T. H. - The History of Sir Richard Whittington
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T. H. >> The History of Sir Richard Whittington
Whittington was knighted by Henry V., and in 1419 he was elected mayor
for the fourth time. It was in this year that John Carpenter commenced
the compilation of his famous _Liber Albus_. We see how highly this
distinguished citizen was appreciated from the writings of such men as
Grafton and Stow. Richard Grafton writes in his _Chronicle_ (1569, p.
433)--
"This yere (1406) a worthie citizen of London, named Rychard
Whittyngton, mercer and alderman, was elected maior of the sayde
citie, and bare that office three tymes. This worshipfull man so
bestowed his goodes and substaunce to the honor of God, to the
reliefe of the pore, and to the benefite of the comon weale, that
he hath right well deserved to be regestered in the boke of fame.
First, he erected one house or church in London to be a house of
prayer, and he named the same after his awne name Whittyngtons
College, and so it remayneth to this day. And in the same church,
besydes certeine priestes and clerkes, he placed a number of poore
aged men and women and buylded for them houses and lodgyngs, and
allowed unto them wood, cole, cloth, and weekly money to their
great reliefe and comfort.... He also buylded for the ease of the
maior of London and his brethren, and of the worshipfull citizens
at the solempne dayes of their assemblye, a chapell adioining to
the Guyldhall, to the entent they should euer before they entered
into any of theyr affayrs first to go into the chappel, and by
prayer to call upon God for assistaunce.... He also buylded a great
part of the east ende of the Guildhall, besyde many other good
workes that I knowe not. But among all other I will shewe unto you
one very notable, which I receyved credibly by a writyng of his
awne hande, which also he willed to be fixed as a schedule to his
last will and testament, the contentes whereof was that he willed
and commaunded his executors as they would aunswere before God at
the day of the resurrection of all fleshe, that if they found any
debtor of his that ought to him any money, that if he were not in
their consciences well worth three tymes as much, and also out of
the debt of other men, and well able to pay, that then they shoulde
never demaund it, for he cleerely forgave it, and that they should
put no man in sute for any debt due to him. Looke upon thys, ye
aldermen, for it is a glorious glasse."
Stow writes as follows in his _Survey of London_ on some of
Whittington's good works:--
"Richard Whittington, mercer, three times mayor, in the year 1421
began the library of the grey friars in London, to the charge of
four hundred pounds: his executors with his goods founded and built
Whittington College, with almshouses for thirteen poor men, and
divinity lectures to be read there for ever. They repaired St.
Bartholomew's hospital in Smithfield; they bare half the charges of
building the library there, and they built the west gate of London,
of old time called Newgate," &c.[5]
"The 1st year of Henry VI. John Coventrie and John Carpenter,
executors to Richard Whitington, gave towards the paving of this
great hall twenty pounds, and the next year fifteen pounds more, to
the said pavement, with hard stone of Purbeck; they also glazed
some windows thereof, and of the mayor's court; on every which
windows the arms of Richard Whitington are placed."[6]
Respecting the library at Guildhall, Stow, after relating how the Duke
of Somerset, Lord Protector, borrowed the books and never returned them,
writes:--"This library was built by the executors of Richard Whittington
and by William Burie; the arms of Whittington are placed on the one side
in the stone work, and two letters, to wit W and B, for William Burie,
on the other side; it is now lofted through, and made a storehouse for
clothes."[7]
Whittington appears to have died childless, and in the interesting
picture of his deathbed, copied by Mr. Lysons from an illumination in
the ordinances of his college, his executors are seen around his bed.
His will was proved in 1423 by John Coventry, John White, William Grove
and John Carpenter. The College of St. Spirit and St. Mary consisted of
a master, four fellows (masters of arts), clerks, conducts, chorists,
&c. It was dissolved by Edward VI.; but the memory of it remains in the
name College Hill, Upper Thames Street. God's House or Hospital for
thirteen poor men was moved to Highgate in 1808.
By his will Whittington directed that the inmates of his college should
pray for the souls of himself and his wife Alice, of Sir William
Whittington, and his wife Dame Joan, of Hugh Fitzwarren and his wife
Dame Malde, as well as for the souls of Richard II. and Thomas of
Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, "special lords and promoters of the said
Whittington."
