The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-12-09
TOWER OF LONDON.
Famous Building is Older Than Al
European Palace.

thaI ia comparison Win the tower NJ
palaces and prisons throughout Eu..
rope are modern creations. Hep
worth 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 Wen
mas the time of Henry VIII The
Kremlin in Moscow. the Doges pal
ace in Venice. are of the fourteenth
century. The seraglio in STEAMBOAT
was built by Mahomet II. The Oldest
part OF the vatican was commenced
by Borgia, whose name it bears. Thel
old Louvre was begun in the reign Of
Henry VIII; the Tuilleries in that Of
Elizabeth. In the time of our civil
war Versailles was yet swamp
The 10th century claims the Escu-
rial; the 18th. San Souci. Jerusa-
lens Serial is Turkish edifice; the
palaces of Athens. Cairo, Teheran,
are all of modern date. So 1t is, too,
with the prisons. With the sole eX-
ception of st. Angelo in Rome all are
OF modern date as compared with
that one from which Ralph Flambartl
escaped in the year 100. the date Or
the first crusade.
The crown Jewels in the tower are
worth, 1t may be supposed, some 83,-
100000. Everything Of state regalia
is there. with one notable exception.
The Koh-i-Nor is represented by a
crystal. Queen Alexandra wears the
original, on great occasions, as part
of her personal jewels. The toweE
has been the sovereign's strong room
for the storing of treasure ever
since tower dwelling monarchs were.
The old Jewel house itself was built
simultaneously with the royal mint,
when that establishment was with
in the tower walls
The only attempt to steal the treas
ure is historic. 1t was the feat Of
that picturesque villain, Col. Blood.
He had ingratiated himself with the
deputy keeper of the jewels, had gone
so far as to propose match between
his ward and the daughter of the Off
cial. 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 making off. when, by
the strangest coincidence. the son OF
the jewel keeper arrived from Elan
ders. h
The scene which followed would do
credit to the dramatist The colonel,
disguised as a clergyman, had the
crown concealed beneath his cas-
sock, and added his voice to the hueN
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
fired 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, scavenger the biggest dia-
mond. well, it was a gallant deed;
it was to gain a crown" was all Blood
had to say as they carried him pris-
oner to the dungeons.
But no ill befell him for this and
other treason. He had played for
high stakes before. had attempted to
surprise Dublin Castle and capture
the Duke of Ormonde. and that fail
ing, 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, which is haunted to this day,
you are desired to believe. The
ghost is that of Harry Percy. ninth
earl of Northumberland. who spent
IA years of his life a prisoner there.
The wizard earl, they called him. For
his companions he had Raleigh, work
ing on his mystic preparation whichhe
hoped would produce an elixir of life;
and Heriot Allen, Torperley, his Magi,
as they were known. This little CO.
terie discovered sun spots before the
alert eye of Calico had detected their
existence, and was the first to detect
the satellites of Jupiter. When, at
the end of his long Imprisonment. the
earl returned to his home, he
founded library from which half
the learning of following years had
its inspiration. Only sun dial,
fixed by Heriot's own hands. remains
to commemorate that remarkable fell
lowship which did SO much for the
glory of English science.-St. James.
Gazette.