was Rudolf; but a clear-sighted Kaiser with two penetrating eyes in his head, which he kept wide open, and saw many things withal. Like the golden-bearded king in Dryden's Tales from Chaucer

So vigorous are his eyes, such rays they cast,

So prominent his eagle's beak is placed.*

Eagle-eyed he was, and eagle-nosed: many a popular jest was in vogue about that aquiline nose of his. But he-unlike his son-could give and take a joke, without constraint or offence. Anecdotes are told of his genial ways with companion of low degree-and there is one favourite story, in particular, of his entering unknown a baker's shop, in Maintzin his homely way, and homely garb-to get warmed at the fire, one bitter winter's day-and how the unconscious mistress was crusty with the intruding soldier, and was led on by him to abuse the Emperor, and how he sent his gossip a boar's head and a flask of good wine from his own dinner-table that afternoon-and how, on her taking fright at the discovery, and craving his imperial forgiveness, he granted it merrily, on one mirthful condition-that she should repeat before his guests the volley of bad names she had lavished on him that morning-which she did, with a complying and conscientious accuracy that provoked Homeric laughter from the company, Kaiser and all—Kaiser, indeed, most of all.

WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT.†

WHEN we first "redd" the announcement by Mr. Lysons that he was about to make an attempt to rescue the story of "Whittington and his Cat" "from the region of fable, and to place it in its proper position in the legitimate history of his country," we feared that all the recollections connected with the pleasant reading of our childhood were about to be destroyed, and all our treasured memories to be sacrificed to some new form of the withering influence of modern historical scepticism. The Cat, we supposed, would be the first victim. Nothing of the kind. Mr. Lysons gives us good authority for almost everything that is mentioned in the story-book; and the Cat still holds as prominent a place in Sir Richard's history as she does in the drawing which Punch has given us in his series of British Costumes.‡

*Palamon and Arcite, book iii.

†The Model Merchant of the Middle Ages exemplified in the Story of Whittington and his Cat: being an attempt to rescue that interesting story from the region of fable, and to place it in its proper position in the legitimate history of this country. By the Rev. Samuel Lysons, M.A., &c. &c. Hamilton, Adams, and Co.

1860.

See if everybody has not already seen it-vol. xxxix. No. 1005, Oct. 13, 1860. The attitude and expression of the celebrated youth, as he peels a turnip while resting against the milestone, form a striking specimen of medieval art.

Between the history and the story-book-for we keep upon our table a copy of the latter "with choice cuts" (price one penny)—the principal and first difference has reference to Whittington's parentage. In the Story-book his parents are described as poor; and,—" dying when he was very young,"—their son "Dick"- -we are told-" used to run about the village, a poor ragged little fellow." Mr. Lysons, on the contrary, informs us that he was well descended; a scion of the Whittingtons of Gloucestershire; who in the reign of Edward I. became possessed of an estate at Pauntley, about nine miles from the county town. The head of the family, Sir William Whittington, left three sons, "if not more," one of whom was High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1402, and again in 1407, and the youngest was thrice Lord Mayor of London. That he was obliged, as a younger son-though not a "famished" one-to leave his native place and "seek his fortune," there is no doubt. "In those days," says Mr. Lysons, "there were few or no professions for the junior branches of noble and gentle families. There were but few government offices, few lawyers' clerks, no situations under the post-office, which was not then established; few custom-house officers, no standing army or navy. The soldier's life was one of great fatigue and hardship; they generally followed some noble master or knight, who engaged to serve his sovereign for certain wars, and they dispersed again as soon as their services could be dispensed with. The pay, though comparatively large [taking into account the relative value of money], being as much as twopence or threepence a day, failed to make the service very attractive, and whatever distinction their chivalrous masters might obtain, there were then none of those decorations which adorn the breasts of our gallant soldiers and act as an encouragement to select the path of glory. The profession of physician was almost unknown; surgery, combined with the trade of a gossiping barber, was limited almost to shaving and bleeding. Bankers there were none. The clergy absorbed every situation in which much of reading and writing was concerned. Unless the youthful scion of a gentle house should happen to possess certain graces of form and feature which should recommend him as a page to the lady of some noble or royal house; or unless he became henchman or companion to the sons-in which case he had, amongst other privileges, to bear the whippings designed for his lords in case of misbehaviour"Trade was then, and even at a later period, the only resource for some of the junior members of families high in station. We ourselves remember the younger son of a Welsh Baronet, one of the oldest of those titles, who was serving as apprentice to a grocer at the commencement of the present century.

