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AUTHORISED GUIDE TO THE TOWER OF LONDON.


BY W.J. LOFTIE, B.A., F.S.A.

REVISED EDITION.

WITH TWELVE VIEWS AND TWO PLANS, AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE ARMOURY,
BY THE VISCOUNT DILLON, P.S.A.

(_Curator of the Tower Armouries._)


[Illustration]


LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE,
BY HARRISON AND SONS, ST. MARTIN'S LANE,
PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY.
_AND SOLD AT THE TOWER_.

1904

_Reprinted_ 1907.

       *       *       *       *       *

PRICE ONE PENNY.




[Illustration: PLAN OF THE TOWER.]




THE TOWER OF LONDON.

       *       *       *       *       *

GENERAL SKETCH.

The Tower of London was founded in 1078, by William the Conqueror, for
the purpose of protecting and controlling the city. To make room for his
chief buildings he removed two bastions of the old wall of London, and
encroached slightly upon the civic boundaries. Part therefore of the
Tower is in London, and part in Middlesex, but it forms, with its
surrounding fortifications, a precinct in itself which belongs neither
to the city nor the county. It covers an area of 18 acres within the
Garden rails.

The present buildings are partly of the Norman period; but architecture
of almost all the styles which have flourished in England may be found
within the walls. It is well to remember that though the Tower is no
longer a place of great military strength it has in time past been a
fortress, a palace, and a prison, and to view it rightly we must regard
it in this threefold aspect.

It was first built as a fortress, and has a central Keep, called the
"White Tower." The Inner Ward is defended by a wall, flanked by thirteen
towers, the entrance to it being on the south side under the Bloody
Tower. The Outer Ward is defended by a second wall, flanked by six
towers on the river face (_see_ Pl. IX, X and XI), and by three
semicircular bastions on the north face. A Ditch or "Moat," now dry,
encircles the whole, crossed at the south-western angle by a stone
bridge, leading to the "Byward Tower" from the "Middle Tower," a gateway
which had formerly an outwork, called the "Lion Tower."

The Tower was occupied as a palace by all our Kings and Queens down to
Charles II. It was the custom for each monarch to lodge in the Tower
before his coronation, and to ride in procession to Westminster through
the city. The Palace buildings stood eastward of the "Bloody Tower."

The security of the walls made it convenient as a State prison, the
first known prisoner being Ralf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, who had been
active under William Rufus in pushing on the buildings. From that time
the Tower was seldom without some captive, English or foreign, of rank
and importance.

In the Tudor period the "Green" within the Tower was used on very rare
occasions for executions.[1] Condemned prisoners were usually beheaded
on

[Footnote 1: See page 32.]

_Tower Hill_.

Emerging from the Mark Lane railway station, the visitor obtains an
excellent view of the great fortress. Within the railed space of Trinity
Square, the first permanent scaffold on Tower Hill was set up in the
reign of Edward III, but the first execution recorded here was that of
Sir Simon Burley in 1388. Here also were beheaded, among others, Dudley,
the minister of Henry VII (1510), his son the Duke of Northumberland
(1553), his grandson, Lord Guildford Dudley (1554), Cromwell, Earl of
Essex (1540), More and Fisher (1535), Surrey (1547), and his son,
Norfolk (1572), Strafford (1641), and Archbishop Laud (1645), and the
Scotch lords in 1716, 1746, and 1747, the last being Simon, Lord Lovat.

The Tower moat is immediately before us. It is drained and used as a
parade ground. Beyond it, as we approach the entrance, we have a good
view of the fortifications. On the extreme left are the Brass Mount and
North Bastions. In the middle is Legge's Mount. To the right is the
entrance gateway. The highest building behind is the White Tower, easily
distinguished by its four turrets. In front of it are the Devereux,
Beauchamp, and Bell Towers, the residences of the Lieutenant of the
Tower and of the Yeoman Gaoler being in the gabled and red tiled houses
between the last two. From one of these windows Lady Jane Grey saw her
husband's headless body brought in from Tower Hill, by the route we now
traverse; and the leads are still called Queen Elizabeth's Walk, as she
used them during her captivity in 1554.


_The Lion Tower_

stood where the Ticket Office and Refreshment Room are now. Here the
visitor obtains a pass which admits him to see the Regalia, or Crown
Jewels, and another for the Armoury. In the Middle Ages and down to 1834
the Royal Menagerie was lodged in a number of small buildings near the
Lion Tower, whence its name was derived and the saying arose, "seeing
the lions," for a visit to the Tower. Where the wooden gate now stands,
there was a small work called the Conning Gate. It marked the boundaries
of Middlesex and the Tower Precinct. Here prisoners were handed over to
the Sheriff.


_The Middle Tower_ (Pl. I)

was originally built by Henry III, but has been entirely refaced.
Through its archway we reach the stone bridge, which had formerly in the
centre a drawbridge of wood. We next reach


_The Byward Tower_ (Pl. II),

the great Gatehouse of the Outer Ward. It is in part the work of Henry
III, and in part that of Richard II. Observe the vaulting and the dark
recesses on the southern side. We pass on the left


_The Bell Tower_ (Pl. IX),

which may safely be attributed to the reign of King John. Here Fisher,
Bishop of Rochester, was imprisoned by Henry VIII, and the Princess
Elizabeth by her sister, Queen Mary. The "Curtain Wall," of great
antiquity, is pierced by the windows of the Lieutenant's Lodgings, now
called "The King's House," and one of these windows lights the Council
Chamber, where Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators were tried and
condemned, 1605.


