"Upon entering the Tower of London we were obliged to leave our swords
at the gate, and deliver them to the guard. When we were introduced, we
were shewn above a hundred pieces of arras belonging to the Crown, made
of gold, silver, and silk; several saddles, covered with velvet of
different colours; an immense quantity of bed-furniture, such as
canopies and the like, some of them richly ornamented with pearl; some
royal dresses, so extremely magnificent as to raise any one's admiration
at the sums they must have cost. We were next led to the Armoury, in
which are these particulars: Spears out of which you may shoot; shields
that will give fire four times;(?) a great many rich halberts, commonly
called partisans, with which the guards defend the royal persons in
battle; some lances covered with red and green velvet, and the suit of
armour of King Henry VIII.; many and very beautiful arms, as well for
men as for horse-fights; the lance of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk,
three spans thick; two pieces of cannon--the one fires three, the other
seven balls at a time; two others made of wood, which the English had at
the siege of Boulogne in France; and by this stratagem, without which
they could not have succeeded, they struck a terror as at the appearance
of artillery, and the town was surrendered upon articles: nineteen
cannons, of a thicker make than ordinary, and in a room apart,
thirty-six of a smaller; other cannons for chain-shot, and balls proper
to bring down masts of ships; cross-bows and arrows, of which to this
day the English make use in their exercises. But who can relate all that
is to be seen here? Eight or nine men employed by the year are scarce
sufficient to keep all the arms bright. The mint for coining money is in
the Tower. N.B.--It is to be noted, that, when any of the nobility are
sent hither on the charge of high crimes punishable with death, such as
murder, &c., they seldom or never recover their liberty. Here was
beheaded Anne Bolen, wife of King Henry VIII., and lies buried in the
chapel, but without any inscription; and Queen Elizabeth was kept
prisoner here by her sister, Queen Mary, at whose death she was
enlarged, and by right called to the throne. On coming out of the Tower,
we were led to a small house close by, where are kept a variety of
creatures; viz. three lionesses, one lion of great size, called Edward
VI., from his having been born in that reign; a tiger, a lynex, a wolf,
exceedingly old: this is a very scarce animal in England, so that their
sheep and cattle stray about in great numbers without any danger, though
without any body to keep them. There is, besides, a porcupine and eagle:
all these creatures are kept in a remote place, fitted up for the
purpose with wooden lattices, at the Queen's expense.