Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-12-13

remarkable sovereign that ever occupied
the British throne. The features are
very strongly marked-a large, full
Roman nose, forehead high and
broad, and the whole face showing a
great deal of character. That charac-
ter, as shown in history, is certainly
most perfect combination of opposites-
of greatness and decision with frivolity
and fickIeness generosity and benevo-
lence, with parsimony and meanness.
But taking her reign altogether, proba
, bly, there never was one SO beneficial to
the interests and general prosperity of
the British nation as that OF "good
Queen Bess,' perhaps that of Queen
Victoria only excepted.
A relic of the past that attracts rs
much attention as almost anything at
the Abbey is the old Coronation Chair
This was made about coo years ago by
Edward l., ndcnclose dunder the seat is
the coronation stone of Scotland previ
ously used at the coronation of &C the
soyereigns of that country 1t is
large, high-backed chair made of wood
upon which various designs are carved
for the most part, however, the work is
rather rudely done. This chair has
been used at the coronation of all the
sovereigns of England since the time it
was made, this ceremony being always
performed at Westminster Abbey. We
will now proceed to
TIE TOWER,
and will not detain your readers with
its history except by saying that it was
built about 700 years since by William
the Conqucror, with the intention that
it should be used as means of defense
against foreign invasion by way of the
river Thames, and at the SAFE
time serve as royal residence that
should be strong enough to afford him
protection from the assaults of his
Saxon subjects whom he had subiugated
but short time before. The main
tower now known as the White
Tower" is about all that remains of
that early day. This was built in such
manner that it seems impossible that it
ever could go to decay, the walls being
i5 feet thick. At the same time it is
perhaps the finest specimen of Norman
architecture in existence. The other
smaller towers known us the Bloody
Tower, the Traitors Tower, the Jewel
Tower, etc, We're built at various later
dates. The passage way and canal
landing 10 the Thames by which passen-
gers were brought into the tower, as
well as the massive gate in the tower
known as Traitors Gate" that was
raised to let them pass in. is still to be
seen, and the water can still be let into
the canal from the river. The visitor
is first shown the Horse Armory," Il
large building that is devoted to the
exhibition of armor and warlike imple-
ments of the olden time. 70 do this, n
great number of equestrian statues are
used and specimens OF armor of the
kind worn at different times, commence
ing with that of the reign of William
the Conqueror, and until it ceased to be
worn in the reign of William and Mary,
are exhibited. Several of the figures
are clad i'll armOr that was actually worn
by the soycreigns OF those days, and of
course some of them are very curious as
well as expensive, particularly some
suits worn by Henry Viii. 1t
is very interesting, too, to notice
the different kinds worn at different
periods as well rs the Improvement
made in its manufacture from time to
time. For instance, William the Nor
man, as well as the body of his horse,
is represented clad i'll an armOr made
of small pieces of thick leather in the
shape of fish scales, which are sewed
upon buckskin, while another suit Of
that period is made of small steel rings
also sewed upon the same material. A
shield, long sword and a lance were
carried at that period in battle Chain
armor, made of small steel rings inter-
laced or woven together, began to be
worn about hundred years later, and
Henry Ill. appears clad in armor made
in this manner. Complete suits of plate
armor were first worn III the time OF
Henry v, and that sovereign is the
first who is represented clad in that
kind of armor. Some knights of the
time of Richmd III. are clad in steel
armor made with joints, when this the
last Improvement was made. At one
time the body of the horse was also
clad in armor. The use of this was first
discontinued, and after that the armor
was not worn below the mans knee. In
the reign of Charles l. only half armor,
or that which protected the body in
front, was worn in that Of Charles H.,
only the helmet and cuirass were worn
and finally, in the time of William and
Mary, the use of armor of all kinds was
discontinued, firearms having been
generally introduced in warfare, render
ing armorial protection unavailable
We next visited the rooms in the
towers where the State prisoners were
confined, including the room where
Queen Elizabeth was kept a prisoner
for time during the reign of Queen
Mary, us well as the small dark room
whore Sir Walter Raleigh was confined
twelve years. | saw the room in which
Lady Jane Gray was kept as prisoner
and from which she was led to cxccu-
ton, and as | walked along the same
path that she walked, the buildings
standing about me nearly as they stood
that day, and the same bright sun
shining over my head, it appeared al
most as if | could see the poor helpless
girl, innocent of any crime, going up to
the scaifold to be offered sacrifice to
the ambition of her would-be friends
But III those days the quality of mercy
was not well understood. / saw also
the rooms where Bishops Lntimer,
Cranmer, and Ridley We're confined be-
fore they were taken to Oxford to exc
cution also where many others We're
kept as religious prisoners during the
reign of Henry VIII. and Queen Mary.
Many of these cut their names upon the
stone walls, which are still legible.
Lastly, we visited the jewel tower where
the State jewels are kept, including