Whittington, 1536."
In _Eastward Hoe_, 1605, Touchstone assures Goulding that he hopes to
see him reckoned one of the worthies of the city of London "When the
famous fable of Whittington and his puss shall be forgotten."
The next allusion is in Thomas Heywood's _If you know not me, you know
nobody_, 2nd part, 1606.
_Dean Nowell._ "This Sir Richard Whittington, three times Mayor,
Sonne to a knight and prentice to a mercer,
Began the Library of Grey-Friars in London,
And his executors after him did build
Whittington Colledge, thirteene Alms-houses for poore men,
Repair'd S. Bartholomewes, in Smithfield,
Glased the Guildhall, and built Newgate.
_Hobson._ Bones of men, then I have heard lies;
For I have heard he was a scullion,
And rais'd himself by venture of a cat.
_Nowell._ They did the more wrong to the gentleman."
Here it will be seen that, although the popular tale is mentioned, it is
treated as a mere invention unworthy of credence.
The next in point of time is the ballad by Richard Johnson, published in
the _Crowne Garland of Goulden Roses_ (1612), which probably had a much
earlier existence in a separate form. It is the earliest form of the
story of Whittington now in existence.
_A song of Sir Richard Whittington, who by strange fortunes came to bee
thrice Lord Maior of London; with his bountifull guifts and liberallity
given to this honourable Citty.
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