Now as Whittington (to judge by Elstrack's portrait of him in mature age) did not possess the face or figure likely to make an elegant or interesting page," he very wisely turned his thoughts to trade, and determined" to seek his fortunes in London." And he set out on foot. The Story-book tells us that he had previously spoken to a goodnatured waggoner, who agreed to give him occasional lifts, and to let him "sleep all night in the waggon.'

But Mr. Lysons shows very clearly that in those days such a mode of conveyance could not have existed; "for there were literally no roads,

nor anything but green tracks across the country, through which packhorses, carrying merchandise, floundered up to their knees in mud, from the frequent use of the tracks without adequate repair." "The first general statute for mending highways was not passed till 1555." For "waggoner" we must therefore read "carrier;" and the lifts given to the adventurous boy were probably by perching him "among the bales of cloth, of wool, or of spices" upon one of the string of pack-horses by which the internal goods traffic of this great commercial country was then conducted.

Of what befel him on his first arrival in London, Mr. Lysons does not profess to know anything. We think it very likely, as the Story-book relates, that he was "hungry, weary, faint, and deeply dejected" when he approached the door of Mr. Fitzwarren in the Minories; and there is a touch of romance in the kindness, if not affection, of that worthy mercer's daughter towards the friendless wanderer, which strikingly reminds us of the story of "John Halifax, Gentleman." His rough treatment by the cook, our learned antiquary regards as doubtful; and we fancy that it must be placed in the same category as King Alfred and the neatherd's wife. He admits the incident of his having, from some cause or other, left London, and of his having been induced to return in consequence of some fanciful interpretation of the sound of Bow-bell. Not of the "chimes," for chimes in those days there were none, at Bow. Of bells there was only one; and Mr. Lysons, who is what a modern Mrs. Malaprop calls "intensely Countyotic," is not content with claiming Whittington himself for Gloucestershire, but also claims for the "fair citie" the honour of having cast Bow-bell. Adopting a suggestion of his "friend Mr. Albert Way," he thinks it not improbable that "the Bowbell should have been cast at Gloucester; one of the earliest bell foundries in England having been established there. John of Gloucester was a celebrated founder at that place in the reign of Edward III. The monks of Ely employed him to make four "monster bells;" argal Bow-bell was made at Gloucester:—which is clearly an undeniable conclusion.

The great incident of the Cat is made so probable by Mr. Lysons's investigations, that it cannot any longer be reasonably doubted. He sums up, in a single sentence, the evidence which he adduces: "1st. From the ancient and generally received tradition. 2nd. From the scarcity and value of domestic cats at that period. 3rd. From its not being a solitary instance of a fortune made by such means. 4th. From the ancient portraits and statues of Whittington with a Cat, some of which may be reasonably traced up to the times and orders of his own executors." And all this is supported by learned and reliable authorities, to which the curious in such matters may refer with advantage at their leisure. We will merely notice a few of them. 1. There is frequent allusion made to the tradition, as well in ballads as by our early dramatists; amongst others, by Heywood, in his play "If you know not Me, you know Nobody;" and by Beaumont and Fletcher in the "Knight of the Burning Pestle." But it is somewhat curious that in the all-embracing words of Shakspeare there should be no mention of it whatever.* 2. To the former value of the domestic cat we

Mr. Lysons is probably aware that Der arme Wittington is one of the Volks Märchen of the Germans. Our own copy forms part of a Fest-Kalender with

have unquestionable testimony. "Pannonian cats were highly valued by the Romans. Martial says that Pudens sent a present of one to his ladylove." And we are told that "in the tenth and eleventh centuries a good mouser brought a high price." What this may have been we may imagine from the fact that, in 1535, one of the companions of Pizarro paid "six hundred pieces of eight" for the first cat taken from Spain to Chili. Cats are supposed to have been originally brought into Europe from Egypt, by way of Cyprus, at a time when their being sent would no longer have been considered a sacrilege, as the Catworshippers were then extinct. With the fondness for this animal which was shown by Gregory the Great and Mahomet we can fully sympathise, when we look down upon the black beauty that for nearly fifteen years has been our own favourite and familiar. 3. Mr. Keightley, the most inconvertible of sceptics on the subject of Whittington, considers that the mention of a fortune having been made as his was, in other instances, is proof that the incident is to be considered as little more than one of the stock-pieces of legendary writers. We are disposed to join with Mr. Lysons, and to draw a totally opposite conclusion. That, in addition to the case of the Portuguese Alphonso-who, being wrecked on the "Coast of Guinney," was "presented by the king thereof with his weight in gold for a Cat to kill their mice, and an ointment to kill their flies"there should be similar events recorded "in South America, in Tuscany, in Denmark, in Venice, and in Persia," is sufficient proof that they must have occurred somewhere; and, if anywhere, why not in the case of Whittington? 4. For the confirmation of these opinions, as established by early "effigies" on canvas or in stone, we must refer to the curious inquiries of our author (pp. 42-47).

