Evening star., 1903-11-28
THE TOWER OF LONDON.
Older Than Any European Palace-The
Jewel Room-Col Blood's Deed,

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From the St. James Gazette
Possibly few persons are aware that in
comparison with the tower the palaces and
prisons throughout Europe are modern Gre
ations. Hepworth Dixon establishes this
fact clearly In his admirable history The
Oldest bit of palace in Europe, that of the
west front of the Burg in Vienna, is of the
time of Henry VIII The Kremlin In Mos
COW, the Doge's Palace in Venice are OF
the fourteenth century. The seraglio in
Stamboul was built by Mohammed the Seq
ond The Oldest part Of the Vatican was
The old louvre was begun in the reign
of Henry VIII; the Tuileries in that of
Elizabeth. In the time Of our civil war
Versailles was yet swamp. The sixteenth
century claims the Escurial; the eighteenth
Sans souci. Jerusalem's serail is Turkish
edifice; the palaces of Athens Cairo, Tehe-
ran, are all OF modern date. So 1t is, too,
with the prisons. With tn sole exception Of
as COMPARED with that one from which
Ralph Flambard escaped in. the year HOO
the date Of the first crusade.
The crown jewels In the tower are worth,
1t may be supposed, some three million
pounds Everything of state regalia is
there, with one notable exception. The
Koh-i-Nor is represented by crystal.
Queen Alexandra wears the original, on
great OcCdslOnS as part OF her personal
Jewels. The tower has been the sovereigns
strong room for the storing of treasure
ever since tower-dwelling monarchs were.
The old Jewel house itself was built stimuli
taneously with the royal mint, when that
establishment was within the tower walls.
The only attempt to steal the treasure is
historic. It was the feat of that pictur-
esGue villain. Col Blood. He had ingra-
tiated himself with the deputy keeper Of the
Jewels. had gone SO far as to propose
match between his ward and the daughter
Of the official. All went smoothly. The
bogus swain turned up to be Inspected;
with him three others and the colonel. They
beat and gagged the old man, secured the
crown. orb and scepter. and were just MAX
ing off. when. by the strangest coincidence,
the son of the Jewel keeper arrived from
Flanders.
The scene which followed would do credit
to the dramatist The colonel, disguised as
a clergyman, had the crown concealed be-
the hue and cry. stop the villain,' he
roared. He had reached his horse before
the imposture was discovered. When they
made for him he turned and fred in the
face Of the men nearest him. The pistol
missed fire, and the crown was saved; but
not uninjured. Trampled in the mud, it's
jewels were all knocked out, and many Of
them lost. An apprentice found the great
pearl a scavenger the biggest diamond
well. 1t was gallant deed; 1t was to gain
a CROWN" was all Blood had to say as they
carried him prisoner to the dungeons. But
no i'll befell him for this and other treason
He had played for high stakes before, had
attempted to surprise Dublin Castle and
failing, had coolly laid his plans to seize
and hang him when he returned to London.
The outcome Of all was that, cOnfeSsing to
having plotted to take his sovereign's life.
he was granted a pension, and lived and
died in the odor of sanctity at court
All this took place In the Martin Tower,