. No such condition, however, was annexed to the loan
of the brass armour; and it was understood that Mr. John Kemble had
kindly undertaken to furnish the helmets of the knights with costly
plumes, and personally to superintend the arrangement of these
decorations. Altogether, it would seem that the mayor stood much
indebted to the managers, who, willing to oblige, yet felt that their
courtesy was deserving of some sort of public recognition. At least this
was Elliston's view of the matter, who read with chagrin sundry
newspaper paragraphs, announcing that at the approaching inauguration of
Sir Claudius some of the royal armour from the Tower would be exhibited,
but ignoring altogether the loan of the matchless suits of steel and
brass from the Surrey Theatre. The manager was mortified; he could be
generous, but he knew the worth of an advertisement. He expostulated
with the future mayor. Sir Claudius replied that he did not desire to
conceal the transaction, but rather than it should go forth to the world
that so high a functionary as an alderman of London had made a request
to a theatrical manager, he thought it advisable to inform the public
that Mr. Elliston had offered the use of his property for the procession
of the 9th. This was hardly a fair way of stating the case, but at
length the following paragraph, drawn up by Elliston, was agreed upon
for publication in the newspapers:--"We understand that Mr. Elliston has
lent to the Lord Mayor elect the two magnificent suits of armour, one of
steel and the other of brass, manufactured by Marriott of Fleet Street,
and which cost not less than L600. These very curious specimens of the
revival of an art supposed to have been lost will be displayed in the
Lord Mayor's procession, and afterwards in Guildhall, with some of the
royal armour in the Tower." It would seem also, according to another
authority, that the wearers of the armour were members of the Surrey
company.

On the 9th Elliston was absent from London, but he received from one
left in charge of his interests a particular account of the proceedings
of the day:--

"The unhandsome conduct of the Lord Mayor has occasioned me much
trouble, and will give you equal displeasure. In the first place, your
paragraph never would have appeared at all had I not interfered in the
matter; secondly, cropped-tailed hacks had been procured without
housings, so that I was compelled to obtain two trumpeters' horses from
the Horse