_The Traitors' Gate_ (Pl. IV),

with St. Thomas's Tower, is now on our right. Observe the masonry which
supports the wide span of the arch. This gate, when the Thames was more
of a highway than it is at present, was often used as an entrance to the
Tower. St. Thomas' Tower was built by Henry III, and contains a small
chapel or oratory dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury. In later times
it was found convenient as a landing place for prisoners who had been
tried at Westminster; and here successively Edward Duke of Buckingham
(1521), Sir Thomas More, Queen Anne Boleyn, Cromwell Earl of Essex,
Queen Katharine Howard (1542) Seymour Duke of Somerset (1551), Lady Jane
Grey, the Princess (afterwards Queen) Elizabeth, Devereux Earl of Essex
(1601), and James Duke of Monmouth, passed under the arch on their way
to a prison or the scaffold. Opposite is


_The Bloody Tower_ (Pl. VIII),

which is believed to derive its name from the suicide in it of Henry
Percy, eighth Earl of Northumberland, in 1585. Under this Tower we enter
the Inner Ward. It dates from the reigns of Edward III and Richard II,
and was called by its present name as early as 1597, being popularly
believed to be the scene of the murder of Edward V and his brother the
Duke of York, as well as of Henry VI. It was originally known as the
Garden Tower, as its upper storey opens on that part of the parade
ground which was formerly the Constable's Garden. Here Sir Walter
Raleigh was allowed to walk during his long imprisonment, and could
sometimes converse over the wall with the passers-by. Observe the
grooves for working the massive portcullis, which was raised by chains
and a windlass. These still exist on the upper floor. Immediately
adjoining the gateway on the east is the


_Wakefield Tower_ (Pl. III).

Its lower storey is the oldest building next to the Keep; it was, with
the Lanthorn (rebuilt on the old foundation in 1884-5) and Cold Harbour
Towers, part of the original Norman plan. The upper storey was rebuilt
by Henry III, who made it the entrance to his palace on the east. The
Great Hall, memorable as the scene of Anne Boleyn's trial, adjoined it,
but was pulled down during the Commonwealth. In 1360 the records of the
kingdom, which had previously been kept in the White Tower, were removed
here, and this is called in ancient surveys sometimes the Record, and
sometimes the Hall Tower. The present name is said to be derived from
the imprisonment of Yorkists after the Lancastrian victory at Wakefield
in 1460. It is used now for the safe keeping and exhibition of


_The Crown Jewels_.

The visitor who has obtained a ticket passes up a short stair and finds
himself in a well-lighted circular apartment in the Wakefield Tower.
The deep window recess opposite the door was fitted up as a small chapel,
with Aumbry, Piscina, and Sedilia. Tradition says that Henry VI used it
for his devotions when a prisoner in the Tower, and was here murdered.
In the centre, in a large double case, are arranged the splendid objects
which form the English Regalia. The following are the most remarkable:--

The King's Crown. It occupies the highest place in the case. It was
constructed in 1838 for her late Majesty's coronation, the principal
jewels being taken from older crowns and the royal collection. Among
them, observe the large ruby given to the Black Prince in Spain in 1367.
Henry V wore it in his helmet at Agincourt. With seventy-five large
brilliants it forms a Maltese cross on the front of the diadem.
Immediately below it is a splendid sapphire, purchased by George IV.
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 2818 diamonds, 297 pearls, and many other jewels, and
weighs thirty-nine ounces and five pennyweights. The Crown was enlarged
for His Majesty Edward VII.

The Crown made for the coronation of Mary of Modena, the second wife of
James II. This is probably one of the oldest of the crowns, and contains
some fine jewels.

The Crown made for Queen Mary II, for her coronation with William III.

St. Edward's Crown, which appears to be the model by which all the later
crowns have been fashioned. It was made for the coronation of Charles
II.

The Prince of Wales's coronet, with a single arch.

The Orb, of gold, with a cross and bands of jewels.

St. Edward's Staff, a sceptre of gold, 4 feet 7 inches in length,
surmounted by an orb which is supposed to contain a fragment of the true
cross.

The Royal Sceptre.

The Sceptre of Equity, surmounted by a dove.

Small sceptres, one of ivory.

Besides these magnificent regal emblems, which chiefly date from the
Restoration, when the places of the ancient objects, destroyed during
the Commonwealth, were supplied as nearly as possible, observe, also--

The Anointing Spoon, the sole relic of the ancient regalia, of silver
gilt.

The Eagle, for the anointing oil.

The Golden Salt-cellar, a model of the White Tower.

The Baptismal Font, used at the christening of the Sovereign's children,
of silver, double gilt.

The Sacramental Plate used at the coronation.

A large silver-gilt wine-fountain, of good workmanship, presented to
Charles II by the Corporation of Plymouth.

In a case in the large recess, _Curtana_, the Sword of Mercy,
pointless, the blade 40 inches long.

Two Swords of Justice, Ecclesiastical and Civil.

Also the State Sword offered at the coronation of His Majesty Edward
VII, with richly jewelled hilt and scabbard.

In the central case is a model of the Koh-i-noor in its original
setting.

In the cases in the recesses are also exhibited the insignia of the
British and Indian orders of Knighthood, their collars, stars, and
badges, and the Victoria Cross.

Leaving the Wakefield Tower, we descend the slope and turn to the left
near the site of what was the Cold Harbour Tower, a name the exact
meaning of which is unknown. The original Jewel House was behind it to
the east, forming with the south side of the White Tower, and portions
of the palace, a small courtyard, in which some remains of the ancient
buildings may still be traced. On a raised platform is the gun-carriage
and limber on which the body of Her Majesty the late Queen Victoria
was conveyed on the occasion of her funeral, 2nd February, 1901, from
Windsor Railway Station to St. George's Chapel. This was placed here by
order of the Houses of Parliament. We now reach a doorway made in the
south wall of the


_White Tower_ (Pl. VII),

or Keep, the oldest part of the whole fortress.

[Illustration: WHITE TOWER. Plan of Middle Floor.]

