114 



Wiittington and His Cat. 



this alliance, which was to give the crown of France to Henry and his 

 heirs, on the death of the present French king. The war had been 

 expensive, but the loyal Englishman forgot all that, when he considered 

 the glory of the crown, and the honor due to the king, who had 

 knighted him. Guildhall exhibited all its magnificence ; precious 

 stones reflected the light from the chandeliers ; choruses of beautifnl 

 females sung the praises of the victorious sovereign ; wine flowed down 

 the conduits instead of w^ater ; the tables were loaded with the choicest 

 fish, most delicate meats and rare confections. The king was amazed 

 and.delighted. Surely," said he," never had prince such a subject ; even 

 the fires are filled with perfumes." ^' I will make these fires still more 

 grateful," said Sir Eichard, ^^if your h-ighness inhibit'me not." The 

 king nodded his assent, and Whittington, advancing to the fire, drew 

 forth a packet of bonds and placing them in the flames, he said : 

 " Thus do I acquit your highness of a debt of £60,000 ! " 

 Says Eichard G-rafton, one of the old antiquaries of London : 

 This year (1406), a worthy citizen of London, named Eichard Whit- 

 tington, mercer and alderman, was elected mayor of the said city, and 

 bore that office three times. This worshipful man so bestowed his goods 

 and substance to the honor of God, to the relief of the poor, and to the 

 benefit of the common weal, that he hath right well deserved to be 

 registered in the book of fame. First, he erected one house or church 

 in London to be a house of prayer, and named the same after 

 his own name, Whittington College, and so it remaineth to this day. 

 And in the said church besides certain priests and clerks, he placed a 

 number of poor aged men and women, ^and builded for them houses 

 and lodgings, and allowed unto them wood, coal, cloth and weekly 

 money, to their great relief and comfort. This man, also at his own 

 cost, builded the gate of London, called l^ewgate, in the year of our 

 Lord 1422, which before was a most ugly and loathsome prison. He 

 also builded more than half of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, in West 

 Smithtield, in London. Also he builded, of hard stone, the beautiful 

 library in the Grey Friars, in London, now called Christ's Hospital, 

 standing in the north part of the cloister thereof, where in the walls 

 his arms is graven in stone. He also builded for the ease of the mayor 

 of London and his brethren, and of the worshipful citizens, at the 

 solemn days of their assembly, a chapel adjoining to the Guildhall, to 

 the intent they should ever before they entered into any of their affairs, 

 first to go into the chapel to call upon God for his assistance. And in 

 the end, joining on the south side of the said chapel, he builded for the 

 city a library of stone, for the custody of their records and other books. 

 He also builded a great part of the east end of Guildhall, besides 

 many other good works that I know not. But among all other I will 

 show unto you one very notable, which I received credibly by a writing 

 of his own hand, which also he willed to be fixed as a schedule to his 

 last will and testament, the contents whereof was, that he willed and 



