Palace and Hovel; Or, Phases of London LifeKirwan, Daniel Joseph
History
Palace and Hovel; Or, Phases of London Life
Kirwan, Daniel Joseph
London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- Social life and customs
The extent of the Tower within the walls is twelve acres and five
roods. The exterior circuit of the ditch--now a garden, or rather an
apology for a garden--surrounding it, is three thousand one hundred
and fifty-six feet. On the river side is a broad and handsome wharf or
graveled terrace, separated by the ditch from the fortress and mounted
with sixty pieces of ordnance, which are fired on the royal birthdays,
or in celebration of any remarkable event. From the wharf into the
Tower is an entrance by a drawbridge. Near it is a cut or short canal
connecting the river with the ditch, having a water entrance called
the "Traitor's Gate,"--State Prisoners having been formerly conveyed
by this passage to Westminster, where the two Houses of Parliament now
sit, for trial. Over the Traitor's Gate is a building containing the
waterworks which supply the interior with water.
Within the walls of the fortress are several streets. The principal
buildings which it contains are the White or principal Tower, the
ancient Chapel of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, the Ordnance-Office, the Record
Office, the Jewel's House, the Stone Armory, the Grand Storehouse,
and the Small Armory, besides the house belonging to the Constable
of the Tower and other officers, the barracks of the garrison, and
the sutler's shops, commonly used by the soldiers. It is generally a
regiment of the line which serves as a garrison for the tower.
The principal entrance to the Tower is to the west. It consists of two
gates on the outside of the ditch, a stone bridge built over the ditch,
and a gate at the end of the bridge.
These gates are opened every morning with a strange, and for the
Nineteenth century, a very fantastical ceremony.
The Yeoman-Porter with a sergeant and six men march to the Governor's
house for the keys.
Having received them, he proceeds to the innermost gate, and passing
that, it is again shut. He then opens the three outermost gates at
each of which the guards rest their firelocks while the keys pass and
repass. The gravity with which the guards perform this ceremony, and
the nice precision with which they manoeuvre, is calculated to make
everybody but an Englishman laugh.
On the return of the Yeoman-Porter to the innermost gate, he calls to
the warden on duty to take the Queen's keys, when they open the gates,
and the keys are placed in the warden's hall.
At night the same formality is used in shutting the gates; and as the
Yeoman-Porter and the guard, return with the keys to the Governor's
house the main guard which, with its officers, is under arms,
challenges him saying:
"Who comes there?"
He answers:
"The Keys."
The challenger replies:
"Pass Keys."
The guards by order rest their firelocks and the Yeoman-Porter says:
"God save the Queen."
The soldiers then answer back:
"Amen."
The bearer of the keys then proceeds to the Governor's house and there
leaves them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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