76 
NATURE NOTES 
known as the State Dining Room. The earliest portrait is that of Arundel, who 
crowned Bolingbroke, and who has the unenviable distinction of having sent the 
first martyr, William Sawtre, to the stake in 1401. The most highly prized is 
that of Archbishop W'arham, by Holbein ; there is one of Laud, by Vandyke, 
and a very fine one by Hogarth, in striking contrast to his many better known 
works. There is also a sketch of Juxon, taken after death, from which the larger 
portrait was painted. 
Proceeding along the corridor, in which are .some very interesting engravings, 
&c., the Water Tower, better known as the Lollards’ Tower, is reached. It was 
built by Archbishop Chicheley in 1434-5, and at that time was washed on two 
sides by the river. A door from this room opened on to a flight of steps by 
which the boats were reached. Here Essex, formerly an honoured guest, and 
Anne Boleyn called on their way to the Tower of London. Ascending a narrow 
staircase the prison was reached, and the inscriptions cut by the unhappy prisoners, 
who were in some cases chained to the wall, were noticed, as well as the so-called 
oubliette, by which persons could be dropped into the river, and so quietly got 
rid of. 
It seems somewhat incongruous to find the entrance to the chapel in the lower 
room of the tower. It is a handsome triple-arched one, and, no doubt, formed 
the outer doorway before the erection of the tower. 
The interior of the chapel has been much mutilated and altered at diflerent 
periods. Originally commenced about 1 190, it was twice demolished by order of 
the Pope, through the jealousy and intrigues of the Monks. The present edifice 
was erected in 1244-70, and is Early English in style, with tall lancet windows. 
These contained painted glass pictures of Bible history, such as may still be seen 
at St. Chapelle in Paris. Having fallen into decay and been restored by Laud, 
as was said from pictures in the Mass book, they excited the fury of the Puritans, 
who entirely destroyed them. Colonel Scot also destroyed the Tomb of the 
Protestant Archbishop Parker — translator of the Bible — in order, it is said, to 
convert the place into a dancing hall, an intention not usually' associated with 
Puritans. 
After the Restoration the remains of the archbishop, which had been buried 
“ in a dunghill,” were re-interred in the chapel and the tomb re-erected. 
The inconvenience which might have resulted from such a large attendance 
was obviated by the kind assistance of the Librarian, one of the chaplains, and 
the porter, who vied with each other in giving every attention to the party. 
Afterwards a few of the more indefatigable ones visited the Parish Church 
adjoining, which has two very good brasses and a quaint painted window of the 
Pedlar and his dog. In a truly Selbornian spirit the visit was brought to a close 
by an inspection of the quaintly .sculptured tomb of Tradescant, the naturalist — 
“ Gardener to the Rose and Lily Queen ” — about whose w'orks there has 
recently been some correspondence in Nature Notes. 
March II. — Our President, Lord Avebury, was so good as to meet upwards of 
a hundred Members at the Houses of Parliament on the afternoon of this day and 
to conduct them over the interesting buildings. The party mustered in West- 
minster Hall, and here Lord Avebury pointed out a fine fossil coral which lies 
embedded in the sandstone of one of the steps. Afterwards a tour was made 
through both Houses of Parliament. Owing to an accident, a time had been 
chosen at which the public were admitted, and the police regulations allowed of 
no loitering, hence it was impossible to carryout exactly the intended programme. 
Moreover, the officials at the entrance were not jirovided with enough “ passes ” 
to admit more than a tenth of the party at a time, and as red-tape makes it abso- 
lutely necessary for each visitor to receive one of these from an official in plain 
clothes and carry it three or four yards .so as to leave it in the charge of a police- 
man, the Members, or at least the majority of them, had to wait while the latter 
collected and carried back the ivory talismans, and the latter counted them 
up and entered their numbers. Thus many only arrived at the end of the tour in 
time to shake hands with the Pre.sident before he left. His presence and kindly 
words, which add another favour to the many which he has already conferred 
upon the Society, were nevertheless very much appreciated. (luile a number of 
Members took the opportunity of walking through the buildings again, and we 
