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wall three round-headed recesses, 6 ft. broad and 13 ft. high, terminated in loops, as did one at the east end, now converted into an entrance. This crypt is now Queen Elizabeth's armoury," so called from a figure of the queen on horseback, which occupies the western

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The two larger rooms on this stage are 15 ft. high, and recently their respective open ceilings were supported by eighteen and twelve large posts in double These no doubt were inserted when the rooms. were given up to stores and records. Recently, they have been removed, and the beams stiffened with iron, to carry the weight of small-arms here stored up. Possibly there was originally a single line of posts, as 30 ft. and 37 ft. are large spans for single untrussed beams.

Ascending by the well-stair from this stage, a Tudor door is seen cut in the shell of the staircase, and leading into the adjacent armourer's shops. A similar door, below this, has been cut at the ground level.

The Third Stage, or second floor, has also three chambers: the western, 95 ft. by 40 ft.; the eastern, 64 ft. by 32 ft.; both 15 ft. high, and until recently propped by posts. The cross chamber is the chapel, which occupies this and the upper stage, to the roof. The exterior walls are here 10 ft. to 11 ft., and the party-wall 6 ft. thick. In the latter are five openings, as below, all apparently doorways. The rebates show that the doors of the four to the south opened into the east chamber, and the north door the other way. In the north wall, close to this door, are two mural

garderobes, resembling that already described, one serving the west, and one the east room.

Within the north-west and south-west angles of this stage commence well-stairs, 9 ft. diameter, which rise to the roof. They do not open, as usual, direct into the room; but, by short passages, into the jamb of

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the nearest loop recess. The east chamber is entered from the main stair, in a similar way, by a passage 3 ft. wide, in the north wall. In the south wall of this room is only a small door opening into the north aisle of the chapel. In its east wall are three loop recesses, and from the jamb of one a garderobe opens, resembling those described. In this wall also is the plain

round-headed opening of a fire-place, with an inclined back and vertical flue, the outlet of which has not been followed. It resembles

somewhat a fireplace in Col

chester Keep. This room is

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Fire-place in Keep.

Besides its regular recesses for loops, 7 ft. wide and 14 ft. high, of which there are five on the west side, two on the north, and one on the south, the west room has in its south wall a roundheaded opening, which is the summit and landing of a well-stair, which commences, about 15 ft. above the ground level, by an external door, and thence leads to the third stage. From its head there is also a mural passage leading into the west end of the south aisle of the chapel. This was no doubt the private way from the palace to the chapel and state-rooms of the Keep. It was at the foot of this stair, in the wall, that were found the bones supposed to be those of the children of Edward IV., and now in Westminster Abbey.

The Fourth, or upper stage, is the "state floor." Its tripartite arrangement resembles those below, and the two larger chambers have open ceilings 21 ft. high, until recently supported by posts, as below. The outer walls range from 10 ft. to 11 ft. thick, the partywall is 6 ft., and the short cross wall which shuts off the triforium of the chapel is 4 ft. The western, or

great council-chamber, is 95 ft. by 40 ft.; the eastern, 65 ft. by 32 ft. Between them are three plain openings 7 ft. wide and 14 ft. high, and flanking these, two

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St. John's Chapel, South Aisle (from Lord de Ros's Memorials).

doorways of smaller dimensions. It may be remarked that the square of the two western turrets is preserved in the council chamber. The angles project about

7 in. into the room. The opposite are hollow angles as usual. The exterior wall of these two chambers is threaded by a vaulted mural gallery, 13 ft. high and 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in. wide. One end of it opens into the west end of the south aisle of the chapel triforium, and the other end into its north aisle near the chevet.

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It communicates with the main stair in the north-east turret, and with those in the two western turrets. pierces the jambs of each of the window recesses, of which there are in the west room five in the west wall, two in the north, and two in the south wall; and in the east room three in the east wall, and one in the

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