with great magnificence. The day was unfortunately
rainy, and Pepys, who seems never to have quite forgotten that he was the
son of a tailor, and never put on a new suit of clothes without recording
the fact in his diary, remarks that the rain that day "spoiled many a fine
suit of clothes." The entertainment on this occasion took place at the
Guildhall instead of at the hall of one of the great city companies. The
mayor took the opportunity in the course of the dinner to present the king
with a "welcome cupp according to the usuall custome," as a token of
loyalty and duty. On the following day the members of the Common Council
and the masters and wardens of those companies which had advanced money to
defray the cost of the entertainment dined together in the hall, when
there was "the same musicke as was the day before at the entertainment of
his majesty."(1193)

(M617)

When the Entertainment Committee waited on his majesty to thank him for
his condescension in accepting the City's entertainment and to crave his
pardon for whatever had gone amiss, they took the opportunity of
satisfying him on certain matters--viz., the repair of St. Paul's and the
building a drawbridge on London bridge--about which his majesty desired to
be informed. They at the same time reported the City's choice of Sir
Richard Browne to be major-general of the City's forces in the place of
Monk, recently created Duke of Albemarle, who had been obliged to resign
his commission "by reason of the multiplicity of affairs in his majesty's
service."(1194)

(M618)

On the 14th August a deputation from the Lords and Commons attended a
court of Common Council and desired a loan of L100,000 on the security of
the poll tax. The court declined to commit itself to any promise. It was
much dissatisfied, and more especially with the inequality of the poll
tax; it therefore preferred submitting the matter to a committee for
investigation before giving an answer.(1195) A committee was then and
there nominated to consider the question.

By October matters were so pressing that Charles himself wrote to the
City, insisting upon the money being advanced within ten days upon the
security of the Act for two months' assessment about to be levied on the
whole kingdom, and out of which he solemnly promised, "on the word of a
king," that the loan, both principal and interest, should be repaid before
any other disbursements were made. The money was wanted for the purpose