of the nation have been anxiously directed since the untimely death of his lamented father.

WHITEHALL PALACE has altogether disappeared, saving the Banqueting-House, to be described presently. This locality had been previously called York Place, from the residence of the Archbishops of York, which stood here. Cardinal Wolsey lived here in splendour until his fall, when the palace was taken from him by Henry VIII., and its name altered, as Shakspere tells us―

You must no more call it York Place-that is past;

For since the Cardinal fell, that title's lost,

Tis now the King's, and called WHITEHALL.

Henry VIII. and Anne Boleyn were married and crowned here. The King made large additions, and in fact built a large palace. Holbein, when under the King's patronage, resided here, and designed a great gate-house. Henry died, and his eight successors resided at this palace. In the King's bed-chamber Guy Fawkes was examined, and when James was in Scotland Lord Bacon lived in the palace. It was during this reign that several masques, composed by Inigo Jones and Ben Jonson, were acted at Whitehall. Milton has alluded to the "quaint emblems and devices from the old pageantry of some Twelfth-night's entertainment at Whitehall." The architect designed a magnificent palace to cover 24 acres, which, if completed, would have been the glory of the metropolis; but only the existing banquettinghouse was erected, and, fragment as it is, this building is a master-piece in the Palladian style. Rubens was commissioned by Charles I. to paint pictures representing the apotheosis of his father for the ceiling. Here was brought together that splendid collection of 460 pictures, which, after the King's death, was so lamentably dispersed. Charles' execution took place in front of the banquetting-house, and he was led to the scaffold out of one of the windows. Cromwell lived and died at Whitehall, where Milton served him as Latin secretary. Here Charles II. revelled, and James II. confessed. Then came the Revolution, and the King left the palace, first secretly, and then in his state barge. In 1691 a fire consumed the greater part of the palace, and six years afterwards the rest (except the banquetting-house) was destroyed by a like cause. Various grants were made of portions of the site, which thenceforth became private property.

The Banquetting-House, 111 feet long by 55 feet deep and 55 feet high, was completed in 1622. It is of Portland stone, and cost £14,940. Rubens' paintings on canvas, for which he was paid £3000, are still on the ceiling, although the room was converted into a royal chapel by George I., and again altered in George IV.'s reign by Sir R. Smirke. Here one of the Queen's chaplains preaches every Sunday. The paintings commemorate events in the reign of James I., and in the centre-piece the King is seen on the clouds, with several allegorical figures. A bronze bust of James I., by Le Sueur, is over the door inside. The annual distribution of alms in the Queen's name takes place here on the day before Good Friday, Maunday Thursday. Behind the banquetting-house is a bronze statue of James II., the work of Grinling Gibbons, and executed at the cost of one Tobias Rustat. It was not disturbed at the Revolution, the peaceable character of which was thus indicated.

KENSINGTON PALACE is a plain irregular structure of red brick, standing on the west side of Kensington Gardens. After William III. had purchased the house from the grandson of Finch, Lord Chancellor Nottingham, whose residence it had been, Wren was employed to enlarge it, and the whole upper story was designed by him. William and Mary, Anne and Prince George, all died here. George II. made additions to it, and also died here. Queen Victoria was born here, and here she held her first council. The collection of old German pictures which the late Prince Consort placed in this palace has been removed altogether, or in great part, so that there is nothing to repay the trouble of visiting the interior. On the old Kitchen Garden have been erected some spacious dwelling-houses, known as Palace Gardens. These are amongst the best private residences in London.

THE TOWER.

The Tower-History - Traitor's Gate-Wakefield Tower - Horse Armoury-White Tower-Salt Tower-Jewel House--Regalia--Martin Tower-New Barracks-Tower Chapel-Beauchamp Tower -Bell Tower-Lieutenant's Lodgings.

THE TOWER OF LONDON.

and appli

THE collection of buildings, various in aspect, age, cation, which bears the designation of the Tower of London, has a somewhat elevated position on the northern bank of the Thames, a little beyond the old city walls. The shape of the ground, which measures twelve acres and five roods, is an irregular square. It is encircled by a moat, now drained of its water, and then a battlemented wall, the outer ballium, is seen, with towers at intervals. Within this is a similar line of circumvallation, the inner ballium, with towers, and various buildings interspersed. In the middle of the enclosed space rises high above everything else the great square White Tower, the keep of the old fortress; and scattered about this, the inner ward, are the chapel, the jewel-house, barracks, ordnance stores-houses, etc. Such of these as are shewn to the public we will proceed to describe; but there are many interesting objects from which they are excluded, although we are not aware of any good reason why this should be so.

To this famous fortress tradition has assigned a very early date, but written records do not go further back than the time of William the Conqueror, who employed Bishop Gundulph to erect what is now known as the Keep or White Tower about 1078. Succeeding sovereigns enlarged or strengthened the place, and Stephen kept his court here in 1140; King John also at a later period. The moat was made about 1190 by Bishop Longchamp the regent. Edward II.'s eldest daughter was born here, and was known as Joan of the Tower. David king of Scotland, John king of France, and Philip his son, were imprisoned in this for