Whittington's epitaph is preserved by Stow and is in Latin; yet the
author of a _Life of Whittington_ (1811) makes the following
misstatement:--
"Record, however, has handed down to us the original epitaph, as it
was cut on the monument of Sir Richard, by order of his executors;
and, exclusive of its connection with the subject of these pages,
it may be subjoined as a curious specimen of the poetry of an age
which was comparatively with the present so entirely involved in
the darkness of superstition and ignorance."
"Beneath this stone lies Whittington,
Sir Richard rightly named;
Who three times Lord Mayor served in London,
In which he ne'er was blamed.
He rose from indigence to wealth
By industry and that;
For lo! he scorned to gain by stealth
What he got by a cat.
Let none who reads this verse despair
Of providences ways;
Who trust in him he'll make his care,
And prosper all their days.
Then sing a requiem to departed merit,
And rest in peace till death demands his spirit."--
_Life of Sir R. Whittington_, by the author of _Memoirs of George
Barnwell_, 1811, p. 106.
* * * * *
LIST OF VERSIONS, EDITIONS, &c.
1604-5, Feb. 8. Play licensed, see _ante_, p. vii.
1605, July 16. Ballad licensed, see _ante_, p. vii.
1612. Johnson's Ballad published in _Crowne Garland of Goulden
Roses_, see _ante_, p. ix.
1641? Roxburghe Ballad ("London's Glory"), see _ante_, p. xiv.
1670? Famous and Remarkable History by T. H., reprinted in this
volume (see p. 1).
1678. Another edition with the same title as the above (see p. 1),
but with the following imprint:
"London: Printed by A. P. and T. H. for T. Vere and J. Wright, and
are to be sold at their shops at the Angel without Newgate and at
the Crown on Ludgate Hill. 1678."
There are a few alterations in spelling, &c. but otherwise it is
the same as the earlier edition.
1730. The History of Sir Richard Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of
London. Durham: Printed and sold by I. Lane.
This is the earliest version of the common chap-book tale in the
British Museum. It is divided into chapters, and the headings of
these chapters are given at p. xxx. of the present preface. All the
other chap-books that I have seen are more or less versions of this
story, but one of the most complete is that printed in this
Introduction (p. xxxii.) The book was printed in most of the chief
towns, as Newcastle, Edinburgh, &c. but one of the most interesting
editions is that printed at York and illustrated by Bewick:--
The History of Whittington and his Cat; how from a poor country boy
destitute of parents or relatives he attained great riches and was
promoted to the high and honorable dignity of Lord Mayor of London.
York: Printed by J. Kendrew, Colliergate.
The frontispiece represents the stiff figure of a man in wig and
gown of the time of Charles II., underneath which is printed--
"Sir Richard Whittington behold
In mayor's robes and chain of gold."
1808. In the _Antiquarian Repertory_ (vol. ii. pp. 343-346) there
is a good account of Whittington.
1811. The Life of Sir Richard Whittington, Knight, and four times
Lord Mayor of London, in the reigns of Edward III. Richard II. and
Henry V. Compiled from authentic documents; and containing many
important particulars respecting that illustrious man never before
published: intended to amuse, instruct, and stimulate the rising
generation. By the Author of "Memoirs of George Barnwell." Harlow:
Printed by B. Flower for M. Jones, No. 5, Newgate Street, London.
1811. Small 8vo.
1828. The Life of Sir Richard Whittington, Knight, four times Lord
Mayor of London. London: Published by Thomas North, 64, Paternoster
Row. 1828. (Lysons.)
1841. The Life and Times of Dick Whittington: an Historical
Romance. London: Hugh Cuningham, St. Martin's Place. 1841. 8vo.
This is a novel written in imitation of Ainsworth, illustrated with
plates in imitation of Cruikshank.
[1845.] Woodcock's "Lives of Illustrious Lords Mayors and Aldermen
of London, with a Brief History of the City of London." London.
8vo. Pp. 28-46, Life of Whittington; but it contains no information
of any value.
1860. The Model Merchant of the Middle Ages, exemplified in the
Story of Whittington and his Cat: being an attempt to rescue that
interesting story from the region of fable, and to place it in its
proper position in the legitimate history of this country. By the
Rev. Samuel Lysons, M.A. London: Hamilton, Adams & Co. 1860. 8vo.
