heroes of our country, and
in which prayer and praise, (thanks to the Dean and Chapter who
have yielded to the general wish of the metropolis for an extension of
church accommodation for the lower orders) now rise every Sabbath
to the throne of grace from the mouths of tliousands. A copy of the
original commission to Whittington and Harweden, in Latin, will
appear in the Ajjpcndix.

Neither were his loyalty and liberality towards his sovereign
impaired by his wonderful acts of benevolence. The story book tells
us that, on the last occasion of his mayoralty, after the conquest of
France, he entertained Henry V. and his Queen at Guildhall, in a
most splendid manner, when he received from his sovereign the honor
of knighthood. The king, in order to carry on the war, had been
obliged to contract many debts, for which he had given his bonds.
These bonds Whittington had bought up to the amount of sixty
thousand pounds, and on the present occasion, while the king was
admiring the fire which had been made in the room, in wliicli were
burnt several sorts of precious woods, mixed Avith cinnamon and
other spices — not, observe, with offensive sea-borne coal, brouglit by
a swift sailing ship, for that would have destroyed the tale of poor
puss^ — Whittington took out the king's bonds, threw them into the
fire and burnt them; thus, at liis own expense, freeing the king
from his debts. All were amazed at such a proceeding, and the king
exclaimed — "Never had Prince such a subject," to which Whitting-
ton courteously replied—" Xevcr had subject such a Prince."

OF TEE MIDDLE AGES. 61

It has been tlie fate of this part of the story to meet with the
same amount of discredit which has assailed other portions of the
history of this renowned man ; first, on account of its alleged im-
probability, and secondly, because a similar stoiy has been related of
some other courtier, and of some other prince, in some other country;
as though courteous and loyal actions could never be repeated.*

But, with regard to the probabilities or improbabilities of the case,
let us look to history and to documentary evidence still to be met
with. History would lose, I venture to say, half its charms
if we were to deprive it of all its romance ; it would then present
to us nothing but a lot of dry bones, without any marrow in them.
Eemove, for instance, sucli incidents as Queen Philippa's intercession
for the burghers of Calais, the gallantry of Sir Walter Ealeigh, and
hundreds of others too numerous to mention, and what docs history
become ? AYho has not read, not only in Shakespeare, but in legiti-
mate history also, of the wild pranks of Trince Hal, and who has not
been struck with the gravity of deportment and excellent qualities of
the same Prince when afterwards he succeeded to the throne of these
realms r AVhat Englishman is there who is not proud of that sovereign
when he reads the nan-ative of the battle of Agincourt, with the vast
disproportion of the combatants, and who docs not rejoice in the chival-
rous and heroic bearing of that king. But not less true is the account of
the great costliness of that war, and the drain upon England's revenues
to defray it ; not less true is the account of the resources from which
Henry was supplied, llapin ' says that " the Parliaments granted a

q It is related, by Stow, of Henr)- Picard, vintner, who had heen Mayor of
London, that the King of C3'prus playing with him at dice, Picard won of him
fifty marks, which when tlie king began to take in ill part, although he dissembled
the same, Picard said to him, " My Lord and King, be not aggrieved, I covet not
your gold but your play ; for I have not bid you hither that I might grieve you,
but that amongst other things I might try yoiu- play, and gave him his money
again, plentifully bestowing of his o\vn amongst the retinue, besides which he
gave many rich gifts to the king and other nobles and knights which dined with
him, to the great glory of the citizens of London of those days." It would be sad
to discredit every tale of liberality because it surpasses our own niggardly feelings.
0 for a more liberal and chivalrous spirit, such as appears to have animated some,
at least, of our forefathers !

r Eapin's Hist. England, Henrj^V. p. 518.

62 THE MODEL MERCHANT

subsidy for carndng on the war, but this aid was so little proportioned
to his wants and projects that he was forced to pawn his crown to the
Bishop of "Winchester, his uncle, for 100,000 marks, and part of his
jewels to the city of Loudon ' for £10,000 sterling." He goes on
to say — " The war continuing, as the supply granted him by the
Parliament was not sufficient for his purpose, and as money came
slowly into the exchequer, he was quickly in great want." "To supply
the present occasion he pawned the rest of his jewels, with letters
imder the great seal, empowering his creditors to sell them if the
money was not paid within such a time. The term allowed was
twelve or eighteen months, according as creditors were more or less
tractable. By this means he gained time for the payment of his
troops, which was a great convenience, as he could reimburse his
creditors according as the money came into the treasury, without being
obliged to pay all at once. People were so well satisfied of his sin-
cerity that they made no scruple to serve him or lend him money
upon such securities as would have been little worth under a prince
of less probity." ' Here we have good evidence of the fact of
Heni-y's borrowing to a large extent — of the probability of the story
of the bonds — of the attachment of the people to him — and of the
nobleness and honorable integrity of his character ; and we find also
that it was from the citizens of London that he raised his loans. IS'ow
let us learn wlio these citizens of London were. In Eymer's Fcedera "
we find that, on one occasion, John Norbury, John Hende, Eichard
"Whittington," and several others, advanced large sums to the king

6 Mathew Paris, p. 501.

t A great contrast between him and Richard IL

V Rymer's Fcedera, vol. 8, p. 488. Henry's Hist. Great Brit. vol. 10, p. 254.

10 In confirmation of this we find in the Proceedings and Ordinances of the
Privy Council of England the following minutes . —

Bihl. Cotton. Chopaira, F. iii. f. 73. — Minutes of the Council
respecting the defence of Guienne, Calais, the Marclies of Scotland,
Ireland, and of the wages of the soldiers in Wales, probably in the
7th or 8th Henry IV.

La XV* p estimacon s'amonte a xxxvjUi ti.
Dont sur Ics gages des souldcours dcs chastel ?^ ville de
Calcys des deniers appromptez de Richard "Whityngton [ M' jNI'. ti.
* autres, &c. &c.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 63

upoa the security of tlie revenues. Wliittinglon's share on that
occasion amounted to £1000. which, according to Dr. Henry's method
of calculation, would equal £10,000 of our present currency. We havo
only to supply Whittington's well-known liberality to fill up the
probabilities as to the destruction of the bonds. The merchants also of
the Staple which was then held at Calais, and of which Whittington
was rector, or mayor, were among those who lent money to the king.
(For Whittington's loans to Henry lY. and Henry V. ?,qq Appendix. J

The way in which he could best serve his country was by these
advances to the Crown; for he was eminently a man of business, but no
soldier. He stuck to his trade, and his influence with the king exempted
him from personal service in the wars, to which he would otherwise
have been liable, for we find that in the 1st Henry lY. letters of
the Privy Seal were issued that every person holding a fee under the
king should present himself with all haste to do service in the Marches
of Scotland. But in a Council held on the 15th June, 1400, certain
persons were excused from this service, and exempted from the penalties
which would be incurred by non-attendance : among others Richard
Whityngton.'

Perhaps we think we have come to an end of the good deeds of this
worthy man. Not at all. His care extended not only to men's
bodies, but to their souls, and a Church must be added to the number
of his benevolent acts ; and not only a Church, but a staff of Clergy, witli
funds for their maintenance. Malcolm says — "The celebrated Sir
Richard Whittington, at four different periods Lord Mayor of Loudon,
rebuilt the Church of Saint Michael," afterwards called Saint Michael

Itm sur les gages des souldeours | n
de Gales j ^ Appromptez de

Et pur continuer les garnisons > Whityngton =p Hcndc,

illeoquestanq^ autr ordenance y soit \ M' vj'= Ixvj. ti. xiij s. iiij d.

faite ^

Bihl. Cotton. Cleojmtra, F. iii. f. 896, contemporary MS. 11 Hen.
lY., 1410.

Les sommes creances pur la sauvc garde du paiis de Gales pur un
quartier ^ demy. Inter alios —

D Johan Hendo, M' marcs.

D Richard "Whityngton, iij'^xxxiij. li. vj. s. viij. d.

X Bill. Cotton. Vesjmsian, F. vii., f. 73, contcmporarj- MS.

I

64 THE MODEL MERCHANT

Patcraostcr, in the Eoyal,^ "in which he founded a College, con-
sisting of four Fellows (Masters of Arts), Clerks, Conducts, and Choris-
ters, who were governed by a Master, on whom he bestowed the
rights and profits of the Church, in addition to his salary of ten marks.
To the Chaplains he gave eleven marks each ; to the First Clerk eight;
to the Second Clerk seven and a half; and to the Choristers five marks per
annum each. One of the duties of the recipients of this charity was to
pray for the good estate of Eichard "Whittington ' and Alice, his wife,
their founders, and for Sir "William Whittington, Knight, and Dame
Joan, his wife, and for Sir Hugh Fitzwarren and Dame Molda, his
wife, fathers and mothers of the said Richard Whittington and Alice,
his wife; for King Richard the Second, and Thomas of Woodstock, Duke
of Gloucester, special lords and promoters of the said Richard Whit-
tington, &c." He also built the Chapel annexed to Guildhall.
The original license for the foundation of his College was procured
by Whittington in 1400 (2nd Henry IV.); and the following year
the Mayor and commonalty of London granted him a vacant piece of
ground for the building of his College, in the Royal, which was after-
wards fully confirmed to his executors by Henry YI., for Whittington
himself unfortunately died before its completion.

One can scarcely help thinking that a man so much before his day
in charitable and religious matters, as well as in secular aff'airs, must
have imbibed, even if imperceptibly, some of the enlightened religious
views which were then making so much stir in England, under the
preaching of Wickliff, the great reformer of religion, at a period when
the state of the church was at the lowest ebb of darkness. Although we
have no ground for supposing that he had actually embraced Wicklifi"s
views, yet, if avo may judge from Fox's Martyrs," the doctrines of that
great reformer had taken deep root among the citizens of London. In the
very year (1393) in which Whittington was elected Sherifi", Fox says,

y Londin. Jicdiviv., vol. 4, p. 514-515.

" Quam prxfatus Ricardus in vitu suu funditus ct notabiliter inchoavit." —

Charter of Foundation iu Dugdale's Monasticon.