The Conqueror, before he entered London, formed a camp, eastward of
the city, and probably on part of the ground now occupied by the Tower.
Immediately after his coronation he commenced the works here. At first,
no doubt, they consisted of a ditch and palisade, and were formed partly
on the lower bastions of the old City Wall, first built by the Romans,
and rebuilt in 885 by King Alfred. The work of building the Keep was
entrusted to Gundulf, a monk of Bec, in Normandy, who was shortly
afterwards made Bishop of Rochester, and who probably commenced
operations in 1078. In 1097, under William Rufus, the works were still
going on and the inner ward was enclosed. A great storm in 1091 damaged
the outworks. Ralf Flambard, Bishop of Durham, being imprisoned in the
Tower by Henry I, contrived to escape, 1101. During the wars between
Stephen and Matilda, the Earl of Essex was Constable of the Tower, and
obtained a grant even of the City of London from the Empress. When he
fell into Stephen's hands the Tower formed his ransom, and the citizens
regained their ancient liberty. When Richard I was absent on the
Crusade, his regent, Longchamp, resided in the Tower, of which he
greatly enlarged the precincts by trespasses on the land of the city and
of St. Katharine's Hospital. He surrendered the Tower to the citizens,
led by John, in 1191. The church of St. Peter was in existence before
1210, and the whole Tower was held in pledge for the completion of Magna
Charta in 1215 and 1216. In 1240 Henry III had the chapel of St. John
decorated with painting and stained glass, and the royal apartments in
the Keep were whitewashed, as well as the whole exterior. In the reign
of Edward III it begins to assume its modern name, as "La Blanche Tour."
During the wars with France many illustrious prisoners were lodged here,
as David, King of Scots; John, King of France; Charles of Blois, and
John de Vienne, governor of Calais, and his twelve brave burgesses. In
the Tower Richard II signed his abdication, 1399. The Duke of Orleans,
taken at Agincourt, was lodged by Henry V in the White Tower. From that
time the Beauchamp Tower was more used as a prison, but it is probable
that some of the Kentish rebels, taken with Wyatt in 1554, slept in the
recesses of the crypt of the Chapel, long known as Queen Elizabeth's
Armoury. In 1663, and later years down to 1709, structural repairs
were carried out under the superintendence of Sir Christopher Wren,
who replaced the Norman window openings with others of a classical
character. Remains of four old windows are visible on the river side.
A few years ago some disfiguring annexes and sheds were removed, as
well as an external staircase of wood, which led up from the old Horse
Armoury and entered the crypt by a window.

The White Tower is somewhat irregular in plan, for though it looks so
square from the river its four sides are all of different lengths, and
three of its corners are not right angles. The side towards which we
approach is 107 feet from north to south. The south side measures
118 feet. It has four turrets at the corners, three of them square,
the fourth, that on the north-east, being circular. From floor to
battlements it is 90 feet in height. The original entrance was probably
on the south side, and high above the ground, being reached as usual in
Norman castles by an external stair which could be easily removed in
time of danger. Another or the same entrance led from an upper storey
of the palace. The interior is of the plainest and sternest character.
Every consideration is postponed to that of obtaining the greatest
strength and security. The outer walls vary in thickness from 15 feet
in the lower to 11 in the upper storey. The whole building is crossed
by one wall, which rises from base to summit and divides it into a
large western and a smaller eastern portion. The eastern part is further
subdivided by a wall which cuts off St. John's Chapel, its crypt, and
its subcrypt, each roof of which is massively vaulted. There is no
vaulting but a wooden floor between the storeys of the other part.
There are several comparatively modern entrances.

A short external stair leads to a staircase in the thickness of the wall
on the south side, by which we approach the Chapel. A brass plate on the
right refers to some children's bones found in the reign of Charles II.
They were identified, somewhat conjecturally, with the remains of Edward
V and his brother who disappeared so mysteriously at the accession of
Richard III, and were removed to Westminster Abbey in 1678. Ascending
the stair we come to the passage which led from the palace to


_The Chapel of St. John_ (Pl. VIII).

The chapel is the largest and most complete now remaining in any Norman
castle, and must have seen the devotions of William the Conqueror and
his family. It is 55 feet 6 inches long by 31 feet wide, and 32 feet
high, and is vaulted with a plain arch. There are four massive columns
on either side and four in the apse. The south aisle, as we have seen,
communicated with the palace, and an upper aisle, or gallery, similarly
opened into the

_State Apartments_

of the White Tower, which we reach by a circuitous route through a
passage round the walls, only wide enough for one person at a time, and
a circular, or newel, stair in the north-east turret, gaining at every
turn glimpses of the extensive stores of small arms. The second floor
is divided into two large apartments, not reckoning the chapel; in the
eastern wall of the smaller or Banqueting Chamber, is a fire-place, the
only one till recently discovered in any Norman Keep. A second and third
have of late years been found in the floor below, but the whole building
was designed for security, not for comfort and in spite of the use of
wooden partitions and tapestry must have been miserable as a place of
residence. On leaving St. John's Chapel we enter


_The Armoury_.

In connection with the Armouries, it should be noted that the present
collection of arms and armour had its origin in that formed at Greenwich
by King Henry VIII, who received many presents of this nature from the
Emperor Maximilian and others. He also obtained from the Emperor several
skilled armourers, who worked in his pay and wore his livery. English
iron in former days was so inferior, or the art of working it was so
little known, that even as far back as the days of Richard II German
and Italian armourers were the chief workmen in Europe. It should be
remembered that the earlier kind of armour chiefly consisted of quilted
garments, further fortified by small pieces of leather, horn, or metal.
So far from the invention of gunpowder having driven out armour, if we
may credit the story of the earliest employment of that explosive, it
was at a date when plate armour was hardly in use, certainly not in
large pieces. What actually did cause the disuse of armour was the
change in ideas as to the movement of troops and the large quantity of
armour which was made in the sixteenth century, and consequently the
inferior make. In England the disuse of armour seems to have begun
earlier than on the Continent, but at no time were the ordinary soldiers
covered with metal as seen in Armouries and other places. The weight,
and what was more important, the cost, prevented such a thing. It was
only the rich who could afford to pay for and had horses to carry
armour, who wore much of what we see now. Again, armour for war was
much lighter and less complete than that used for the tilt yard, where
protection to the wearer was more considered than his ability to hurt
his opponent. The greater substance of such armour and its frequent
enrichment with engraving and gilding no doubt led to the preservation
of this class of defence. Chain mail suffered extremely by rust and
neglect, and even plate armour was subject to the same deterioration.
It is consequently not to be wondered at that little or no armour of a
date previous to the fifteenth century is to be seen in this collection.
On Henry VIII's death the first inventory of the Royal collection was
made, and this includes the armour and arms at Greenwich, and arms and
artillery at the Tower of London which, from the time of Henry VIII, was
one of the sights for foreigners of distinction. In the troubles of the
Civil War the arms were drawn out, and there is no doubt much, both of
arms and armour, was used and lost. The Protector took one suit, and it
was not till 1660 that the armour, which had meanwhile been brought to
London, was collected, and, with the weapons still in the store, were
formed into a kind of museum. It is to that period that may be traced
most of the grotesque stories associated with the collection. At various
subsequent periods additions were made to the collection, and it was
arranged in such manner as suited the knowledge of the day. Series of
figures of kings of England and famous persons were made and added to or
changed on the death of the sovereign. In later times the whole has been
arranged by Sir Samuel Meyrick. Mr. Hewitt, and Mr. Planché, and in 1859
Mr. Hewitt drew up the first catalogue of the contents.