1871. The Story of Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London in
the years 1397, 1406-7, and 1419 A.D. Written and
illustrated by Carr. London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1871. Folio.
A new Ballad prettily illustrated, in which Canon Lysons's
researches are taken into account, and the boy is made of good
parentage, but the rest of the legend is retained.
1881. Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London. By Walter
Besant and James Rice. London: Marcus Ward and Co. 1881. Sm. 8vo.
Whittington and his Cat. By Ernest J. Miller. Published by the
Albany Institute, Albany, N.Y. Weed, Parsons, and Company. 1881.
8vo.
A valuable paper, which contains a great mass of information on
both the true and----the fictitious Whittington.
Whittington and his Cat, an Entertainment for Young People, by Miss
Corner.
The Remarkable History of Richard Whittington and his Cat. Aunt
Busy Bee's New Series. Dean and Son. Coloured illustrations on the
page.
The following title is taken from Mr. Lysons's book, and I presume
it is merely an edition of the ordinary chap-book.
History of Sir Richard Whittington. Printed at Sympson's in
Stonecutter Street, Fleet Market.
* * * * *
The following extract from Granger's _History of England_ is curious as
showing that the public would not have a portrait of Whittington without
a representation of his famous cat:--
"The true portraicture of Richard Whitington, thrise Lord Maior of
London; a vertuous and godly man, full of good works, and those
famous. He builded the gate of London called Newegate, which before
was a miserable doungeon. He builded Whitington College, and made
it an almose-house for poore people. Also he builded a great parte
of the hospitall of St. Bartholomew's, in West Smithfield, in
London. He also builded the beautiful library at the Grey Friars in
London, called Christe's Hospitall. He also builded the Guildehalle
chappell, and increased a great parte of the east ende of the said
halle, beside many other good workes."--_R. Elstracke sc. Collar of
SS.; his right hand on a cat._
Granger says of this:
"The cat has been inserted as the common people did not care to buy
the print without it. There was none originally in the plate, but a
skull in the place of the cat. I have seen only two proofs of this
portrait in its first state, and these were fine
impressions."--1775, vol. i. p. 62.
The following is a copy of the headings of the chapters in an early form
of the chap-book version of Whittington's life:
THE
HISTORY
OF
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON,
THRICE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.
_Durham: Printed and sold by I. Lane._ [1730.]
THE LIFE OF
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON.
CHAP. I.
How, Whittington, being born of unknown parents, was left to a
desperate fortune, and rambled the country till necessity and fear
made him come to London.
CHAP. II.
How, at the instance of Mrs. Alice, the Merchant's daughter, he
became a servant in the family under the cook maid, who used him
cruelly, and how Mrs. Alice took pity on him, and interpos'd her
authority.
CHAP. III.
How, lying in a garret, he was ready to be devoured by rats and
mice, and to prevent it purchased a cat with a penny given him for
cleaning shoes; and how, with the servants, he adventured the cat,
being all his stock.
CHAP. IV.
How the bitter jade of a cook maid encreasing her cruelty towards
him he grew weary of his service, and was running away on
All-Hallow's day; but upon hearing the ringing of Bow bells came
back again. Also how the merchant abroad disposed of his cat.
CHAP. V.
Of the great riches received for Whittington's cat more than for
all the goods in the ship; on the arrival of which his master sent
for him upstairs by the title of Mr. Whittington, and the excuses
he made, and how he distributed part of his wealth to his
fellow-servants giving the ill-natur'd cook maid 100l.
CHAP. VI.
How Mr. Whittington, being genteely dress'd, became, to all
appearance, a very comely, proper person; how Mrs. Alice, his
master's daughter, fell in love with him, and, by her father's
consent, married him; and also how he was chosen sheriff of London.
CHAP. VII.
How he was thrice elected Lord Mayor of London; how he entertain'd
King Henry V. in his return from the conquest of France: with an
account of his buildings for pious and charitable uses, great
liberality to the poor, his death, burial, and epitaph.
EPITAPH.
Here lies Sir Richard Whittington, thrice mayor,
And his dear wife, a virtuous, loving pair;
Him fortune rais'd to be belov'd and great,
By the adventure only of a cat.
