The times., 1899-08-20
LOCKING LONDON TOWER.
The Ceremony to Be Changed After
Six Hundred Years.
(From the London Mail-)


Alterations TO the Tower of London, II
sounds like sacrilege at the very least.
Yet it has been done. Masons and carpen-
ters have been lately at work within the
grim old walls. The alterations are to the
guardhouse hard by the Bloody Tower.
The old main guard served it's purpose
for long time, but 1t was small and in
convenient, and in the end the authorities
determined to pull it down and build a
larger one in its place.
But the alteration implies something
more serious than rearrangement of
bricks and mortar. 1t has led to a change
in the ancient ceremony of the Keys
Time out of mind, the main guard has
turned out every night beside the Bloody
Tower to salute Her MajeSty's keys. Now
that the guardhouse has gone. the main
guard has removed to the spur guard, and
the ceremony of the Keys has gone with
1.-THE first variation it has known for
hundreds of years.
Nobody knows when the ceremony be-
gan. 1t is certainly six hundred years
old, and probably a great deal older. The
first reference to it in the archives is
dated 1910.
In King Edward HIS time" runs the
entry, there was one John Of London, an
handycraft's man and armourer. that had
the custody of the keys. portcullises and
draw bridges of the Tower, with the wages
OF iiijd per diem, and lid for varlet TO
carry the keys for him. He had the same
clothes, and rugg gown, and q halbert
allowed him as the rest of the yeomen
had"
From the time OF that forgotten John of
London there has always been yeoman
that had the custody of the gates He
has always had his clothes and his ''rugg
gown" and his nightly ceremony OF lock-
ing the gates has not varied or been omit
ted for single night The present change
of background is probably the worst vio-
lence it has ever suffered.
At a few minutes before IL the chief
warden takes his keys and. accompanied
by his assistant. marches to the guard
house. There he applies TO the sergeant
for the escort for the keys" The SER
geant acquaints the officer, and the officer,
placing the guard under arms, furnishes a
| sergeant and four men. Two of the men
are unarmed Their duty is to assist in
closing the gates and TO carry the ancient
lanthorn, which has a tallow candle.
procession is formed. The yeoman
porter, carrying the keys in his hand.
places himself in the midst of the escort
and goes the round OF the gates. The SEN
tries present arms. Everybody must sa-
lutte the Queens keys, even the constable
himself
On a dark night, with the lanthorn
casting dim light on the scarlet coats,
the saluting warders, and the yeoman por-
ter locking the gates, the sight is quaint
and impressive. One forgets that he is in
the midst of a modern city, with tram
| cars, and nervous complaints, and electric
lights. The mind goes back to the days Of
barons and night alarms, when fortresses
meant something and the keeping of gates
was matter OF some importance.
When all the gates are locked the warder
returns with his keys to the main guard
or. at present, TO the spur guard. The
sentry challenges.
Halt Who goes there?"
"The keys replies the warder.
Whose keys"
Queen Victoria's keys
Advance, Queen Victoria's keys SAYS
the sentry, and the yeoman porter and his
escort face the guard, who are drawn up
in line
At the command of the officer the guard
presents arms. The officer salutes the keys.
Then says the yeoman porter, "in an audi
BILE voice. God preserve Queen Victoria.
and the guard from the officer to the drum
mer, reply Amen The keys are returned
TO the Queens House, where they remain
| until o'clock in the morning when the
| gates are unlocked. There is again an es
| cort. but no ceremony.
The wiekets remain open until midnight.
After this hour nobody can enter the pre-
cincts of the Tower unless he has the coun-
tersign This, after the manner OF fort
resses. is selected daily, and may be chang
ed at any moment. 1t is generally the nane
of river a county or town.