nury of
poverty insulteth, and to whom the power of seeking the necessaries of
life by act or bodily labour is interdicted.'

With these grave words, which should be a lesson to all men, rich or
poor, Whittington begins the foundation of his College. If a man were in
these days to found a College he would make it either a school for boys
or a technical school--in any case a place which should be always
_working_ for the world. In those days, when it was universally believed
that the saying of masses was able to lift souls out of punishment, a
man founded a College which should _pray_ for the world. Whittington's
College was to consist of a Master and four Fellows--who were to be
Masters of Arts--with clerks, choristers, and servants. They were every
day to say mass for the souls of Richard and Alice Whittington in the
church of St. Michael's Paternoster Royal--which church Whittington
himself had rebuilt. Behind the church he founded and built an almshouse
for thirteen poor men, who were to have 16_d._ each per week, about
7_s._ of our money, with clothing and rooms on the condition of praying
daily for their founder and his wife. Part of the ground for the
building was granted by the Mayor and Corporation.

The College continued until the Dissolution of the Religious
Houses--that is, for one hundred and fifty years: the almshouse
continues to this day: but it has been removed to Highgate: on its site
the Mercers' Company has established a school.

Whittington, further, built a library for the Franciscan House; part of
the building still remains at Christ's Hospital. It was 129 feet long
and 31 feet broad. He also gave the friars 400_l._ to buy books. He
restored and repaired the Hospital of St. Bartholomew's, to which he
gave a library. He paved and glazed the new building of Guildhall: he
gave large sums for the bridge--and the chapel on the bridge--at
Rochester--as a merchant he was greatly interested in keeping this
important bridge in order: he repaired Gloucester Cathedral--the
cathedral church of his native diocese: he made 'bosses,' i.e. taps of
water, to the great aqueduct: he rebuilt and enlarged Newgate Prison;
and he founded a library at Guildhall.

Many of these things were done after his death by his executors.

Such were the gifts by which a City merchant of the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries sought to advance the prosperity of the citizens.
Fresh water in plenty by 'bosses' here and there: the l