The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-30
LONDON ILLUSIONS
Enstshmsn Who Can Stand Anythinr-The Phlanthropist Who
Looked Like the Dsvil-Tourists Who Didn't Know an
Earl When They Saw One.
The gentleman was Nero Of the cOuntr.
OF S~tradivarius.

WNo VhS VI VIC ~NJ
OF Stradivarius.
There are not many EarIs in IondOn at
present-not even at Esrl's Court.
The average American traveller stands
aEape at q real Earl. He may not think him
any better than he Is himself. bur he is in-
terestsd to tho point OF jaw dropping.
The other day l went up to the Tower.
IL is q good many years since I FIRST visited
sunny London and the Tower was one
Of the places / had left unseen Just as--in
common with numerous New Yorkers-L
have never set foot on Williamsburg Bridge.
l knew II was ono OF the sights Of the town.
but l prefsrred to lima CINE the sosne OF
Lady Jane Greys taking on and the place
where h little princes in the tower acted
az modeAs for Sir John Millais.
But the other day In my efforts to escape
the heat I found myself in the Tower in st.
Johns Chapel. whore that good and pious
man, William the Conqueror. attended de-
vOtions with that family Of his from whom
almost everybody that Is anybody-and .
good many nobodies-is descended.
BY M-or good-luck l fell in behind a
company OF the personally conducted and
listened for a time to the patter OF their
guide, They bestowed the proper amount
Of -ahs' and "ohs" upon the various re-
minders of the one time presence Of bygono
kings and at last came out into the open,
to Tower Green. 40 familiar to those who
attended Gilbert and Sullivan's "Yeomen
Of the Guard"
In front OF the barracks a few soldiers
were indulging in a desultOry drill. But
one gets used to soldiers in London and my
compatriots hardly looked at them. To
4 - - - V-zlG-- -
Watching the droll antics OF half q dozen
shiny ravens who -gallOped" about in the
hot sun with their Characteristic limping
step.
A lady asked one Of the officers who hap
pened to have a mouOcle in his eye whether
the ravens were crows, and he answered
bsr oourteously, AZ an English oficer would
be likely to do. but she hardly acknowledged
his courtesy, a. the guide was now telling
about Lady Jane Grey and Anne Boleyn
and the rest Of the unfortunates who parted
with their lives Ind their heads at the same
time.
The motley crowd was much impressed
with the story Of the dead mobiles but
scarce cast a glance at the lazy officers
grouped together in the Tower yard, doing
nothing in particular and doing it very
we'll"
How different would have been the action
OF the crowd had IL been known that a court
martial was being held inside b Tower
and that these smart officers with blond
mustaohes and monocles were witnesses
waiting their turn and most Of them "belted
Earls," bored indeed at having TO he in
London on such a beastly hot day.
Think Of it, rood American democratic
Y.l.V The ran Uhn told V0aI a rAVAn WaQ
not q crow was a real live lord. And you
left him to hear q twice told tale about a
dead lady.
was disappointed in the Beef Eaters
costume. They looked quite correct as to
out, but the pictures Of them had led me to
suppose that the material would be more
expensive. 1 had somehow taken 1t into
my headthat Beef Eaters clothes were made
out Of one Of these indestructible English
cloths that wear forever and that the suit
descended through the male line, but ! can
fancy these fellows having 70 buy a new suit
every few years.
Il is much better not to 20 to these show
places. Ones illusions are 30 much better
preserved.
Take King Edwards crown, for instance.
q wouldn't really advise you to even at
tempt to take it. Did you notice that I
split an inhnitive thenO The crown
doesn't impress you a. being as glorious a.
YOU had imagined it before you saw 1t.
That simply rent the air with its c0ruscating,
in~candescent, binding bTillL6EoS. But the-e
arc chorus girls in New York musical TO
ductiOns who wear things much more -much
~more-fAshy.
OF course when l remember the histories
I have read In times past and recall that
Edwards crown was constructed In 1888
for her late MAjesty's coronation, the prin-
cipaI Jewels being taken from older crowns
and the royal collections, / realize hat
from a money point Of view it is beyond
my means.
Then more Of my extensive delving
into history comes back to me and l observe
the large ruby which you will remember
was given to the Black Prince In Spain in
1867. Henry v. wore it in his helmet at
ARincourt. With seventy-fve large brill
iants il forms a Maltese cross on the front
Of the diadem.
Immediately below it Is a splendid sap
phire purchased by George w. Seven
other sapphires and eight emeralds, all OF
large size, with many hundred diamonds,
decorate the band and arches, and the
cross on the summit is formed OF a rose cut
sapphire and four very fine brilliants.
The whole contains 2,sIS diamonds, 207
pearls and many other jewels, and weighs
thirty mine ounces FIVE pennyweights.
The crown was enlarged for his Majesty
Edward VII. (Surcly a pardOnable case
Of big head.)
How 1t all comes back to me a. I stand
before it-and look at my penny guide.
Reading maketh the full man.
:. Heaven and VesuvIus.
- al. .I., ID n