made choice of
Whittington.

In the year 1419 he was elected Mayor for the third and last time, but,
counting his succession to Bamme, he was actually four times Mayor. In
1416 he was returned Member of Parliament for the City.

It was not a new thing for a citizen to be made Mayor more than once.
Three during the reign of Edward III. were Mayor four times; two, three
times; seven, twice.

In Whittington's later years began the burning of heretics and Lollards.
It is certain that Lollardism had some hold in the City, but one knows
not how great was the hold. A priest, William Sawtre, was the first who
suffered. Two men of the lower class followed. There is nothing to show
that Whittington ever swerved from orthodox opinions.

In 1416, the City was first lighted at night: all citizens were ordered
to hang lanterns over their doors. How far the order was obeyed,
especially in the poorer parts of the City, is not known.

In 1407 a plague carried off 30,000 persons in London alone. If this
number is correctly stated it must have taken half the population.

Many improvements were effected in the City during these years: it is
reasonable to suppose that Whittington had a hand in bringing these
about. Fresh water brought in pipes: lights hung out after dark: the
erection of a house--Bakewell Hall--for the storage and sale of
broadcloth: the erection of a store for the reception of grain, in case
of famine--this was the beginning of Leadenhall--the building of a new
Guildhall: and an attempt to reform the prisons--an attempt which
failed.

In his last year of office Whittington entertained the King, Henry V.
and his Queen.

There was as yet no Mansion House: every Mayor made use of his own
private house.

The magnificence of the entertainment amazed the King. Even the fires
were fed with cedar and perfumed wood. When the Queen spoke of this
costly gift the Mayor proposed to feed the fire with something more
precious still. He then produced the King's bonds to the value of
60,000_l._ which he threw into the fire and burned. This great sum would
be a very considerable gift even now. In that time it represented at
least six times its present value. The Mayor therefore gave the King the
sum of 360,000_l._

This is, very shortly, an account of Whittington's public life.

He lived, I believe, on the north side of St. Michael's Paternoster
Royal. I think so because his College was established there after his
death, and