THE TOWER

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 415.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Westminster Abbey is a fine Gothic building, the work of many different hands and different ages. It was founded in 1049.

Westminster Abbey is the crowning place of British Kings and Queens of England have been crowned here since 1050 The Abbey contains the tombs and memo­rials of many famous English scientists such as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and others. It has its Poet s Corner, where many writers are buried, e g., Geoffrey Chaucer Ben Johnson, Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson Thomas Hardy and Rudyard Kipling. Here are memorials to William Shakespeare, John Milton Robert Burns, George Byron, Walter Scott and other well-known English writers and poets.

Here in the Abbey there is also The Grave of the Unknown Warrior, a symbol of nation's grief. The inscription on the tomb reads: 'Beneath this stone rests the body of a British Warrior unknown by name or rank brought from France to lie among the most illustrious of the land...'

The history of London is closely connected with the Tower. They say that London is the key to England and the Tower is the key to London. The Tower is one of the most ancient buildings of London. It was founded by William the Conqueror. For many centuries the Tower has served as fortress, palace, state prison and royal treasury, now it is a museum.

The grey stones of the Tower could tell terrible stories of violence and injustice. Many saddest and cruellest events took place within the walls of the Tower. It was here that Thomas Moore, the greatest humanist, was falsely accused and condemned to death. Many people were executed here. Some ravens, whose forefathers used to find blood in the Tower, still live here. There is a legend that the Tower will fall if it loses its ravens. The birds therefore are carefully guarded.

On a hill on the green lawn stands the main White Tower, the oldest and the most important building. It is surrounded by other towers, which all have different names.

One can see the Crown Jewels in Wakefield Tower and the valuable collection of arms and armour in the White Tower.

The Tower is guarded by the Yeoman Warders, popu­larly called 'Beefeaters'. There are two letters, E. R., on the front of their tunics. They stand for the Queen's name Elizabeth Regina. The uniform is as it used to be in Tudor times.

Their everyday uniform is black and red, but on state occasions they wear a picturesque ceremonial dress: fine red State uniforms with the golden and black stripes and the wide lace-collar, which were in fashion during the 16th century.

Every night at 10 p. m. at the Tower of London the Ceremony of the Keys or locking up of the Tower for the night takes place. It goes back to the Middle Ages. Five minutes before the hour the Headwarder comes out with a bunch of keys and an old lantern. He proceeds to the guardhouse and cries: 'Escort for the Keys'. Escorted by a sergeant and three men, he closes the three gates and goes to the sentry, who calls a challenge: 'Halt, who comes there?' The Warder replies: 'The. Keys.' 'Whose Keys?' demands the sentry. 'Queen Elizabeth's Keys,' comes the answer. 'Advance Queen Elizabeth's Keys. All's well.' The Keys are finally carried to the Queen's House where they are safely secured for the night.

After the ceremony everyone who approaches the gate must give the password or turn away.

In spite of the fact that the English historians like, to speak about the impregnability of the Tower, the English peasants with Wat Tyler at the head entered its gates in 1381.

Just outside the Tower, on Tower Hill,' is a traditional open-air meeting place at which political meetings are held.