The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-26
LITERATURE.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.

thers Il Co., No. S09 Chesnut street, and
Claxton, Remsen Il Hsffslfuger.
The title Of any work, but especially Of an
historical work, ought to give some intelligent
idea Of the subject. Mr.! Dixen's designation Of
his work on the Tower Of London is certainly
net well chosen, and IL appears like piece OF
afectation on the part of the author. The
work itself is not what is wanted at this time,
on what was to be expected from writer OF
Mr.. Dixon's IepHtation-a detailed and acou-
rate history Of one of the most ancient and
poetic piles in Europe, the Tower Of London.
In his brief preface the author says:-
Twenty years 20 wrote some chapters on
the Tower, especially on the human interests
which cling around 1t; and since that time
have noted with care such passages in either
the state papers or printed books as threw light
into the cells once occupied by the heros and
heroiDes OF English story. This volume-a
book OF ide ntihcatiou-is the fruit of this long
continued research"
Mr.. DixOn's work is series Of anecdotes
and sketches of the Tower and the people who
have inhabited it, strung together in rather
loose and inartistic manner. It is defective
and disappointing as a carefully elaborated
historical study, such as we had a right to
expect; but the anecdotes and descriptions are
graphic, and the book is ono of great interest
We give a number of extracts, which will
enable our readers to form an idea of the char
acter Of Mr.. Dixon's work, and will doubtless
marks Of our own.
THE PILE.
Standing on Tower Hill, looking down on
the dark lines OF wall-picking out keep and
turret, bastion and ballum, chapel and belfry-
the Jewel-house the armory, the mounts, the
::asema,es, the open leads-tbe Bye. ward gate,
the Belfry, the Bloody tOwer-the whole ediice
seems alive with story; the story of nations
highest splendor, its deepest misery, and its
darkest shame. The soil beneath your feet is
richer in blood than many great battlefield;
for out upon this sod has been poured,
nom generation to generation, a stream
ON OF the Savd no6est lie ~, IN our land Should
early day, when the To wer is noisy with m artial
doings, you may haply catch, in the hum which
rises from the dtcn and issues from the wall
below you-brCken by roll OF drum, by olast of
bugle, by tramp OF sOldlers-some echoes, as it
were, oil tar-oH time; some hints of a ay-day
Teyel; OF state execution; of royal eutry.
You may catch some sound which recalls the
thrum OF queens virginia. the cry OF victim
on the rack, the laughter Ut bridal feast. For
all these sights and sounds-the dance OF love
and the dance of deaih-aTe part of that gay
and tragic memory which clings around the
Tower.
From the reign of Stephen down to that of
Henry OF Richmond, Caesars tower tthe great
Norman keep, now called the White Yer)
was a main part of the royal palace; and tor
that large interval OF time the story of the
White tower is in some sort that of our English
society as well as of our English kings Here
were kept the royal wardrobe and the royal
Jewels; and hither came with their goody
and embroderers, from Flanders, Italy, and
Almaigne. Close by were the Mint, the lions'
dens, the old archery. grounds, the Court Of
Kings Bench, the Court of Common Pleas, the
Queens garden, the royal banqueting hall; so
that art and trade, science and manners, litera-
ture and law, sport and politics, find themselves
equally at home.
INNER WARD AND OUTER WARD.
The Tower was divided into two main parts
an Inner Ward and an Outer Ward; the first
part being bounded by the old wall, Gro wned
by twelve mural towers; the second part being
bounded by the soil which fringed the slopes
leading down into the ditch. man who
would read arlght the many curious passages
IN our history OF which the State Prison is the
scene, must bear this fact OF the two wards con-
stantlY in his mind
The Inner Ward, planned and partly built by
the Monk of Bee. Yves the original fortress of
which the defending ditch lay under the bal
hum wall. 1t contained the keep, the royal
galleries and rooms. the Mint, the Jewel house,
the Wardrobe the Queens garden, st. Peters
Church, the open green, the Constables tower
the Brick tower, in which the Master OF the
Ordnance lived, the Great hail. quarters
later days, the Lleutenants house. This ward
was hanked and covered by twelve strong
works, built on the wall, ard forming part
y,
Garden tower NOV famous as the Bloody
tower), the Hall tower, the Lantern, the Salt
tower, the Broad Arrow tower, the Constable
tower, the Martin tower, the Brick to wer, the
Flint tower, the BoWyer tower, and the DeVelin
tower; all of WHICH may be considered more or
less, as defensive works: even the Lantern,
which had vault for prisoners on the ground
regal bed chamber on the main floor. guard
room for archers and balisters in the upper
story, and a round turret over these for the
bnrniDg lights. Only one gateway pierced the
wall; narrow aud embattled outlet near the
= Water gate, passing under the strong block
house now the Bloody tower, into Water Lane
The road springs upwards by the main guard
u rise OF one in ten-so as TO give the men inside
a vast advantage in push of pixies.
This Inner Ward was the royal quarter.
The Outer Ward, which owed its plan and
most OF IT. execution to Henry the Third, lay
between the baliium aud the outer scarD OF the
ditch, with protected passage into the Thames.
Itcontained some lanes and streets belo " the
wall, and works which overlooked the wharf
In this ward stood the Middle tower the Bye.
ward tower, the Water gate, the Cradle ower,
Inc Weli tower, the Galleym8n cover, the
Iron Gate tower. Brass Mount, Legge
mount, and the covered ways. Into il opened
the Hall tower, afterwards called the Record
tower, now known as the Jewel house. Close
1y me Hall tower stood the Great Hall, the
doors OF which opened uto this outer court.
spanning the ditch, towards the Thames stood
the v aver gate, fine structure, built by Henry
me bollder, which folk called St. Thomas
tower, atler our Saxon saint, Under this
DuHuihg Bprang the vide arch, through which
ihe HueS moved 10 and out ron the river and
gate. " 0-
IN rms ,s outer I Ward was the folks quarter.
10 ine inner Ward common folk had no right
plu oil uaAN TO-