30th March, 1637. The Company were assessed to pay £10 “ship money,” whereupon an order was made that they should forbear to pay it, and a Committee appointed to wait on the Court of Aldermen to petition against the assessment. The application was, however, unsuccessful, as by an Order of Court, 29th March, 1638, the money was directed to be paid. 8th November, 1638. The Court of Aldermen having assessed the Company to furnish 80 quarters of corn in lieu of 60 as heretofore provided, it was resolved to petition against it. This would be a very important matter to the Company as the assessments for all public purposes were made upon the City Companies _pro rata_ with their corn quarterages, and if the 80 quarters were allowed to stand, it would raise all the future assessments 33 per cent. The result however, of the protest does not appear in the minutes. 28th October, 1640. On receipt of a precept from the Lord Mayor, it was ordered that three barrels of Gunpowder should be bought and stored. 1640. The Company unwillingly agreed to lend the King £400, and were put to great inconvenience in raising the money, which was required by Charles for his campaign in Scotland. After several skirmishes with the Scots, the English Army was at length disbanded, and the King went himself to Scotland to negotiate the difference which had arisen by his attempted interference in Church matters in that Kingdom; he returned to London in November, 1641, and the following minute refers to the preparations made by our Company to meet him. 22nd November, 1641. Upon reading the Lord Maiors precepts for the Companyes enterteyning the King upon his returne from Scotland It is ordered that the Ma{r} and Wardens, Mr. Serjeant Clowes, Mr. Richard Wateson, Mr. Woodall, Mr. Powell, Mr. Burgin, Mr. Heath, Mr. Henry Wateson, Mr. Bignall, Mr. Dye, Mr. Arris, Henry Boone, and Thomas Turner, shalbe attendant on Twesday next well mounted on Horseback in plush or Velvett with Chaines of Gold, and that John Perkins shall beare the Pendon with our Coate of Armes on Horseback and that these 18 ffree men shalbe Decently cladd in the Companyes Colours of White and Greene, each of them with a greene flatt Cap with a white Ribbon about it, a greene Cassock and Drawers of the same Stuffe Whiffler like laced with a white Lace a white ribaning and a greene Ribbin athwart theire Brests, and each of them a Truncheon in theire hands in the forenoone, and in the aftˀnoone each of them 2 Torches, and these 18 to attend perticulerly one of them to each of the Horsemen, viz{t.} (Then follows a list of the freemen chosen.) The “Riding out” on this occasion must have been a magnificent sight, if all of the Companies spent proportionately to the outlay of ours, which was no less than £39 17_s._ 10_d._ upon decorations, etc., for those taking part in the procession. Strype informs us that--