Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-08-07
THE LONDON TOWER
Scene of Hairbreadth Escapes and HID
den Treasure

Scene of Hairbreadth Escapes and Hid
den Treasure
The Tower of London, is described In
the following bulletin from the National
Geographic Society:
palace and prison, once noted also
for its menagerie and it's pageantry. BIRTH
place and death house of monarchs, scene
OF hairbreadth escapes and reputed MD
den treasure, CHASTITY in its memories OF
tortures and killings and sacred for its
martyrs, the Tower of London amply
warrants description as the most ancient
and most poetic pile in Europe
civilian the Conqueror gave London
a charter but built the White Tower to
show the people how little that charter
might mean. Like the English constitu-
tion the rambling London Tower OF to-
day Is a product of centuries. and not
one. but many towers. now are scattered
over some 10 acres. The site had been
fortress since Roman times.
ITO the Middle Tower Elizabeth came
back a queen Ave years after her
Jealous half-sister, Mary, had kept her
there prisoner The hump-backed
Richard III hired three assassins to MUIR
der his nephews in Bloody Tower. Not
and taken to Westminster Abbey
Lady Jane Grey. she who had the
birth Of Princess. the life Of a saint
and the death of a malefactor.' was be-
headed in London Tower. Henry VIII
waited to hear a gun fired from White
Tower. signal of the execution of Anne
Boleyn. so he might marry Jane Sey-
mour next day. Henry's minister,
Thomas Cromwell, sent hosts of enemies
to London Tower to be butchered until
he helped pick Anne Of Cloves for his
much married monarch. but when Henry
saw this prospective bride he pronounced
her a Flanders mare and off went
Cromwell's head with the rest.
Relieving such stories of royal
cruelty are the immortal last words of
the brave men and women who laid their
heads on the axeman's block.
God forbid the King shall use any
more such mercy to my friends, laughed
Sir Thomas More when told that Henry
VIII had 'mercifully' consented to let
him be beheaded instead Of hanged, and,
to the executioner, as he moved his
beard aside, Pity that should be cut that
has not committed treason.
THE countess of Salisbury proudly re-
fused to lay her head on the block be-
cause she had committed no wrong. so
that, says an observer, apologizing for
the executioner, he was constrained to
fetch it off slovenly.'
"'If you strike me twice, l cannot
promise you not to STIR warned Mon
mouth. Asked to raise his head a bit
Algernon Sidney retorted. Not until the
general resurrection; strike on Peter.
inquired Sir Walter Raleigh. to keep up
the spirits Of his attendant, 'Dost thou
know of any plaster to set a mans head
on again when 1t was cut OFF,
Consigned to the Tower for some IL
years Sir Walter set fashion which
made a salon out of the palace prison.
While he was not attending his garden,
and distillng essence from plants. he
wrote his quaint History of the World,
and there, too, William Penn wrote
No Cross, No Crown. not to mention the
writings of the Duke of Orleans and Sir
John Eliot.
About the main entrance to the Tower
was a menagerie until hundred years
or so ago because Frederick ii Of Ger
many sent Henry III of England several
panthers and Henry did not know what
else to do with them. Later James l. who
liked bear batting. added those animals
to the zoo.
THE warders, known as beef eaters,
probably because they once were fed on
rations of meat form one of the
curiosties for London visitors. They
wear Tudor costumes and, like Swiss
body-guard of the Pope. they keep their
ancient costumes, undisturbed by cur
rents of modern fashion.
Just before midnight the head warder
and the porter, carrying a bunch of huge
keys. go to the guard room, summon
the escort Of the keys made up Of beef
eaters and then proceed tremendously
to lock the great outer gate. The pass
word is given formally to sentries as the
procession passes. and in conclusion the
detail salutes the keys as the porter
cries, God preserve the King Every
three months the reigning king or queer
sends the password of the Tower to the
constable. signed and sealed and the
mayor of London is the only outside per-
son supposed to know it. This custom
is relic of the time when the Tower
was primarily fortress.
Like the Bastile, London Tower has
been stormed. Desperate efforts have
been made to steal the royal relics kept
there, which include the ancient 'anoint-
cellar One famous effort. in which 6
Col. Blood. disguised as a clergyman
nearly made away with the bejeweled
crown. is thought by some to have beer
| inspired by Charles II because he needed
the money the rare gems would bring.
"One of the less we'll known. but mos
spectacular incidents. was the escape o!
two priests by ruse that would have
done credit to Monte Cristo. One OF
them, having been strung up by the
hands for days. and then put in a rach
while his wrists still were swollen, with
out making him betray his faith, wrote
| in orange juice to friends outside. for 0
| light rope with a weight at one end. He
! also asked that a boat be brought to the
river below Cradle Tower on a certain
| night. On that night he made his way
to his fellow prisoners room. The two
| flung the weighted end of the rope e
their friends in the boat, pulled up {
heavier rope, climbed from the steer
walls to the boat safely, and made theil
escape"
VERMONT APPLES IN DANGER