the wardens'
substitutes, and the humble almsmen of the livery. Sometimes, as in
1645, the whole livery was invited.

The kindness and charity of the Company are strongly shown in an entry
of May 23, 1610, when John Churchman, a past master, received a pension
of L20 per annum. With true consideration, they allowed him to wear his
bedesman's gown without a badge, and did not require him to appear in
the hall with the other pensioners. All that was required was that he
should attend Divine service and pray for the prosperity of the Company,
and share his house with Roger Silverwood, clerk of the Bachellors'
Company. Gifts to the Company seem to have been numerous. Thus we have
(1604) Richard Dove's gift of twenty gilt spoons, marked with a dove;
(1605) a basin and ewer, value L59 12s., gift of Thomas Medlicott;
(1614) a standing cup, value 100 marks, from Murphy Corbett; same year,
seven pictures for the parlour, from Mr. John Vernon.

In 1640 the Civil War was brewing, and the Mayor ordered the Company to
provide (in their garden) forty barrels of powder and 300 hundredweight
of metal and bullets. They had at this time in their armoury forty
muskets and rests, forty muskets and headpieces, twelve round muskets,
forty corselets with headpieces, seventy pikes, 123 swords, and
twenty-three halberts. The same year they lent L5,000 towards the
maintenance of the king's northern army. In the procession on the return
of Charles I. from Scotland, the Merchant Taylors seem to have taken a
very conspicuous part. Thirty-four of the gravest, tallest, and most
comely of the Company, apparelled in velvet plush or satin, with chains
of gold, each with a footman with two staff-torches, met the Lord Mayor
and aldermen outside the City wall, near Moorfields, and accompanied
them to Guildhall, and afterwards escorted the king from Guildhall to
his palace. The footmen wore ribands of the colour of the Company, and
pendants with the Company's coat-of-arms. The Company's standing
extended 252 feet. There stood the livery in their best gowns and hoods,
with their banners and streamers. "Eight handsome, tall, and able men"
attended the king at dinner. This was the last honour shown the
faithless king by the citizens of London.

The next entries are about arms, powder, and fire-engines, the defacing
superstitious pictures, and the setting up the arms of the Commonwealth.
In 1654 the Company was so impoverished by the frequent forced loans,
t