The daily gazette., 1875-04-22
THE TOWER OF LONDON.
THE ANCIENT FORTRESS THROWN OPEN
TO THE PUBLIC-ITs PAST HISTORY.

|
A fresh chapter in the history of the
Tower of London was.begun on Satur-
day, when for the first time the grim
fortress was thrown open to the public.
In future twice a week, on Mondays
and Saturdays, the Tower may be WIS.,
ted by all who come without the pay
ment of any fee, the only formality to
be gone through being that of apply
ing for ticket at the entrance-lodge,
which stands on the site of the old
Lions Tower, The privilege thus con-
ferred by the government upon the
public cannot be too highly estimated
by those who value freedom of access
to our few historical show-places, aad
the epresent Prime Minister may be sure
that when the people come to consider
his claims to their popularity his ac.
tion in this particular matter VIII not
be overlooked. 'If prison walls could
only speak, what tales of mystery and
horror they would relate!" We often
hear such a phrase quoted with refer
ence to some dungeon or castellated
fortress whose gray stones are moulder-
ing into dust. But we do not ask that
| the walls of the Tower of London
might speak, for, thanks to such intel
ligent students as Mr.. Dixon, we know
| almost as much of the Towers history
| as the ancient stone walls themselves.
From the days of the Conqueror, the
tyrannical Norman King who caused
that famous military architect, Gund-
| ulpb, Bishop of Rochester to build the
Middle Tower, down to yesterday, we
have the complete story of the Tower
Before us. And what marvellous
narrative it is, Itshould be written in
blood. Every inch of the ground, every
foot of masonry is isassociated with some
cruel deed, some tyrannous act. To
use the words of that Countess of
Somerset, who, with her husband, poi
soned Overbury, and subsequently oc-
cupied the prison in which he had been
confined, the place is "full of the
ghosts of the dead" These spectres
confront the visitor at every step and
will not be shaken off. In the White
Tower, with its watchtowers at each
angle, and its walls fifteen feet thick,
was imprisoned Maud the third daugh-
ter of Earl Fitzwalter, that stout baron
who, to avenge the Kings treatment
of his child, compelled him to sign
Magma Charta at Runnymede. Here,
in dungeon compared with which
the Black Hole of Calcutta would be
palatial residence, was imprisoned
| Guy, or Guido Fawkes; and here was
| the prison-home of the seven bishops,
at whose knees even the soldiers of the
guard fell, imploring their benediction
while the shore was crowded by pro-
strate spectators asking a blessing.
The narGnnilfn1 Tapalotou 1nI,roI
in the Earl of Leicester's Tower, where
Heriot first observed the satellites of
Jupiter. The sun-dial of this famous
astronomer yet remains, and the story
of Heriot and "the three magi," as his
companions were called, IS by no
means one of the least interesting cpl
sodes of the Tower.
In the Bloody Tower, called the
Garden Tower until the murder of the
two little princes perhaps the most
tragic and pitiful incident in the annals
of the fortress-Cranmer, Latimer and
Ridley held their conference, asking
only for Bible from which to get
counsel and instruction in their hour
of need. Here, too, Sir Walter Raleigh
wrote his "History of the World" his
essay Observation-Disclosures ofMan,"
and other political treatises. They
show you the wall upon which he used
to walk-that wall upon which on Sa-
turday stood group of visitors drink
ing in greedily all that Mr.. Dixon told
them about the celebrated navigator
and chemist. Full of the ghosts of
the deadr Memories of those Inflated
great ones rise everywhere, and it does
not require overmuch Imagination to
conf iure up those dread mornings when
Raleigh passed out of his little room to
the block, and when the executioner
waited with his glittering axe on the
green for patient Lady Jane Grey, who
was lodged in the house where now
resides Mr.. Hughes, the Y Yeoman jailor.
Up the narrow staircases, and into the
little rooms of this house the curious
crowd poured on Saturday and heard
with establishment the story of the
chivalric Earl of Essex, whom some
aver cut his throat in the yeoman jail |
or's house, but whom we know to have
been privately beheaded by order of
Queen Elizabeth. The force of con-
trast is sufficiently remarkable every
where, but nowhere is it more strongly
marked than in the little church of st.
Peter ad Vincula; whittier used to |
resort all not privileged to enter the |!
Royal Chapel The sterdecorations |
are up, while the yeoman jailor, in his |
costume, is informing a
visitor that the church is open to all |
somers at eleven and three o'clock, on
Sundays, Mr.. Hepworth Dixon outlines
the past history of St. Peters, and tells
how that underneath the flags are bur-
led Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, the
Earl of Essex, and nearly all who were
executed for treason. Indeed, we
walk upon stones which cover piles of
royal and noble dust, that of the un-
fortunate Earl of Monmouth amongI
The rest; and then issuing into the fresh
air again, we find ourselves gazing at
, little slab in the centre of u rallied
off space, placed there by the Queen in
of Anne Boleyn. 1t was on
his green that royal and illustrious :
persons were executed.
Now the constables of the Tower are in +
stalled there. and very shortly such a | !