, 1875-05-22
THE TOWER or LONDON.
HE Ancient Fortress thrown Open Ia the
Pubiic-ItS Past History.
IIondon Morning Post, April 5th,I


thrown open 10 the public. In future twice
week on Mondays and Saturdays, the
! Tower may be visited by all who come, with
out the payment of any fee. the only formal
| ity to be gone through being that Of apply
| ing for q ticket at the entrance-lodge, which
stands on the sight IF the old Lions Tower
| The privilege thus conferred upon ;he public
1 by the Government cannot be too highly es-
! timated by those who value freedom of ac-
cess TO our few historical show places, aud
the present Prime Minister may BE- sure that
when the people come 70 consider his claims
to their popularity his action in this particu-
lar matter will not be overlooked. " If prison
walls could only speak, what tales of mys-
terry and horror they would relater' We
often hear such phrase quoted with refer
ence to some dungeon or castellated fortress
whose gray stones are mouldering into dust.
But We do not ask that the walls of the
Tower of London might speak, for, thanks
HSSa
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 mill
tary architect, Gundulph, Bishop 9f Roches-
ter, to build the Middle Tower, down 10 yes
terday, we have complete history of the
Tower before us. And what a marvellous
narrative it is 1t should be written in
blood. Every inch of ground, every foot of
masonry, is associated with some cruel deed,
some tyrrannous act. To use the words of
that Countess Of Somerset who, with her
husband, poisoned Overbury, and subsequent
ly occupied the prison Ill which he had been
confined, the place Is - full of ghosts of the
dead" These specters confront the visitor
at every step, and VIII not be shaken off In
the White Tower, with It's watch-towers at
each angle, and its walls fifteen feet thick,
was imprisoned Maud, the third daughter of
Earl Fitzwalter, that stout Baron who, to
aveuge the Kings treatment of his child,
compelled him 10 sign Magma Charta at
/ Euunymede. Here, in q dungeon compared
| with which the Black Hole at Calcutta would
! be pulatial residence, was imprisoned Guy,
or Guido Fawkees and here was the prison.
! home OF the seven Bishops at whose knees
even the soldiers Of the guard fell, imploring
/ their b-nediction, while the shore was crowd
ed with pro7trate spectators asking blessing
/ The persecuted prelates wete lodged in the
: Earl Of Leicester Tower, where HeriOt first
observed the satellites Of Jnpi:er The sun
! dial Of this famous astronomer Yet remains
| and the story Of Heriot and the three
no means one Of the leas, Interesting episodes
Of the Tower. In the Bloody Tower, called
the Garden Tower until the murder Of the
two little Princes-perhaPs the most tragic
aud pitiful incident in the annals of the for
tress, 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
entitled - The Parliament of man." and the
other political treaties. They show you the
wall upon which he used 10 walk-that wall
upon which, on Saturday stood / group Of
visitors drinking III i.rerdily al that Mr.
Dixon told them ahUUt the celebrated navi-
.,.tor and chemist " Full Of the ghosts Of
the dead :" Memories Of those ill-fated great
ones rise everywhere, and it dues not require
overmuch imagination TO conjure 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 IL the hOuse where now resides
Mr.. Hughes, the YGman jailer. Upon the
narrow staircases and into the little rooms Of
this house the curious crowd poured on Sat-
urday and heard with astOniShment the story
of the chivalric Earl Of Essex, whom some
a-er cut his throat i'll the yuman alters
vately beheaded on the green by order Of
Queen Elizabeth. The force Of contrast Is
sufficiently remarkable everywhere, but no.
where is it more strongly marked than in the
little church of St. Peter, ard Fincula,
whittier use to resort all not privileged 10 en-.
ter the Royal Chapel. The Easter decora
tions are up, AMI while the yemen jailer,
in his middle age costume, Is informing d
visitor that the church is open to all conner:
at / and 3 on Sundays. Mr.. Hepworth Dix
on outlines the past history of St. Peters
and tells how that underneath the flags ar5
buried Anne BOleyn, Lady Jane Grey, tn,
/ Earl OF Essex, and nearly all who were exc
cuted for treason. Indeed, We walk upon
stones which cover piles Of royal and noble
dust, that Of the unfortunate Earl Of Mon
mouth among the rest #; and then, issuing
into the fresh air again, We find ourselve:
gazing at little slab IL the center Of a rallied
off space placed there by the Queen in mem
ory Of Anne Boleyn. 1t was on this greer
that royal and illustrious persons were exc
cuted. Now the Constables OF the Tower ar
installed there, and very shortly such a cere
Iuouy Will be witnessed. OF the bloody
scenes enacted within the precincts Of III
Tower, century after century, nothing nov
remains but their memory. The scatfold
the masked headsman with his shining whit
axe poised on his shoulders, the little knot o
soldiers, the priest, and doubtless cruel eye
gazing from some turret window upon III
) grim s,cne, the sharp ary Of agony from Ii