Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-24

London Tower.
EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS or ENGLISH HISTORY
FANTASTIC GUIDEs-A GATE FOR TRAITORS
CHANGE IN wARLIkE IMPLEMENTs- ROYAL
FEIs lNEEs RELICS FEoM BACTLE-FIELDs-
AN FNEcUTIoSER' BLOCK AND AXE FIFTY
HEApLEss BoDIEs-GEMs AND CROWNS.
Rev. selah Brown in the Troy Daily Times.
On the bank of the Thames half mile
below London bridge Is the famous citadel
or foItres called the Tower, n place of IN
tense interest to the student of English his
tory. 1t is not single structure, rs its name
wonld indicate, but a number oftowers inclos-
ed within an area Of little more than II acres
During the 500 years of its existence, Lon
don tower has served the purpose OF royal
fortress and a royal prison. 1t Is now royal
arsenal and museum. As We visited Its halls
and dungeons, many "A sad, dark, hlocdy page
of Euplaud's history crowded into mem Dry.
Kings and queens, and princes noble wo-
men and brave men, as well rs criminals and
traitors. have dragged their chains over those
floors. or met bloody death within those
walls
THE GUIDES.
Old soldier guides dressed in the costume
of Henry VIII, with pretentious manners,
and much show of authority, conduct visit
glory WAS not arrayed like one of these
guides. They wear bright red coats, trimmed
with gold and silver tinscl; knee-breeches
long white silk stockings and red slippers a
broad -hrimmed black velvet hat trimmed
with ribbons and large ruilie around the
neck.
THE TRAITORS GATE.
The old archway known as Traitors
Gate" opening from the edge OF tho river, Is
II large gloomy portal through which offend
ers against the government were secretly
convened to prison. With what dismal fore
bodincs the prisoners must have passed that
gate The gate that proved so many OF them
the gate of death.
That gate throush which before
Went sidney, Russell, Ralei.h Cranner, Moore"
THE WHITE TOWER.
The oldest and most prominent building
| in the enclosure is the white tower, mas
| sive square, stone castle with turreted corn
erS. and walls III some places 10 feet thick.
1t was erected by William the Conqueror
| about A ID. 1O1S.
| Beneath this tower are tie dark, damp
dismal dungeons, used for State prisoners. In
| the frs, story are lite-size figures, each one
clad in armor TO represent the different styles
| used during the reigns of successive sover-
eisus for centuries past so that one can
trace the changes in the war fashions from
the earliest times until now. Among others,
| is a magnificent suit once worn 10y the de
t,stable Henry VIII. 1t is richly inlaid with
| gold Queen Elizabeths armory contains
| "a great variety of weapons Of war IN use be-
fore the introduction of firearms. Among
| the specimens i'll this room are The spear,
the pike. the partisan, the bill. the spontoop
the battle-axe and the halbert. Here are
also many gorgeous oriental weapons, and
trophies taken from the Hindoos by the Eng
lish army in East Indian wars. The .'horse
armory is Il room $50 feet long by 30 wide,
containing - lifc-size figures ON horseback,
representing the English kings clothed IN
the armor of their various reigns, and show
ing the changes which took place in the style
of weapons used in war, during period OF
over 100 years. The war-horse, as well as
| his ri ler is almost covered with the splendid
| suits of mail.
QUEEN pEss's DINING ROOM.
| Ascending the stone steps trodden by the
| feet of ROYALTY centuries ago, we tlnd our
selves in Queen Ellzabeth's banqueting
| hall, Il large room containing loO,OOO mod
ern rifles besides vast quantities of other ire
arms and weapons Of war, all IN the most
perfect order ard tastefully arranged in de
| signs of flowers or furniture. Among other
| interesting objects preserved Il IN tins room We
were shown 4 grey, moth h-eaten garment said
to be the identical cloak IN which General
Wolfe died at tine storming OF Quebec in 1853,
also the uniform worn by Wellington at the
battle of Waterloo. On the same floor of the
| White Tower is the room IN which Sir Walter
| Raleigh spent the II years of his coniine-
| ment and where he wrote his History OF
the World a book marvellous for its learn
| ing and eloJuonce. And near here the brave
| nah WAS executed At his execution he first
| felt the edge of the axe, saying 3" lis sharp
medicine but II sure cure for all ills = then
he calmly laid his head upon the block as If
| he were lying down to quiet slumber. No.
| ticing that tue exocutioner hesitated to do
his duty, sir Walter said Strike. man,
strike - and tine ne xt moment his head rolled
down on one side OF the block while his body
sank on the floor.
THE ExECUTIoSER's BLOCK.
The most impressive object in this part OF
the tower is the veritable block on which
Lady Jane Grey. Anne Boleyn, Charles l.,
and others equally noted, were beheaded. 1t
is of hard English oak, and is about two feet
square. having place followed out on both
sides of the top. leaving a narrow strip about
four inches wide for the neck to rest upon.
In the part on which the neck was laid may
he seen the cruel marks made by the blows
of the oxecutioner. And the great ugly look
ing axe that was used in the horrid work, is
standing by the block. And oh, what mem-
ories did that old block and axe revive. Poor
Queen Anne. one OF the unhappy wives OF
the Infamous Henry VIII, died protesting
her innocence to the last. And then We
thought of Lady Jane Grey. the innocent,
lovely, accomplished, tenderly-reared and
Christian girl of only II years, the IL days
queen 'her only crime being that she al-
lowed others to place the crown upon hei
head, against her wishes and remonstrances.
But she received the message of death with
a smile. Firmly but modestly she mounted
the scaffold, then turned TO the spectators
and said Good people, ! am come hither
to die. The fact against the queens high.
ness WAS unlawful but touching the procure
ment and desire thereof 10y ne, | wash my
hands in innocency. ] pray you all to beai
me witness that ! die a true Christian wo
man, and that | look to be saved by no othel
means than the mercy of God, in the merits
of the blood of his only son our Lord Jesu'
Christ" Then she kueeled down and re
peated in a clear voice part OF the iiity-tirs
Psalm. Then she arose and gave Il few pre-
cious keepsakes to her friends After this
she bound her own eyes with white hand
korchiei. Then the exccutiOner begged he
forgiveness for what he was about to do an,
she whispered a. few words of pardon in hi
ear, hut said to him openly, Il pray you dis
patch me quickly knecing down she fel
Tor the block, but being bhndiolded eoul,
not find it until u friend guided her hand Il
the fatal place Her last words were, Lord
into thy hands | commend my spirit.
THE BEAUCHAMr TOWER.
, Across the courtyard from the white iowe