from whence he proceeds to the innermoft gate, attended by a ferjeant and fix men of the guard: this gate being opened to let them pass is again hut, while the yeomen porter and the guard proceed to open the three outermoft gates, at each of which the guards reft their firelocks, as do the fpur-guard, while the keys pafs and repass. Upon the yeoman porter's return to the innermoft gate, he calls to the wardens in waiting, to take in King George's keys; upon which the gate is opened, and the keys lodged in the warder's hall till the time of locking, which is ufually about 10 or 11 at night, with the fame formality as when opened. After they are shut, the yeoman and guard proceed to the main guard, who are all under arms with the officers upon duty at their head. The ufual challenge from the main guard to the yeoman porter is, bo comes there? His anfwer is, the Keys. The challenger fays, Pafs keys; upon which the officer orders the guard to reft their firelocks; the yeoman porter then fays, God fave King George. Amen, is loudly anfwered by all the guard. From the main guard the yeoman porter with his guard proceeds to the governor's, where the keys are left; after which no perfon can go out or come in upon any pretence whatsoever till next morning, without the watch-word for the night, which is kept fo fecret, that none but the proper officers and the ferjeant upon guard, ever come to the knowledge of it; for it is the fame on the fame night in every fortified place throghout the King's dominions. When that is given by any stranger to the centinel at the fpur-guard (or outer-gate), he communicates it to his ferjeant, who paffes it to the next on duty, and fo on till it comes to the governor, or commanding officer, by whom the keys are de livered livered to the yeoman porter, who attends as before; the main guard being put under arms, brings them to the outer gate, where the stranger is admitted, and conducted to the commandant. Having made known his business, he is conducted to the outer-gate, difmiffed, the gate fhut, and the keys re-delivered with all the formality as at first. The principal officers to whom the government and care of the Tower is committed are, first, the Conftable of the Tower, who is usually of the highest quality, as his poft at all coronations and other state ceremonies is of the utmost confequence, having the crown and other regalia in his cuftody. He hath under him a lieutenant, and deputy-lieutenant, commonly called governor, whofe officers are likewife of great dignity, a tower-major, gentleman porter, yeoman porter, gentleman jailer, four quarter gunners, and 40 wardens, whofe uniform is the fame with the king's yeomen of the guard: upon their heads they wear round flat-crowned caps, tied round with bands of party-coloured ribbands: their coats are of a particular make, but very becoming, with large fleeves, and flowing fkirts, and are of fine fcarlet cloth, laced round the edges and feams with feveral rows of gold lace, and girt round their waifts with a broad laced girdle. Upon their breasts and backs they wear the king's fil ver badge, reprefenting the thistle and rofe, on which are the letters G. R. in capitals. Befides these, and other inferior domeftic officers, if I may be allowed to call them fo, there is always a battalion of foot guards on du. ty quartered in barracks, which have been lately rebuilt. The principal buildings within the walls are the church, the White Tower, the offices of ordnance, of the mint, of the keepers of the records, the jewel office, the horse-armory, the grand store-house, the new or fmall armory, handsome houses for the chief officers refiding in the Tower, with many other houses for the meaner officers, and barracks for foldiers on duty, befides prisons for statedelinquents, which are commonly the warders houfes. The Church has nothing very remarkable belonging to it. The White Tower is a large fquare irregular building, fituated almoft in the center, no one fide anfwering to another, nor are any of its watch-towers, of which there are four that ornament the top, built alike: one of these towers is now converted into an obfervatory,. and indeed feems well adapted for the purpose. The building itself confifts of three very lofty ftories, under which are moft fpacious and commodious vaults, chiefly filled with faltpetre. It is covered over at top with flat leads from whence there is an extenfive and delightful profpect. In the first story are two fpacious rooms, one of which is a fmall armory for the fea-fervice, having various forts of arms very curiously laid up in it, for more than 10,000 feamen. In the other room are closets and preffes in abundance, all filled with warlike tools and inftruments of death without number. Over thefe are two other floors, one filled principally with arms; the other with arms and armourers tools; fuch as chevaux de frize, pick-axes, fpades and fhovels. In the upper ftory is kept match, fheepfkins, tanned hides, &c. And in a little room fome records, containing perhaps the ancient ufages ufages and privileges of the place. In this tower are likewife kept models of the new-invented engines of deftruction, that have from time to time been presented to the government. On the top of this tower is a large cistern or refervoir for fupplying the whole garrison with water in case of need; it is about 7 feet deep, .9 in breadth, and about 60 in length, and is filled from the Thames by means of an engine very ingeniously contrived for that purpose, of which we have already spoken. The office of Ordnance is kept in Cold Hàrbour; to which office all other offices for fupplying artillery, arms, amunition, or other warlike ftores to any part of his majesty's, domini ons, are accountable; from which office all orders for the difpofition of warlike materials for every kind of service are iffued. The Mint is also a separate divifion, which comprehends near one third of the Tower, and contains houfes for all the officers belonging to the coinage. The office of Keeper of the Records is oppofite the platform already defcribed. It has lately been adorned with a fine carved ftone door-cafe at the entrance, and finely wainscotted within. All the Rolls from king John to the beginning of the reign of Richard III. are depofited in 56 wainscot preffes in this office; thofe fince that time are kept at the Rolls in Chancery-Lane. The rolls and records kept in the Tower contain the antient tenures of all the lands in England, with a furvey of the manors; the originals of all laws and ftatutes; the rights of England to the dominion of the British feas; leagues and treaties with foreign princes; the atchievements of England in foreign wars; ancient grants of our kings to their fubjects; the forms of fub.. miffion A 6 miffion of the Scottish kings; writs and proceedings of the courts of common law and equity; the fettlement of Ireland as to law and dominion; privileges and immunities granted to all cities and corporations during the period before-mentioned; with many other important records; all regularly disposed by the diligence of Sir William Dugdale, and others under his direction, and properly referred to in near a thousand folio indexes. A fearch here is half a guinea, for which you may perufe any one fubject a year. In the months of December, January, and February, this office is open only fix hours a day, but all the reft of the year eight. The Jewel-Office is a dark strong stone room, about 20 yards to the eastward of the grand ftore-house. The regalia kept in this office will be spoken of when we come to treat of the curiofities. The Horfe-Armory is a little eastward of the White Tower. It is a plain brick building, rather convenient than elegant. Its contents are likewise among the curiofities commonly fhewn at the Tower; and will be distinctly defcribed hereafter.' The grand ftore-house is a noble building to the northward of the White Tower, and extends in length 245 feet, in breadth 60. It was begun by king James II. and by that prince built to the first floor, but finished by kingWilliam, who erected that magnificent room called the New or Small Armory, in which he, with queen Mary his confort, on its being finished, dined in great form, having all the warrant workmen and labourers to attend them, dressed in white gloves and aprons, the ufual badges of the order of free mafonry. This noble ftruc ture |