Rev. Canon Lysons wrote his interesting and valuable work entitled _The
Model Merchant_ he showed the incorrectness of the first point by
tracing out Whittington's distinguished pedigree, but he was loath to
dispute the other two. It is rather strange that neither Mr. Lysons nor
Messrs. Besant and Rice appear to have seen the work which I now present
to my readers, which is the earliest form of the life of Whittington
known to exist. This is printed from the copy in the Pepysian Library,
a later edition of which, with a few typographical alterations, will be
found in the British Museum library. This _History_ will be found to
differ very considerably from the later and better-known story, which
appears to have been written early in the eighteenth century. A
comparison between the latter which I print at the end of this Preface
(p. xxix.) with T. H.'s earlier text will not, I think, be found
unprofitable. _The Famous and Remarkable History_ here reprinted is
undated, but was probably published about 1670; the later edition in the
British Museum is dated 1678. One passage on page 7--"The merchant went
then to the Exchange, which was then in Lumber-street, about his
affairs"--seems to show that it was originally written quite early in
the century, and it is just possible that T. H. stands for the
voluminous playwright and pamphleteer Thomas Heywood. The Exchange was
removed to its present site in 1568, and therefore our tract could not
have been written before that date, but must have appeared when the
memory of the old meeting-place was still fresh in public memory. On
page 11 it will be seen that Whittington, when discontented with his
position in Fitzwarren's house, set out before day-break on All
Hallows-day with his clothes in a bundle, in order to seek his fortune
elsewhere. He had only got as far as Bunhill when he heard Bow bells
ring out what appeared to be--

"Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London,