132 History of the Company. 



having received the Company's deputation in 

 person, readily accorded. On the i8th of Novem- 

 ber, the Court of Assistants, according to previous 

 appointment, waited upon the Prince In a body at 

 St. James's, and the Incident is fully narrated In 

 the following minute : — 



" Their Clerk in a short speech returned him their 

 thanks for y"" honour conferred on them by his Royall 

 Highnesses presence at their hall, and requested y® 

 favour of him to accept of y"" Freedom of their Company, 

 and that he would permit them to have his picture in 

 order to transmit to posterity so great an Honour. His 

 Royall Highness thereupon gratiously condescended to 

 accept of y° Freedom and to permit them to have his 

 picture and y^ Master presented him with the copy of 

 his Freedom in a gold box, together with y"" account of 

 y^ antiquity of y'' Company. And afterwards his Royall 

 Highness did y'' Court of Assistants y'^ Honour to intro- 

 duce them to y*" Princess of Wales, when y^ Clerk in y^ 

 name of y^ Company in like manner returned hir y^ 

 Company's thanks for y^ honour done them by Her 

 Royall Highnesses presence and requested y^ favour of 

 her to permitt them to have her Picture, w^^' Her Royall 

 Highness also gratiously condescended to grant, and all 

 y® Court of Assistants and their Clerk had y*" honour of 

 kissing their Royall Highnesses hands and his Royall 

 Highness was pleased to order 50 guineas to be given 

 to y^ Master to distribute amongst the Servants of y^ 

 Company at y^ discretion of y^ Court. 



" And they were afterw"^' by his Royall Highnesses 

 order, refreshed with wine." 



At a Court held on the 26th of the same month. 

 Lord Baltimore having written to Inquire " the 

 length and breadth of y® canvas on which the 



