The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-20
DIOK WbITr N8TON SELL HIS
UAT2

INf NlNl'HhIk NANlUtI sutTt ever was such n
VI whether, % tAI, %" ans Tcrei IN the allie
ne evNr did the things which the story
<mputes 70 him whether he really came
London as a poor bUy, aud 10 througs .hn
Nous career which ended in she attainment
c houurs. Many O.hCl popular stories unl
are beng melted down in the same kind
ribIC Of CruCrm.
~ young readers would deem il absoIutpIv
70 doubt the existence OF their tay11te
What is the story Dick Whittlugton
very poor orphan boy, who, plunged in
y, ana hearing that the streets of London
paved with gyli,' trudEei up TO the
" motrOlo is, having an occasional lif. on
Edy hy the kindly aid Of a WAGNER Ar
! m London, hc soon knew what it was ID
\ Keen appeltu without dinner, and weary
without bed; bat after time lac Obtained
lsilu into the house of Mr.. Fitzwarrrn, a
q erCor In the city. lie was employed ia
lNrrY humble capacity, and was kiuIly
" by his master auu by Miss Alice Fit.
r. his masters daughter; but Che cook
] osc and CrOss-temp red woman, ill-u.ed
lie slept IN % WIctcheI garret, where
is and mice were so numerous and so
scsume that no could obtain but little
and therefore lie bought q cat for
TO scare away the intrudcrs. Soon after
sAr. Fitz"arren engaged in an extensive
+ 2 or speculation; sending out merchandise
fign parts, in order TO sell at a great profit.
3B kind man, he gave 10 all the persons in
IJylcc an opportunity OF engaging in the
te, promising them the full profits that
.Aiisc thorciIom, They did so. Poor Dick,
1, nothing but his cat, sent that. When the
S..s gone Miss Alice gave him penny to
Bother cat, and was otherwise good to him;
AVerthelcss the cook was so cruel that one
ran away, and got as far as Highgate.
4 down on stone by the wayside, msera-
4 heart broken, he pondered on his fOrlOrn
&iOn, and wondered what would become Of
i Presently, he heard Bow Church bells ring
ld they seemed TO say -
Turn again whittinrton,
Thrice Lord Mayor VI London.
A turn again, and went back to Mr.. Fiz-
Ts, encouraged by the singular notion that
Entered his mind. Meanwhile, strange
had occurred The ship in which Mr..
! IdrIn's merchandise had been embarked
teCkcd on the coast of Barbary. The cap
aDaged to gain the favor of the king, and
yited to dinner az the palace. During din
Pats and mice ran over the table in such
Yrs as TO annoy the captain, who ventured
press his astOnishment. The king said
However much he lamented it, he knew of
7 ms for keeping the animals away. Where
8the captain said that the wrecked ship con-
pa cat which would soon settle the business.
&ng asked him to bring the cat on the fol-
KJday. No sooner did pussy see the rats and
6han she killed several, and scared away the
kIhe king and queen were intensely de-
and offered casket Of jewels for the cat
4 The captain, Of course, accepted. When he
sed to England, he gave an honest account
- affair, and Mr. FitIwarren handed over TO
She full value Of the casket. Dick now be-
4yealthy. He rose in life as trader, married
&Alice Fltzwarren, was thrice Lord Mayor
HndOn, was knighted, and was member of
yhent for the City. We cannot pretend to
"a story so well as the story-bOok tells it,
will serve our present purpose.
IA, some persons say that Dick never existed
! while some, knowing that Stow and other
|ltcTs mention one Sir Richard Whiting on
Eing been thrice Lord Mayor of London,
Y in his identity, but deny all the marvellous
2Of the story. Others, accepting Dick as
been real parsonage, say that he came
HShropShire. Many assert that he came
q HStatiOrdshire, some say from Lancashire,
Hfrom other counties, but agree with each
gin ignoring the cat, the cook, the Bow
he King Of Barbary, the rats ana mice,
! tle Casket Of jewels. Lempriere, in his
tiary, asserted that the story of Dick
NDgton is calculated for the amusement of
en, but has no foundation in truth. Pen
writing in $780, said 81 leave the history
Cat TO the friend Of my younger days, Mr..
and his dramatic troupe" Mr.. Keight-
,his "Tales and Popular Fictions," says -
~ whole Of this legendary history there Is,
$nay see, not q single word Of truth, other
&3is-thRt the maiden name of Lady Whit
was Fltlwarren."