Let none who read of God's great love despair,
Who trusts in Him of him He will take care;
But growing rich chuse humbleness, not pride,
Let these dead persons' virtues be your guide.
The following reprint of a later version of the chap-book is almost
identical with a large number of editions:
THE
ADVENTURES
OF
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON,
WHO WAS
THREE TIMES
LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.
_And the Surprising History of his_
CAT,
TO WHICH IS ADDED
THE CALEDONIAN, A POEM.
_Banbury:
Printed and sold by J. Cheney, in the High Street._
* * * * *
THE
HISTORY
OF
WHITTINGTON.
* * * * *
Dick Whittington was a very little boy when his father and mother died;
little indeed, that he never knew them, nor the place where he was
born. He strolled about the country as ragged as a colt, till he met
with a waggoner who was going to London, and who gave him leave to walk
all the way by the side of his waggon without paying anything for his
passage, which pleased little Whittington very much, as he wanted to see
London badly, for he had heard that the streets were paved with gold,
and he was willing to get a bushel of it; but how great was his
disappointment, poor boy! when he saw the streets covered with dirt
instead of gold, and found himself in a strange place, without a friend,
without food, and without money.
Though the waggoner was so charitable as to let him walk up by the side
of the waggon for nothing, he took care not to know him when he came to
town, and the poor boy was, in a little time, so cold and so hungry that
he wished himself in a good kitchen and by a warm fire in the country.
In this distress he asked charity of several people, and one of them bid
him "Go to work for an idle rogue." "That I will," says Whittington,
"with all my heart; I will work for you if you will let me."
The man, who thought this favoured of wit and impertinence (tho' the
poor lad intended only to show his readiness to work), gave him a blow
with a stick which broke his head so that the blood ran down. In this
situation, and fainting for want of food, he laid himself down at the
door of one Mr. Fitzwarren, a merchant, where the cook saw him, and,
being an ill-natured hussey, ordered him to go about his business or she
would scald him. At this time Mr. Fitzwarren came from the Exchange, and
began also to scold at the poor boy, bidding him to go to work.
Whittington answered that he should be glad to work if any body would
employ him, and that he should be able if he could get some victuals to
eat, for he had had nothing for three days, and he was a poor country
boy, and knew nobody, and nobody would employ him.
He then endeavoured to get up, but he was so very weak that he fell down
again, which excited so much compassion in the merchant that he ordered
the servants to take him in and give him some meat and drink, and let
him help the cook to do any dirty work that she had to set him about.
People are too apt to reproach those who beg with being idle, but give
themselves no concern to put them in the way of getting business to do,
or considering whether they are able to do it, which is not charity.
"Think of this ye affluent,
And when the overplus of your fortunes disturb
Your minds, think how little stops the lash of penury,
And makes the wretched happy!"
I remember a circumstance of this sort, which Sir William Thompson told
my father with tears in his eyes, and it is so affecting that I shall
never forget it:
STORY
OF
SIR WILLIAM THOMPSON.
"When Sir William Thompson was in the plantation abroad, one of his
friends told him he had an indentured servant whom he had just bought,
that was his countryman and a lusty man; 'but he is so idle,' says he,
'that I cannot get him to work.' 'Aye,' says Sir William, 'let me see
him.' Accordingly they walked out together and found the man sitting on
a heap of stones. Upon this Sir William, after enquiring about his
country, asked why he did not go out to work. 'I am not able,' answered
the man. 'Not able?' says Sir William, 'I am sure you look very well;
give him a few stripes.' Upon this the planter struck him several times,
but the poor man still kept his seat.
"Then they left him to look over the plantation, exclaiming against his
obstinacy all the way they went; but how surprised were they, on their
return, to find the poor man fallen from off the place where he had been
sitting, and dead! 'The cruelty,' says Sir William, 'of my ordering the
poor man to be beaten while in the agonies of death lies always next my
heart. It is what I shall never forget, and will for ever prevent my
judging rashly of people who appear in distress. How do we know what our
children may come to? The Lord have mercy upon the poor, and defend them
from the proud, the inconsiderate, and the avaricious."
