Hello! As promised, here's a new chapter for the New Year. I hope you will like it and that I will receive many comments. Happy reading, Happy New Year and good health to all!

Chapter 8 Visit to London

The three weeks in London, which followed the four weeks in Rosings, were delicious for Fitzwilliam. He missed his uncle John, who had rejoined his regiment, and his cousin Edward, but the city was fascinating and interesting and the days seemed to pass more quickly than he thought. Every morning, Mr. Sheston gave him lessons, in order to ensure more time in the afternoons to visit one of London's most attractive places.

Fitzwilliam insisted on visiting the Tower of London. It was a fascinating place and he was impressed by the size of the fortress. He knew the original construction was from the eleventh century, when William the Conqueror ordered it built but the edifice had been enlarged over the centuries. The castle had been used as both a prison and a royal residence.

The London Tower consisted of a set of buildings surrounding the main keep, the White Tower, all protected by two rows of concentric defensive ramparts plus a moat. Inside, there were royal living quarters, but also a barracks, guard rooms, defensive towers, etc.

The young boy listened very carefully to his tutor's story.

"The tower has played a very important role in the history of the kingdom," said Mr. Sheston, "It has been besieged many times because control of the Tower meant power and control of the country. It was also intended to protect not only the Thames, but also London and trade throughout the area. Those who held it in their hands were therefore the masters of England, and even afterwards, of the entire Empire."

"Were famous people incarcerated there?" asked Fitzwilliam.

"Yes. There was, for example, the poor Lady Jane Gray and her husband who were executed there on the order of the queen, Marie Tudor. They were nothing but pawns in the hands of ambitious noblemen. There was also Sir Walter Raleigh who was imprisoned there for some time before being executed. He founded the first English colony and helped to defeat the famous "Invincible Armada"."

Fitzwilliam laughed. "It was not really invincible, since it was destroyed without reaching its goal!"

"Indeed," said Mr. Sheston with a smile, "but at the time, the Spaniards were proud enough to believe that they would be able to defeat the English. It is true that the bad weather was favourable to us, but it was certainly a memorable battle."

He was quiet for a moment before continuing, "There have also been murders in the Tower, unfortunately. I am referring to the two little Princes, Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York. They were probably ordered by King Richard III. There were also two queens, wives of King Henry VIII, who were executed there, Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn. And King Henry VI died there, murdered while praying in the private chapel of the Wakefield Tower."

Fitzwilliam made a face. This he did not find very amusing.

"There was also, of course, the Earl of Essex who was executed there after betraying Queen Elizabeth, against whom he plotted."

"Then I say, well done!" exclaimed the young boy, "Traitors deserve to die!"

Mr. Sheston was a little surprised by these vehement words; however, he could only agree with them. "Among the other prisoners were also John the Good, King of France, who was captured by Edward, the Black Prince, in 1360, and Charles, Duke of Orleans, who was captured at the Battle of Agincourt and imprisoned in 1415."

"But," wondered Fitzwilliam, "they were not executed, were they?"

"No, of course not - they were prisoners of war," answered Mr. Sheston, "Come, come. Let us go see the White Tower. It is the main building of this place."

The White Tower was a rectangular building, measuring 32 m by 36 m, and 27 m high. The two west corners had a small square tower, while the northeast corner had a round tower containing the stairs. There were four floors and they were all about 680 square metres. The entrance to the tower was on the first floor through a door only accessible through a wooden door but that area had been condemned in the sixteenth century, and they were forced to enter from the north side.

This floor, Fitzwilliam learned, was reserved for the connétable1, who was in charge of the fortress. There were three rooms: a large room to the west, a smaller room to the northeast that had been an entrance at one time, and the chapel, which was dedicated to Saint John.

A vast collection of weapons and armour was on display on the first and second floors, with some dating from the Tudor period.

Truly amazed, Fitzwilliam stood in front of the first suit of armour. It had belonged to King Henry VIII. The engravings were based on the drawings of Hans Holbein2 the young man.

"How much does it weigh?" he asked, turning to his companion.

"Eighty pounds," replied Mr. Sheston, "Too heavy to be really useful."

Amazed, Fitwilliam exclaimed, "But Henry VIII was tall and fat!"

"That is true. His armour may have been widened as he got older, but it must not have been very comfortable."

"He was a bad king. He killed his wives to replace them with another."

"Yes, but that did not bring him luck because his lineage eventually died out."

Fitzwilliam nodded. He moved forward a little to stop in front of a second suit of armour. It had belonged to James II and was presented on horseback. The mask on the front of the face, was particularly well worked, with prancing horses.

