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 your 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.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] _Catalogue of Chap Books, Garlands, &c._ 1849, p. 69.
[B] Riley’s _Memorials of London and London Life_, p. 534 (note).
[C] Riley’s _Memorials_, pp. 533-4.
[D] The Royal Mandate, dated June 8, is printed in Riley’s _Memorials_,
p. 545.
[E] _Survey of London_, ed. Thoms, 1842, p. 41.
[F] _Survey of London_, ed. Thoms, 1842, p. 162.
[G] _Ibid._ p. 103.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.
Emboldened text is surrounded by equals signs: =bold=.
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.