far exceeding the smell of juniper, for it was mixed
with mace, cinnamon, and other rare and costly spices,
which did cast such a pleasant and delightful savor
through the room that it pleased his majesty to call
him unto him and say, my good Lord Mayor, though your
fare be choice, costly and abundant, yet above all
things I have observed in your noble entertainment
this fire which you have provided for me gives me
more content. To whom Sir Richard Whittington
making a low obeysance made answer, It much rejoyceth
me dread Soveraign that any that remaineth in my power
can give your highness the least cause to be pleased,
but since you praise this fire already made I purpose
ere your sacred majesty depart the house to entertain
you with one (I hope) that shall content you much
better. The King not thinking it could be possible
desired him to make a proof thereof, when he (having
before provided himself for that purpose) brought a
great bundle of Bonds, Indentures and Covenants under
his arm, said thus to the King, Royal Soveraign to
whom I owe both my fortunes and my life, I have here
a faggot of purpose left for this fire, which I hope
will smell much more sweetly than the first in your
nostrils, for saith he, here is first your Highness
security for ten thousand marks, lent you for the
maintainance of your royal wars in France, by the Right
Worshipful Company of the Mercers, which I here cancel
and cast into the fire, fifteen hundred lent by the
City to our Majesty I send after the former, two thousand
marks borrowed of the Grocers Company, three thousand
of the Merchant Taylors, one thousand of the Drapers,
one thousand of the Skinners, one thousand of the
Ironmongers, one thousand of the Merchant Staplers,
of the Goldsmiths three thousand, of the Haberdashers
as much, of the Vintners, Brewers and Brown Bakers
three thousand marks. All these you see are cancel’d
and burnt, saith he, with divers other bonds for money
lent by my father in law Aldermen Fitzwarren for the
payment of your souldiers in France, which coming
unto me by executorship I have taken in and discharged.
Others there likewise due to me of no small sums by
divers of your nobility here present, all which with
the former I have sacrificed to the love and honour
of my dread sovereign, amounting to the sum of three
score thousand pounds sterling, and can your Majesty
(saith he) desire to sit by a fire of more sweet scent
and savour? At this the King was much extasi’d
and the rather because it came unexpectedly and from
so free a spirit, and embracing him in his arms said
unto him that he thought never King had such a subject,
and at his departure did him all the grace and honour
that could descend from a King to a subject, promising
him moreover that he should ever stand in the first
rank of those whom he favoured. And so the Lord
Mayor bearing the sword before their two most sacred
Majesties as far as Temple Bar the King for his former
service and his most kind and loving entertainment
at that time, and the noble men for that extraordinary
courtesie offered them all unitely (sic) and
unanimously commended his goodness, applauded his
bounty and wished that he might live to perpetual memory
and so bid both him and the City for that time adieu.