The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-13

| ing by myself I'm these old places. !
can find my own way about and don't
| have to talk to anybody all the time.
and can go about places thinking all
my own thoughts. which may not be
very fine ones own. but which are as
much company as want In these quiet
old places that call for 50 much refiec-
ton.
| You know, of course, that this Is one
| of the oldest landmarks in England,
| having been begun by King Alfred,
continued by William the Conqueror,
and finished sometime in the eleventh
century. think. It's purpose was, they
say. both to protect the port of London
and to overawe the citizens, and was
surrounded on all sides by IA big moat,
which is now dry, and down at the bot
tom of which are little flower beds and
grasses, instead of the ugly stagnant
water which used to stand there. Ow-
| ing to the strength of its walls II was
used very much as prison. and Is sur
rounded by immense Notifications,
through the first of which. called the
Middle Tower. l went. passing by the
old Bell Tower and the queens
| House" to the Traitors Gate. above
which Is part called st. Thomas
Tower.
Interesting "Reminiscences Suggested.
The Traitors Gate. by which state
| prisoners used to enter the tower, Is at
the opening of the moat and guarded
| by two strong water gates. 1 couid
almost fancy could see Anne Boleyn
or Lady Jane Grey or any Of those poor
| unfortunate royalties beheaded here,
entering at the gate and ascending the
water steps to their place Of imprison-
ment / went next to the White Tower,
| in one part of which Sir Walter Raleigh
was once imprisoned and where he wrote
his History of the World" Immedi-
ately over this cell. which is formed in
the thickness Of single wall, some tif-
teen feet thick, is st. Johns chapel,
"one of the finest and most perfect
specimens of Norman architecture" to
be found in the kingdom. 1t was very
cold and bare, but wonderfully beauti
full, and was no doubt used by Will
liam the Conqueror and his family for
the purpose of worship long ago.
The Bloody Tower. through which one
enters this chapel, is so-called from the
spiral staircase, under which the two
princes. the sons of Edward ", We're
buried after their murder. The crown
jewels and regalia are kept in the
strongest of the tower rooms, and in
clude various classes of objects, crowns,
sceptcrs anu other things worn or car
ried at the coronation ceremony: sacred
vessels used at Westminster Abbey on
the same occasion. and at certain other
religious ceremonies; the gold and sill
YER table plate used at the coronation
banquet, and set of the insignia of
British Orders of Knighthood
Queen victOria's Crown.
The crown of Queen Victoria occupies
the highest place in the case. 1t was
used for the coronation of her majesty
in 1898 and is perfectly gorgeous with
diamonds, large and small, and con-
tains the 'inestimable sapphire" which
we hear so much about. beside the fam
Gus ruby which belonged to the black
prince and which was worn in the he'll
met Of Henry V at the battle of Agin-
court in 1415. The Prince Of Wales
coronet Is here beside the model of the
Kohinoor, in its original setting as
it came from India before cutting, and
several other things of interest, such as
the gold spurs for the king, the great
maces of gold for the sergeant-at-arms
at the coronations, great gold salt cell
lars and so on.
From here / went to the White Tower,
where / ran through the banquetting
hall. the state floor, and the council
chamber, now occupied by vast col
lection known for two centuries or more
as the Tower Armory, where there
are suits Of armor from all the periods
, during which armor was worn. Some
of the figures wearing armor are
mounted on great horses. which are
themselves incased as much as possible
in heavy armor. On one figure there
was a suit Of armor weighing over ia
pounds, the helmet alone weighing as
much as fifteen pounds. The poor horse
that carried all this load was himself
helmeted and protected with a most
cumbersome armor besides.
Heavyweight Suits OF Mail.
Some of these figures are armed to the
very teeth. or rather to the very finger
nails and toe nails not a speck Of them
being visible. These are called "cap-a-
pie" so I suppose armed cap-a-pie''
means completely armed. The old
spears. the halberds, boar spears,
| glaives and so forth, are interesting In
the extreme. There is in this room also
a case containing various instruments
of punishment and torture and model
Of the rack. Among the instruments
of torture are two executioner's swords,
a sort Of stocks called "Skeiflngton's
daughter" thumb screws and 80 on
| There re caypra1 mounted opd
NOR covered figures of Henry VIII
here in this room also almost wonder
fully comparlsoned. both horse @nd
man. some Of the armor consisting OF
over 11S separate pieces and very heavy
indeed. He must have been a dread
fully conceited piece Of humanity
Guns, swords, famous pieces Of old can
non. battle axes and such pieces, be-
sides great old shields, abound in this
armOry.
But ! could not linger here forever
and so tore myself away to the next
thing, which was the parade. across
which one must go to reach the Beau
champ Tower, which is one Of the most
interesting of all 1t Is here
that so many prisoners have
worn away their lives. and Il
Is in this tower that these prisoners
have carved Inscriptions on the walls
some of which must have taken years
of trouble and patience. having been
done with the aid of forks, needles
sharp stones. etc. They were most
wildly interesting and / puzzled over
some Of them for long time. There
was book of etchings OF them there
!. over which my heart fairly yearned
but they were rather expensive and
forebore. There was such a curious lit
tie old winding staircase In this tower
| was admirlng 1t as l descended until
1 nedalx fell which rather instled m,