The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-19

Tower of London" was to tell English men something about that historical structure. In this he succeeded admf- rably, and his work Is most valuable even if considered solely as a descrlp- tion of the great pile.
 For the rest, the story is fascinat- ing historical romance. but histori- cal romance essentially different from the historical romances of our gener- ation. Where our romances make his- tory merely background and excuse, Ainsworth makes history the main body of the story, and the imaginary characters who play through it are not nearly so interesting as are the real ones
 For the purposes of his story he has taken large liberties in his histo- ". His picture of Queen Mary-the Bloody Mary of the histories written by her enemies-is more flattering than is that of the generally accept ed records.
 Fortunately, for this aspect of her, he stops his story before Mary's mar riage to Phillip of Spain, and before the lighting of the fires that destroyed more than 300 heretics in her short reign.
 0N the 10th of July, 1858, fifty
 gilt barges, hung with cloth of gold and arras and decorat- ed with innumerable silken banners and streamers with silver bells attach ed to them, lay in the Thames before the Tower of London. around which hung a cloud of powder smoke that was increased constantly by salvos from every loophole and every turret.
 Heralds, esquires, knights and nobles thronged every landing place and eve- ry street. The river was ablaze with the gorgeous shields that bore the armorial bearings of England's great est Thousands of men at arms in all the fantastic splendor of costume that the bizarre fancy of the age could suggest thronged the streets.
 Yet when all that great procession at last began to move by land and water there rose no cheers among the people. Not a cap was thrown in the air. not a scarf waved. Over all the crowds lay deep and ominous si lence.
 Even heaven seemed to frown. The brilliant sunshine that had reigned in the morning gave place suddenly to heavy, leaden masses of thunder clouds that mounted menacingly behind the Tower, and peals and wild flashes of lightning overpowered the peals and IldSneS Ol ildH
 It was thus that Lady Jane Grey, the wife of Lord Guilford Dudley, the son of the mighty Duke of Northumberland was taken to the Tower to begin her reign as Queen of England-against the will of the people and against her own will, for she urged the prior claims of the Princesses Mary and pro- phesied that the crown would be taken from her with the lead that wore it. Before she had been within the an- cient fortress an hour her dark fate began to close in on her. Led by the secret council of the Spanish ambassa- dor, Simon Renard, Pembroke, Cecil, Arundel and most of the other peers of England refused in her presence to sign an answer denouncing pro- clamation issued by. Mary in which she claimed the crown.%
 If this dispatch is signed whisper ed Simon Renard to Pembroke, Mary will suspect treachery on the part Of her friends and flee to France, which is what Northumberland wants"
 q will have your hands to this pa per!' cried Northumberland, "or l will seal it with your blood
 There was stern, deep silence.
 "Guardsm said Northumberland 5 fiercelye e"Attach their persons! l will grant five minutes for reflection. Af- ter that time nothing shall save you from the block as traitors!
 simon Renard smiled. The game was playing into his hands. He whispered again to the Earl of Pembroke.
 sign" said he. q will find way to communicate with Mary"
 Sullenly the peers advanced and wrote their names. NOW" said the duke. "let the Tower gates be closed. the draw bridges raised, and suffer none to go forth without my written order on pain of death"
 ''You are prisoners" said Renard. with sheer Now do you consent to the only solution-to Northumber- lands removal?"
 q do,' replied Pembroke. But who will strike the blow?"
 q will find the man." answered Re- nard.
 As these last few words were whis- pered Cuthbert Cholmondeley, squire to Lord Guilford Dudley, was pressed close enough to hear them. At once he tried to force his way to his mas ters side. but the great throng pre- vented Hastily he wrote a message and gave it to an attendant.
 That night as the young squire pass ed under d narrow postern, he was struck down from behind and carried away with a gag in his mouth. His messa ge had been intercepted and the copspirators lost no time in doing away with the man who knew their secret
 There were none to mark the deed for the Tower of London was wild with reyel through all the length and height of it's great expanse. Many of those who should have been on guard bad succumbed to the attractions of +ha stone Kitchen, where Master Trus- hut the royal pantler, had provided a great banquet for the warders and other officials.
 There sat wonderful company, Mau- rer the headsman; Hairun, the bear ward and keeper of the lions; Kit, the Tower dwarf, and his three enormous patrons and foster parents, the giants Or Magog and Cog, who boasted that thev were sons of Henry VIII. himself
 These mighty men, each nearly eight faat fall were devouring incredible ouant,ties of food and drink to the de- < liphtad engagement of the company Hav 1r dispatched huge dish of qua, G at the rate of two to the mouth fui thev attacked a lordly baron of beef and destroyed it to the bone To refresh themselves after this prodl gious exertion they drained three gal Ions of metheglin, after which they ate half calvered salmon, Westpha- lia ham. a mighty venison pasty larded capon and tn en a peacock
 There was only one person to whom this scene afforded no amusement. This was Cicelv. the Rose of the Tower who had been brought up py Dame Trusbut. and seemed strangely out of a.x1 1sextfv atCl1A <J