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. 