The mounted figures from 1826 till 1883 stood in a long gallery
adjoining the south side of the Tower, but at the latter date this was
pulled down, and the figures removed to the top floor. Within the last
few years the floor below has been used for the later arms, but the
lighting of the rooms and their shape, with various other causes,
prevent any strictly chronological arrangements of the collection,
many objects of which also belong to long periods of time.

The arms and armour are now placed on the two upper floors of the White
Tower, the earlier weapons and all the armour, being on the top floor,
while the later weapons and the Indian arms and armour, with various
personal relics, are placed on what is the third stage or second floor.
To this the visitor ascends by a circular staircase in the south front
of the Tower. At the foot observe a brass plate recording the finding in
1674 of the supposed remains of the "Princes in the Tower," Edward V and
his brother Richard Duke of York. The visitor then enters the Chapel of
St. John, and on leaving passes into the smaller of the two rooms on
this floor.

At the end of the room is a Persian horse armour of brass scales
connected by chain mail. Near this is the quilted armour of the Burmese
General Maha Bundoola, killed in 1824. At the other end of the room is a
large bell from Burmah, presented by the late General Sir William Gomme,
G.C.B., and near it are two figures with Japanese armour, one of them
presented to Charles II when prince by the Mogul. It is interesting as
being one of the earliest examples of Eastern armour which has an
authentic record of its presence in this country, and it also exhibits
the persistence in early forms so common in the East. The cases on
either hand contain weapons, helmets, and armour from most parts of our
Indian Empire, as well as weapons from Cabul, Persia, Africa, America,
and the South Seas. Some of these were presented by the Honourable East
India Company, some were acquired by purchase after the Great Exhibition
of 1851, and others have been added at various times. In the centre of
the room are models showing the Tower buildings in the years 1842 and
1866.

The Large Room is now entered, and on the left is a case containing
firearms, hand grenades, and a series of the _rifled_ arms in use
in the British Army since 1801. These include the two Baker rifles of
1801 and 1807; the Brunswick rifle, 1836; the Minie rifle, 1851; the
Enfield rifle musket, 1855; the Snider, 1865; the Martini-Henry, 1871;
and the Lee-Metford magazine rifle. On the right, between two grotesque
figures, called Gin and Beer, from the entrance to the Buttery of the
old Palace of Greenwich, is a case containing executioners' swords
(foreign), thumb-screws, the Scavenger's Daughter for confining the
neck, hands, and feet, bilboes for ship use, and thumb-screws. Observe
also the so-called "Collar taken from the Spanish Armada," which however
was here in 1547, and has been in later times filled with lead to make
it more terrible. It was only a collar for detention of ordinary
prisoners. A conjectural model of the rack is also shown, but the only
pictorial authority for this instrument (at no time a legal punishment)
is a woodcut in Foxe's Martyrs, the illustrations for which were drawn
from German sources.

On the left hand are cases of European firearms of the first half of
the present century, and two cannon made for the Duke of Gloucester,
the son of Queen Anne. In the S.E. corner, on a platform, are several
early cannon, including one, and part of another, from the wreck of
the _Mary Rose_, sunk in action with the French off Spithead in 1545.
These display the early mode of construction of such weapons, namely;
bars of iron longitudinally welded together and encircled by hoops of
the same metal. On the window side in the recesses are wall pieces,
which belonged to the Honourable East India Company. The figure of Queen
Elizabeth is supposed to represent her as on her way to St. Paul's
Cathedral after the destruction of the Spanish Armada. Near the lift are
partizans carried by the Yeomen of the Guard, and round the pillars are
the sergeants' halberds used in the Army till about 1830. Observe the
kettledrums captured at the battle of Blenheim, 1704.

On the left hand observe the beheading axe, which has been here since
1687, also the block on which Lord Lovat, in 1747, lost his head at one
stroke for the share he took in the attempt of the Pretender in 1745.

Beyond this, against the wall, is a model by John Bell of a monument for
the Great Duke of Wellington. It was presented by the late Sir Daniel
Lysons, Constable of the Tower, 1890-1898. Still on the left hand, in a
glass case, is the soldier's cloak on which General Wolfe expired in the
moment of victory, at Quebec, 1759.

Beyond, in another case, is the uniform worn as Constable of the Tower
by the Great Duke of Wellington from 1826 until his death, in 1852.

Near this is a portion of the wooden pump of the _Mary Rose_, sunk
in action off the Isle of Wight in 1545.

In a case at the end of the room is a mass of fused gun flints, a relic
of the fire which in 1841 destroyed the Great Store in the Tower and
many thousand stand of arms, cannon, &c.

The staircase in the S.W. corner is now ascended leading to the great
upper chamber, generally known as the Council Chamber, 95 feet by 40
feet, and, like the smaller room, 21 feet high. Round this top floor
runs a passage cut in the thickness of the walls, with numerous openings
inwards opposite the windows, and widening somewhat when forming as
it does the triforium of St. John's Chapel. At the entrance are cases
containing velvet-covered brigandines and canvas-covered jacks, garments
which were much used in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, as giving
protection by means of numerous small plates of metal disposed between
the thicknesses of the material covering and lining them, and also great
flexibility. In the cases on the right hand are specimens of chain mail
in form of hoods, coats, sleeves, &c, mostly, if not all, of Eastern
origin. Observe also some bronze swords and other very early weapons.

