of the Vintners, Brewers and Brown Bakers three thousand marks. All
these you see are cancel'd and burnt, saith he, with divers other bonds
for money lent by my father in law Aldermen Fitzwarren for the payment
of your souldiers in France, which coming unto me by executorship I have
taken in and discharged.
Others there likewise due to me of no small sums by divers of your
nobility here present, all which with the former I have sacrificed to
the love and honour of my dread sovereign, amounting to the sum of three
score thousand pounds sterling, and can your Majesty (saith he) desire
to sit by a fire of more sweet scent and savour? At this the King was
much extasi'd and the rather because it came unexpectedly and from so
free a spirit, and embracing him in his arms said unto him that he
thought never King had such a subject, and at his departure did him all
the grace and honour that could descend from a King to a subject,
promising him moreover that he should ever stand in the first rank of
those whom he favoured. And so the Lord Mayor bearing the sword before
their two most sacred Majesties as far as Temple Bar the King for his
former service and his most kind and loving entertainment at that time,
and the noble men for that extraordinary courtesie offered them all
unitely (_sic_) and unanimously commended his goodness, applauded his
bounty and wished that he might live to perpetual memory and so bid both
him and the City for that time adieu.
To omit all other circumstances having acquainted you with the poor and
mean estate of this Sir Richard Whittington when he came first into the
City of London, and by what means he was relieved in his miserable
poverty, as also the fortunate success of his small adventure whereby he
was raised unto so great honour, that he became the Cities Governour,
and how discreetly and wisely he behaved in his authority and office,
gaining thereby the love and probation (_sic_) of all men. And further
having shewed you what goodly buildings have been raised by his great
cost and charge, as one church, two colledges, and certain almshouses,
with yearly means left for the maintenance of all such as shall be
admitted into them, and many other charitable acts performed by him
which are before related, to the great good and benefit of the City, and
what things of note happened in his time, I will now conclude with
Master Stow, O that London had a Park near adjoining to it, stored with
such Deer (as doubtless it hath, though not easily known) for some build
Alms houses, free schools, causies and Bridges in needful and necessary
places, others repair ruinated and decayed churches, relieving Hospitals
in a bountiful manner, and are weekly benefactors to Prisons and those
performed by such agents faithfully, that the true bestowers are not
publicly noted, howsoever they may be easily supposed. But the glory
they seek to invade here will (no doubt) for ever shine on them
elsewhere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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