The Royal was originally called the Tower Royal, and afterwards the Queen's

"Wardrobe.

s See Dugdale's Monasticon, Bohn's edition, vol. 7, p. 74G, — Charter of

Foundation.

a Fox's Martyrs, vol. 1, p. 070, fol., 1641.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

thattheBishop of Salisbury and Arclibishop of York, with a " grievous
corai)laint went to the king, complaining of the maior and sherifles of
London. What trespasse the maior and shcriifes had done, as ychavc hoard
before, so may you judge." It was this — that they were "male creduli
in Deum et traditiones avitas; Lollardorum sustentores, religiosorwu
detractores, decimarum detentores, et commimis vulgi depauperatores.^^
How fiilse this charge of defrauding the poor was (so far at least as
Whittington was concerned) is shown by his life and actions.'' Never-
theless, he doubtless had his enemies amongst the ecclesiastics of his
day ; his very notions of civil reform would be obnoxious to men of
their stamp, and they would be ready enough to accuse him of mal-
practices. Fox then goes on to say, " The king incensed, not a little
with the complaint of the bishops, conceived eftsoons {i.e. soon after-
wards) against the mayor and sheriffs, and against the whole citie of
London, a great stomackc, insomuch that the mayor and both the
sheriffs were removed from their office, and the king removed the
courts from London to York, to the great decay of the former citie."
Richard II., however, must have found out his mistake as to Whitting-
ton's character as we find that he appointed him Mayor in 1397.

Rapin attributes the King's wrath to another source, namely, the
refusal of the Mayor and citizens to advance the money which he
required. The Reformation, meanwhile, under "Wickliff's teaching,
was making steady progress. The Bible was translated into the English
tongue, and whether Whittington actually professed Wickliff's doctrines
or not, it is not improbable that they had an influence on his life
and character.

In Dr. Stronge's Heraldry of Henifordskire it is stated, under the
name of Wlaittington, that Sir Richard Whittington was Lord Mayor
of London in the years 1397, 1406, and 1419, and also was knighted
by King Henry V., and had a grant of the Manor of Solers Hope, in Here-
fordshire. There must evidently be some error in the statement; for the
Manor of Solers Hope had been in the family for manj' generations pre-
viously ; and even supposing it to have been forfeited to the King by
the outlawry of Sir William Whytyngton, and conferred upon Richard

h In the Charter of Foundation of his College, his liberality to the poor is
expressly mentioned in the following words : — " Cujus manus dum vixerat ad
cgenos et paupercs libcralitcr et largitcr sunt cxtensco." — Dugdalc's Monasticon.

66 THE MODEL MERCHANT

as an act of Royal favor, we should undoubtedly have discovered traces,
either in the Inquisitiones 2')ost mortem, or va. Pdchard Whittington's
■R-ill, of his having possessed such property; but there is no trace what-
ever of his having been a landed proprietor at all, except of a very small
property near London. On the contrary, we find that Solcrs Hope con-
tinued in the possession of his elder brother Robert and passed from
him to his son Guy. In the Harleian MSS., 6596., Sir Richard
AVhittington is said to have built the Church at Solers Hope ; if so, it
would be the third instance of the dedication of a place of worship to
Almighty God by that pious and munificent man ; but a visit to that
place inclines me to think that this also is an error, and that Richard,
in this instance, as well as in the former, has been mistaken for Robert.
The Church of Solers Hope is a comparatively plain and humble struc-
ture, by no means to be compared with the other noble deeds of Richard
"NVhittington. Remains of ancient stained glass are still to be seen in the
windows ; and the arms of AVhittington, quartering those of Staunton,
may be discovered in the south window of the chancel, but in such a
mutiLated condition that, unless some one should take a speedy interest
in their restoration, they will soon be reckoucd among the things of tho
past. These were probably tho arms of the founder of the Church,
and, if so, they point to Robert or Guy Whittingtou, and not to Sir
Richard who would clearly have had no right to quarter the arms of
Staunton. There are still some scanty remains of the old Manor House
of the AVhittingtons at this place, the most prominent feature of which
is a chimney stack, supporting a double ornamental twisted mediaeval
brick chimney, of the character of those which adorn the Castle at
Thornbury. It is very evident, however, that both the estate and
mansion were very inferior in attractions to those of Pauntley, which
was undoubtedly the chief residence of the family. At the back of the
mansion are traces of a lofty mound which had once been surrounded
by a moat ; this was probably the site of the original castle or keep of
the Do Solers family.

Among the numerous benefactions of this worthy man, it would be
natural to suppose that he did not entirely overlook the requirements
of his own County; and it is satisfactory to find the armorial bearings
of Whittingtou and Fitzwan-cn emblazoned in our Cathedral among
those of other founders and benefactors of that noble edifice. These

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 67

arms appear on the altar in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary, otherwise
called Abbot Boteler's ' Chapel, in which is placed the effigy of Eobert
Curthose, Duke of Xormandy ; from which circumstance we are led to
suppose that AVhittington, and the Fitzwarrens perhaps, through his in-
fluence, had been contributors towards the erection of that once beauti-
ful altar, and not improbably of other parts of the Cathedral also. Thus
we observe, that Whittington was not one of those persons who having
made their money, know not how to spend it ; or having no further en-
joyment to expect from it in life, are ready to give away in charity what
they can hold no longer ; hoping to derive some undefined benefit to
their souls hereafter, from bequeathing on their death bed that which
they would have grudged in the hour of health and strength. Whit-
tington was altogether a difierent character. Desirous of knowing how
his money was laid out in works of charity, he would see to its expendi-
ture himself, and would not leave to be done by others that which he
knew must be a responsible,'' and ought to be a pleasurable office.
He laid himself out for that pleasure, and he had a right to the enjoy-
ment. We will give his own words : — " The fervent desire and besy
intention of a prudent, wise, and devout man shal be to cast before and
make seure the state and the ende of this short life with dedys of mercy
and pite, and specially to provide for those miserable persones whom the
penurie of poverty insulteth, and to whom the power of seeking the ne-
cessaries of life by art or bodily labour is interdicted.'" In short, he left
nothing undone of all the great deeds which he designed, except those
in the midst of which sickness overtook him — that last fatal sickness
which must overtake the good as well as the evil ; but here is the
difference, that while with the one, all is confusion and dismay, with
the other, all is order and regularity, evidencing calmness, combined
with method. The good man is not afraid to die ; he has been li^•ing
the whole of his life for no other purpose.

e So called because Abbot Reginald Boulars, Boteler, or Butler, who was Abbot
of Ibe Abbey of Gloucester in 1437, was buried there.

d The large discretionary powers which testators in those times were accustomed
to vest in their executors must have frequently been productive of a considerable
amount of labour and responsibility.— Brewer's Life and Times of John Carpenter,
p. 24.

e Charter of Foimd-ation of Whittington' s Cofffz/c— Dugdalc's Momsticon.

68 TBE MODEL MERCHANT

" Teach me to live tliat I may dread
The grave as little as my bed,"
appears to have been Whittington's ruling principle.

We might have imagined that if certain events of A\Tiittington's life
appeared to involve a question as to their reality, it would be more difl-
cult to speak on the subject of his deathbed; but that which no written
history gives us is supplied, in the most feeling manner, in a drawing
executed immediately after his death, by order of those able and excellent
men to whom he had consigned the important task of carrying out the
instructions of his will. Although we are not much acquainted with
the excellencies of his other executors, yet no one need any longer be
ignorant of the high and noble character of his chief executor, John
Carpenter, the illustrious Town Clerk of London, since his Life and
Times have been so ably illustrated by Mr. Brewer, the Secretary of the
City of London School ; the very school which was founded by that
worthy citizen who desired nothing better than to tread in the steps of
his illustrious friend Richard Whittington. How zealously he carried
out his friend's instructions is there so admirably set forth, and how
well he imitated his friend's example is so clearly delineated, that I need
only advert to those points which are necessary to complete the history
of our hero. Besides Carpenter, Whittington's other executors were
John Coventre,-^ Alderman; John White," Clerk ; and William Grove.
The drawing here introduced, which represents the death bed of
Whittiugton, is an illumination upon the Ordinances, or rules, for the
foundation and regulation of his College.'' In the centre of the picture
is seen Whittington, stretched on a tester bed, his body naked ' and

/ Coventre was Sheriff of London, 1417, and Lord Mayor, 1425 ; he died on
Easter Monday, 13th April, 1429, and was biiried in Bow Church. White died
about 1424.

g John "White was the fii-st minister of the Church of Saint ilichael, Tatcrnoster,
endowed by "Whittington. See Cat. Inq.postmort., 11th Henry IV., No. 48,p. 361.

Eicus Whytington et Henr' London et alii. Dederunt Jotii White
pcrsone cccl Sci Mich'is in Paternoster Churche (London) quandam
parccllam "trc in poch' ibiri.

A This illumination is considered by Mr. Brewer as the representation of an
actual scene, which I sec no reason at all to doubt. There is evciy appearance of
truth about it.

» This is a true representation of the facts of the case, for Sti-utt remarks that

S ^\\^^^ \ -^'W^^

^f^'^., /<r'<^^

WMITTINCnON ON HIS IHVIII HKI).

ijupii,! from tlir On/nnnics „/],!., <;,lh,ir

OF THE 2IIDDLE AGES. 69

emaciated with sickness ; he has a night cap on his head, of the
same shape as those still worn bj- gentlemen, (when they wear
any at all,) and he is supported by a short pillow and a longer
pillow, or bolster. His bedside is surroimded by his executors,
whom there is no mistaking, for, according to the custom of early
paintings and illuminations, their names are written on their robes,
and the likenesses arc doubtless original. AVIiite's name alone is ab-
sent, but his clerical robe and tonsure supply the defect. Grove is a
man of considerable stature, of grave and venerable aspect, with a
goodly beard, inclining to grey, his hands apparently lifted in the
attitude of offering counsel, or, more probably, of approval of the sug-
gestion of the dying man who describes with the finger of his right
hand against his left arm, with as much emphasis as his failing breath
will allow, how his wishes on certain points are to be carried out.*
Coven tre stands at the bed's head, on the right hand side, in the atti-
tude of the greatest attention, the curtain being drawn aside on purpose,
and his head bent forward towards the pillow that he may catch every
whisper of his dying friend. On Whittington's left, occupying a pro-
minent feature of the back ground, is a man in the habit of a lay bro-
ther, who is doubtless the physician (medicine having been the study
of the monks of those days); with his left hand he appears to be reach-
ing down a bottle of medicine, and holding it up to the light, or shaking
it, that the ingredients may be well mixed. The rest of the group is
formed of twelve bedesmen, recipients of this pious man's charities ;

in those days, and until Henry the Eighth's time, people wore no garments in bed,
either male or female. — Strutt, vol. II., p. 335.