Round the walls of the two rooms are arranged the various staff weapons
used in England and the continent. In the first enclosure on the left
are cases in which are ancient bronze tools, weapons, and ornaments from
various localities, stone implements and weapons, and a suit of bronze
armour from Cumæ, an ancient Greek settlement near Naples. In the centre
of the enclosure are grouped many varieties of staff weapons of the
fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries. Among them are boar
spears for the chase and for war, halberds, partizans, bills, glaives,
holy water sprinkles (a staff with a ball with spikes at its extremity),
and the 18 foot pikes of the Civil War period.

The first case on the left contains a fine archer's salade with its
original lining, from the de Cosson collection. A Venetian salade, with
the stamp of the maker of the Missaglia family, a heavy salade for
jousting, a combed morion and the tilting helmet of Sir Henry Lee, K.G.,
Master of the Armouries to Queen Elizabeth and James I. In the lower
case are finely engraved and parcel gilt chamfrons for horses' heads, a
gilt vamplate for the tilting lance belonging to Lord Chancellor Hatton,
an officer's gorget of the time of Queen Anne, and various pieces of
rich armour.

In the window recess behind are shields and horns. In the next enclosure
are three foot figures of the end of the fifteenth century and
commencement of the sixteenth century; the first holds a long-handled
axe as used for encounters on foot in _champ clos_. The second
holds a two-handled sword. The third suit is enriched with engraving,
and was formerly parcel gilt, but the helmet does not belong to the
suit.

In the centre of the room is an equestrian figure (III), the man wearing
a fine early sixteenth-century suit of armour, bearing the Nuremberg
stamp, and the horse protected by a barb richly repoussé, engraved, and
formerly silvered. The designs on this display the Burgundian cross
ragulé and the flint and steel. The steel or briquet is to be seen also
in the hinges and in the metal coverings for the reins. It will be
remembered that this design forms the _motif_ of the collar of the
Golden Fleece.

The next equestrian figure (IV) shows the fluted, or as it was called
crested, armour, of about 1500. The horse armour is also fluted. On the
right, in the centre of the room, are two armours which belonged to
Henry VIII. Of these the first (XXVIII) is that formerly described as
"rough from the hammer," though it has been milled or _glazed_ and
no hammer marks are visible. It is a complete suit for fighting on
foot in the lists, and comfort and ability to move about, have been
sacrificed to perfect protection. The suit weighs about 93 lbs., and
is composed of no less than 235 separate pieces of metal. Some details
of construction point to a Spanish influence in the style. The second
figure (XXIX), which wants the leg armour, is of the kind known as a
tonlet, and has a skirt of horizontal lames engraved. The helmet bears
the well-known stamp of the Missaglia family of armourers, and is very
curious and massive. This armour is also for fighting on foot in
_champ clos_ or the lists.

The next suit (VI) on the left is one of Henry VIII, and has been parcel
gilt; the weight of the man's armour is 81 lbs. The two foot figures are
those of a horseman and an officer of foot, both of Henry's time. The
first bears on it Nuremberg marks; the second has an engraving of the
Crucifixion on the left breast. The next equestrian figure (VII), also
of Henry VIII, much resembles the last, and has at its feet extra pieces
for the tilt yard. Other extra pieces which might be worn with these two
suits are in the Royal Armoury at Windsor Castle.

The suit (V) on the equestrian figure in the middle of the room is
one of the finest in existence. It was made by Conrad Seusenhofer,
one of a family of Augsburg armourers, and given in 1514 to Henry VIII
by the Emperor Maximilian. The man's armour is engraved with roses,
pomegranates, portcullises, and other badges of Henry VIII and his
first queen Katharine of Arragon, and has on the metal skirt which
imitates the cloth _bases_ of the time the letters H and K. The horse
armour, probably made afterwards in England by one of Henry's German
armourers, is also covered with engraving, and has panels on which are
depicted scenes from the life and death of St. George and St. Barbara,
both military saints. The whole armour was formerly washed with silver,
of which some traces still remain.

In the enclosure on the left is a mounted figure (XI) of about 1550,
and in front are a pistol shield, one of 80 made for Henry VIII, and
a helmet with grotesque mask formerly attributed to Will Somers, the
king's jester, but since identified as a present from the Emperor
Maximilian. In the next cases are portions of armour of Henry VIII; also
of a puffed and engraved suit of the same time, and of a richly worked
russet and gilt suit of George Earl of Cumberland, who in Elizabeth's
time fitted out at his own cost eleven expeditions against Spain. In the
archway are some combined weapons having gun barrels in the staff and
pole-axe heads; also the three-barrelled weapon formerly called Henry
VIII's walking staff. In the corner of the room are an old German
tilting saddle, which protected the legs of the rider, who stood up in
his stirrups, a large tilting lance shown as far back as the days of
Elizabeth as that of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk. At the end of the
room are five suits of the second third of the sixteenth century. The
centre one, which is damascened, has in front of it an extra gorget, and
a placcate to strengthen the breast. The next figure (XXX) is a large
suit of armour 6 feet 10-1/2 inches in height of the time of Henry VIII,
though formerly incorrectly called that of John of Gaunt, of whom, of
course, no armour exists. This suit weighs about 66 lbs.

Descending the room in the first enclosure is the armour (IX) of the
Earl of Worcester, who died 1589. This suit is very massive, the breast
and back plates together weighing 40 lbs. 3 oz. In the same enclosure
are two figures made up of Maximilian armour, and a bowman and a
musketeer of the Earl of Worcester's time. In the archways will be seen
early forms of guns and pistols of various types and swords and other
weapons.

The next mounted figure (VIII) (formerly called Sir Henry Lee) is of the
middle of the sixteenth century, and the two foot figures are made up of
early sixteenth-century armour.

At the side is a cuir bouilli crupper as worn by the English heavy
cavalry in the sixteenth century.

The next enclosure contains an equestrian figure (X) of Robert Dudley
Earl of Leicester, the favourite of Elizabeth. This fine suit bears all
over it the badge of the Ragged Staff, and is engraved with the badges
and collars of the Garter and of the Order of St. Michael of France. The
suit was made between 1566 and 1588, and is of very great interest as
one of the very few known which also possesses the extra pieces for the
tilt yard, viz.: the Grandguard and the Passguard, ornamented like the
suit, which with them weighs about 83-1/2 lbs. It will be seen that the
extra pieces are for the left side, and the helmet has no air holes on
that side, as the tilters passed left arm to left arm on either side of
the tilt or barrier. The two foot figures are of about the same date.

