THE TOWER OF LONDON.
The Tower of London. Painted by John Fulleylove. Described by Arthur Poyser. (A. and C. Black. Is. 6d. net.)—Mr. Pulley- love's pictures have all the charm which we are accustomed to find in his work. The interiors are, we think, especially good, but all are worthy of the subject. (By a happy thought, a plan of the Tower Liberties, dated 1597, has been included among the illustrations.) Mr. Poyser's description is satisfactory on the whole. It might have been better to give the twenty pages of the introduction to more details in the story. We should have preferred, for instance, to have the names of the Seven Bishops to the comments on The Yeomen of the Guard or to the not very reasonable complaint that the warders and garrison of the Tower are accommodated within its walls. Surely it would be a greater break in the history of the place if it were turned wholly into a show. It is better, even on the score of sentiment, that it should be a fortress still. The very change of circumstances while the substance remains is full of significance. The story of Colonel Blood and the Crown jewels is told, and the King's bounty to the criminal is explained by his admiration for a man of daring. There was something more than that. Charles did not give away his money in that fashion.
Previous page