Mr. Eiley, in his Introduction to the Ziber Albtis, says tnat " night gowns, or
night shirts, were in use in those days, and that it was not by any means wiiverscdli/
the fashion in the middle ages, as antiquarians have asserted, to tumble into bed
in a state of nudity," This contemporary illumination, however, wonderfully
bears out what Strutt and other antiquaries have asserted, and clearly shows what
the general custom was ; for no one woxild pretend to say that Richard Whittington,
thrice, if not four times, Lord Mayor of London, and money lender to the Crown,
could not afford a night gown, if he wished to have one ; for if he could not aftbrd
one, who else could ? It clearly was not the fashion, however singular it may ap-
pear to our notions of cleanliness, decency, or propriety.

k Du-ections for the completion of his College, and the prison at Newgate,
doubtless formed the subject of his instructions. It is interesting also to to find.

70 TEE MODEL MERCHANT

the foremost' of them carries in his right hand a rosary, and in his left
a staff; the sorrow depicted on the countenances of this group is as
well expressed as so minute an illumination will admit. One is in-
clined, on looking on this picture, to utter the exclamation, "let me
die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." The
drawing bears the strictest examination of a powerful magnifying glass,
when the character of each individual comes out with very striking effect,
especially that of John Carpenter, small in stature, (bearing out his
soubriquet of Jenkin, or little John) active, zealous, with his hands
stretched out, evidently full of admiration of his friend's munificent
disposal of his worldly substance, and fully purposed, as far as he is
couccrned, to discharge faithfully the trust reposed in him. The
tapestry of the room, the worked border of counterpane, the marquetrie
of the floor, are all indications of the wealth of the proprietor of such
a chamber. According to the desire expressed in his will, his body
was buried by his executors in that Church, St. Michaels, Paternoster,
to which he had been so liberal a benefactor, and in which his wife
had been previously buried. Here, until destroyed by the Great Fire
of London, his monument might have been seen, and thanks to worthy
old Stow, his Epitaph has been preserved to us as follows : —

" Ut fragrans nardus

Fama fuit iste Richardus

Albificans Yillam, '"

Qui jxiste rexerat illam,

Flos mercatonim,

Fundator presbyteroruni,

Sic et cgcnorum,

Testis sit ccrtus eorum ;

Omnibus cxcmplum,

Barathrum vincendo inorosum ; »

that the drinking fountain at Billingsgate, alluded to in the Note at p. 54 of this
Memoir, must have entered into the number of the objects left to be completed by
his executors, for we find that it was erected by them according to his orders.
See Peter Cunningham's London.

I This is supposed by Stiype to be Robert Chesterton, the first tutor of the Alms
House.— Sec also Dugdales3/b«OT<fVo«, Bolin's Edition, Charter of Foundation, y>.1A.A.

m "Albificans Villam" is a play upon the name of Whiting — ton, or town.

M " Overcoming the sad gulf" may cither signify (1) his having raised himself
from poverty to riches, or it may mean (2) his bridging over the diflerence between

OF TEE MIDDLE AGES. 71

Condidit hoc templum

Jlichaelis quam speciosuni,

Regia spes et pres »

Divinis res rata turbis ;''

Pauperibus pater,

Et Major qui fuit iirbis ;

Martius hunc vicit, «

En annos gens tibi dicet/
rich and poor by his acts of charity, or it may mean (3) his overcoming all sordid
and selfish feelings by \rhich those are too often actuated who raise themselves
from poverty to affluence. Or if barathrum be taken as an old monkish Latin word
for barter,* it may signify (4) the liberal views which he introduced into trade,
raising it from mere pedlary into legitimate commerce, and discarding aU illicit
traffic, especially alluding to that almost last act of his public life, compelling the
adoption by the brewers of a more honest and liberal mode of dealing. (See
page 54.)

See Rees' Encyclopedia, under Barathrum. "The ^«raf7i?-!<»!, among the an-
cient Athenians, was a dark noisome hole, having spikes at the the top to prevent
any escape, and others at the bottom to pierce and lacerate the ofiender. From its
depth and capaciousness, the name came to be used proverbially for a miser, or
glutton, always craving, in which sense the word is used among the Latin poets.
Thus, Horace, Epist. Lib. I., Ep. xv., v. 631. —

"Pemicies et tempestas barathi-umque Marcelli
Quicquid quoesierat venti-i donaret avaro."
0 " Regia spes et pres," i. e. prses. Fras, (1) a surety in a money matter, one who
engageth for another, especially to the public, and upon his default to make it good.
(2) A real security by bond or mortgage. — Ains^-ovth's Latin Dictionary, 4to., 1756.
How entirely this bears out the history of his advances to the crown.

p " Divinis res rata turbis." His suretyship to his earthly king is held to be his
surety for the rewards of his heavenly king.

q By the Charter of Foundation of his Hospital, the day of his death was to be
observed the B? March.

r By this it would appear that his exact age was unknown to his executors, by
whom his monument was erected. In the Whittington Pedigree, given at the
end of this Memoir, and also in the Table, facing page 1 8, showing the con-
nection between the "Whittingtons and the Berkeleys of Cubberley, an accidental
error in the misplacement of a single figure in the date of the death of Sir "William de
Whytyngton, our hero's father, viz. 1 3oO instead of 1360, only discovered since the
printing off of the earlier sheets, having led to an ciToneous calculation on the
subject of Richard Whittington's age, I take this opportimity of correcting it ; for
although it does not make any great difference as to the theory of his early history,

* (See Du Cange's Glossary, under baratrum. {Barraftare, Italian.)

K

72 TKE MODEL MERCHANT

Finiit ipso dies/
Sis sibi Christe quies. Amen.
Ejus sponsa pia generosa Sophia,'
Jungitur, &c."

Sweet as the spikenard's odours rise

In fragrant columns to the skies,

So sweet and fragrantly we sec '

Ascend this Richard's memory.

He loYcd that city to adorn

"WTiosG dignities he'd nobly worn :

A model merchant prince was he,

Of high soiiled liberality.

Aid of the poor — to all and each,

Full much may his example teach.

Minding the Scriptures' high command,

iUl sordid selfishness he spumed ;

Spent fortune gcn'rously to raise

St. Michael's Chiu-ch for prayer and praise.

One bitter day of March cut down

This true supporter of the crown,

This City's Mayor, the poor man's stay.

Was snatched from earth in one short day.

His family his earthly years shall count,

His soul to God's high host above shall mount.

Richard, on all, thy bounties thou didst pour,

Christ be thy spirit's rest for evermore. Amen. A. E. L.

yet it destroys the presumption that he might have been a posthumous son, wliilc
it establishes the fact that he was undoubtedly very young at the time of his
father's death, probably under two years old ; at the same time it wiU fix his age,
at the time of his death, to have been between 63 and 65, instead of 73, as I had
before assumed. It has also been suggested to me, since the Pedigrees were
printed, that Sir Thomas dc Berkeley was the first and not the second husband of
Richard Whittington's mother. This again makes very little or no difference to
the main facts of the Biography. Thomas de Berkeley was living and High
SheriflF of the County in 1351, and undoubtedly completed his year of office; he
could not therefore have died before 1352, which leaves but little time for his
widow to have married again, and to have had a second family of five, if not more,
children, between that date and 1360, the period of Sir William de Whytj-ngton's
death. Nevertheless the fact of her being still called Johanna uxor Willi, de
WhitjTigton, in the Inqms. post mart., 46 Ed. III., rather favors the suggestion.
s From this wc should conclude that his last illness was of short duration.
t Not that his wife's name was Sophia, but wise and prudent is here meant; we
know from his own will and ordinances that his wife's name was Alice.

OF TEE MIDDLE AGES. 73

It would appear as if a man so uncommon in life must have some-
thing also out of the common in his burial. Stow says that " his body-
was three times bmicd in his own church : first by his executors under
a fiiirc monument; then, in the raigne of Edward TI., the Parson of
the churche thinking some great liches, as he said, to be buried with
him, caused his monument to be broken, his body to be spoiled of his
leaden sheet, and again the second time to be buried ; and in the
raigne of Queen Mary the parishioners were forced to take him up and
lap him in lead as before, to bury him the third time, and to place his
monument or the like over him again.""

We are not informed of the date of Whittington's marriage, or how
many years he and his wife lived together in connubial happiness, but
we are informed by his will, and by the ordinances of his Alms
Houses, that his wife's name was Alice Fitzwarren, daughter of Sir
Hugh Fitzwarren" and Dame ilolde, or Matilda, his wife; thus

V Sir Anthony Munday mentions this monument as a " goodly plain tomb in
the chancel, -with new banners to adorn it, veiy lately hung up."

IV Sir Hugh Fitz-warren, or Yvon Fitzwarren, was of Torrington, in Devon-
shire.— Calend. Inqiiis. post mort., vol. 3, pp. 107 — 141.

Lady Fitzwarren's mother was Anne, or Agnes, daughter and heir of

Beresford. She was three times married— first, to John de Argentine ; second, to
John de Nerford ; and third, to Lord Maltravers. It is not clear by which marriage
she became mother of Lady Fitzwarren ; but by her "Will, dated 18th Feb., 1374-5,
she leaves a bequest to Yvon Fitzwarren and Dame Maud his wife, mi/ daughter. —
Nicholas's Testametita Vesiusta, vol. 1, p. 917.

The Fitzwarrens also had considerable possessions in Gloucestershire. Fulk
Fitzwarren possessed Alveston, Gloucestershire, 15 Edw. I.; his son, Fulk, possessed
it, 16 Edw. II., and his widow possessed it in dower, and it continued in the family
till 1 Eichard II. "William Fitzwarren possessed the Manor and Advowson of
Eodmarton, Gloucestershire, 19 Henry VI. The Fitz wan-ens came over with
"William the Conqueror, and were most nobly allied ; they possessed propertj' in
many counties in England. Sir Eobert Atkyns says—" King "William the Con-
queror gave the Manor of Aleston, i. e. Olveston, to Gwarine de Meez, descended
from the house of Loraine. He manicd Millet, one of the daughters of Pain
Pcverell, Lord of "Whitington, in Shropshire ; which Lord had declared that who-
soever behaved himself with the greatest courage at tilts, at the Castle of Peakc,
in Derbyshire, should wed his daughter ; whereupon this Gwai-me meets at the
place, and having there vanquished a son of the King of Scotland, and a Baron of
Burgoyne, gained her for his wife. Fulk, the son of Gwarine, succeeded him in

74 THE MODEL MERCHANT

estabKshing the nursery tales, at least in this particular. There is
every probability that this lady left him a widower several years before
his own death. The other persons named in Whittington's Ordinances
are his own father and mother, Sir "William de Whytyngton, Knight,
and Dame Joan his wife ; thus clearly identifying his parentage and
his pedigree. At the same time, his mention of liis mother shews that,
whatever might have been his feelings with regard to her at one time,
his wrongs, real or imaginarj', had passed into oblivion in her grave.
T^' hittington appears to have died in the month of March,"" 1423,
(the cutting winds of which, according to his epitaph, were too
cold for him,) having lived during the reigns of Edward III.,
Richard II., Henry IV., Henry V., and Henry YI. Ko children ap-
pear to have blessed his union, and therefore he was free to bestow the
riches accumulated by his own prudence in the way which might please
his own taste. No mention is made in his will of his elder brother,
but we learn from an ancient memorandum, kindly supplied to me by
Clement Bush, Esq., descended from the Whittingtons in the female

his estate. It is remarkable of this Fulk, playing at chess -with King John, the
King broke his head with a chess-board ; but Fulk returned the blow, and almost
killed the King. He was succeeded by his son, Fulk, who was slain at the battle
of Le\ris, 48 Henry III. This family obtained the name of Fitzwarinc, from
Waiine theii- ancestor, who came in with the Conqueror."

