OF TEE MIDDLE AGES. 47 



with the gate thereof within the City of London. Xow if we turn to 

 Maitland's History of London, we find that " the Gate of jS'ewgate 

 heing very much damaged hy the (great) fire (of London) in 1666, 

 was afterwards strongly rebuilt of stone, and continues to be the county 

 gaol for Middlesex as well as London. The west side of the Gate is 

 adorned with three ranges of pilasters and their entablements, of the 

 Tuscan order. Over the lowest is a circular pediment, and above it 

 the King's arms. The intercolumns are four niches, with as many 

 figures as large as life. One of these, representing liberty, has caiwed 

 on her hat the word lihertas, and the figure of a Cat lying at her feet, 

 alluding to the figure of Sir Eichard Whittington, a former founder, 

 who is reported to have made the first step to his good fortune by a 

 Cat." Pennant after mentioning the rebuilding of Xewgate by "WTiit- 

 tington's executors says " his Statue with the Cat remained in a niche 

 to its final demolition, on the rebuilding of the present Prison. It was 

 destroyed in the fire of 1666 and rebuilt in its late form." This re- 

 mark of Pennant would lead us to suppose that the statue with the 

 Cat was placed there by "Whittington's own executors, than whom 

 nobody could have known better his connection with a Cat. "We have 

 again one more (a fourth) instance to bring before you of a connection of 

 a Cat with "^Tiittington and the Company to which he belonged, and to 

 which he was a great benefactor. By the kindness of Mr. Barnes, the 

 Clerk of the Mercers' Company, I was permitted to see a beautiful 

 piece of gilt plate in the possession of that Honorable Company, consisting 

 of a sort of triumphal wagon, or car, beautifully chased and enamelled, 

 standing on four wheels, and bearing a barrel or tun on the top. It is 

 made to move by clock work, and will run round a table ; being one of 

 the earliest specimens of an automaton in this country. In the Arch- 

 ives of the Company it is said to have been given to them by William 

 Burde, who was their "Warden in the year 1572. It weighs 201 oz. 

 and is worth 100 marks." It is singular that on this wagon arc four 

 medallions in enamel, two on each side ; on one of them is the repre- 



n As the value of the mark vras 13s. 4d., this piece of plate must have Leen 



worth £66. 13s. 4d. of the currency of that period. I imagine that a goldsmith 



would ask £300, at least, for a similar article in our day. Dr. Henry, vol. 10, p. 



272, makes the mark to be equal to £6. 13s. 4d. of our money, if .so, this car 



■would be worth £6GG. 13s. 4d. 



G 



