Homepage
Login
Profile
BookClubs
dmBox
Read Ebook: The History of Sir Richard Whittington by Wheatley Henry B Henry Benjamin Editor
Font size:
Background color:
Text color:
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page
Ebook has 1511 lines and 63331 words, and 31 pages
Immediately before the last stanza the following one is introduced:--
The other alterations are not many, and chiefly consist in transpositions by which the rhymes are varied. This may be seen by comparing with the original the Roxburghe version of the last stanza which is as follows:--
"Lancashire, thou hast bred This flower of charity; Though he be dead and gone, Yet lives his memory. Those bells that call'd him so, Turn again, Whittington, Would they call may moe Such men to fair London."
At the end of one of the chap-books there is a version of the ballad in which Lancashire is replaced by Somersetshire.
"An old Ballad of Whittington and his Cat, who from a poor boy came to be thrice Lord Mayor of London. Printed and sold in Aldermary Church Yard, London."
There is a copy of this in the Chetham Library.
The following are some of the chief references to Whittington's story in literature after the publication of Johnson's ballad, arranged in chronological order:--
"As if a new-found Whittington's rare cat, Come to extoll their birth-rights above that Which nature once intended."--
We may now pass from the fictitious to the real Richard Whittington, and although this is not the place for a life of the distinguished citizen, which may be found elsewhere, it will be convenient to set down in order the chief incidents of his career.
Nothing is known of Richard's early life, either as to when or how he came to London. He appears to have married Alice, daughter of Hugh Fitzwarren, and probably he was originally apprenticed to his father-in-law, whose name appears in all the versions of his history.
"This yere 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."
"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.
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."
"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.
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."--
LIST OF VERSIONS, EDITIONS, &c.
"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.
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 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.
"Sir Richard Whittington behold In mayor's robes and chain of gold."
This is a novel written in imitation of Ainsworth, illustrated with plates in imitation of Cruikshank.
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.
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.
Whittington and his Cat, an Entertainment for Young People, by Miss Corner.
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.
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
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON,
THRICE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.
THE LIFE OF
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
EPITAPH.
The following reprint of a later version of the chap-book is almost identical with a large number of editions:
THE
ADVENTURES
SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON,
Add to tbrJar First Page Next Page Prev Page