In Roice Mores Nomina et Insignia Gentilitia Nobilium Equitumqtcc sub Edoardo
2)rimo rcge miUtantium, the Arms of Fitzwarren are described as — " Quartile de
Argent c de goules endente." And elsewhere as — "Quartile de Argent e dc Sable."
See also Notes * and || to page 17 of this work.

X The Charier of Foundation of his Hospital pro%adcs that the day of his decease
shall be celebrated the 23rd or 24th day of March, and that of Alice, his wife, the
last, or last day but one, of July, in every year; and on each of those occasions,
the Master shall have 20d., the Chaplains shall have 12d., each Clerk 6d., each
Chorister 3d. In the reign of Edward VI. the Mercers' Company kept a memorial
of his death by a feast, of which the follo%ving furnishes an accoimt: — "Paide
yerely for the obitte of Master Whittington, for spicest brede, Avith the spices, and
whytc buncs and butter, with other thingcs thereto appertyning, xlis. viiid.
For perrcs, apples, pyskcttes, chcse, ale and wjme, and the butteler's fee, with other
things, xxviiis. viiid. For waxe and ringing of bells, iis. To the poor men for to
offer, xiiid. To the Lord Maior of London, vjs. viiid. To the three Wardens of
the Mercers, iijli, and to the Rent Warden, xls. To the Clarke of the Mercer,
vis. viiid. And as for the Preslcs andClaikcs, we never paid none.— ixli. vjs. ijd."

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 75

line, that Richard Whittington gave to his brother " Robert Lord of
of Pauntley and his heires a Collour of SS, three dosn. of Sylvcr
Cupps with Covers : the on dos'. gilt, the other pcell gilt, the third
whyte. Three basons and Ewres, 3 nests of Bowles, three flagons and
three Lyverye potts all of the same sorte."

If it was a fact that these gifts were really made, it must have been
during Richard Whittington's life time and also towards its close, for
it is scarcely probable that he would have given away his decoration
or badge of office, as long as there was any probability of his requiring
the use of it, or of his plate either ; as we know that services of plate
were not over extensive in those days.

It is clear from the illumination which represents his death-bed,
that none of his family were present on that solemn occasion.
As his brother Robert was in possession of the family estates, and his
nephew Guy would, in the course of events, succeed him in his
property, he probably saw no necessity to make further provision for
them. We find a Robert AYhittington," a citizen of London, raised to
the Shrievalty in 1416, and again in 1419, the year of Sir Richard's
last Mayoralty, and a Hcniy "VSHiittington,' who, after serving an ap-
prenticeship to one Richard Aylmer, in 1434, was admitted as a
member of the Mercers' Company. We do not, however, find mention
made of any Robert or Henry in the family pedigrees at all cor-
responding with these individuals. It is evident that Richard Whit-
tington was not a man to leave things to be done after his death, any
more than he could avoid ; he wished to see the fruits of his own
liberality, and therefore having probably done what he thought requi-
site for his relatives during his life time, there would be no occasion
to remember them again in his will, which is short and simple,
and contains but few clauses.

The bulk of his property he left to his executors, to be laid out in
purposes of charity, leaving the disposal of it to their good judgment,
after having explained on his death bed the principal objects on which
he desired it to be bestowed — chiefly in completing those works
which had been commenced under liis own superintendence, in his

y Stow.
z Record in the Mercer's Compam'.

76 TEE MODEL MERCHANT

life time." Always mindful of the poor, there is still a thought of
them continued to the last. He provides for the gift of a penny, nearly
equal to a shilling of our day, to every man, woman, and child, on
the day of his funeral ; whether it was every man, woman, and child
in the parish, or eveiy man, woman, and child attending his funeral,
we are not told.

Before I conclude, you would perhaps like to know something
of the house in which Whittington lived. A description of it, as
then standing, is given in the GeniUman' s Magazine, for July, 1796,
vol. 66, part II., page 545, with an engraving. " It is situate in
Hart Street, four houses from Mark Lane, up a gateway." "It
is expressed," says this writer, " in the old leases as Whittington's
palace, and the appearance, especially external, warrants a probability
of the truth. It forms three parts of a square, but from time and ill
usage its original shape is much altered. Under the windows of the
first story, are carved in lasso relievo, the arms of the twelve
companies of London, except one, which is destroyed to make way
for a cistern. The wings are supported by rude carved figures, ex-
pressing Satyrs, and from its situation near the church, it is probable
it has been a manor house. The principal room has the remains of
grandeur; it is about 25 feet long, 15 broad, and 10 high. The ceil-
in «• is elegantly carved in fancied compartments; the wainscot is about
6 feet high, and carved, over which is a continuation of Saxon arches
in lasso relievo, and between each arch is a human figure. The anti-
room has nothing worth notice but the mantel piece, which, however,
is much more modern than the outside."*

I have now given you all that I can collect respecting this pre-
eminently worthy man, a man in eveiy way in advance of the age in

a " Nos exccutorcs siios praidictos in Iccto transmigrationis sure districtius oner-
avlt, suam nobis in hac parte voluntatcm plcnius dcclarando." — Charter of
Foundation of WhittingtorC s College, in Dugdalc's Monasticon, vol. vi., p. 744.

h This may bo the house mentioned in Whittington's will, or it may be the
house alluded to in page 741 of Dugdale's Monasticon, which was bought by his
executors for the first College, and which was alienated into lay hands, in the
person of Armigel "Wade, 2 Edw. VI.— See Appendix.

" In Hart Street, four doors from Mark Lane, up a gateway, are the remains of
the residence of the celebrated Whittington."— Lambert's Sist. of London.

whittinoton's iii.rr.i:, haki siKurr,

CUUTCHF.l) IIUAKS.

rp :(;.!

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 77

which he lived, and affording a most valuable example to all succeed-
ing generations, whether we consider his perseverance in amassing a
fortune, and the right use of it when made ; whether we consider his
charities, his patriotism, or his loyalty , when we think of the way in
which he availed himself of every new discovery for the improvement
of his city and his countrymen ; whether we consider his unflinching
honesty and integrity ; whether we look at him as a supporter of the
dignity of the crown, or the champion of the rights of the poor, in aU
positions and under aU circumstances, we perceive in him the example
of all that is good, noble, honorable, charitable, generous, virtuous,
pious, and munificent. I find him to have been the pattern of a thousand
virtues, but I do not find recorded against him a single vice. I
would only conclude with our blessed Lord's words, " Go and do thou
likewise."

78 TBE MODEL MERCHANT

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

To PAGE 25.

It would be not a little singular if, as my friend Mr. Albert Way
suggests, the Bow Bell should have been cast at Gloucester, one of the
earliest bell foundries in England having been established there :
John of Gloucester was a celebrated founder at that place in the
reign of Edward III. The monks of Ely employed him to make four
monster bells, and it is by no means improbable that the authorities
of Bow, in Cheape, may also have engaged the services of that cele-
brated man. There must have been something peculiar in the tone of
the beU to recall our young friend to his duty. Had he heard the bell
of the Abbey at Gloucester, and was there a similarity of tone in the
great beU of Bow, which reminded him of his native County, and
the undesirablcness of returning to the place whence he had fled ?
Home, under the circumstances suggested in the theory of our bio-
graphy, would be the last place to which the truant would wish to
return ; better to go back to his employment and make the best of it.

To PAGE 29.

There are, however, even better reasons to be assigned for the
tradition that London Bridge was built on woolsacks. We find that
Henry II. ordered a tax to be levied on the people, of no less than sue
shillings and eight pence upon every sack of wool of twenty-six stone
weight, which levy was assigned to the building of London Bridge :
and Edward I.^ set a new toll of forty shillings upon eveiy sack of

c Tatcnt Rolls, Exchequer. 3 Edw. I. A.D. 1274.

OF THE MIDDLE AGES. 79

wool, to be applied to the same purpose. This was considered to be a
most grievous burden, and as it appears to have been levied upon the
whole kingdom, and not upon the inhabitants of London only, it caused
great discontent among the people, the cost of whose clothing was ma-
terially enhanced by this impost. It was no unmeaning figure, therefore,
which led to the saying that Loudon Bridge was built on woolsacks.
The historical connection of Queen Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry
III., with London Bridge, is as well authenticated as any other part of our
English history. Matthew of Westminster,'' in his FJoresHistorianon,
relates, that as this Queen was going by water, A.D. 1263, to "Windsor,
just as her barge was preparing to pass London Bridge, the rabble
stopped her boat and insulted her with the most abusive language and
threats, endeavouring to upset her barge, and nearly killing the Queen
herself, by throwing heavy stones and mud upon her ; with difficulty
she escaped to the King, who had fortified himself within the Tower
of London. "We find also that in 1269 a Patent' was issued by
Henry III., in which was granted to Eleanor, Queen of England, the
custody of London Bridge, with the liberties thereof.

d Matthew of Westminster, Flores Hist. London, 1570. Fol. Pt. II. p. 31-5.
e Patent Rolls, 54 Henry III., 4tli Membrane, 3rd Article.

80 APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

WILL OF RICHARD WHITTINGTOX.
Testamentum Rici Whityngton nup Civis t Aldri London.

Bolls of \ Plita terre tenta in Hustingo London die Lune px
Deeds and Wills, \ post Festum Scar:^ ppetue t Felicitatis Anno Regni
No. 1-51 2IQ.b. ) Jieg. Henrici Sexti post conquestum prime.

