The following reprint of a later version of the chap-book is almost identical with a large number of editions: 

  THE

  ADVENTURES

  OF

  SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON,

  WHO WAS

  THREE TIMES

  LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.

  And the Surprising History of his

  CAT,

  TO WHICH IS ADDED

  THE CALEDONIAN, A POEM.

  Banbury: 
  Printed and sold by J. Cheney, in the High Street.

* * * * *

  THE

  HISTORY

  OF

  WHITTINGTON.

* * * * *

Dick Whittington was a very little boy when his father and mother died; little indeed, that he never knew them, nor the place where he was born.  He strolled about the country as ragged as a colt, till he met with a waggoner who was going to London, and who gave him leave to walk all the way by the side of his waggon without paying anything for his passage, which pleased little Whittington very much, as he wanted to see London badly, for he had heard that the streets were paved with gold, and he was willing to get a bushel of it; but how great was his disappointment, poor boy! when he saw the streets covered with dirt instead of gold, and found himself in a strange place, without a friend, without food, and without money.

Though the waggoner was so charitable as to let him walk up by the side of the waggon for nothing, he took care not to know him when he came to town, and the poor boy was, in a little time, so cold and so hungry that he wished himself in a good kitchen and by a warm fire in the country.

In this distress he asked charity of several people, and one of them bid him “Go to work for an idle rogue.”  “That I will,” says Whittington, “with all my heart; I will work for you if you will let me.”

The man, who thought this favoured of wit and impertinence (tho’ the poor lad intended only to show his readiness to work), gave him a blow with a stick which broke his head so that the blood ran down.  In this situation, and fainting for want of food, he laid himself down at the door of one Mr. Fitzwarren, a merchant, where the cook saw him, and, being an ill-natured hussey, ordered him to go about his business or she would scald him.  At this time Mr. Fitzwarren came from the Exchange, and began also to scold at the poor boy, bidding him to go to work.

Whittington answered that he should be glad to work if any body would employ him, and that he should be able if he could get some victuals to eat, for he had had nothing for three days, and he was a poor country boy, and knew nobody, and nobody would employ him.

He then endeavoured to get up, but he was so very weak that he fell down again, which excited so much compassion in the merchant that he ordered the servants to take him in and give him some meat and drink, and let him help the cook to do any dirty work that she had to set him about.  People are too apt to reproach those who beg with being idle, but give themselves no concern to put them in the way of getting business to do, or considering whether they are able to do it, which is not charity.