102 History of the Company. 



The coronation of Charles II. in the following 

 A.D. 1661. spring gave occasion for more re- 

 Coronation of joicing, and afforded another oppor- 

 tunlty for extorting money from the 

 impoverished Companies. The Saddlers' Com- 

 pany appear to have been called upon for two 

 contributions towards the cost of the civic pre- 

 parations ; the amount of the first sum is not 

 however stated. The followinof record ogives 

 some idea of the financial destitution to which the 

 Company had been brought : — 



1 66 1. May gth. 



" Borrowed of Mr. Edward Smith for the use of the 

 Company, Aprill 15, 1661, 36.^, w'^^' he is to be allowed 

 interest from that time. 



" P'^ the same tyme the sayd sume of ^6£ into the 

 Chamber of London, being a second p'portion assessed 

 upon y° Company by an act of Common Council dated 

 (f Aprill instant, towards the finishing of y° triumphall 

 arches erected against his ma*^^^ intended passage 

 through the Citye as by S'' Thomas Slayer his acquit- 

 tance doth appeare." 



On the 27th November, 1662, the City Com- 

 panies turned out to receive the 



A.D. 1662. T. . A 1 1 1 



Russian Amt)assador, and at a meet- 

 ing of the Court of the Company on the following 

 month it was ordered '' y^ those gent' who ridd to 

 bring in y^ ambassador should be allowed their 

 charges." The expense individually involved on 

 this occasion, however, was apparently less than 

 that incurred on the occasion of the incoming of 