Deis die * anno venit hie Joties Carpenter unus Executor:^ Testa-
menti Rici "Whityngton nup Civis ^ Aldermanni London =e pbare fecit
tcstamentu jJdci Rici quoad Articulos laicum feodu tangentes p Ricm
"VYardcwyk * "Willm Baldyng testes juratos * diligent examinatos qui
dixerunt sup sacramentii suii qd presentes fucrunt ubi ^dcus Ricus
Whityngton sua condidit testamentu in hunc modum.

In nomine see ^ individue Trinitatis prTs ^ filii =t Spus sci Amen.
Quinto die Scptembris Anno Dni Mittmo cccc"" vicesimo primo et
regni Regis Henrici quinti post conquestum nono. Ego Ricus "WTii-
tyngton Civis t Aldcrmannus London compos mentis et in mea sana
memoria condo ^sens testamentu mcil in hunc modum. Imprimis
lego ^ comcndo aiam meam Deo Omnipotenti btcc^ !Marie Yirgini *
omnb5 seis corpuscj^ meum sepcliend^ in Ecelia Sci Michis de Pater-
noster Chirche in Ryola London scTlt ex pte boriali summi altaris
cjusdem Ecelie. Et volo qd primo ^ principalif ^ omnib5 oiiiia debita
que de jure cuiqni debeo plenar solvant. Item lego p expensis meis
funerar honeste complend ^ ad dicend quott vespro post obitum men
placebo * dirige ac in crastino missam de requiem cu nota p mensem
p anima mea * animab^ prTs mei mris mee Alicie uxis mee * ofni
illor3 p quib:; meritotcneor cunctor* q^fidclium dcfunctorum C*. Itm
lego cuilt paupi homini mulieri * infanti in die exequiar** mear** unu
denai^ *c Itm lego exccutorib5 meis subscriptis totum iUud tentum

APPENDIX. 81

meura quo inhito in pochia Sci Micfiis dc Paternoster Chirche in
Ryola London ac omia tas t tenta mea que hco in pochia Sci Andree
ppe Castrum Baynardi London et in pochia Sci Michis in Bassynge-
shawe necnon in pochia Sci Bothi ext" Bissopesgate ejusdem civitatis
et alibi in London ut ipl ea post decessum meum qmcicius comode fieri
pot it vendant t pecuniam inde pceptam distribuant p anima mea «
animab5 ^diis sicut sibi manis oportunii videbit saluti anime mee
pfc*'e ^ Deo placere scitt in missis celebrand5 t aliis opib5 caritatis
ac in complimentu hujus testamenti mei residuii vero omniu bonor5
meor^ ubicunq^ existent post debita mea piimo t principalit soluta *
legata mea completa lego execuf meis ut ipT illud disponant in opib5
caritatis p anima mea sicut me vellcnt p animab, suis fac^'e casu
consimili. Hujus autem mei meos ordino Exeeut Johannem Coventi'e
Joliem White Clicum" Johem Carpenter ^ "Wittm Grove ac eor3
supvisore "Wittm Babynton'' ^ lego dco Johi Coventre tc. In cujus
rei testiraoniii huic j^senti testamento meo Sigillii meum apposui. Dat
London in die % anno sup dels.

MEMORANDA OF I^^STRTJMENTS,

AUTHORISING THE BUILDING AXD EXDOWilENT OF

WHITTINGTOX'S COLLEGE/

FE03I DrGDALE, ETC.

The Instrument of Heniy, Archbishop of Canterbury, the Papal
Legate, granting permission to proceed in the combined foundation of

a "VSTiite never appears to have taken an active part in the executorship.
5 In a deed dated 10th Aug., 1 Henry VI., 1423, WUliamBabyngton is described
as Chief Justice of our Lord the King, of the Common Bench. (Rot. 153 m, 7.)
JEe was made a Knight of the Bath on the coronation of Henry YI. Tindal's
continuation of Eapin.

c The Ordinances and Charter of Foundation of "Whittington's College are given
in externa, in Latin, in Dugdale's Monasticon, so that they need not be repeated
here. They are extremely interesting, as enabling us to trace the pedigree of our
hero, and also as exhibiting many of the manners and customs of that day.

82 APPENDIX.

the College and Hospital, is the first Charter given by Dugdale, dated
at Lambeth, 20th November 1424, followed by the Charter of the
Executors, prescribing the Statutes and Ordinances of the College,
dated on the 1 8th December following. The third Instrument printed
by Dugdale, is the Charter of increased endowment to the College
from the Executors, with some additional Statutes. The fourth con-
cerns the endowment and Statutes of the Hospital separately. The
foundation, generally, was dedicated to the Holy Ghost, the Virgin
Mary, St. Michael, and All Saints. The College was for a Master and
four Fellows, all to be Masters of Arts, besides. Clerks, Choristers,
«&c. The Hospital, on the East side of the College, was endowed for
thirteen poor people, the chief of whom was to be called Tutor. The
Chai'ter of Foundation for the Hospital, comprizing its regulations,
Avas dated December 21st, 1424.

In the year already mentioned, the Executors of Whittington
alloAved £63 per annum toward the support of the College, till it
could be better endowed ; yet, after all the benefactions, the whole
of its revenues were valued (26 Henry VIII.) at no more than
£20. Is. 8d. per annum. The site of the College was granted to
Armigcl Wade, 2 Edward VI.'' The Alms Houses for the poor men
continued; they are still under the direction of the Mercer's Company,
who, besides a room to each of the pensioners, according to Maitland,
allow them 3s. lOd. a week ; to the men every third year coats and
breeches, and to the women gowns and petticoats. (Dugdale's Ifonas-
ticon. Bohn's Edit. 1846.)

The Instruments above mentioned are all given in full in Dugdale's
Monasticon, to which refer.

EXTRACTS FROM RECORDS ON THE SUBJECT OF THE
FAMILY OF WHITTINGTON,

ALLUDED TO IX THE PRECEDING WORK.

Calendar ium Liquisitionum -pod mortem.

V0I-. II.

33 Edtcd. III. fA.JJ, 1360,; No. 93.— WilluS de AVetyngtou Chf
utlegatus. Paunteleye maner" ut de honorc de Clyfford, Glouc.
Solers Hope maner'-', Hereford.

d Sec account of "Wbittington's palace, page 76 of the preceding Memoir.

APPENDIX. 83

P<r^e323, 46 Edwd. Ill, fA.D. 1373-4;. Xo. 76.— Joha uxor
"Willi de Wliityiigton, Stoke Archer'" raaner^, GIouc.

VOL. ni.

Page 235, No. 34, 22 Richard II., {A.D. 1399.)— Paunteleye unum
feodum per Willim de Whytinton. Glouc. et March Wallie.

Page 303, No. 49, 7 Henry /F.— Cecilia uxorGuidonis de Whiting-
ton soror Rici Browning, &c. Probat''' etat''', Glouc.

TOL. IV.

Page 454, No. 16. — Thomas de Cobberleye filius et hajres Johannae
quje fuituxor WiUielmi de Whityngtondefuncti. Probatioaetatis, Glouc.

VOL. IT.

Page 472, No. 1, Anno 19, Hen. F/.— Guide Whityngton Armiger.
"Xullas-^ tenuit terr^ neque ten^ in comitatu." Glouc. et March
Wallie.

Page 206, No. 1. — ''Escaet^ de Anno Viginti Henrici Sexti, Guide
Whytington. Xull'' tenuit terr^, Hereford.

Page 96, No. 32, 3 Henrg VI. — Paunteley 1 feed per liYillfn de
■Whitington, Glouc. et March Wallie.

e She must have held this as her jointure from her second husband, Thomas
de Berkeley, as -vre find that Stoke Archer, or as it is commonly called Stoke
Orchard, in the Parish of Cleeve, Gloucestershire, became again the jointure estate
of Margaret, widow of Thomas de Berkeley, the son of the former. — Cal. Inquis.
post mortem, Vol. III. p. 304, Xo. 22, 7 Henry lY.

Margareta quae fuit uxor Thomaj Berkeley de Coverley («. e. Cubberley, or
Cobcrley,) (inter alia.)

Stoke Archer tertia pars manerii, i q^q^;

Coberley tertia pars manerii, \

/ ^ It is difficult to reconcile these two Inquests, which seem to refer to the same
person, with Sir Eobert Atkyns' account, unless this Guy de "Wliittington be a
difierent person from the Sir Guy who was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, 6 Henry
YI. and 12 Henry YI. It is possible that he may have been another brother of
Richard, his having " nullas terr" neque ten' in comitatu," (no lands or tenements
in the County,) would seem to render this probable ; thus he would have been
an uncle of Sir Guy, for the latter could not be said to have had "no lands
or tenements," in as much as he possessed Pauntlcy and Staunton in his own
right, and Notgrove, Lye, and Eodborough in right of his wife. If we are to
consider the Annulet, in Sir Richard Whittington's coat of arms, as an indication
of the position he held in the family, we should place him as ffth son, Icaying
one more son not accounted for in our pedigree, besides this Guy.

84 APPENDIX.

Parliamentary Writs.

A.J). 1311. — Eichard de Whitington'' manucaptor of Johcs Mony-
TTord, Citizen, returned for Hereford.

A.J). 1316. — AYillm de "Whitington certified, pursuant to writ
tested at Clipston, 5th March, as Lord of the Township of Pauntley,
in the County of Gloucester. Certified, in like mannei", as Lord of
the Township of Hope Solers, in the County of Hereford.

PATEXT EOLLS.

Pa^e 230, 19 Richard JI. — Eex confirmavit Eoberto Whitington
consanguineo ' Eoberti de Staunton liberam warrenam in terris suis de
Staunton in con^ "Wigorn ac parcum suum de Hawkeshurne in Haw-
grove prout in 1 7 Chart. Edw. III. concess^ dicto Eobt" de Staunton.

///. et 2cU. Pat., 20 Richard II. — Eex constituit Eicum Whitington
Majorem et Escaetorem London.

IV. Pat., 1 Henry VI. — Quod executores testamenti EicI Whiting-
ton nuper civis et merceri London gaolam Eegis de Newgate una cum
porta ejusdem infra civitatcm London possint prostemere et ne novo
oedificare, &c.

Calendarium Inquis. ad quod damnum.

Paye 361, 11 Henry IV., No. 48.— Eicus de Whytington et Henr.
London et alii. Dederunt Johi White persone eccte ScT Michs in
Paternoster Chirche quandam parcellam teiTe in poch ibni, London.