In the southern part of the White Tower, there were other suits of armour worn by kings and knights of England arranged on horses and armed with all their accoutrements. At the bottom of each figure was a banner bearing the name of the knight represented.

The first one belonged to King Edward I. It was composed of a guy rope or chainmail, with its shoes and hood. The old spurs consisted of sharp points, without wheels.

The next one had belonged to King Henry VI and had interlocking armour with mesh sleeves and basques. He was holding a large battle axe in his hand. The spurs were remarkable for the size of their branches and the helmet was surmounted by a lion.

Then Fitzwilliam saw King Edward IV's tournament armor. It was complete and contained: the breastplate, the helmet, the hi-neck, the armbands, the gauntlets, the leggings, the solerets (iron shoes), the big guard, and the flying piece. This figure held a spear in his hand, and on the breastplate, one could see the falcon, or hook intended to support the spear.

Then came the richly worked armour from the time of King Richard III.

King Edward VI's was superb, damascened in gold and a fine piece of work. The horse's armour was decorated with the Burgundy and Granada currencies. It was supposed to have belonged to Philip, Count of Flanders, son of Mary of Burgundy, who married Juana, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, the victors of Granada.

The last armour on display had belonged to King Henry VIII, which was engraved all over its surface with subjects from medieval legends. The harness of his horse was decorated with the intermingled symbols of both the house of Tudor and that of Aragon. It is considered as likely that this harness was made for the king to celebrate his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. A bit further, upon a pedestal stood a six-foot high suit of armour, said to have been made for the then 18-year-old Henry VIII.

The Saint John Chapel was one of the two chapels of the Tower of London, and dated from medieval times. It was entirely integrated into the architecture of the tower. The chapel had a rectangular nave, ending in a semi-circular apse that stood out on the outside. Interestingly, the fact that the apse stood out above the cellar walls proved that it was built later; a subsequent modification to the construction of the white tower.

The chapel was very pretty. It was surrounded by heavy massive pillars, but their spacing gave an impression of airiness and, for a place located inside of a dungeon, the effect is considered successful. The altar was made of the same stone as the walls. It was while working on the St. John chapel that, in 1674, the skeletons of two children were discovered in the White Tower, during the demolition of a staircase. They were contained in a wooden box, buried 3 meters below the ground. People suppose the bones to be the remains of the two princes, Edward V and his brother, Richard, the Duke of York. On the orders of Charles II, they were buried 4 years later in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey. A monument designed by Sir Christopher Wren now marked the supposed resting place of these princes.

Then Fitzwilliam insisted on seeing the crown jewels. Once inside the "Hall of Monarchs", he saw the coats of arms of the rulers of England, from the time of William the Conqueror, as well as the main ornaments of the helmets over the centuries. He did not dwell on any of these items - he wanted to see the jewellery.

They reached the Jewel House and Fitzwilliam saw the crown of Saint Edward, which was considered the most important and sacred of all British crowns. This specific crown was only used at the time of the coronation.

Fitzwilliam then saw the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross, which dated from 1661, and the dove sceptre, from the same period. At its top, there was a white enamelled dove that symbolized the Holy Spirit, made of gold and inlaid with two hundred and eighty gems.

The Sovereign's Orb was a hollow sphere of gold, surrounded by two ribbons of precious stones. It is surmounted by a cross inlaid with precious stones symbolizing the British monarch's role of defender of the faith.

There were several different swords used at the coronations: the largest of them, the Sword of State, from the seventeenth century, was to be carried in front of the monarch by the Grand Chamberlain at a coronation. On its guard were a lion and a unicorn bearing the royal coat of arms. On the handle and knob were the arms of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. A crimson velvet sheath completed it. The other three were the Sword of Spiritual Justice, the Sword of Temporal Justice and the Sword of Mercy. The latter's blade was symbolically broken at its end.

There were also two armills - the bracelets of sincerity and wisdom, the Sovereign's Ring of royal dignity, St. Edward's Staff, and ten vermeil maces. There was also, of course, the silver-gilt tableware used during the coronation banquet.

Knowing the child would be happy to see animals, Mr. Sheston then suggested to his young protégé that they should visit the Menagerie. The menagerie dated from the twelfth century and had been created by King Henry I, although at that time it had been installed in another palace in Woodstook. It was King John I who moved it to the Tower of London at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The royal menagerie was officially created in 1330. The guards of the Tower were also those of the menagerie.

In 1251, a polar bear was placed in a cage in the tower of London. At the time, the beasts had been placed in strategic places to frighten those approaching the entrance.