The next mounted figure (XII) is one still showing the gilt enrichment
so many of these suits for the tilt yard originally had. It was
attributed to Robert Earl of Essex, another favourite of his Queen, but
has now been identified as the armour made by Jacobe Topf, for Sir John
Smith, cousin german to Edward VI, and a great military writer of the
sixteenth century. Many other pieces of this suit are in the Royal
collection in Windsor Castle. The two foot figures came from the Great
Armoury at Malta. Beyond the passage are a mounted figure showing how
the lance was held when jousting at the tilt or barrier in the sixteenth
century and later, and inferior suits for horsemen, and some other suits
from Malta.

On leaving the large room, in the case in the archway will be seen axes,
horsemen's hammers and maces, all designed for breaking and rending
armour. Observe also various forms of the bayonet, from the early plug
bayonet to the later socketed type of that weapon.

The first case on the right contains crossbows of various types.
This weapon, at no time our national arm, was used for the defence of
fortresses, and later on for sport. The heavy kind were bent by means of
arrangements of pulleys, the windlass, or a kind of lifting jack called
the Cranequin or Cric. The lighter forms were bent by an attached lever
called the Goat's Foot. Specimens of these are in the case, as also two
bowstaves from the wreck of the _Mary Rose_, 1545, and some leaden
sling bullets from the battle field of Marathon. In the next case are
firearms of early types. Among these observe two guns which belonged to
Henry VIII, both of them breechloaders on a system resembling the modern
Snider rifle. Note also the German Reiter wheel-lock pistols, with ball
pommel; the William III match-lock, with plug bayonet stuck in the
muzzle; the bandoliers, each containing twelve charges of powder and a
bullet bag; the Vauban lock, combining the flint and match; also a still
earlier form of this lock of English make. Montecucuh says he had
similar locks made, having seen them used still earlier by the Turks.

The next case contains rapiers and swords and bucklers. Observe the
raised bars on the latter, to entangle and break the sword-point. The
mounted figure in brown armour shows the equipment of the cavalry in the
early part of the seventeenth century, the armour being browned or
blacked to prevent rust and to avoid detection at a distance.

The figure (XXIV) in the first enclosure is that of James II. It will be
seen that it only consists of a headpiece, breast and back plates, and a
long gauntlet to protect the bridle arm. All the pieces bear the King's
initials, and the face guard is pierced with the design of the Royal
Arms. The next equestrian figure is a gilt suit of Charles I (XIX),
said to have been given to him by the City of London. It is the latest
complete suit in the collection, and was probably never worn by him. In
the centre of the room is a case containing gun locks, powder flasks,
and other pieces for the furnishing of a soldier's equipment. The cannon
were made for the instruction of Charles II when a prince. In the wall
case observe with other objects two swine feathers, or feather staffs,
having one long and two short blades which can be concealed in the
shaft, also a German Calendar sword with the saints' days marked in
gold, and other swords. Below are two _waistcoat_ cuirasses opening
down the front.

In the next enclosure on the right is a mounted figure (XVIII) of
Charles I when young. The armour is apparently of French make, and
is very interesting as being a double suit--that is, it represents
the equipment of the cuirassier or cavalryman of about 1610, and
then by removing the helmet and the armour for the arms and legs, and
substituting the pott and the short thigh defences (in the small glass
case) we have the equipment of the foot soldier as seen in the figures
of pikemen on the other side of the room. The small silvered cap and
breast and back in another glass case was made for Charles II when
prince.

In a table case are a gun and pistol dated respectively 1614 and 1619,
made for Charles I when Prince of Wales. The gun is not quite perfect,
but the two weapons are the earliest examples of _flint locks_ in
the collection. Note also a fine wheel lock of about 1600. The gunner's
axe was used for laying cannon, and has on its shaft scales showing the
size of cannon balls of stone, iron, lead, and slag. It belonged to the
Duke of Brunswick Luneburg. The last enclosure contains a suit (XVII) of
richly decorated armour given to Henry Prince of Wales by the Prince de
Joinville. This suit, though rich, is of late and inelegant form, as may
be seen by observing the breast and the treatment of the feet. In the
suit of his brother Prince Charles also will be seen an instance of the
decay of the armourer's art, namely, the thigh-pieces, which are marked
as though of several pieces of metal whilst being of one rigid piece.

In a small case are unfinished portions of a helmet and gorget, and a
gilt and engraved vamplate belonging to a suit of Henry Prince of Wales.

The figures on the opposite side of the room are horsemen and pikemen
of the seventeenth century, after which time armour may be said to have
ceased to be worn, till at the coronation of George IV in 1820, when the
Household Cavalry appeared in cuirasses. In the table cases in this room
are odd portions of armour: gorgets, gauntlets, cuisshes, &c., daggers,
knives, and swords, including good examples of the Cinquedea, or short
broad-bladed sword peculiar to Northern Italy.

In the series of wall cases at the end of both rooms will be found
several varieties of helmets, including salades, close helmets, tilting
helmets; also morions and cabassets and breasts and backs. Among these
observe the fine painted archers' salade, with vizor; two fine Venetian
salades, like the ancient Greek helmets, and bearing armourers' stamps;
sixteenth-century tilting helmets, with side doors for air; spider
helmets, &c. Those on the upper shelves are either false or imitations
of real examples. In the case by the door is a helmet made for and worn
by the late Emperor Napoleon III (when prince) at the Eglinton
Tournament, in 1839.

On the walls are portions of horse armour, bucklers for foot soldiers,
and several shields simulating the embossed ornamentation of the
sixteenth century.


_The Parade_.

The Waterloo Barracks are opposite, built in 1845 on the site of
storehouses burnt in 1841. The building of similar character to the
right is the Officers' Quarters: between the two a glimpse is obtained
of the Martin or Brick Tower, whence Blood stole the crown in 1671.
Observe, on the left, the extensive collection of cannons of all ages
and countries, including triple guns taken from the French, of the time
of Louis XIV, and some curious and grotesque mortars from India.

