The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-15
LONDON TOWER

! described IN the IolicWNuS VuiiShi
from the National Geographic society:
| Palace and prison, once noted
7 also for its menagerie and its pagean-
/ try. birthplace and death house OF
! nlonarchs, scene OF hairbreadth es-
cApes AMI reputed hidden treasure,
ghastly in its memories of tortures
and killings and sacred for its mar
| tyrs, the Tower OF London amply
warrants description as the most an
cient ard most poetic pile in Europe
| William the Conaueror gave Lon
don a charter but built the White
Tower to show the people how little
that charter might mean. Like the
English constitution the rambling
London Tower OF today is a product
OF centuries, and not one. but many
towers, now are scattered over some
thirteen acres. The site had been a
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 a prisoner The hump
backed Richard III hired three assas-
sins TO murder his nephews in Bloody
Tower. Not until years later were
their bones found and taken to West
minister Abbey.
Lady Jane Grey, she who had the
birth Of princess, the life OF a saint.
and the death Of malefactor,' was
beheaded 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 Seymour next day. Henry's
minister, Thomas Cromwell sent hosts
OF enemies to London Tower to be
butchered until he helped pick Anne
OF Gloves for his much married mon
arch but when Henry saw this pros
pective bride he pronounced her a
Flanders mare and off went Crom-
wells head with the rest.
Relieving such stories of royal
cruelty ara 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 Moore when told
that Henry VIII had 'mercifully' con-
scented to let him be beheaded instead
OF hanged, and. to the executioner. as
he moved his beard aside. PITY that
should he cut that has not committed
reason
The countess Of Salisbury proudly
refused to lay her head on the block
because she had committed no wrong,
so that. says an observer, apologizing
for the executioner. he was con-
strained to fetch it off slovenly'
II you strike me twice. I cam
promise you not to stir warned
Monmouth. 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
n "A igfa a. fa sat ,,,ra H. a
when it was cut off
Consigned to the tower for some
thirteen years Sir Walter set a fash
ion which made a salon out OF the
While he was not
attending his garden. and distilling
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 menagerie until a hun
dred years or so ago. because Fred
erick II. Of Germany. sent Henry III,
OF England. several panthers and
Henry did not know what else to do
with them. Later James I, who lik-
ed bear batting. added those animals
TO the zoo.
The warders. known as beet
eaters probably because they once
were fed on rations OF meat. form one
of the curiosities for London visitors
They wear Tudor costumes. and, like
the Swiss body-guard OF the pope,
they keep their ancient costumes. I'M
disturbed by currents OF modern fash
ion.
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 cerem niousiy TO lock the
great outer gate. The pass word Is
given formally to sen,ries as the pro
cession passes, and In conclusion the
detail saiutes the keys as the porter
cries. God preserve the King. Every
three months the reign,ng king o.
queen sends the password of the tower
TO the constable. signed and sealed
and the mayor Of London is the only
other outside person supposed tc
| know II. This custom is a relic o. the
time when the tower was primarily q
fortress
Like the Bastile. London Towe,
has been stormed. Desperate effort.
| have been made to steal the roya
reNcs kept there, which include the
ancient amounting spoon and Queer
Eliza beth's salt cellar. One famou.
effort. In which Colonel Blood. dis
guised as clergyman. nearly made
away with the bejeweiled crown. /.
thought by some to have been In.
| spired by Charles II. because he need
ed the money the rare gems woult
| bring.
One Of the less we'll known. bu
most specta cular incidents, was tn,
| eacspe Of two priests by a ruse tina
! would have done credit to Mont,
Cristo. One OF them having beer
strung up by the hands for days, ant
| then put in q rack while his wrist,
still were swollen. without maxim,
him betray his faith. wrote In orang,
juice to friends outside, for a ligh
rope with a weight at one end. II,
also asked that a boat be brought Il
the river below Cradle Tower on I
certain night. On that night h,
made his way to his fellow prisoner
room. The two flung the weighted
erd Of the rope to their friends In tn,
boat. pulled up heavier rope. climb
ed from the steep walls to the boa
safely, and made their escape"
The light In the eye Of a rossip |,
OF several scandal power.