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the offer of his house to live in, till he could provide himself with a better. Now it came to pass, that when Mr Whittington’s face was washed, his hair curled, and dressed in a rich suit of clothes, that he turned out a genteel young fellow, and as wealth contributes much to give a man confidence, he, in a little time dropped that sheepish behaviour which was principally occasioned by a depression of spirits, and soon grew a sprightly and good companion, insomuch that Miss Alice, who had formerly seen him with an eye of compassion, now viewed him with other eyes, which, perhaps, was in some measure occasioned by his readiness to oblige her, and by continually making her presents of such things as he thought would be agreeable.
When her father perceived they had this good liking for each other, he proposed a match between them, to which both parties cheerfully consented, and the Lord Mayor, Court of Alderman, Sheriffs, the Company of Stationers, and a number of eminent merchants attended the ceremony, and were elegantly treated at an entertainment made for that purpose.
History tells us, that they lived happy, and had several children, that he was Sheriff of London in the year 1340, and then Lord Mayor that
