Tower" title="The Wild Beasts in the Tower" src="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@38612@38612-h@images@pic15s.jpg" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}img"/>

But no sight in the Tower is more interesting than the wild beasts: lions, tigers, leopards, bears, monkeys, &c.  As they are confined in cages, with iron gates before them, there is no danger, if people keep their distance; but some dreadful accidents have happened, by children going within reach of the paws of the lion, she bear, or tiger.

Don’t be frighten’d, young lady, to look at the lion,
You see he can’t spring through the grating of iron;
But if you were wand’ring, like poor Mungo Park,
In Africa’s forests, bewilder’d and dark;
And there, where no refuge or hut could be found,
Should hear his fierce roar thro’ the valleys around;
Or there, by the moonlight, astonish’d to stand,
And see his huge shadow glide by on the sand;
Oh, then you might tremble with terror, and fly
And hide ’mid the palm-tree till he had passed by:
An enemy fierce and all-powerful then,
But now a poor captive confined in his den.

16.  The Jewel Office.

This office is a strong stone room, in which are kept the crown, ball, and sceptre, used by the kings of England at their coronation, all richly set with jewels; besides other crowns and regal ornaments, and some pieces of curious old plate.  The crown worn by the king when he goes in state to the House of Lords, is enriched with an emerald seven inches round, with other gems of great value.  Great precautions are taken to secure the regalia, the whole being enclosed within a grate.  This was found needful in the days of Charles the Second, after a daring, unprincipled man, named Blood, had attempted to steal the crown and other royal ornaments.  Under the form of a clergyman, and pretended friendship to Mr. Edwards, who was keeper of the jewels, he introduced three of his companions, as wicked as himself, and having knocked down and gagged the unsuspecting old man, they concealed the crown and other valuables under their clothes, and were going off with their booty, leaving the keeper, as they supposed, dead, or stunned with their blows, on the floor; but he never lost his senses, and taking advantage of their security, forced out the gag, and calling for assistance, pursued the villains, and recovered the spoil!

In our picture is seen

Fig.

1.  The imperial crown of Great Britain.

2.  The golden sceptre with the cross.

3.  The sceptre with the dove of peace.

4.  St. Edward’s staff, carried before the king at his coronation.

5.  The golden orb, which is put into the king’s right hand before he is crowned.

6.  The king’s coronation ring.

7.  The culanna, or pointless sword, being the sword of mercy.

8 and 9.  The swords of justice, spiritual and temporal.

17.  Rag Fair and Old Clothes.

Not far from the Tower is Rosemary Lane, where Rag Fair is daily held.  To describe the great variety there sold, would exceed all bounds; we would, however, advise every country customer who visits that place, to take particular care of his pockets, that the money depart not without his consent; and, if he takes change, to see well that the silver be good.  A word to the wise is sufficient.  But as many dealers in old clothes know that an industrious disposition is worth more than good opportunities without it; and as nothing is to be got by standing still, up old Levi gets early in the morning, and rambles about from street to street, and buys old clothes of those who have got new ones: or sometimes he gets a stock of hats and slippers, and then begins his walk again.  So, as he wants his money more than he does his goods, he sells them to those who want the goods more than they want their money.  Thus both parties are accommodated.  This is the business of a trader; and his customers are as much obliged to him for letting them have his things, as he is to them for letting him have their money.

18.  Ship-building.

Now we have a distant view of a man-of-war (which is a great fighting ship) building at Deptford.  You may see, by the boats in the front, how large it must be; for the further off any thing is, the smaller it looks; and yet it seems larger at this distance, than the boats which are close by.  It is like a large floating house, with convenient apartments, sufficient to accommodate 800 people.  Numbers of men have been at work on it for several years; and hundreds of fine oaks, which have been from fifty to a hundred years in growing, have been cut down to build it with: besides all the iron from Sweden, for bolts and nails; and fir-trees from Norway, for planks and masts; and copper from Cornwall, to cover its bottom with, to preserve it from being rotted by the sea-water and from other injuries; and the pitch, tar, paint, glue, and I cannot tell how many other things, which must be used before it is fit to swim.  What a pity that all this expense and trouble should be wasted in contriving to kill our neighbours and destroy their property; when it might be employed to the advantage of both parties by promoting a friendly intercourse with each other.

19.  Nosegays.

Through many a long and winding lane,
   My wand’ring feet have stray’d;
While yet the drops of early rain
   Were sparkling on the blade.

Along the hedge I bent my way,
   Where roses wild are seen;
Or cowslips peeping out so gay
   Among the tangled green.

Or primrose, with its pucker’d leaf
   And simple early bloom;
Or violet, hiding underneath
   The hedge’s shady gloom.

With finger wet with morning dew,
   And torn by many a spray,
My roses red, and violets blue,
   I bound in posies gay.

Before the sun has risen high,
   And all their colours fade,
Come, lady fair, my posies buy,
   Of modest wild-flow’rs made.

20.  The Water-cress Girl,

Lady, lady, buy, I pray,
   Water-cresses fresh and young;
Many miles I’m forced to stray,
   Lanes and meadows damp among.
Stooping at the crystal brook,
   By the morning light I’m seen:
Lady, lady, pray you look;
   Buy my water-cresses green.

’Tis the honest truth I tell,
   These were gather’d fresh to-day;
I have cause to know it well,
   By the long and weary way.
On my arm, so tann’d and brown,
   So my little basket hung;
As I travell’d back to town,
   With my water-cresses young.

Hardly was a little bird
   Stirring as I went along;
Not a waggon-wheel I heard,
   Nor the ploughman’s cheery song.
Still upon the waters grey,
   Mists of early morning hung;
Buy then, lady fair, I pray,
   Buy my water-cresses young.

21.  The Brewer’s Dray.