and the Lion and the Goat may have furnished some circumstances to the Lion and the Ass; but Italian genius might have fallen on the same traits with that of India. Like so many legends of other countries, we may observe, that the object of the Italian fable is to account for the different habits of different animals.

I have not yet done with the stratagem (a very simple one, by the way, it is,) of putting an impassible substitute into one's bed. In Perrault's tale of the Discreet Princess (L'Adroite Princesse), Finetta makes a figure of straw, into which she puts a bladder of blood, and places it in her bed; and the prince, taking it to be her, plunges his sword into it. In the similar but far better story of Sapia Liccarda in the Pentamerone, the heroine forms an image of 'sugar and spice and all that's nice,' and in like manner lays it in her bed. The prince comes into the chamber determined to pay her, now that she is in his power, for all her tricks (she had one time, for instance, put a big stone into his bed):-he draws his dagger, and with it pierces, as he thought, the bosom of Sapia Liccarda. Not content with this abundant vengeance, he would even taste her blood. He put his tongue to the blade of the dagger, and getting the taste of the sugar and spice, he repented, and began bitterly to lament his having slain so sweet a girl. In his despair he was about to bury the dagger in

his own heart, when Sapia (who, like Finetta, was concealed in the chamber,) ran to him and stopped his hand, telling him that she had only done it to try him.

So much, then, for tricks upon giants, gods, ghools, lions, and naughty princes! Now for one of the ways to grow rich.

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CHAPTER VII.

WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT-DANISH LEGENDS-ITALIAN

STORIES-PERSIAN LEGEND.

RICHARD WHITTINGTON was born in the year 1360. He followed the business of a mercer in the City of London, and acquired great opulence. Having served the office of Sheriff with credit in the year 1394, he was chosen Lord Mayor, and filled that office not less than three times', namely, in the years 1398, 1407, and 1420. He was knighted, it is said, by King Henry V., to whom he lent large sums of money for his wars in France; and he died full of honours, if not of years, in the year 1425.

"This year," (1406,) says Grafton, "a worthy citizen of London named Richard Whittington, 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 honour 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

1 Stow says four times. I find by the table of mayors and sheriffs in Grafton, that Whittington was both sheriff and mayor in 1420; and this may have caused Stow's mistake.

M

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, beside 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 Newgate', 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 Smithfield 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 wall 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, and by prayer 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

The figure of Whittington, with his cat in his arms, carved in stone, was over the archway of the old prison that went across Newgate Street. It was taken down in the year 1780,

But

records and other books. He also builded a great part of the east end of Guildhall, beside many other good works that I know not. 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 scedule to his last will and testament; the contents whereof was, that he willed and commanded his executors, as they would answer before God at the day of the resurrection of all flesh, that if they found any debtor of his that ought to him any money, that if he were not in their consciences well worth three times as much, and also out of the debt of other men, and well able to pay, that then they should never demand it, for he clearly forgave it, and that they should put no man in suit for any debt due to him. Look upon this, ye aldermen, for it is a glorious glass!!"

Stow 2 informs us, that Richard Whittington rebuilt the parish church of St. Michael in the Royal, and made a college of St. Spirit and St. Mary, with an almshouse called God's House or Hospital for thirteen poor men, who were to pray for the good estate of Richard Whittington, and of Alice his wife, their founders; and for Sir William Whittington, Knt., and Dame Joan his wife; and for Hugh Fitzwarren and Dame Malde his wife, the

1 Alas, good Master Grafton! I fear it is a glass in which but few aldermen have ever dressed themselves.

2 History of London.