Observe, on the right, almost adjoining the Barrack, the Chapel of St.
Peter "ad Vincula," so called from having been consecrated on that
well-known festival of the Latin Church, the 1st of August, probably in
the reign of Henry I (1100-1135). The old chapel was burnt in 1512, and
the present building erected only in time to receive the bodies of the
first victims of the tyranny of Henry VIII. It was considered a Royal
Chapel before 1550; the interior is not shown to the public. Here it is,
in the memorable words of Stow, writing in the reign of Queen Elizabeth,
that there lie before the high altar, "two dukes between two queens, to
wit, the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of Northumberland, between Queen
Anne and Queen Katharine, all four beheaded." Here also are buried Lady
Jane (Grey) and Lord Guildford Dudley, the Duke of Monmouth, and the
Scotch lords, Kilmarnock, Balmerino, and Lovat, beheaded for their share
in the rebellion of 1745. The last burial in the chapel was that of Sir
John Fox Burgoyne, Constable of the Tower, in 1871.

The space in front of the chapel is called Tower Green, and was used as
a burial ground; in the middle is a small square plot, paved with
granite, showing the site on which stood at rare intervals the scaffold
on which private executions took place. It has been specially paved by
the orders of Her late Majesty. The following persons are known to have
been executed on this spot:--

1. Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, 19th May, 1536.

2. Margaret Countess of Salisbury, the last of the old Angevin or
Plantagenet family, 27th May, 1541.

3. Queen Katharine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, 13th February,
1542.

4. Jane Viscountess Rochford, 13th February, 1542.

5. Lady Jane (Grey), wife of Lord Guildford Dudley, 12th February, 1554.

6. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, 25th February, 1601.

They were all beheaded with an axe except Queen Anne Boleyn, whose head
was cut off with a sword by the executioner of St. Omer, brought over
for the purpose. The executioner of the Earl of Essex was not able to do
his work with less than three strokes, and was mobbed and beaten by the
populace on his way home. The bodies of all six were buried in the
Chapel of St. Peter.

Lord Hastings was also beheaded on Tower Green by order of the Duke of
Gloucester in 1483.


_The Beauchamp Tower_

is on the west side of Tower Green, facing the White Tower, and is on
the inner wall between the Bell Tower on the south and the Devereux
Tower on the north, being connected with both by a walk along the
parapet. Its present name probably refers to the residence in it as a
prisoner of Thomas, third Earl of Warwick, of the Beauchamp family, who
was attainted under Richard II in 1397, but restored to his honours and
liberty two years later under Henry IV. It is curious that the most
interesting associations of the place should be connected with his
successors in the earldom. Although built entirely for defensive
purposes, we find it thus early used as a prison, and during the two
following centuries it seems to have been regarded as one of the
most convenient places in which to lodge prisoners of rank, and in
consequence many of the most interesting mural inscriptions are to
be found in its chambers.

In plan the Beauchamp Tower is semicircular, and it projects eighteen
feet beyond the face of the wall. It consists of three storeys, of which
the middle one is on a level with the rampart, on which it formerly
opened. The whole building dates from the reign of Edward III. We enter
at the south-east corner and ascend by a circular staircase to the
middle chamber, which is spacious and has a large window, with a
fire-place. Here are to be found most of the inscriptions, some having
been brought from other chambers. A few are in the entrance passage and
on the stair. All are numbered and catalogued. The following--to which
the numbers are appended--will be found the most interesting:--

2. On the ground-floor, near the entrance, ROBART DVDLEY. This was the
fifth son of John, Duke of Northumberland, and next brother to Guildford
Dudley, the husband of Lady Jane Grey. When his father was brought to
the block in 1553 he and his brothers remained in prison here, Robert
being condemned to death in 1554. In the following year he was liberated
with his elder brother Ambrose, afterwards created Earl of Warwick, and
his younger brother Henry. In the first year of Queen Elizabeth he was
made Master of the House and elected a Knight of the Garter. In 1563 he
was created Earl of Leicester. He died at Cornbury, in Oxfordshire, in
1588.

8. On the left, at the entrance of the great chamber, is a carved cross,
with other religious emblems, with the name and arms of PEVEREL, and the
date 1570. It is supposed to have been cut by a Roman Catholic prisoner
confined during the reign of Queen Elizabeth.

13. Over the fire-place this inscription in Latin:--"The more suffering
for Christ in this world the more glory with Christ in the next," &c.
This is signed "Arundel, June 22, 1587." This was Philip Howard, son of
Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, beheaded in 1573. Philip inherited from his
maternal grandfather the earldom of Arundel in 1580. He was a staunch
Roman Catholic and was constantly under suspicion of the Government, by
which in 1584 he was confined in his own house for a short time. On his
liberation he determined to quit the country, but was committed to the
Tower in 1585, and died in custody ten years later, having refused
release on condition of forsaking his religion. His body was buried in
his father's grave in the Chapel of St. Peter, but was eventually
removed to Arundel. He left other inscriptions, one in the window (79),
and one on the staircase (91), dated 1587.

14. On the right of the fire-place is an elaborate piece of sculpture
(Pl. XII), which will be examined with peculiar interest as a memorial
of the four brothers Dudley: Ambrose (created Earl of Warwick 1561),
Guildford (beheaded 1554), Robert (created Earl of Leicester 1563), and
Henry (killed at the siege of St. Quintin, 1558), carved by the eldest,
John (called Earl of Warwick), who died in 1554. Under a bear and a lion
supporting a ragged staff is the name "JOHN DVDLE," and surrounding
them is a wreath of roses (for Ambrose), oak leaves (for Robert,
_robur_, an oak), gillyflowers (for Guildford), and honeysuckle
(for Henry). Below are four lines, one of them incomplete, alluding
to the device and its meaning. It is on record that the Lieutenant
of the Tower was allowed 6_s._ 8_d._ a day each for the diet of these
captive brothers.

33. This is one of several inscriptions relating to the Poole or Pole
family (see also Nos. 45, 47, 52, 56, 57). They were the sons of the
Countess of Salisbury, by Sir Richard Pole, K.G. No. 45 contains the
name of "GEFFRYE POOLE 1562." He was the second son and gave evidence
against his elder brother, Lord Montagu, who was beheaded in 1539.

