The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-29
THE TOWER OF LONDON.
History Of the Ancient Monument
What visitors Sec and What
ThcS DO Not See.
London Times. ]

her ruins: Paris has her boulevards, pal
aces. and ouays; Moscow has her Kremiin,
and Constantinople her minarets and
domes. Each OF these, and perhaps some
famous cities in Italy or Spain. are superior
TO London In the single element OF beauty,
Of magniiicence, or age. But the greatness
Of London lies in It's historic continuity. in
the survival OF its true organic centres in
all their essential character. IL possesses
in the Abbey, in Westminster Hall,
and in the Tower, three OF the noblest
buildings In the world: all Of them ha, c
an mbroken history OF eight centuries;
all are still devoted TO the uses for which
they were designed, and for 500 years they
have all been the local seats OF our national
existence. These three great monuments
are bound mp with each other rs well rs
bound up with the history of England.
AS cathedral, hall. and castle, no one OF
them has any superior in Europe. But, in
the way that they are inwoven with the
greatness, the genius, the poetry, the
destinies OF the country, as also in length
and continuity OF service. no one OF them
has It's equal in Europe. The city
which possesses all three has at once dig
nity Of her own: nor need we think OF st.
Paul's and the Temple, the Guildhall and
the Palace OF Westminster, the parks, the
bridges, and the docks. TO believe that we
are truly citizens OF no mean city. Neither
mud, nor smoke, nor stuccO-neither yes-
tries nor railways, can make London mean.
For in the mass, in the antiquity, in the
historic splendor of her national monu-
ments. IN the halo which the heroism. the
crimes. and the imagination OF eight centu-
ries have shed over them, London remains
70 the thoughtful spirit the most venerable
city OF the modern world.
And now, il seems, London has an Edile.
We have now Minister OF the Crown who
conceives it to be real part OF his duty to
preserve, cherish, and open to the public
our great public monuments. ii belongs
10 our national habits that IN English Min-
lister OF Public Works should regard his
Office as a sort OF society for the prcserva-
ton o. ancient buildings rather than as 4
syndicate for the destruction and trans
formation Of ancient cities. which is the
fixed idea OF the Continental llaussmann.
These Attilas and Genghis Khans OF mod
ern society, with the aid of the railway and
building companies who form their
natural allies, are rapidly achieving
the UaIssmannization, not only OF
Paris. but Of Rome, Vienna, Milan,
| Florence, and every medieval city OIL
Europe. II is a comfort to think that while
projects, MAYORS, and town councils every
where on the continent are seeking TO
make their cities fair imitation Of New
York, our First Commissioner OF Works
| is occupied in preserving to US our ancient
monuments in the form in which they were
built. And il is not a little curious that al
the present moment be is busy about the
preservation of all three OF our great mon
uments. lie has just revealed to us what
Westminster Hall was in the days OF the
Normans. He has still before him the
cruel problem OF refacing the Abbey. And
now he is showing us the Tower-not.
alas rs it was when It still served the
Tudor Kings as palace, but freed from
the eyesore with which the stupid vandal-
ism of the last hundred years had loaded 1t.
THE OLDEST OF THE GREAT MONUMENTS OF
LONDON.
The Tower is the oldest OF the three
great monuments OF London, and assUredly
il stands at the head OF all buildings OF its
order in the world. 1t Is the most perfect
eXtant example OF feudal castle OF the
first-class, continuously used as fortress
BY the same dynasty, and as seat OF the
same Government, since the times OF the
Crusades. 1t is, in fact, the civic building
in the world which can show the longest
and most splendid history. The Pantheon
at Rome, a few of the great Basilicas. the
BYZANTINE Church of the Holy Wisdom,
and a few religious buildings on the Con-
tinent. can show longer life; but there Is
no civic building, being neither ruin nor
restored ruin, but Still great
seat OF government. which can show so
vast record. The Tower Of London has
entered upon the hinth century OF its con-
tinuous life in the service Of the English
Crown. When the White Tower first rose
beside the Thames, as the buttress and
symbol Of the Conquest, the nations we
call France, Germany, and spain did mol
exist. 1t had already seen centuries OF
great and memorable things before thC
oldest of the palaces and halls OF Europe
had their foundations laid. Men talk o.
the traditions of the Kremlin. the Vatican
and the Escurial; but the first half OF the
wild history OF the Tower was over before
a stone was laid of these vast piles
The races who raised the fastastic dome
of Moscow or the minarets OF Con
stantinople were wandering herdsmen anC
robber tribes in Asia when the Tower wa
the home of the most powerful kings IL
Europe. The old Palaces OF state OF Ven
ice, Florence. Client, and Bruges, hav'
traditions Of great antiquity, and are mem
orable sources OF art, romance, and poetry
, But their real life has closed for ages
} they are little now but monuments o
q. museums. The Tower, which began s.
, long before them, has outliyed them all il
permanent vitality. The descendant o
] the Conqueror is still mistress OF tn
White Tower, which for 800 years In
} guarded the symbols Of our national pow
= er. 1t is true that in point OF pic
turesque beauty the Tower must yield q
4 some Of its younger rivals. 1t has not Tn
G mountaln-lke grandeur OF the Palace 0
: the PopeS at Avignon. nor the fairy beaut
n OF the Doge's Palace at Venice, nor tn
a skyline of the Old Palace at Florence, 0
II OF the Castle at Prague; much less has
Il the weird impressiyeneSs of that skeleton
C OF castles, the upper city OF Carcass0nne
j. or the piles of Loches, Chinon, and An
C gers. The glory OF the Tower Of Lond0l
It lies in its matchess historical record. Car
q cassonne has been ruin now for six cen
II turtles; the civic palaces of Italy, Ger
7. many, and the Netherlands had histor,
:, at most for few hundred years; ant
u Ayienon records but an episode in th
II career of the Papacy, seventy years O
= servility, ferocity, and vice. The buiidin;
7 OF all others which in historic dignity up
Z proaches most nearly the Tower is tina
u fragment Of the great palace Of the Cape
u tian Kings beside the Seine, which nov
> survives under the name OF the Concierge
g RE, OF which the Palals de Justice is the
= transformed Court Of Justice, and OF whicl
e the Sainte Chapelle OF st. Louis was TIL
proper chapel. Behind that screen of brand
L new Gothic reservations with which tn
y NOTWITHSTANDING have everywhere envelop
ed the ancient monuments of France, Pa
rlsians, If they only knew IT, might still
|. find the fortress Of their on.;ont ,nororoh,