“That used to be a fortress and state prison,” said the Professor. “There were once confined persons accused of treason, and there they remained previous to their execution. Some of the noblest and best spirits of the time have been incarcerated in those old walls. The noble Raleigh, the patriot Russell, the lovely Anna Boleyn, and numberless others whose names have become a part of history. There also were kept the regalia and—.”
“And there also were kept the wild beasts,” observed the doctor, good humouredly, “and there is every reason for believing that the latter managed to get at the regalia; for an ancient poem I have met with says—
“The lion and the unicorn
Were fighting for the crown,
And the lion beat the unicorn
All about the town”—
no doubt to the great astonishment of the citizens.”
“I am going to anchor now, sir,” here exclaimed the captain, “as the navigation o’ the river beyond this arn’t practicable for a vessel o’ such tonnage as the Albatross.”
“Let it be done then,” replied the young merchant; “and let an armed party be got ready to accompany me on land, as I am desirous of examining the antiquities of the place.”
“Yes, sir,” responded Hearty; and preparations were immediately made to go ashore.
“You see before you the remains of a bridge,” observed Fortyfolios, pointing to several broken arches that appeared above the water; “it was considered one of the finest examples of that kind of structure that had ever been erected, and an old chronicler I lately perused gives an elaborate account of the ceremonies that took place when it was first opened to the public. On that occasion the king and queen went in state, accompanied by their court, and all the great men were there, and the great merchants, and thousands upon thousands of citizens. Now you can behold nothing but the crumbling stone-work, green with age, and instead of the music and shouts which accompanied the procession, we can only hear the hoarse cry of the bittern from the neighbouring marshes, and the fierce howl of the jackal from some ruined building.”
“The boat’s ready, sir!” said the captain; and shortly afterwards the whole party proceeded in a boat to the shore.