~ doubts have, however, been oYerhauled
tSolute manner by an antiquarian writer,
\ sayes no stone unturned 10 arrive as near
Fan at the truth. The Rev. Samuel Lysons,
n of ROdmartOn, in Worcestershire, gave q
q in his neighbOrhood on the subject OF
yngton; and this lecture has since been eX-
Il into volume full of curious information
Y yeculatiOn. Certain II is that Mr.. Lysons
k'that there tcdS Dick Whittington, and
Uhe was native of Gloucestershire
u period Of no less than six hun
Years, there have been families in the
of that name, varied in its spelling
Yhytynton, Whityngdon, Whittyngdon
hgdon, Whyttyngt0n, Wityndon, Whytin-
titinton, Wilmington, Wilmington, Wityng-
RjttingtOn, and at length Wilmington.
lOick himself had his name spelt in many
Tnt ways-a fault very prevalent before the
Hon of printing. Mr.. LysOns, by tracing
gdigree in old MSS. contained in the
p Museum, finds that Dick was the fifth
kSr William dc Wilmington, Gloucester
Rnight living in the time Of Edward the
IN There is a William de Wilmington
BILE as far back as 1910. Dick himself
Is 10 have been born in 1850.
eLysOns assigns reasons for believing that
being a fifth son, poor and unbefriended
I family, came to London 10 seek his for
n and those who consider what was the
tQE the roads and the vehicles in those
will be prepared to credit the narrative o
snN troubles by the way. Arrived in thC
polls, Dick commenced his career as a
sweeper in the house or shop OF a City
As 60 the traders daughter being gentle
frind, and the old cook ill-tempered and
HtheTe is nothing unbelievable in that. The
u commercial venture of Mr.. FitzWarrer
Jasdte in harmony with the custom Of the
~ There were no cOnsuls, no partners o
firms settled in foreign lands, no system
anges TO square up International balances
'HAnts were accustomed to send out ship
Iof assorted goods under the charge of
S.argo, whose business il was to sell thu
ndise in any foreign land where he coull
EnaTket, and whose mode of remuneration
NICh as to induce honesty and vigilance
~. Fiizwarren should send out such
Rad is quite consistent with the usage3 o
a how about tho cat Who could hlyl
n Of such thing as Dick sending ont ht
cat as venture and how could the KIM
n uhIsb SNSu II Luc htolJ NCIG buOIn OF eve
ttch OF its mGryels, have been induced 20 Civ
Alble purchase price for such an animal
aYightley discredits the Wilmington story il
-HatLer, On the ground that somewhat simia
\ kIc 10 be found In Denmark, Tuscany
Persia, and South America Sir Cor
B discovered q similar story of cat in
" poem, written rs far back as the yea
pI hundred and ninety Mr.. Tyson
Vds, however, that these tales render III,
il SUBJECT all the more worthy of attention
,,stne icat was, in ancient times, a much NOR
apimal thai at present, is certain. Tn
pit laws and Institutions of Howell Dhu
Il II99j0LA. ID. published by the Record Com
ldln tn lSil), mention the cat rs an anima
psh high repute. Ia one place the price Of
= Atstfmated in the following curious way =
tippal is to be held up by the tail, with th
Iear the floor, and as much OF the bes
"a as would be necessary 10 completely cove
.,bt in this position was the price Of tn
III, BY what means poor puss was 10 bl
y IL 20 remain In this uncomfortable position
4 the experiment was being performed, W