Clearly this extract refers to the First Regiment of Foot Guards, and shows that the King’s colours were embroidered, whilst the Company colours were merely painted. Before this time, we know that most flags were painted and, afterwards, that the tendency was for them to be embroidered. It seems fair, then, to infer from this that when the King reviewed his troops at Putney Heath, the period was one of transition from painted to embroidered decoration. * * * * * Passing on to the reign of King James II., it seems that he evolved many changes which were but little appreciated in the military quarters in those days. An authority of the time, named Sandford, who wrote a book entitled, “A History of the Coronation,” describes some of the Army flags as follows:— “=1st or King’s Guards.=—The standard of the King’s Own Company was of crimson silk, embroidered in the centre with the royal cypher, J.R., ensigned with (i.e., having above it) an imperial crown in gold. The colonel’s, also of crimson silk, was not charged with any distinction or device. The lieutenant-colonel’s colour was of white silk with the cross of St. George throughout (i.e., covering the flag) of crimson silk, in the middle of which was painted an imperial crown in gold. The major’s colour was distinguished by a pile-wavy of crimson silk issuing out of the dexter chief of the first quarter (i.e., the corner of the flag nearest to the top of the staff), and an imperial crown of gold in the centre of the cross. The eldest captain’s colour was distinguished by one of the King’s cyphers, viz., J.R., interlaced, and an imperial crown painted in the middle of the cross, of gold; the second captain was differenced by two royal cyphers and crowns in the cross; the third, by three; the fourth, by four; and so on every captain to the twentieth who had his cross charged with twenty cyphers and crowns. And thus they appeared at James’s coronation. “=Coldstream Guards.=—His Majesty did then also direct that the alterations following should be made in the ensigns of this his second regiment of Foot Guards, that they might be more agreeable to the colours of the first regiment; for, excepting the colonel’s ensign, which was purely of white taffeta, the other eleven were charged with crosses of crimson taffeta throughout. The lieutenant-colonel’s, without distinction. The major’s had a pile-wavy. The cross of the eldest captain was charged on the centre with the figure I. in white, ensigned with an imperial crown of gold painted thereon; the second with II., the third with III., the fourth, IV., and so forward to the ninth captain who was distinguished by IX., each of them under an imperial crown of gold. And thus did these ensigns fly at the coronation.”