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"." 