Fitzwilliam was extremely impressed by the lions, tigers and panthers but, at the same time, he felt pity for these poor animals, locked in tiny cages while they were made for the great outdoors.

"It is quite cruel to lock them in there," he said, "We should find them larger and more suitable places. It would probably be more pleasant for them."

"You are likely correct," replied his tutor, "But do not forget that they are still dangerous animals and precautions must be taken to prevent them from endangering people's lives."

"Yes, I agree, but we should find a better place for them. They cannot be happy in these cages. What of the elephant? He is so big! How can he fit in such a small space? How unfortunate for him!"

"I hope, Fitzwilliam, that one day other people will realize this as well and that it will happen. In the meantime, what do you say we go see the crows?"

The boy agreed and so they went. The ravens were undoubtedly one of the greatest curiosities of the fortress. Their legend went back to King Charles II. It seemed that the flight of the crows was beginning to interfere with the work of the royal astronomer, John Flamsteed, who was making his daily observations with a telescope located in the White Tower Observatory. King Charles, who had had enough of bird droppings on the grounds around the Tower, originally ordered that the crows be killed, but he was advised against carrying out this order because, "if the crows left the Tower of London, the monarchy would fall".

So, out of pragmatism, King Charles cancelled his order to exterminate the crows. He had the Royal Observatory set up in Greenwich, a few kilometres away, and ordered that the wings of a few crows be cut off to make sure they were kept at the Tower. Over the centuries, captive crows have been associated with this legend that says that the monarchy will collapse the day the last raven leaves the tower.

Fitzwilliam was impressed by the history of crows, even if he did not really believe that they could prevent the disappearance of the monarchy, if that were to happen. It was not his favourite bird, but if Londoners liked to believe it, so much the better for them.

The guards of the London Tower were called the Yeoman Warders. As their main role was to guard and protect the crown jewels, they were also in the best position to answer questions about the history of the tower because they knew more about it than anyone else. The organization was created in 1485 by King Henry VII. When later his son, Henry VIII, moved the royal residence out of the Tower of London, the body of guards was divided into two separate groups. The majority of the Yeoman Warders followed the king, but a group of twelve guards was kept in the tower to maintain the royal residence in good condition, in case the king returned. They were then charged with guarding the prisoners and it was on this occasion that they changed their name to Yeoman Warders, to reflect their true work, since warder meant prison guard.

The uniform of the Yeoman Warders typically was dark blue with red stripes, but for official occasions such as the sovereign's visit, they wore a red and gold uniform very similar to that of the "Yeoman of the Guard". These special uniforms were similar to the traditional outfits of the Tudors, which had been slightly modified in the 15th century because of the discomfort of a too wide flange.

The key ceremony was a tradition that had been held in the tower every night since the fourteenth century. The head of the Yeoman Warders, in ceremonial dress, met a military escort at precisely 9:53 a.m. and together they would lock the heavy doors of the London Tower. After securing the tower door, the guard chief and his escort walked along the docks. On their way back, the group is to be stopped by a sentinel shouting, "Halt! Halt! Who goes there?"

The chief of the Yeoman Warders should reply, ceremoniously, "The keys! The keys!"

"What keys? What keys?"

"Queen Elizabeth's keys!"

The sentinel ends by saying, "It's all right! It's all right!"

At that moment, the group moves and enters the tower. The leader of the Yeoman Warders and his escort were to advance to the arch of the bloody tower, then into the inner enclosure. The group is to stop at the bottom of the stairs. Above them is another group of guards and the warden chief then takes off his hat and shouts, "May God save the King!"

The ceremony ends with the keys being taken to the King's house and stored in a safe place.

After the London Tower, they visited City Hall and other famous buildings in the heart of the City of London. One day, they went to visit Hampton Court, the famous palace of Sir Thomas More and Henry V, where they were happy to find another labyrinth. It was King Henry VIII's favourite residence and it was here that his son Edward was born.

The labyrinth was one of the oldest in existence. Fitzwilliam had great pleasure in browsing it and seeing the castle, which contained magnificent paintings including L'Amour et Psyché, by the Flemish Antoine van Dyck, the Shepherd on Giorgione's flute, and the portrait of a scholar from Titian.

Fitzwilliam accompanied his father on some of his business trips, whether to the city or to the new shops on Oxford Street. They attended a parliamentary debate in the visitors' gallery in the House of Commons and another in the House of Lords, where he could see his uncle, the Earl of Matlock, sitting with all the other peers in the kingdom. There were also walks with his mother through the Gardens and visits to the new galleries where they were both delighted to see the portraits of Gainsborough by Reynolds and Lawrence in Kensington. He accompanied his parents who were going to visit many friends and he mingled with his parents' friends when they came to visit in the evening before retiring for dinner.

