At the threshold of
this sleeping-kennel, there were one or two inscriptions, scratched in
the wall, but not, I believe, by Raleigh.
In this apartment, among a great many other curious things, are shown the
devilish instruments of torture which the Spaniards were bringing to
England in their Armada; and, at the end of the room, sits Queen
Elizabeth on horseback, in her high ruff and faded finery. Very likely
none of these clothes were ever on her actual person. Here, too, we saw
a headsman's block,--not that on which Raleigh was beheaded, which I
would have given gold to see, but the one which was used for the Scotch
Lords Kilmarnock, Lovat, and others, executed on account of the Rebellion
of 1745. It is a block of oak, about two feet high, with a large knot in
it, so that it would not easily be split by a blow of the axe; hewn and
smoothed in a very workmanlike way, and with a hollow to accommodate the
head and shoulders on each side. There were two or three very strong
marks of the axe in the part over which the neck lay, and several smaller
cuts; as if the first stroke nearly severed the head, and then the
chopping off was finished by smaller blows, as we see a butcher cutting
meat with his cleaver. A headsman's axe was likewise shown us,--its date
unknown.
In the White Tower we were shown the Regalia, under a glass, and within
an iron cage. Edward the Confessor's golden staff was very finely
wrought; and there were a great many pretty things; but I have a
suspicion, I know not why, that these are not the real jewels,--at least,
that such inestimable ones as the Koh-i-noor (or however it is spelt) are
less freely exhibited.
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