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. 



