The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-16

| op power to imprison any one suspected vi
heresy, and a great many were so imprisoned.
Among the number was Sir John Aldcastle,
and Lord Gotham, the latter being burnt at
the stake in l4l7. In the reign OF Henry
the VII, the Earl of Warwick and many 9TH
ers were beheaded. In the reign of Henry
the VIII the Tower was again filled by per
sons on charges of heresy and among them
was Sir Thomas More, whose wit accompa-
MED him to the scaffold. The frame work
was weak and some fears were expressed least
the Scaffold might break down. "Mr. Lieu
teDant,' said the old man, "see me safe up,
and for my coming down let me shift for my
self" The executioner as usual in those
times asked forgiveness. "Friend, said More,
"thou will render to day the greatest service
in the power of man, but my neck is short,
take heed therefore that thou strike not awry
for the sake of thy profession" He was not
permitted to address the spectators, and after
prayers he laid his head upon the block, but
be bade the executioner to stay his hand un-
til he removed his beard, saying with smile,
'my beard has never committed any treason"
for that was the crime for which he suffer
ed death. His head was cut off at one blow,
so the executioners reputation did not suffer
that time at any rate.
The Tower was also the scene of other
| crueltes of that monster Henry the VII,
| his various wives suffered Imprisonment, and
two of them death in this fortress. The un-
paralIeled magnifcence of the reception
which this king gave to all his queens in the
Tower previous to their marriage, and the
brilliancy which history gives of their coro-
nations, seems cruel mockery when we re-
member their subsequent fate. Let US look
at that of the unfortunate Anne Boleyn.-
On the Doth of May, 1888, the river Thames
was scene of unprecedented pomp and gai-
ETY., for at that time Henry the VIII receiv-
ed that beautiful lady, Anne Boleyn, at the
Tower. The Lord Mayor of London and his
| civic train, arrrayed IN scarlet, with large
gold chains around their necks, had escorted
her in their gay barges from Greenwich, and
she landed amidst the great melody of trum-
pets and other instruments. The cannon Of
the Tower and other places sent forth voley
after volley of deafening roar, to welcome
her. The next day she proceeded from the
Tower with all the pomp of heraldry and
pride of power to Westminster Abbey to be
married. She was arrayed in silver tissue,
with mantle of the same lined with ermine,
herdark hair flowing about her shoulders, and
her head encircled with rubies and other Jew
| els.
Let us look at the scene in her life three
years after. On the lst of May, 1886, a
splendid tournament was held at Greenwich,
at which the king and queen were present.
Tire king abruptly quilted the gay scene, and
on the following day, whilst the queen was
dining, officers arrived with warrant, arrest
cd and committed her to the Tower where
her prison was the same apartIe which
were the scene Of her triumphant reception
before her coronation. She was not allow
ed, and did not see the king after he left her
at Greenwich she was arraigned before her
uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, charged with
unfaithfulness to her husband and was pro-
nounced guilty and sentenced to death. On
hearing her sentence, she lifted up her hands
and eyes to Heaven and exclaimed, 20 Faith
er! Creator! thou who art the way the
TRUTH and the life, thou knOwest have not
deserved this death p On the 10Th of May,
a mOurnful procession passed over the Tower
Green, in which Queen Anne Boleyn, attired
in black, attended by few Of her faithful
History says her beauty on that day was
mournfully brilliant. She addressed few
words to those around her and laid her head
on the block, which the executioner severed at
onestroke | saw the same ak and block which
was used at her execution, as well as those of
many others, including Catharine Howard,
another Of the unfortunate wives of that
same king.
Catharine Howard was also imprisoned in
the Tower up to her death. She was ar
raigned for high treason, and convicted by
the evidence of witnesses under torture on
the block, and was beheaded in l542, at the
age of twenty. She maintained her inno-
cence Of the charges brought against her to
her death-she was considered to be the
most beautiful AID cultivated lady of her
day.
In 1916, Anne Askew was tortured in the
Tower, and afterwards burned at Smithfield.
for having in conversation denied the doc
trine of Transubstantiaton. In the reign OF
Edmund the vi, Lord Thomas and Edward
Seymour, that kings maternal uncles, suffer-
ed death in the Tower Queen Mary caused
Lady Jane Gray to be imprisoned and be-
headed here and also imprisoned her sister
here, afterwards Queen Elizabeth Cranme-,
Ridley and Latimer, were all imprisoned
here before their death. The last persons
that suffered death in the Tower were three
Scotch Lords in 1746; the notorious Judge
Jeilreys ended his life here in captivity.
l have only cited few of the many dark
deeds that have been committed in this for
tress. There are also many historical relics
to be seen within these walls, the efigies of
many kings princes and noblemen, attired in
the same armour as worn by them when liv-
ing. l take it to be that most of these relics
are genuine, for the reason that the Tower
has been national receptice for them from
its commencement, and has always remained
fortress to this day. The Queens Crown,
and all the crown jewels are deposited in the