Paye 362, 12 Uenry IV., No. 16. — Eicus Whityngton ct alii.
Dederunt Majori ct coTtati civit^ London manium sive placeam voc^ Ic
Leadenhalle cum pertin^ in civif^ pred**, &c. London.

h This Richard was probably an iinclc or great iinclc of Sir Richard.
i Robert Whittington was heir to his brother William, who died without issue,
having married the heiress of the Staiintons, he thus became possessed of the
property of Staunton in Worcestershire, the adjoining parish to Pauntley, which
descended to his son, Sir Guy, who was Lord of Staunton, 1433. (See Nash's
History of IVorccstershire, Vol. II., p. 372.)

APPENDIX. 85

APPLICATION OF WALTER DE SOLERS

TO KIXG JOHN ON THE SUBJECT OF THE

ADYOWSON OF PAUNTLEY.

" "Walter de Solers petens dat viginti solidos pro habenda assiza apud
Westmonasterium super Advocationem Ecclesiae de Pantesleg versus
Abbatem de Cormaille tenentcm in co statu quo ultio remansit eo quod
predictus Abbas Dominum llegem ad Warrantum taxaret ad p cartam
suam. H" bre Mandatum Yic. *." 16 John, A.D. 1214. (See Note
to page 10.)

ISSUE ROLL, EASTER, 12 HENRY lY.
22nd August. To Hugh Lord de BumaU. In money paid him, by-
assignment made this day, by the hands of Richard Whityngton,
citizen and merchant of London, in discharge of 100 marks, which the
Lord the King, with the assent of his Council, commanded to be paid
him for the chai'gcs and expenses directed by him to be expended
upon Ir'Ermyte de Foy Casyn and other Ambassadors from France,
lately sent to our Lord the King to treat upon certain affairs, viz.
for the conduct of the said Ambassadors from the Town of Dover to
Gloucester, to the King's presence there. By Writ, &c. 66—13—4.

ISSUE ROLLS,* 7 HEN. Y.
22nd Nov. To Richard "Whityngton, citizen and aldennan of
London. In money paid to him, by the hands of Richard Knyghtley,
in discharge of 2000 marks, which he lent to the Lord theKing, at the
receipt of his Exchequer, on the 12th of June, in the fifth year, as
appears by the RoU of Receipts, &c. £333. 6s. 8d.

LOAN FRO^r WHITTINGTON TO HENRY lY.
Issue RoU, 11 th March, 14 Hen. IV.
To Richard Whityngton, citizen and merchant of London. In money
paid to him, by assignment made this day, in discharge of £1000,

Ic It also appears by these RoUs that Richard \Vhityngton, thrice Lord Mayor]
of London, advanced other large suma of money to the King.

86 APPENDIX.

which he lent to the Lord the King, at the receipt of the Exchequer,
viz. on the 2nd day of March last past, as appears in the Eeceipt Roll
of that day, £1000.

WHITTmGTOX'S LOAN TO HEXRY Y. FOE MAINTAINING
THE SIEGE OE HARFLEUR.

De mutuo ad Manutenendum Olsidium Villa de Harfiewe.
Pro Ricardo Whityngton.

A.D. 1415. \ Rex omnibus ad quos, &c, salutem. Sciatis quod.

An. 3 JEen. V. f Qixm dilectus nobis Richardus Whityngton Civis

a . en. . \ XiOndonise Septingentas Marcas nobis mutuaverit et

illas nobis usque Harflewe ad eas pro Obsidio villse

pra3dictce Deo dantc manutenendo applicandas transmiserit.

Nos volentes promptam et securam resolutionem dictarum Septingen-
tarumMarcai-um prsefato Richardo pernos ex hac causa fieri ut tenemur.
Concessimus eidem Richardo quod ipse habeat et percipiat dictas
Septingentas Marcas de primis Denariis nostris de custuma nostra
lanarum in Portu civitatis nostras Londoniso ac in portubus villarum
de Sancto Botholpho et Kyngeston super Hull provenientibus : videli-
cet— In dicto Porta LondoniaD ducentas libras. Et in praidicto portu
villas de Sancto Botholpho ducentas marcas. Ac in dicto portu de
Kyngeston super Hull ducentas marcas. Per manus coUectorum
custumae prcedictse secundum formam et effectum quarumdamTalliarum
praefato Richardo in hac parte factarum et levatarum.

In cujus, «S:c. Teste Johanne Duce Bedfordiae custode AnglisB apud
"Westm. secundo die Scpterabris. — Rymer's Fftdcra, Tom. ix. p. 311.

ISSUES OF THE EXCHEQUER, BY FRD'- DEYON. IS.H,
FROM HENRY III. TO HENRY YI.

Issiie Poll, Easter, 3 Henri/ IV.

19th Ap'- to Master Jno. Chandler Clerk appointed by the Lord the
Kins and his Council Treasurer to Blanch the King's Eldest daughter

APPEXLIX. 87

in money paid to him by assignment made this day by the hands of
Eichard Clifford Clerk Junior for ten cloths of gold and other mer-
chandize purchased of Eichard Whityugton citizen and mercer of
London £215-13-4 and by the hands of Wm. Cromer citizen and
clothier of the s" city £380 for the apparel and paraphernalia of the
s^ Blanch in her next voyage to Cologne for the solemnization of a
marriage between the son of the King of the Eomans and the said
Blanch by writ &c. £59a - 13 - 7.

OEDEE FOE PAYMENT TO WEITTIXGIOX EOE THE

PEIXCESS PHILIPPA'S WEDDIXG DEESS.

Issue Roll, Easter, 7 Heyi. IV.
28 July,

To Eichard Clifford Junior Clerk of the wardrobe to the Lady
Philippa the King's daughter Queen of Sweden Denmark and jS^or-
way. In money paid to him by assignment made this day by the
hands of Eichard AVhityngton citizen and mercer of London for pearls
and cloth of gold purchased from him at the solemnization of the
marriage between the said Philippa and the King of the Eomans iu
those parts. By writ, &c. £248 - 10 - G -

THE COMMISSION TO WHITTINGTOX TO EEBUILD

THE Is^AVE OF WESTMIXSTEE ABBEY.
Pro Ahbate Westmotiastcrii quo Rex Regalitatis Insignia stiscepit.

A.D. 1413. ' I^6x omnibus ad quos &c. Sciatis quod de gratia
Anno 1 mn. V. \ i^osti-a speciaH.

Pat. 1, Bey,. V. \ Et pro salute animaj nosti-ae ct ob reverentiam
p 4, ni 5. J Dei et Beati Petri in cujus houore Abbatia AYest-

monasteriensis dinoscitur dedicari ac etiam gloriosi Confessoris Eegis
Edwardi et diversorum inclitorum Progenitorum nostrorum quondam
Eegum Angliae in Abbatia procdicta quiescentium.

88 APPENDIX.

Neciion pro eo quod in eadcm Abbatia proiit placuit Altissimo
Insignia Rcgalitatis nostra; suseopimns.

Volentes pro coustructione ct reparatione Navis Abbatise illius (qua^
a diu Riiinam passa fuit et infecta remanet) cum bonis nobis a Deo
coUatis et conferendis quam citius commode potcriraus providerc.

Concessimus, dilcctis nobis in Christo Abbati et conventui Abbatia)
praedictae in auxilium Perfectionis et constmctionis Navis prae-
dicta? Millo marcas pevcipicndas annuatim (^uaradiu nobis placuerit,
videlicet : —

Quingentas Marcas de Exitibus Hanaperii Cancellarise nostra) per
manus eustodis ejusdem pro tempore existentis.

Et Quingentas marcas de custuma Lanarum, Coriorum et pelliura
lanutarum in Portu Civitatis nostrte Londonioe per manus collcctorum
ojusdcm custumfB pro tempore cxistentium.

Ad Tcrminos Pascbje, Nativitatis S. Joliannis Baptistae, S. Michaelis
ct Natalis Domini per ojquales portiones.

Et ultcrius, pro pleniori et celeriori executione concessionis nostrce
prasdicta) prospiccre volentes ac de fidelitate ct circumspectionc dilec-
torum nobis llicardi Whityngton et Picardi Harweden Monachi
Abbatifc pra?dicta) pleuiiis confidcntes assignavimus ipsos Picardum et
Ricardum ad prajdictas millc marcas in locis pra?diclis annuatim ad
terminos praedictos recipiendum, et ad easdcm Mille marcas circa
Perfcctionem ct Constructioncm Navis prajdicta), per supervisum
carissimi consanguinei nostri Edwardi Ducis Eborum et Vencrabilis
in Christo patiis Henrici Episcopi Wyntonieusis Cancellarii nostri
Avunculi nostii carissimi fidclitcr expendendum. Ita quod iidem
Ricardus ct Ricardus rationabilem compotum de summis per ipsos
virtutc literarum nostrarum prassentium recipiendis et circa per-
fcctionem ct constructioncm Navis proedicta) ut praemittitur expcn-
dcndis cisdem Duci ct CanccUario quotics ct qnando ad lioc fuerint
debita requisiti reddant ct reddere tcncantur.

In ciijus, &c.

Teste Rcgc apiul "Wcstraonasteriiim Decimo quarto die Decembris.

Per ipsum Rcgcra.
Ryraer's Ffidn-a, Vol. TX. p. 7H.

APPENDIX.

89

LICENSE TO THE EXECUTORS OF IIICHAIID
WHITTINGTON TO llEBUILD THE GAOL OF NEWGATE,

De licentia construendi Gaolam de Newgate.

A.D. 1423. \ Ecx omnibus ad quos, &c, salutem. Sciatis quod, de
Ao. l.Ucn. II. ) avisamcnto ct consensu concilii nostri conccssimus et
liccntiam dedimus pro nobis ct liKrcdibus nostris quantum in nobis est,
dilectis nobis Jobanni Covcntrc Jobanni Carpenter Jobanni "Wbite
ct Willielmo Grove, cxecutoribus tcstamenti Eicardi AVbityngton
nuper civis ct Merceri Civitatis nostra) Londoniae defuncti quod ipsi
in complementurn ultimae voluntatis praidicti llicardi Gaolam nostram
de Newgate in civitati nostra praedicta una cum porta 'ejusdem Gaolae
prosterni ct unam aliam Gaolam sufficientcm ibidem cum bonis ejus-
dem Ricardi pro salva custodia Prisoniarorum nostrorum et ba;rcdum
nostrorum Eecedificare facere possint absque impetitione nostri aut
eorumdcm hseredum nostrorum Justiciarorum officiariorura sen minis-
tronim nostrorum vel heeredum nostrorum quorumcumque.

