It has been the place of confinement of more great men than any other prison in the world. "He was committed to the Tower," has been said of thousands both of the innocent and the guilty. The history of the Tower would involve the history of England. Its ancient walls are associated with more sin, suffering, and sorrow, than any other structure in Great Britain. It stands on the banks of the Thames, upon an eminence, and a gateway, now built up, once led from the inner court directly down to the water's edge. It was through this gate that prisoners were usually brought in, after having come up or down the Thames. To prevent confusion, persons are admitted to the interior of the Tower by ticket, and a warder accompanies every party of ten or twelve, to point out the objects of interest. What is now the court, was once "Tower Hill," where Lady Jane Grey and her husband, and many others, were executed.

In the Horse Armory, as it is called, there is ranged a series of equestrian figures, all clad in the armor of the periods which they represent, from Edward I., in 1272, to James II., in 1685. The room is one hundred and twenty-six feet in

length; and as these figures are ranged in a line, they appear like a series of knights conjured up from their respective places of sepulture, some having slept longer, and others shorter periods in the grave, all ready to do battle with a common enemy. By a passage formed in the wall, which is sixteen feet in thickness, we ascended into the White Tower, the oldest part of the building. It was here that the State prisoners were kept. I was shown the room where Sir Walter Raleigh was confined. Higher up is the one that was occupied by Lady Jane Grey.

Only one or two

of the rooms are shown, the others being used for government purposes.

The Crown and Jewels are in a building erected for the purpose, called "The Jewel House," which is also within the limits of the Tower, and of course protected by the garrison. These emblems of British royalty are surrounded by a grating of strong iron bars, and two soldiers accompany every party of twelve, not more than twelve being allowed to enter at one time. They consist of the ancient imperial crown, which was made for Charles II., to replace the one said to have been worn by Edward the Confessor, and which was broken up and sold

during the civil wars. It is made of purple velvet, faced with ermine, and richly ornamented with jewels. The Prince of Wales' crown is made of plain gold, without any jewels. When there is an heir apparent to the throne, this is placed before his seat in the House of Lords. The ancient queen's crown is of gold, set with diamonds. The queen's diadem was made for the consort of James II., and cost half a million of dollars. It consists of a circlet of gold, with large diamonds curiously set. St. Edward's staff is of pure gold, four feet seven inches in length. On the top is an orb and a cross; a fragment of the real cross is said to be deposited in the orb. The royal sceptre, with the cross, is also of gold, two feet nine inches in length. The staff is plain, but the pommell is ornamented with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. The royal sceptre, with the rod of equity, of gold, is three feet seven inches long. The queen's sceptre with the cross, and her ivory sceptre, are very magnificent. The swords of justice and of mercy are both steel, the latter pointless. The king and the queen's orb, placed in the left hand at the time of coronation, are very resplendent. The golden eagle, a vessel containing the anointing oil,

is of great antiquity. The coronation bracelets, the royal spurs, the anointing spoon, the saltcellar of State, the sacramental plate, tankards, banqueting dish, and other dishes and spoons, are all of gold. The baptismal font, and a wine fountain, are of silver. All these dazzling objects are surmounted by the new State crown made for her present majesty, which is extremely gorgeous. is estimated that these regal ornaments are worth fifteen millions of dollars.

It

I was greatly interested by my visit to St. Paul's. Much as I had been led to expect from this prodigious structure, it far exceeded my highest anticipations. But it beggars all description. Surely, if angelic beings would deign to worship in buildings of human construction, this edifice, with its lofty dome, would be a fitting place.

On the ground floor round the cathedral is ranged a series of monuments to the great and brave of the mighty dead who have graced the annals of British history. Most of them are exquisite in design, and no less so in execution, and are well worthy of those whom they commemorate. Immense sums have been expended in this way by the British government, many of these

monuments having cost upward of thirty thousand dollars each. I ascended to the whispering gallery, just below the dome, where a whisper on one side is heard at the other, though the distance is one hundred and thirty feet. The dome is composed of a double concave, one within the other, the inner one being open at the top, so that the painting on the ceiling of the outer one is seen from below. Ascending to the top of the first or interior dome, I looked over into the immense area below. The whispering gallery from this point appeared a vast way down, while the people on the floor dwindled away to mere children. From here I ascended to the ball, and thence into the brass cross on the pinnacle. The ascent to this is somewhat difficult, there being no stair, and the passage so narrow that a stout man would scarcely be able to get through, and but one person can go up at a time. At this point I was far above the spires of the highest steeples, and the day being clear, the panoramic view of London was magnificent, and well repaid the labor of ascent. The houses below became nursery toys, and the pedestrians pigmies-the Thames a brook, and the vessels in it mere mimic ships. Though the view