We now leave "the region of fable," and enter upon what may be considered "legitimate history."

The marriage of Whittington to Miss Fitzwarren, the daughter of the rich mercer of the Minories, which is a tender incident in the storybook, is admitted even by Mr. Keightley: who is no doubt correctly quoted by Mr. Lysons; we have not his work on "Tales and Popular Fictions" upon our shelves, but he appears to say, that "in the whole of this legendary history, there is, as we may see, not a single word of truth further than this, that the maiden name of Lady Whittington was Fitz

warren."

On the contrary, all that still remains to be told, or nearly so,-the charities and munificent foundations, the wealth and rank and power of "London's thrice Lord Mayor," are matters of ordinary and authentic history, to be found repeated in every biographical dictionary; and which Mr. Lysons has only more amply and satisfactorily illustrated and confirmed.

Whittington was undoubtedly a man to be honoured. In right feeling

engravings, published at Munich; and it is curious to find Mr. Lysons's suggestion, as to the stone pointed out by tradition as Whittington's resting-place (p. 24), anticipated by the German artist, who has represented him at the foot of a stone cross, in the act of prayer. The ballad-maker-for the story is versified -mentions a precious gem (reichsten stein) as the price given by the Moorish king for the Cat; which leaves the imagination full play as to the actual value realised in return for his "venture."

towards the people, he would have ranked with the Strutts and the Browns of our own time. And considering the country and the age in which he lived, he takes precedence-longo intervallo of the great merchants of Augsburg and of Florence. Even his scholastic attainments, there is every reason to believe, were beyond those of an age when, instead of printed books, there were only "manuscripts, which not merely the people, but many even of the monks and priests, were unable to read;" and when kings and nobles could do little more than sign their names.

As an intelligent and practical philanthropist, he has rarely been equalled. The establishment of drinking fountains; the improvement of prisons and prison discipline; the protection of the poor from fraudulent tradesmen, were amongst the least costly of his efforts. Of those to which both his labours and his wealth were devoted, we need only copy the brief enumeration, in the quaint language of the time, which is placed at the foot of his portrait by Elstrack. "He builded the gate of London, called Newgate, which before was a miserable dungeon. He builded Whittington College, and made it an Almose House for poore people. Also he builded a greate parte of y° Hospitall of S. Bartholomewes, in Westsmithfield, London. He also builded the beautifull Library of y Gray Friers, in London, called Christe's Hospitall; and he builded the Guilde Halle Chappell, and increased a greate parte of the East ende of the saied Halle, beside many other good workes."

Amongst the latter we may include the gift to the library of Christ's Hospital of such books as the MS. literature of the age would enable him to purchase, to the extent of four hundred pounds (equivalent, as compared with these days, to four thousand); and the rebuilding of the Church of St. Michael, Paternoster in the Royal (or Tower Royal), "in which he founded a college, consisting of four Fellows (Masters of Arts), Clerks, Conducts, and Choristers, who were governed by a master, on whom he bestowed "the rights and profits of the Church," in addition to special endowments.

His rise in worldly prosperity is authentically traced. As a member of the Mercers' Company, in 1392, he was elected alderman and sheriff. At that time he had five youths as his apprentices. His first appointment to the mayoralty was by writ from Richard II., to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his predecessor. The following year he was elected to the same office by his fellow-citizens; and again in 1406; and was Member of Parliament, and again mayor, in 1419. In 1413 he was named in the Royal Commission for rebuilding the nave of Westminster Abbey, "which had been burnt down in a former reign, and had remained in ruins for many years."

To the varying necessities of his sovereigns-at a time when the sums voted by parliament were sometimes so inadequate to the occasion that monarchs had to pawn their crowns to make good the deficiencies of supply-he was a munificent lender. Mr. Lysons gives extracts from the "Issue Rolls" of the Exchequer for moneys advanced by him on different occasions; and, in proof of his liberality, to one at least of these royal debtors, it is told of him that, during his last mayoralty, after the conquest of France, he entertained Henry V. and his queen at Guildhall, when he received the honour of knighthood; and, as a fitting incident of the event, while the king was admiring a fire made of spices and precious March-VOL. CXXI. NO. CCCCLXXXIII.