Conccssimus ctiam ct liccntiam dedimus de avisamento et assensu
pra.'dictis pro nobis et dictis Hsercdibus nostris quantum in nobis est
dilectis nobis Majori et communitati civitatis nostras praidictae, quod
ipsi omnes Prisouarios infra Gaolem praedictam ad preescns existentcs
removcre et tarn illos quam omnes piisonarios qui per auctoritatem
nostram vcl dictorum baeredum custodiae suae de caetcro committentur
in alio loco sufficienti ct congruo infra civitatem praedictam quousque
praedicta Gaola de Newgate resedificata fucrit poni facere et custodiri
possint absque impetitione nostri vcl Hoercdum nostrorum Justicia-
rorum officiarorum sen ministronim nostrorum vel eorumdcm Ha^re-
dum nostrorum quorumcumque.

In cuju.s, &c.

Teste Rege apud Westraonastcrium duodecimo die iCaii.

J'er breve de piivalo sicillo.

Rymcr's Feeder a, Tom X., p. 287.

I It was over the gate erected in lieu of tlii> that tlic executors placed the
statue of Whittington with his Cat.

90 APPENDIX.

gra:s^t or application of Robert whittixgtox
TO the parliament for redress,

0>* THE OCCASION OF HIS BEING SEIZED, TOGETHER "WITH HIS SOX, AND
CAKEIED OFF BY FORCE, BY ORDERS OF RICHARD OLDCASTLE, TO THE
HILLS AND FORESTS OF HEREFORDSHIRE.

Parliamentary Polls.

A.D. 1316. I 15. Item fait a remembr' q Ics communes asscmblcz
4 Hen. 1 . ) ^j^ yccste Parlcment bailleront a Roy en mesme le
Paiiement uue Supplication a cux de part Robert AVhityngton Esquier
et Guy son fitz direct et priercnt sur ceo les ditz communes a Roy q
les parties complaignantz en ycell fuissent remcdicz en le cas, p ordi-
nance afiairc en mesme le parlcment et de la quell supplication le
tenure cy ensuit.

A les tres sages communes en cest present Parlcment supplient tres
liumblement Robert "Whityngton Esquier et Guy son fitz ; q come lis,
le Lundy proschcin devaunt le fest de les Appostelea Simon et Jude
pendant cest Parlement en chivantz de la citee de Hereford ovesq troys
lour Yadletz et deux pages envers lour hostile fiirent malicieuscmcnt
et sans cause resonable, en assaut et agait purpense ove fort mains pris
a la villa de Mordeford en la Counte de Hereford p Philip Lyugeyn
John Crewe Richard Loutley Laurence Smythe AYilliam Kervere
Wauter Bradford John Bradford and Wautcr Walker servatet^ de
Richard Oldcastle Esquier et p eux et autres malfcsours disconuz
jcsq a le noumbre de trent persons armez and arraicz a faire de GueiTe
d'illeoq^ sodenament amesnez ove lour Chivalx ct hcrnois tanq a un
Mountyn appelle Dynmorehille en mesme le counte et illcoqs de lour
Chivalx et hcrnois dcs^willez ct d'illeoqs noetaundrcnt la noct cnsuyant
tanq a un Chapell disconuz p estimation distaunt dc Ic dit Mounteya
p deux Leges a pu amescez et p tut mesme la noet en mesme la
Chapell detenuz ascun foitz raanassez d'estre tuez a la foitz manassez
d'cstre araesnez en Gales p les mclfessours avaunt ditz et autres gentz
disconnuz dc lour assent la adherentz ct issint la duremcnt emprisonc ct
detenuz en graiind dispoir de lour vies : ct le Marsdy Icndemayn
cnsuyant ils lesscrount le dit Guy sur sou seurment d'aler en
lour message, luv chargcantz de revenir a cux arereraain ct issiiit fist

APPENDIX. 91

la noet ensuant et en le mesmc temps cux amesnerount le dit Robert
de bois en bois, p divcrsez bois disconuz tanq a un auncien Molyn en
mesme le Countee et la Ics ditz llobert et Guy andonges en mesme le
Molyn enprisonererent p tut la scconde noet et raanasserount d'estre
amesnez en Gales si issint soit q'ils ne voillent faire sufficeantz gentz
de dit Counte d'estre obligez a les ditz raalfesoui's suisnomez on a
autres a lour denomination en six ccntz livercz q les ditz Robert et
Guy quaunt ils viendront en lour Pais a large relcsserount a les ditz
malfesours toutz maners actions qux ils purrent avoir devers cux et sur
ceo lesserount le dit Guy d'alcr per querer les persons qux serroient
issint obligez et deteindroient le dit Robert pur mesme le suerte et
puis apres c'est assavoir le Jocsdy proschein apres le dit Fest des
Apposteles Simon ct Jude John Broun Gentilman John Paunton
Gentilman de mesme le Counte ct John Riche Gentilman del Counte
de Glouc. chescun de eux p son escript obligatorie sevcralment fuist
oblige a un Wauter Hakeluyt Esquier del dit counte de Hereford p
denomination de les ditz malfeisours en cent et unsze liverez sur
condition q si le dit Robert Whityngton ensealleroit a I'avauntdit
Philip Lyngayn et ses compaignons et a Richard Oldecastell et Wauter
Hakeluyt Esquiers deux acquitauncez et relessez generalx de toutz
maners actions personels del commencement de mounde tanq al Fest
de Toutz Seintz andonqs proschein a venir, q adonq les ditz cscriptz
obliger soient de niill force autrement qu'ils estoisent en lour force et
vertu ; a cause de quoy le dit Robert "Whityngton ad enseale deux
relessez en le forme avauntdit a tres grevous ct trcs dolorous pajTiez
et tres sovent doute de !Morte de les suppliantz avauntditz. De
please a voz tres sagcz discressions de considercr Icz orriblez faitz et
tortz avauntditz et prior a iire tres sovcrain Si* le Roy q luy please de
I'assent des Seignrs Espirituelx et Temporclx en cost present Parle-
ment ordincr ct establier p auctoritc de le dit Parlement q si bicn
les ditz acquitaunces et rclcsscs p le dit Robert Whityngton faitz
come autre qconq fait p ascun Liege de Roy en cas serablable a
faire en temps a venir soient et soit de nul force et vertue mez de
tut voide en Ic}-. Et outre q suffisaunt remedie soit ordine u mesme
I'auctorite si bien pur les ditz suppliantz, et chescun de eux en ccst
cas come pur toutz autres qux serront grevez en cas semblable de
temps a venir pur Dieux ct en oevere de charitce.

92 APPENDIX.

La quell supplication lieu en le dit Parlemcut et bieu entenduc fuit
mcsme la supplication p le Roy de I'asscnt des Seignrs Espiritucls et
Temporelx en ycell esteantz et a la priere de Ics ditz communes re-
spondu en Ic mancrc eusuant.

Soient les parties nomez en la petition et les autres malfesours q
scrront declarcz p les dites parties p auctorite de cost Parlement
amcsnez dcvaunt le counseil nre Sr le Roy ovesq les escriptz et evi-
dences cspccifiez en ycell p ticl proces come as Sns de mesme le counseill
pur le temps esteantz p advis des Juges du Roy semblera multz ex-
pedient. Et q mcsmes les Srs eiant p I'auctorite suisditc plein poair
d'oier et terminer p advis de tieux Juges toutz les maters continuz en
la dite petition et les circumstances d'icelles et cut faire tiele agarde
ct execution come p le dit advis eux multz semblera en le cas et ces
p I'auctorite avauntdite. Et en cas q les parties ct malfesours suisditz
ne veignent a jour a eux assigue celle partie, q'adonqes soit brief fait
hors de la Chauncelleric adrescer al Viscount del Countc on la dite
trespas est suppose estrc fait retournable dcvaunt le dit Counseill a
certain jour a limiter p discretion des ditz Sfs pur faire proclamation
en mesme le Counte q'ils veignent devaunt Ic Counseil le Roy pur y
rcsponder a les ditz materes. Et s'ils veignent a mesme le jours alors
les ditz Srs de Conscil facent et procedcnt en la matere come desuis est
dit. Et s'ils ne veignent my a dit jour ct proclamation cut soit
tcsmoigne q'adonqes soient ils tenuz convictz de les matiers comprisez
en la petition suisdite. Et q mcsmes les Srs du Conseil aient poair p
auctorite du dit Parlement d' agarder damages p lour discretions a
chescun des ditz Pleintifs celle partie et q les ditz malfesours soient
commys a Prisonc illcoqes a demurer tanq ils eient fait fyn et ranceon
a Roy pur les trespasses et offenses suisditz : ct q' adonqes toutz les
escriptz ct evidences suisditz soient en tout voidez adnuUcz ct dc null
force pur toutz jours.

APPENDIX. 93

LIST OF JOHX CAllPEXTEIl'S BOOKS. "
Shoiving the Contents of a Library Temp. Ilenrii V. — Jlenry T'l.

1. "My little book, containing ' Alanus do Anticlaudiano', and other notable

things."

2. " My little book, containing ' Alanns dc Planctu,' with other notable things."

3. Alanus dc Planctu.

4. " My book ' Dc Meditationibus etOrationibns Sancti Anselmi.' "

5. "That book on Architecture which Master William Clcve gave to me."

6. "That book 'cumSecretis Aristotcli.*,' &c., which my Master Marchaunt gave

to me."

7. Liber de regimine dominorum, otherwise called Secretvun sccrctonini Arislotdis.

8. "That book ' Biblicr abbreviata',' &c , which .John Sudburj- gave to me."

9. A book ' De corpnre poUecie,' in French.

10. De miseria conditionis humanic.

11. De remediis utriusque fortima-.

12. Dispositio ct regimen bcllonim duoruni et acicruni guciTarum.

13. "That book which Master Roger Dymok made, ' Contra duodecem errores et

hereses Lollardorum,' and gave to King Richard, and which book John
Wilok gave to me."

14. Ecclesiasticus.

15. Historian Provinciarum.

16. Law books of forms and precedents.

17. Philobiblon Ricardi Dunelmensis.

18. " That little book called ' Prosperus de vita contcmplativa,' with other things

in the same."

19. Quidam de Vetula.

20. Seneca ad Callioncm.

21. Seneca dc quatuor virtutibus cardinalibus.

22. Sententiffi diversorura prophetanim : translated from Greek into Latin, by

Peter de Alphense.

23. " My little book ' De parabolis Solamonis.' "
2 1. Speculum morale regium.

25. Theology. " ily book in French, which belonged to Sir Thomas Pykworth,

containing the Ten Commandments, the Twelve Articles of Failh, tlie
Seven Theological Virtues, and f)ther things."