But we return to Whittington: who would have lived happy in this worthy
family had he not been bumped about by the cross cook, who must be
always roasting or basting, and when the spit was still employed her
hands upon poor Whittington! 'till Miss Alice, his master's daughter,
was informed of it, and then she took compassion on the poor boy, and
made the servants treat him kindly.
Besides the crossness of the cook, Whittington had another difficulty to
get over before he could be happy. He had, by order of his master, a
flock-bed placed for him in a garret, where there were such a number of
rats and mice that often ran over the poor boy's nose and disturbed him
in his sleep. After some time, however, a gentleman, who came to his
master's house, gave Whittington a penny for brushing his shoes. This
he put into his pocket, being determined to lay it out to the best
advantage; and the next day, seeing a woman in the street with a cat
under her arm, he ran up to know the price of it. The woman (as the cat
was a good mouser) asked a deal of money for it, but on Whittington's
telling her he had but a penny in the world, and that he wanted a cat
sadly, she let him have it.
This cat Whittington concealed in the garret, for fear she should be
beat about by his mortal enemy the cook, and here she soon killed or
frightened away the rats and mice, so that the poor boy could now sleep
as sound as a top.
Soon after this the merchant, who had a ship ready to sail, called for
his servants, as his custom was, in order that each of them might
venture something to try their luck; and whatever they sent was to pay
neither freight nor custom, for he thought justly that God Almighty
would bless him the more for his readiness to let the poor partake of
his fortune. "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord, who will
return it seventy-fold."
All the servants appeared but poor Whittington, who, having neither
money nor goods, could not think of sending anything to try his luck;
but his good friend Miss Alice, thinking his poverty kept him away,
ordered him to be called.
She then offered to lay down something for him, but the merchant told
his daughter that would not do, it must be something of his own. Upon
which poor Whittington said he had nothing but a cat which he bought for
a penny that was given him. "Fetch thy cat, boy," said the merchant,
"and send her." Whittington brought poor puss and delivered her to the
captain, with tears in his eyes, for he said he should now be disturbed
by the rats and mice as much as ever. All the company laughed at the
adventure but Miss Alice, who pitied the poor boy, and gave him
something to buy another cat.
While puss was beating the billows at sea, poor Whittington was severely
beaten at home by his tyrannical mistress the cook, who used him so
cruelly, and made such game of him for sending his cat to sea, that at
last the poor boy determined to run away from his place, and, having
packed up the few things he had, he set out very early in the morning on
All-Hallows day. He travelled as far as Holloway, and there sat down on
a stone to consider what course he should take; but while he was thus
ruminating, Bow bells, of which there were only six, began to ring; and
he thought their sounds addressed him in this manner:
"Turn again, Whittington,
Lord Mayor of great London."
"Lord Mayor of London!" said he to himself; "what would not one endure
to be Lord Mayor of London, and ride in such a fine coach? Well, I'll go
back again, and bear all the pummelling and ill-usage of Cicely rather
than miss the opportunity of being Lord Mayor!" So home he went, and
happily got into the house and about his business before Mrs. Cicely
made her appearance.
We must now follow Miss Puss to the coast of Africa, to that coast where
Dido expired for loss of AEnus (_sic_). How perilous are voyages at sea,
how uncertain the winds and the waves, and how many accidents attend a
naval life!
The ship, which had the cat on board, was long beaten at sea, and at
last, by contrary winds, driven on a part of the coast of Barbary which
was inhabited by Moors, unknown to the English. These people received
our countrymen with civility, and therefore the captain, in order to
trade with them, shewed them the patterns of the goods he had on board,
and sent some of them to the king of the country, who was so well
pleased that he sent for the captain and the factor to his palace, which
was about a mile from the sea. Here they were placed, according to the
custom of the country, on rich carpets, flowered with gold and silver;
and the king and queen being seated at the upper end of the room, dinner
was brought in, which consisted of many dishes; but no sooner were the
dishes put down but an amazing number of rats and mice came from all
quarters, and devoured all the meat in an instant. The factor, in
surprise, turned round to the nobles and asked "If these vermin were not
offensive?" "O yes," said they, "very offensive; and the king would give
half his treasure to be freed of them, for they not only destroy his
dinner, as you see, but they assault him in his chamber, and even in
bed, so that he is obliged to be watched while he is sleeping for fear
of them."