Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/513

TOWER HILL 451 TOWER OF LONDON place where many political prisoners were executed. TOWER OF LONDON, the most ancient and historically the most inter- esting pile in the English metropolis; a mass of buildings on the N. side of the Thames, immediately to the E. of the ancient city walls, its ramparts and gates surrounded by a dry ditch in pen- tagonal shape; in outer circuit measuring 1,050 yards. Within this the whole of the buildings are encircled by a double line of walls and bulwarks, in some places 40 feet high and 12 feet thick; the space between the walls being known as the outer ward, and the interior as the inner ward. The inner ward was for- merly the royal quarter. The outer ward was the folks' quarter. The inner ward is defended by 12 massive and conspicu- ous towers, stationed at unequal dis- also tragedy succeeded tragedy, and the innocent blood of many of England's bravest and most beautiful poured forth' in a cruel stream. The first State prisoner was Flambard, Bishop of Durham, who effected his es- cape in 1100 and fled to Normandy. The noble Wallace suffered a cruel impris- onment and terrible death here in 1305. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, haunts tho pile like a specter. He murdered Henry VI. in the Hall Tower. The infant princes, his nephews, were smothered in the Bloody Tower; their supposed re- mains, found in the reign of Charles II., now lie in Westminster Abbey, Clar- ence, according to tradition, was crowned by Richard in wine in the Bowyer Tower, and Hastings condemned to death in the Council Chamber. The remains of King Henry VIII, 's beheaded queens, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, lie in St. TOWER OF LONDON AND BRIDGE tances, and possessing distinctive names and formations. In the center, rearing tts head proudly above them all, stands the main quadrangular building and great Norman keep known as the White Tower. To the N. are the barracks, and to the N. W. the Church of St. Peter and Vincula. The entrance to the buildings is on the W. side by the Lion's Gate. Tradition ascribes the origin of the Tower to Julius Csesar. The White Tow- er was reared by William the Conquer- or, probably as a secure place of shelter for himself and a menace to the turbu- lent citizens. It was designed by Gun- dulph. Bishop of Rochester, and bears a sister likeness to Rochester Castle. For centuries the Tower was a palace, a prison, a fortress, and a court of law. Here the Plantagenet kings held their gay tournaments, magnificent revels, and pompous religious ceremonials. Here Peter's Church. A group of ghastly exe- cutions are associated with the reign of Mary, prominent among which are those of Lady Jane Grey, the wise, fair, and pious "Twelfth Day queen," her consort Dudley, and her father-in-law, Northum- berland. Imprisoned together in the Gar- den Tower, Cranmer, Ridley, and Lati- mer searched the New Testament togeth- er. Sir Walter Raleigh was thrice con- fined in the Tower which bears his name in many places. Here he wrote his "History of the World," and beguiled his solitude with chemical experiments. Sir T. Overbury was poisoned in the Tower in 1613, and Strafford was beheaded in 1641, Laud in 1645. The last of the nu- merous executions in the Tower, but a few of which have been mentioned, was that of Lord Lovat in 1747. The govern- ment of the Tower is vested in the Con- stable, usually an officer of high military