54 THE MODEL MERCHANT 



we learn from the Cotton MSS. in the British Museum, that "one of 

 the last acts of his life, indicating his honesty and public spirit, was 

 his active prosecution of the London brewers for forestalling meat and 

 selling dear ale ; for which interference with their proceedings, the 

 brewers were voiy wroth."- From this we should suppose that the 

 brewers had monopolized the sale of meat as well as beer. Our hero, 

 as the poor man's champion, not only procures for the people fresh and 

 wholesome water, but he insists upon it that they shall have cheap and 

 wholesome meat and beer ; he uses his magisterial influence for this 

 purpose, and is willing, in the cause of the people, to risk the wrath 

 and abuse of the sturdy John Barleycorns, the brewers and innkeepers 

 of his day. But this is not all, or half all, that good Bichard Whit- 

 tington did. I have spoken of the friends of humanity, and, on the 

 whole, I think we have (with our improvements of prison discipline, 

 with our male and female reformatories, and schools J some claim to 



Ingenio si qua convenit apta viri. 



Est Bossus Bossa dignus mihi crede maritus, 



Est conjux Bosso Bossaque digna viro. 



Aufer de Bosso tantum discrimina vitsc, 



Jam melior Bossa non erit illc sua. 



Hoc facile et poteris coUatis discerc Bossis, 



Dicere me verum, res tibi testis erit. 

 Another epigram also followed, representing the bear as baited by dogs : — 



" Ileus ursus ne es quem video ? Sum. Bsclua cujus ? 



Belini. Nomen dicito. Bossus ego 



Cur agitat te turba canum ? Soleo quia doctos 



Lsedere. Quid docti commeruere ? Nihil. 



Ergo cur la:dis ? Domince compulsus amore. 



Qua mihi non est uUa dulcior. Invidite 



Invidia ipsa suo se gladio negat. Ergo 



Tu simili fato ne moriarc, cave." 

 It should be remarked that Whittington'sboss, mentioned in Stow's Survey, was 

 situate at St. Giles, Cripplegate, and not at Billingsgate ; but perhaps Belini partus 

 is only a general name for London. If there was another at Billingsgate, it only 

 shows the extensive nature of "Whittington's good deeds. 



The polemics above alluded to arc fully noted in Wood's Athena; Oxoniensi.i, 

 fol. p. 21 ; and the Ant ibossicon is mentioned in the List of some of the Early Printed 

 Books in the Archiepiacopal Library at Lambeth, by the Kev. Dr. Maitland. 

 Privately printed, 8vo., London, 1843. 



s Cotton MSS., S. Galb., B. 5. 



