The Washington bee., 1911-02-25
Vision
By F. A. Mitchell


This is the TowerY' / asked pres
emily.
"Yes, sir"
was sitting on q bench In an open
court in the Tower Of London. Before
me was a piece OF pavement different
from the rest, some ffteen or twenty
feet square and In its center = plate
on which was an Inscription. / re-
membered being the evening before
In the quarters OF enc OF the Tower
officials, and that was all. How /
came TO be seated on the bench in the
early morning have never to this
day fully determined. At IL / had
started for my lodgings ipf. SxfOra
street, but could not remember going
there One of the Tower attendants.
commonly called 'beefeaters." had
reused NE.
II how / came to be there is mys-
terry, what saw there is q still greater
one. had been sitting u long while.
OF that was fully conscious. Whether
it was night or day l have no recOllec-
ton, but the scene I witnessed seems
to me to have been enacted in the day.
My first remembrance is hearing
shouts OF Long live Queen Mary but
| they seemed to come from without the
inclOsure. Within a few persons hur-
ried by silently, as il in preparation
for some momentOus event. They were
| all serious. and one or two OF them
were In tears.
Then / was conscious Of a number
Of persons sitting with me about the
square bit Of pavement, though the
seats on which they sat were OF rough
hewn wood. The men wore trunks.
hose. doublets and hats decorated with
| feathers, the women stomachers and
| large rufIed collars. Covering the
square place on the pavement ] have
mentioned was a platform on which
rested a rectangular block OF wood
about two feet high and followed at
the top on both sides. Beside it. lean
| ing on q huge AZ, was 3 tall figure in
tight fitting costume. Those about the
platform. which was plainly scanOld
wore serious couBtenances. WithSut
| the Tower inclosuFe / heard sounds In
| dIcating commOtion: "The dukes hn
ished: death to all traitors" A man
sitting next me whispered to another
| Its all over up on the bill"
| A horror crept over me. l would
gladly have gone away, but had nc
| power to move. Looking down toward
| the other end of the court where there
were buildings for dwelling purposes
saw lovely apparition at q window
a young girl apparently from seven
teen to twenty years old. At the
| same time | heard the rumbling Of q
cart Two young girls attendant on
| the one at the window tried TO draw
her away, but she would not go.
1T is the body of her husband"
heard some one say. He's been exc
cuted on Tower hill"
When the cart had passed there
was an interval that my memory fail;
to fill. but the next scene was the
| opening Of the door under the window
at which the young lady bad appeared
and she came out with an officer. at
tended by the two girls 1 had seer
| with her and q priest She came to
ward the scaffold reading from a bOol
and praying. When she reached th'
scaffold she aScended the steps will
as much composure as II she were
| going to her chamber and stood wait
ing for silence. When it came sh,
spoke to the people, but / have NJ
remembrance OF what she said. There
she knelt. prayed and asked permis
sion Of the priest to say a psalm.
These religious features ended, sh
took OF her gloves and her kerchief
and loosened her gown. The execu
toner knelt before her and asked for
| giveness for what he was about to do
The girl then tied a handkerchief owe
her eyes with her own hands. Crop
ing for the block. she asked. "Wher,
is it?" Guided TO 1t. she knelt and laiS
her neck on II. saying, Lord, into tn.
hands / commend my spirit" The las
/ remember was the ak swinging owe
her.
Have you been sitting here al
night, sir?' asked the attendant
81 don't know. / have a vague recol
lection gradually coming back to me o
having followed last night when
started to go home a figure dressed II
singular costume"
At that moment my eyes rested oI
the plate in the center Of the marke,
square. l saw the name Lady Jan
Grey. / read that she, Anne Boleyl
and Catherine Howard were all exc
cuted there. My horror Of the nigh
before returned. ] rose and was stag
gering away when the attendant, put
dng his arm through mine, assisteI
me, taking me to the gate and calling
a cab for me. / was driven to 10,
lodgings and did not leave them for
fortnight.
When / got out l had a longing t.
know something Of Lady Jane Grey
but dreaded TO bring back my expert
ence Of that grewsome night After
few months had passed | mustereC
courage to read her life. / foun'
events attending her execution tn,
same as | witnessed in my vision, n!
dream or whatever It was. Those wh'
attended her at her death have test
So