her coronation was solemnized in St. Peter's Church in Westminster;
which being ended, she was afterwards royally conveyed into the great
hall and there under a rich canopy of State sat to dinner, upon whose
right hand sate at the end of the table the Lord Archbishop's grace of
Canterbury and Henry called the rich Cardinal Bishop of Winchester, upon
the left hand of the Queen sat the King of Scots in a chair of State,
and was served with covered dishes, as the Bishops were. But after them
and upon the same side next to the Boards end were seated the Dutchess
of York and Countess of Huntington, the Earl of March holding a scepter
in his hand, kneeling upon the right side, the Earl Marshal in the like
manner kneeled upon the left hand of the Queen: the Countess of Kent sat
under the table at the right foot, and the Countess Marshal at the left
foot of her Majesty.
Humphery Duke of Glocester was that day overseer and stood before the
Queen bareheaded, Sir Richard Newel was carver and the Earl of Suffolk's
brother cup-bearer, Sir John Stewart, Sewer, the Lord Clifford (instead
of the Earl of Warwick) Pantler, the Lord Willoby (instead of the Earl
of Arundel) chief Butler, the Lord Gray Caterer, Naperer, the Lord
Audley (in the stead of the Earl of Cambridge) Almner, the Earl of
Worcester was Lord high Marshal, who rode about the Hall on a great
courser, with many tip-staves about him to make room in the Hall. In the
which Hall next after the Queen, the Barons of the Cinque Ports began
the table, upon the right hand towards St. Steven's Capel (_sic_), and
beneath them at the table sat the Vouchers of the Chancery, and upon the
left hand next to the cupboard sat Sir Richard Whittington (now the
third time Lord Mayor) and his brethren the Aldermen of London. The rest
of the Bishops began the table over against the Baron of the Cinque
Ports, and the ladies and chief noble-women the table against the Lord
Mayor and the Aldermen, at which two tables of the Bishops the Bishop of
London and the Bishop of Durham sat highest at the one and the Countess
of Stafford and the Countess of March on the other. And for ordering of
the service divers chief lords were appointed officers as Steward,
Controuler, Surveyor, and the like, which places were supplyed by the
Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, the Lord Fizmur, the Lord
Farneval, the Lord Gray of Wilton, the Lord Feres of Groby, the Lord
Poynings, the Lord Harrington, the Lord Ducy, the Lord Daker, the Lord
Delaware, &c.
I have shewed you onely the ordering of this rich feast, but the cost
and sumptuousness of the fare would ask too long and large a
circumstance to discourse; what I have hitherto done was onely to show
to the world that at those high solemnities inaugurations and
coronations the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the Aldermen have
place, and their presence is still required; the City being the King's
Chamber and in an interregnum he the first and prime officer in the
kingdom. But I fear I have dwelt too long on the premises which I hope
none will hold for an unnecessary deviation. I come now to discourse
unto you of Sir Richard Whittington's invitation of the King and Queen
into the City when he bountifully feasted them in his own house at his
own proper charge.
How great and magnificent the Londoners feasts be even amongst
themselves especially at that high and pompous festival at Guild-Hall
the day after Simon and Jude, at the solemn inauguration of his Lordship
who but knows, as also the ordinary Tables of the Lord Mayor and the
Sheriffs where there is free and generous entertainment for all men of
fashion and quality, the like both for plenty of dishes and order of
service is not elsewhere to be or found through Europe. If then their
daily provision be so curious and costly, what may we think their
variety and rarity was at the invitation and entertainment of two such
great majesties? I must therefore leave it to the Readers imagination
being so far transcending my expression. Let it therefore give
satisfaction to any one that shall doubt thereof, that it was performed
to the everlasting reputation of the honour of the city and great
content of these royal personages invited. The bounty of the table not
to be question'd. I come now to the fire that he made in the Presence
chamber where the King and Queen then dined, which was only of sweet and
odoriferious (_sic_) wood, far exceeding the smell of juniper, for it
was mixed with mace, cinnamon, and other rare and costly spices, which
did cast such a pleasant and delightful savor through the room that it
pleased his majesty to call him unto him and say, my good Lord Mayor,
though your fare be choice, costly and abundant, yet above all things I
have observed in your noble entertainment this fire which you have
provided for me gives me more content. To whom Sir Richard Whittington
making a low obeysance made answer, It much rejoyceth me dread Soveraign
that any that remaineth in my power can give your highness the least
cause to be pleased, but since you praise this fire already made I
purpose ere your sacred majesty depart the house to entertain you with
one (I hope) that shall content you much better. The King not thinking
it could be possible desired him to make a proof thereof, when he
(having before provided himself for that purpose) brought a great bundle
of Bonds, Indentures and Covenants under his arm, said thus to the King,
Royal Soveraign to whom I owe both my fortunes and my life, I have here
a faggot of purpose left for this fire, which I hope will smell much
more sweetly than the first in your nostrils, for saith he, here is
first your Highness security for ten thousand marks, lent you for the
maintainance of your royal wars in France, by the Right Worshipful
Company of the Mercers, which I here cancel and cast into the fire,
fifteen hundred lent by the City to our Majesty I send after the former,
two thousand marks borrowed of the Grocers Company, three thousand of
the Merchant Taylors, one thousand of the Drapers, one thousand of the
Skinners, one thousand of the Ironmongers, one thousand of the Merchant
Staplers, of the Goldsmiths three thousand, of the Haberdashers as much,
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. And that great God who hath created us, and plentifully
distributed in his great bounty all things to men, and yet not given all
things to any one man, lest it might take away that necessary commerce
and mutual society which ought to be amongst us, stir up the minds of
more of them to imitate at least, though not to exceed them in their
bounty and liberality.
FINIS.
End of Project Gutenberg's The History of Sir Richard Whittington, by T. H.