THE PREFACE. THE Defire of fearching ancient Repofitories for the Antiquities of our Country is allowed to be a laudable Curiofity: to point them out therefore to the Inquifitive, and to direct their Attention to those Things that beft deferve Notice, cannot be denied its Degree of Merit. The Tower of London, for the antique Remains that are there treafured up, has been, for many Ages paft, the common Refort of Foreigners, as well as Natives; but it is a general Complaint, that the Mind, being crouded with 100 many Objects at once, cannot diftinguish, amidst jo great a Variety, what is worthy to be dwelt upon, and what is of lefs Note; and the Hurry with which Strangers are conducted by their Guides from one Curiofity to another, occafioned by the Numbers that are hourly flocking there to be entertained, leaves the Spectator no Time to examine what he fees, nor to fix in his Memory half the Objects that have attracted his Attention. To remove this Complaint therefore, and to enable every perfon to recollect with Advantage whatever is worthy to be remembered, this little Book is now offered to the Public; which, in other refpects likewife, will not be wholly without its Ufe; for by comparing, as the Reader has here an Opportunity of doing, the traditional Stories of the Guides, with the hiftorical Facts to which they A 2 relate, relate, he will be naturally led to imprint this ufeful Obfervation ftrongly in his Mind, how little he ought to truft to Memory in Things that are of Importance enough to be remembered, and how careful to commit to Writing all his Concerns that on any future Occafion he would wish to recollect. It would be impertinent to trouble the Reader with a long Preface on a Subject, that to fome may appear immaterial; we shall conclude therefore with obferving, that Pains have been taken to examine every Fact to which the Traditions at the Tower have any Allufion; to illuftrate them where they are obfcure; to fuppley them where they are defective; and to correct them where they are mifreprefented. And, befides, we have introduced Anecdotes, pertinent to the Subject, wherever Opportunity offered, in order to render the whole entertaining as well as useful. AN AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE TOWER OF LONDON. T HE Foundation of the Tower of London, according to the moft authentic Records, was marked out, and that part of the building called the White Tower erected by William the Conqueror in the year 1076, with a view, no doubt, to fecure to himself and his followers a fafe retreat, in cafe of any furprize from the English, while he was employed in fettling the Government of his new conquests. That this was his defign in building the Tower, appears from its fituation, its extent, and its communication with the river Thames, from whence it might be fupplied with all kinds of fuccours of men, provifions, and military ftores. But how it could command the city, the bridge, and the river, so early as William the Conqueror's time, before the ufe of guns, as authors of good credit have afferted, I must own, I cannot comprehend; and, I believe, whoever views it attentively, even in its prefent circumstances, will agree with me, that it was rather planned for a place of defence than offence. But to wave conjectures. The death of the Conqueror in 1088, about eight years after this fortrefs was begun, put aftop to the progress of the work for a while, and left the completion of it to that great genius in geometrical knowledge William Rufus, fon to William the Conqueror, who in 1098 furrounded it with walls, and fortified it with a broad and deep ditch. Since his time indeed, the number of buildings within the walis has been gradually and greatly increased, so that it feems now rather a town than a fortress. It fhould be remarked, that this laft mentioned, Monarch built Weftmin/ter Hall, alfo at that time the admiration of all Eu ope. The Tower, as it is now fortified with cannon, is perhaps the beft chofen fituation for fuch a fortrefs of any in the world. It lies to the Eastward of London, near enough to cover that opulent city from invafion by water, being 800 yards only from the bridge; and to the north of the river Thames, from which it is parted by a narrow ditch, and a convenient wharf, to which it has a communication by a draw-bridge, for the readier iffuing and receiving ammunition, and naval or military ftores. On this wharf, there is lately made a long and beautiful platform, on which are planted 61 pieces of cannon, mounted on new and very elegant iron carriages. The pieces of ordnance are chiefly used to fire on days of ftate, or to promulgate any joyful news to the public. Parallel to the wharf, within the walls, is a platform 70 yards in length, called the Ladies Line, becaufe much frequented by the Ladies in the fummer, as within it is fhaded with a lofty row of trees, and without it has a delightful profpect of the shipping, with boats paffing and repaffing on the river Tbames. You afcend this line by stone steps, and being once upon it you may walk almoft round the walls of the Tower without interruption, and in your course will pafs three batteries, the firft called the Devil's Battery, where is alfo a platform, on which are mounted mounted feven pieces of cannon, tho' on the battery itself are only five; the next is called the Stone Battery, and is defended by eight pieces of cannon; and the tl.ird and laft is called the Wooden Battery, mounted with fix pieces of cannon: all these are nine-pounders, The principal entrance into the Tower is by a gate to the west, large enough to admit coaches. and heavy carriages; but thefe are firft admitted thro' an outer gate, and must pass a stout ftone bridge, built over the ditch, before they can approach the main entrance. There is befides an entrance for perfons on foot, over the drawbridge already mentioned, to the wharf, which wharf is only divided from the main land by gates at each end, opened every day at a certain hour for the convenience of a free intercourse between the refpective inhabitants of the Tower, the city, and its fuburbs. There is also a watergate, commonly called Traitors Gate, thro' which it has been customary to convey traitors, and other state prifoners, to or from the Tower, perhaps for greater privacy, and which is feldom opened on any other occafion; but the Lords, committed to the Tower on account of the rebellion in 1745, were publicly admitted at the main entrance. Over this gate is a regular building, terminated at each end by two baftions, or round towers, on which are embrafures for pointing cannon, but there are at prefent none mounted. In this building are placed the infirmary, the mill, and water-works that fupply the Tower with water. Great ceremony is ufed at opening and fhutting the principal gate night and morning. A little before fix in the morning in fummer, and as foon as it is light in the winter, the yeoman porter goes to the govenor's houfe for the keys, from A 4 |