One of the most important moments of this visit was an evening he was allowed to spend in Vauxhall Gardens. There was so much to see that Fitzwilliam did not know where to turn. There were balancers, jugglers, concerts and acrobatic shows with horses in the different parts of the gardens. The evening ended with a large fireworks display and he was absolutely amazed by its beauty. He had no idea that you could have so much fun in one night.

Another important moment was when Fitzwilliam went to the theatre. They saw Sheridan's "Rivals" and he found the play very funny. The most amusing character in his eyes was Mrs. Malaprop and he decided to read the play to find out what he might not have understood. They also saw Shakespeare's play, Henry V, which made Fitzwilliam wish to be an actor. He would have liked to be the king who advised his men:

"This day is called the feast of Saint Crepin:

the one who survived that day and returned home safe and sound

will straighten up on his heels every time we talk about this day,

and will grow up in the sole name of Saint Crepin.

The one who has seen this day and reached a great age,

every year, on the eve of this celebration, will treat his friends

and say: Tomorrow is Saint-Crépin's Day!

Then he'll roll up his sleeve, show his scars

and say: I won these wounds on the day of Saint Crepin!

The old man forgets; but he will have forgotten everything

that he will still remember with emphasis

his exploits in that day. So our names,

familiar to all mouths like household words,

King Henry, Bedford, Exeter,

Warwick, Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,

will sound freshly upon the impact of the foaming cups.

The man will teach his son this story.

And the Saint-Crépin will never come back,

from today to the end of the world,

without being remembered,

of our little gang, our happy little gang of brothers!

For he who today will shed his blood with me

will be my brother; however vile his condition may be,

to this day will make it a reality.

And the gentlemen today in their beds in England

will look like a curse for not being here,

and will make a cheap deal out of their nobility when they hear about it.

of those who fought with us on Saint-Crépin's Day!"

While England was still at war with France, he wanted to declaim:

"Let us return, dear friends, to the breach, - or fill it with our English corpses. - In peace, nothing suits a man - such as modest calm and humility. - But when the gust of war blows in our ears, - then imitate the action of the tiger, - stiffen the muscles, overexcite the blood, - disguise the natural serenity as a fierce rage; - then give the eye a terrible expression; - make it protrude through the embrasure of the head - like the bronze gun; let the eyebrow shade it, - scary as a jagged rock - which projects itself overhanging on its mined base - by the blades of the furious and devastating Ocean! - Finally show your teeth, and dilate your nostrils, - hold your breath energetically, and give all your strength - their full extension... Forward, forward!"

This piece, which was nearly two hundred years old, was still a vibrant patriotic discourse and the cheers of Fitz and the audience were fervent. At the end of the play, he told his parents, "If there were no Pemberley, I think I would have liked to have performed on stage."

They smiled at him, before telling him firmly that it was not a suitable profession for him, and certainly not for the heir to one of England's most important families. Instead, they offered him to read Shakespeare's plays and learn part of the dialogue for his own amusement.

It was at the end of May that the Darcy family returned to Pemberley. Fitzwilliam, excited about everything he had seen in the city, was also happy to see the park and the familiar house again. He was looking forward to meeting Mr. Sheston and George to tell them about all his adventures, and to trying to arouse George's interest in Shakespeare's plays in the hope of having an accomplice in his attempts to act them out. George, however, was not really interested in what looked a little too much like school work. He preferred to tell Fitz the latest jokes from the village, give him news of his sisters and talk about Lambton's latest gossip.

Fitzwilliam was very disappointed, but knowing his friend's laziness, he was not terribly surprised. He began to wonder if George was a real friend, but did not want to spend too much time thinking about it. He would think on it another time.

-?-

1 Constable : Grand Officer of the Crown, Supreme Chief of the Army. Count of the stable, in charge of the stables and therefore, originally, of the war cavalry, was a high dignity of many medieval kingdoms. Its role was generally to command the army and settle problems between knights or nobles, through a special court, such as the English Court of Chivalry or the French point of honour jurisdiction. Sometimes he also had police power. The constable was assisted by one or more marshals.

2 Hans Holbein the Younger is a German painter and engraver, born in Augsburg around 1497 and died in London between 8 October and 29 November 1543. He is one of the most important painters of the Renaissance. His most famous work is Les Ambassadeurs, which he painted in 1533. He depicts two envoys representing the nobility and the clergy. However, he specialized in portraits; he painted, for example, Henry VIII King of England.