48. "IANE." This interesting inscription, repeated also in the window
(85), has always been supposed to refer to the Lady Jane Grey, daughter
of the Duke of Suffolk, and wife of Guildford Dudley, fourth son of the
Duke of Northumberland. A second repetition in another part of the room
was unfortunately obliterated in the last century when a new window
was made to fit this chamber for a mess-room. It is sometimes, but
erroneously, supposed that the name was carved by this Queen of ten
days herself, but it is improbable that she was ever imprisoned in the
Beauchamp Tower. She is known to have lived in the house of Partridge,
the Gaoler. It is much more probable that the two inscriptions were
placed on the wall either by Lord Guildford Dudley, her husband, or
by his brother, whose large device has been described above.

66. In the window is the rebus, or monogram, of Thomas Abel: upon
a bell is the letter A. This was Dr. Abel, a faithful servant to Queen
Katharine of Arragon, first wife of King Henry VIII. He acted as her
chaplain during the progress of the divorce, and by his determined
advocacy offended the King. For denying the supremacy he was condemned
and executed in 1540.

The visitor who has time to spare will find many other records of this
kind in the Beauchamp Tower, the oldest of all being the name of "Thomas
Talbot 1462" (89), supposed to have been concerned in the Wars of the
Roses. Emerging again upon Tower Green we see on the right the


_Lieutenant's Lodgings_ (Pl. VI),

now called the King's House. The Hall door, where a sentry stands, is
the same through which Lord Nithisdale escaped in female dress, the
night before he was to have been beheaded, 1716. Some parts of the house
are of great antiquity, among them the rooms in the Bell Tower, those on
the upper storey which open on the leads and the rampart known as The
Prisoners' Walk, and the Council Room, a handsome apartment containing a
curious monument of the Gunpowder Plot. In this room Guy Fawkes and his
associates were examined, 1605. The interior of the King's House is not
shown to the public. Next to it is the house of the Gentleman Gaoler,
or Chief Warder. It was in this house that Lady Jane Grey lived when
a prisoner, and from its windows saw her husband go forth from the
adjoining Beauchamp Tower to his execution on Tower Hill, and his
headless body brought to the chapel "in a carre," while the scaffold was
being prepared for her own death on the Green in front, which took place
on the same day, Monday, 12th February, 1554.

       *       *       *       *       *

NOTE.--Visitors who wish to know more about the Tower are referred to
the works of Bayley, of Brayley and Britton, of Doyne C. Bell, of G.T.
Clark, and of Hepworth Dixon.


THE END.




DRILL AND TRAINING (Number of days in each year).

---------------+----------------------------------------+-----------
               |                                        | In
               |               In first year.           | subsequent
               |                                        | years.
  ARM OF THE   +---------+----------+----------+--------+-----------
   SERVICE     |         | Musketry |          | Total  |
               | Recruit | or       | Usual    | during | Usual
               | Drill.  | Gunnery  | Annual   | the    | Annual
               |         | Drill.   | Training | year.  | Training
---------------+---------+----------+----------+--------+-----------
Artillery    } |         |          |          |        |
Infantry     } |   49    |    14    |    27    |   90   |   27
Medical      } |         |          |          |        |
               |         |          |          |        |
Engineers      |         |          |          |        |
   { Fortress  |   63    |    14    |    41    |  118   |   41
   { Submarine |         |          |          |        |
   {   Miners  |   63    |    14    |    55    |  132   |   55
---------------+---------+----------+----------+--------+-----------


BOUNTY, PAY, EXTRA DUTY PAY, AND ENGINEER PAY, &c.

During the first year of service the rate of Bounty of a Militiaman
varies from 10s. to £2.

A Training Bounty of £1 10s. is issued on the completion of each Annual
Training. Ex-Army N.C.O.'s, who are appointed Sergeants, receive a
training bounty of £3. Non-training bounty of £3 is issued in sums of
£1 on each of the following dates--1st October, 1st December, and 1st
February, to men who have completed two trainings or the equivalent
thereof. A Special bounty of £1 is also given on the completion of
an authorised course of instruction other than during the 28 days
immediately preceding the training of the unit.

During Drill and training, N.C.O.'s and men receive Army rates of pay of
their rank, also rations; and provided they are 19 years of age and have
attended one training, or the equivalent thereof, messing allowance at
3d. a day.

In addition to the ordinary pay, extra-duty pay varying from 2_d._
to 6_d._ per day will be issued during the annual training to non
commissioned officers and men of the Militia for the performance of
certain specified duties.

Engineer Pay varying from 4d. to 2s. a day, will also be
allowed to non commissioned officers and men of the Militia Engineers
according to their qualifications.

Corps pay, varying from 4d. to 1s. a day, is granted to
N.C.O.'s and men of the Royal Army Medical Corps, who are reported as
duly qualified.


GENERAL ADVANTAGES OF THE MILITIA.

A Pamphlet containing detailed information as to the Conditions of
Service in the Militia and in the Reserve Division of the Militia can be
obtained free of charge at any Post Office in the United Kingdom, from
any Sergeant Instructor of Volunteers, or other Recruiter.

       *       *       *       *       *


[Illustration: PLATE I. MIDDLE TOWER.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE II. Legge's Mount. Devereux Tower. Beauchamp Tower.
Yeoman Gaoler's House. Site of Drawbridge. Gateway of Byward Tower.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE III. Bloody Tower and Gateway. Wakefield Tower.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE IV. ST. THOMAS'S TOWER AND TRAITORS' GATE.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE V. Cradle Tower and Wall of Outer Ward. Lanthorn
Tower restored. Curtain Wall of Inner Ward.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE VI. Tower Green. Queen's House. Yeoman Gaoler's
Lodgings.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE VII. WHITE TOWER FROM THE NORTH-WEST.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE VIII. ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL--INTERIOR.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE IX. Middle Tower and Gate. Byward Tower. Bell
Tower. Queen's House.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE X. Lieutenant's Lodging or Queen's House. Bloody
Tower. Constable's Garden. St. Thomas's Tower and Traitors' Gate.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE XI. New Lanthorn Tower. Old Armoury. Salt Tower.
Cradle Tower. Well Tower. Irongate Tower.]

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: PLATE XII.]