26. Tractatus dictaminis.

Also, sundry books, " De devotionibus, moralitatibus, ct dictaminibus," and
sundiy " good and rare books," of which no description is given.

Ill For a fuller account of Carpenter's Library, sec Brewer's Life and Times of
John Carpenter. 8vo., London, 1856. The object of this list is only to shew the
style of books then read and valued.

94 APPENDIX.

LIVES OF WHITTIXGTOjS^."

1. History of Sii- Richard "WTiittington. Printed at Synipson's, in Stonecutter

Street, Fleet Market.

2. The Life of Sir Richard Whittington, Knight, and four times Lord Mayor of

London, in the reigns of Edward IIL," Richard II., and Ileiuy V. By
the Author of Memoirs of George Bamwell Harlow. Printed by B.
Flower, for M. Jones, No. 5, Newgate Street, London. 18 II.

3. The Life of Sir Richard "Whittington, Knight, four times Lord Mayor of

London. London: Published by Thos. North, 64, Paternoster Row. 1828.

4. Life of "Wliittington, in Woodcock's Lives of Lord Mayors.

5. Sir Richard Whittington's Advancement. Ballad Tale in Mackaj-'s Collec-

tion, p. 4.

6. Whittington and His Cat : an Entertainment for Yoxing People, by Mi.ss

Corner.

7. Cliappell's Popular Music of Olden Time, pt. xi., p. olo (Music for Ballad.)

8. ■\Vhittington (Dick) Life and Times; an historical romauce, with twenty-

two spirited and humorous engravings, thick 8vo. 1841.

n None of these seem to have been compiled from any documentary evidence ;
although they profess to be so, yet not a single reference is given, and they are
full of inaccuracies as to dates and historical facts.

0 Whittington did not become Mavor until 20 Richaid II.

APPENDIX.

95

A LIST OF SOME OF THE MEN OF NOTE, FLOURISHING
AT SOME PERIOD OF WHITTINGTON'S LIFE.

Edward III.

John Wicklitf. John, the Chaplain.
Chaucer, Gowcr, and Lidgate, Poets.
John de Trevisa, Vicar of Berkeley,
Gloucestershire, -who first translated
the Bible into English.
Ralph Higdon, Author of Polychroni-

con.
Sir John Froissart, Chronicler.
William of Wykeham.
Thomas de Woodstock, Duke of Glou-
cester.
Richard II. John of Gaunt.
Henry IV. Henry V. Henry VI.
Sir Robert Knollys, celebrated warrior.
Sir John Gldcastle, Baron of Cobham,
the celebrated Wickliffite, hung and
burnt.
Henry Hotspur, Earl of Xorthumber-

land.
Thomas "Walshingham, Historian.
Thomas Ottcrboume, Historian.
Thomas de Elmham, Historiographer

of Henry V.
Titus Livius, an Author with an as-
sumed name, wrote History of
Henry V.

William Bottoner, better known as
William of Worcester, Historian.
Sir John Falstolf, warrior.
John Rous, Antiquary.
Sir Thomas Littleton, Lawyer.
Robert Fabian, Chronicler.
William Caxton, Mercer, Printer, and

Historian.
James I. King of Scotland.
Henry Chicheley, Archbishop of Can-
terbury.
Sir John ^Mandeville, Traveller, &c.
John Cornwall, Master of Grammar.

Richard Pencriche.
Thomas Hoccleve or Occleve.
Sir John Fortescuc, Chief Justice of
Common Pleas.

Sir Wm. Babygton, Chief Justice of

Common Bench.
Anthony Wydyille, Earl Rivers.

John Huss.

Jerome of Prague.

Pope Gregory XI.

Pope John.

Dante.

Boccaccio.

ADDENDA,

To Note r, p. 71.— Sir Thomas de Berkeley was living in 18.52, for in that year
we find that —

Thomas de Berkele dc Coberleye et Job" uxor ejus feoffavcrimt Job cm lo

Botiller ct alios— Ai-cher stoke maner* medief ? giquc.
Coberleye maner' J

Page 12, Note I; for Poj-nty, read Poyntz.

A. LEA, PBINTEB, GLOUCESTER.

i<!'lJ0«»l

Maltsr k |auntljg.

nf tju /arailii nf

Mlrfttittgt0nt

WnxiAM DB ■Whitthton ■■
in com. Wnrwick.
non longe ah Haslar.

Wn-tlAM DE WhITTNTO!* =

■■ HABiBBA,orRAWi3B, Bister
coheir of Hugh Aguillon,
of Upton. Co. Wanricli.
Ittg. p. m., Edw, I.

Waltsr db Solbbs.
Tbouas db Solbbs.

,|auntlEg, Jlotflrocf, Sw, "'"i;

Jodboroujh, .Sodmarton, Sainton, Stroud, "'

Jipjiiatt, and
(|oId |i»hton, in thu (|ount!J 4 (!9l«uqn»t(!r.

(Cilltrhii from

^.'ttiijrrra in tj)t Iritisji Summn, fitrnliis' iCnlltgp,

ani atjjtr snurrtj,

IBn tijt iltD. laiimtl li|5on5, 3)1. il.

r2Edw. I., A.D.1284.
Posse&aed the Manor of
Pauntley, according to
the ShcriSs' Returns

Maud, daughter and heir

of John do Solera, of SoIer«
Hope, Co. Hereford.

RoBEaT DB Stai

'4

Sir William de Wkittnqdon = Joam, daughter of Wilj
died seized of Pauntley and Solera ,,^ fit Co^.Glpr. 13r"
Hope, Co. Hereford, 33 Edw. III., '*^'fta»fi»?Thom
A.D. 1360. Outlawed, ulle</al

-■ Cathbrihb,

sieter and heir of
John de Staunton.
Addl. MSS. Brit.
Mus. 6529 Pluto.

3 Homy IV., A.D. 1402, and
8 Henry IV., A.D. 1407, heir
to his brother in the Estatt's of
Pauntley, Solers Hope,

John the Evangeliat.

■■ ^lARQBnv, duugbtor Qj/. Another

A.D. 142^ iigjiin 12 HeJiry VI., ualt
High Shorirt'Co. Hereford, S Henry VI.,

r Sii-JtuHAUU Whityngton

bom about 13p0 ', Alderman of London
and Sheriff, A.D. 1393 ; Mayor. 1397,
1406-7, and 1419 1 M.P. for London,

:c£LY. sister and heir of Richard Browning,
brought the Manors of Notgrovc, Lye, and
Rodborough. Callnguis. posCtnorl.,6Genrj

■E, daught^>r of Sir Hugh, or Ivon, Fitz-

1 France, during his

Maroaukt, daughter Jo:
and heir of John
Edwards, who was
Lord of the Manors
of Rotlninrton and
Tarlton, Little Bcnthaiu
andPitchcombe.Co.Glo.

William RichahdWhittinoton =

William Wihttinqton =
died seized of Pauntlov and I
Rodborough, 11 Edw.' IV.,

of Humpliry
Arundel 1, auu'

Guy Whittinoton '

Co. Glo., heir to her
father, took the Manors
of Rodraartnn, Tarl-
ton, and Lippiatt, t>i

John Norwood,
Esq., of Leck-
hamptou, Co.

Glouceslcrahir
widow nf Sir Thomas
Moningtou. of Sum-

KoiiEia \V\F., ?

of Rodmarton, married,
Jirtt, Jano, daughter and
heir of Alex. Baynham,
of Westbury, Oo. Glouc.
tMond, Alice, daughter
and coheir of — Grevil,
of — Co, Warwick.

Ihajiel WmmNGTo.v,
married William, married John

son of Roger Horton, RudhaU, Esn

Thomas WHnriNOTON

= Maroabbt, William

Alexam>f

B W

mrnx..

roN =

B.N WHirriNKTON.

died seized of Paunt-

daughter of Whittinotox.

of Notgi'ovc

Co

Gloucester. 1

W.

ley. Rodborough, and

Descended from him arc

the

.phcr.

Needham.

Whittingions
Gloucester.

ofH

sington

Co.
Left

of Brinsop, Co.
Hereford.

Six daughters, coheiresses.
1 Blanch = John St. Aubyn, of Cnrnwiill.

Issue

ROBKHT WHirriNOTOM

= , daughter of

of St. Briavcb)

(;o

1 Giles Hyctt, Esq.,
of — Co Gloucester.

2 Ann = Bbicb Bbukblby.

4 Maoarbt = Thomas Throckmorton.

= Alicb, dflughtJ-r of

5 Alice = Nanfan.

Co.

1 Thomas BaU.

6 Elizabbth = Sir Giles Pool, of Saperton,
buried at Co. Gloucester, who

Gloucester.

ofM..nmoiilh,

1

Pauntley obtained the Manor of
Brass tohor PaunUerin right of his

Seven sons.

Robert WniTriKt.i-iN

memory in wife— slie having four

of Cold A*hton, C...

Pauntley Hbarea, Sir GUes piir-

Ohuroh. chased the remainder.

the WIiittingt<m-4 "1
Hamawoll, in that pa-
riah, stiU extant. 1860
^ixModentPedigrta 11
the Heralds- College,

LondoD.

equally aji|.rii|.i i ,\- ■;[ ..ii..(lf. >

though the t'uimdLi of bin i3v,-ii
fortune, hebad but an ephemeral
existence, living but for theday,
and leaving no children to in-
herit his wealth. On comparing
the insect with those given in
Guillim's Heraldrt/, I inchne
■ ■" • for

I think that
a bee. In Guilli
language, he describes these

quaint

: suitable emblem of
Richard Whittington's charac-
ter. "BeeshavotbroepropertieH
of the best kind of subjects.
They stick close to their fang.
They ore very industrious for
their livelihood, expelling aU
idle dnmes. They will not sting
any but sucb as first provoke
them, and then they are most

Richard Moreley»

BY THE SAME AUTHOK,

Lately pdulishk]), ix 8vo., price Is. 6d., "wixn isheet ^Eai',
Plan, and Engkavinqs,

THE

R03IANS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE,

Results of their residence in this County considered in an
Historical, Social, and Religious point of ^new :

Embracing the very interesting question, whether or not we owe

our early Christianity to our intercourse with them, and

whether St. Paul himself preached in Britain,

and possibly at Gloucester.

PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION,

In Small Hvo., Cloth,

CLAUDIA AND PUDENS;

OK THE

CHRISTIANS IN GLOUCESTER:

A Tale of the Fiest Centitby.

LONDON :
HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO., PATERNOSTER ROW.
GLOrCESTER :
A. LEA, 2, WESTGATE STREET.

Zi

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