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be seen. Cannon are placed at intervals round the wall, though the interior is completely lined with old houses.

The principal entrance into the Tower is by the west gate, large enough to admit coaches and heavy carriages. This gateway itself is entered by an outer gate, opening to a strong stone bridge built over the ditch.

The Traitor's-gate is a low arch through the wall, on the south side, on which there are several old decayed towers, intermixed with modern brick offices and ragged fragments of patched curtains; and this gate communicates, by a canal, with the river Thames. Besides these, there is an entrance for foot-passengers over the draw-bridge to the wharf, opened every morning. The points of a huge portcullis may still be seen over the arch of the principal gate, and great ceremony is used at opening and shutting it night and morning. This mass of buildings is remarkable on several accounts.

The principal buildings within the Tower-walls are, the White Tower and the Chapel of St. John, where the records are lodged within the same; the Church of St. Peter Ad Vincula infra Turrim, the Ordnance Office, the Record Office, the Jewel Office, the Horse Armoury, the Grand Storehouse, in which is the small armoury, and the Menagerie. Here are likewise apartments for state-prisoners. The White Tower, or interior fortress, is a large, square, irregular building, almost in the centre of the Tower, consisting of three lofty stories, having under them commodious vaults for salt-petre, &c. on the top, covered with lead, is a cistern, or reservoir, from which, in case of necessity, the whole garrison might be supplied with water.

The palace within the Tower was in the south-east angle of the walls, and was used by the Kings of England nearly five hundred years, only ceasing to be so on the accession of Queen Elizabeth, who, after being confined as a prisoner by Queen Mary, had, probably,

no longing to renew her residence in the Tower. The entrance to her apartment, called Cold-Harbour, is given in the annexed engraving on wood.

[graphic]

On a long platform before the Tower, on the Thames' side, 61 pieces of cannon used to be planted, and fired on rejoicing days; but these were removed in 1814, and those on the ramparts are used in their stead.

After passing the spur-guard, in a spacious enclosure, at the right hand, is the repository for wild beasts, &c. presents to the British sovereign from foreign potentates, which are shewn to the public by the keepers for a shilling each person; for this fee the beholders are informed of the names, genealogies, &c. of the different animals, which are well worth seeing, as they are kept remarkably clean and healthy in capacious dens. It is a necessary caution, however, not to go within the rails, or to attempt to play tricks, as the beasts whelped in the Tower are much more fierce than those brought over wild.

Having passed the bridge, the warders wait at the

principal gate, to afford information to strangers, and to conduct them to view the many and valuable curiosities with which the Tower abounds. These are so various, that the minute description of them would furnish a volume; we can, therefore, only mention, that the Horse Armoury contains the representations of sixteen English monarchs on horseback, and in complete armour. The Small Armoury contains complete stands of arms, bright, clear, and flinted for 150,000 men; besides cannon, and pikes, swords, &c. innumerable, ranged in regular order. The Jewel Office contains the imperial crown, placed on the heads of the Kings of England at their coronation, the Prince of Wales's crown, golden spurs and bracelets, the crown jewels, and a great quantity of curious old plate. The Ordnance Office, burnt in 1789, has been rebuilt in a way so as to prevent the recurrence of such an accident. The Record Office is opposite the platform, but, like the Ordnance Office, is not a place of mere curiosity, access being confined to such persons as may have particular business to transact there.

The chapel dedicated to St. Peter Ad Vincula, may be seen by applying to the pew-opener, at any time,

for a small fee.

Returning, by Tower Wharf, into Lower ThamesStreet, we pass a spot, at the eastern extremity of it, on which was formerly a palace for the sovereign Princes of Wales when they came to do homage at the Court of England, then held in the Tower.

The New Custom-House. In ancient times, the business of the customs was transacted in a very irregular manner, at Billingsgate; but, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a building was erected here for that purpose; and, in the year 1559, an act having been passed that goods should be no-where landed but in such places as were appointed by the commissioners of the revenue, upon for the entries in the port of London; and here a Custom-House was ordered to

this was the

spot

fixed

be erected it was, however, destroyed by fire, with the rest of the city, in 1666, and rebuilt, with additions, two years after, by Charles the Second, in a much more magnificent and commodious manner, at the expense of 10,000.; but that being also destroyed in the same manner, in 1718, the late structure was erected in its place. This edifice was built with brick and stone, and was calculated to stand for ages: it had underneath, and on each side, large warehouses, for the reception of goods on the public account; and that side of the Thames, for a great extent, was lined with wharfs, quays, and cranes for landing them. This CustomHouse was one hundred and eighty-nine feet in length, the centre twenty-seven feet deep, and the wings considerably more the centre stood back from the river; the wings approached much nearer to it; and the building was judiciously and handsomely decorated with the orders of architecture: under the wings was a colonade of the Tuscan order, and the upper story was ornamented with Ionic columns and pediments. It consisted of two floors, in the uppermost of which was a magnificent room, fifteen feet high, and almost the whole length of the building; this was called the Long-Room, and here the commissioners of the customs, with their officers and clerks, transacted their principal business. The inner part was well disposed, and sufficiently enlightened; and the entrances so well contrived, as to answer all the purposes of convenience.

An accidental fire having destroyed the whole of this edifice on the 12th of February, 1814; the first stone of a new Custom-House had been previously laid on the 13th of October, 1813, by the Earls of Liverpool and Clancarty and the Board of Customs, because the former building, though so extensive, was still insufficient for the convenient purposes of conducting effectually the concerns of the vast-extended customs for merchandize in this great empire.

Indeed the old building had been, for a series of

years, found inadequate for the dispatch of business; insufficient for the public, and the officers of that revenue; and in such a decaying and dilapidated condition, as not to justify the expenditure of adding and repairing thereto.

It was proposed to enlarge the Long-Room, and to attach a new wing at the eastern extremity; but the interruption to business which this would occasion,' and the only advantage which would have resulted, consisting of additional space without convenience, government abandoned the project, and directed that designs and estimates should be laid before the Board of Customs for an entire new building, on a site the freehold property of the Crown, a portion of which was vacant ground, occasioned by a fire, which happened in the year 1808.

The designs and estimate were finally approved by the treasury in 1811, and an act passed for the building, which was contracted for at the sum of 165,000l. by public tender. Mr. David Laing was appointed to be the architect on this occasion. This vast building, though in a great state of forwardness, will not be occupied by the customs before the close of the present year, 1816; the business in the interval is carried on in Mincing-Lane.

The new arrangement unites and concentrates many branches of this service which have been heretofore detached, and the whole building is fire proof, being insulated and secured from a recurrence of the fatal calamity which visited the Old Custom-House.

The whole of the interior and exterior, with the exception of the south front, is plain, and without any decoration. The river front has a grand and imposing effect, and is characteristic of a national official edifice; the stone appears to be excellent in quality, and of a good

uniform colour.

The number of clerks, officers, and the concourse of

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