er, within our chamber, with flowers on the pointings, and cause
the drain of our private chamber to be made in the fashion of a hollow
column, as our beloved servant, John of Ely (probably the King's
favourite clerk and famous pluralist, John Mansel), shall more fully
declare unto thee."[34]

The chronicler records the fall of a handsome gate, with outworks and
bastions, on the night of St. George's Day, April 23rd, 1240, probably
from inattention to the foundations. The King, on hearing of it, ordered
the fallen structure to be more securely rebuilt. A year later the same
thing happened again, which the chronicler states was due to the
supernatural interference of St. Thomas a Becket, and that the citizens
of London were nothing sorry, for they had been told that a great number
of separate cells had been constructed in the fallen towers, to the end
that many might be confined in divers prisons, and yet have no
communication one with another.[35]

After more than 12,000 marks had been thus fruitlessly expended, the
King, in order to propitiate the saint, after ordering the tower to be
rebuilt for the third time, and called by his name, also ordered a small
oratory to be constructed in its south-east turret. Whether the saint
allowed himself to be thus propitiated, or that greater care had been
bestowed upon its foundations, this tower, which at first served as the
water gate of the fortress, and was known as that of St. Thomas, "I,"
was in Tudor times used as a landing-place for state prisoners, and
thence derived its dismal but better known appellation of "Traitors'
Gate."

This tower, though "restored" in 1866, still stands as solidly as when
first erected. Its wide interior arch of sixty-one feet span, with
joggled arch stones, is a most remarkable piece of work.

The legend may be considered as evidence that about 1239-1241 the King
was engaged in constructing all the great works upon the south or river
front of the Tower. The Middle Tower gate, "E," the Byward Tower gate,
"F," the dam or bridge between them, the before-mentioned water gate,
"I," the Lanthorn tower, "k," its new turret, "J," the south
postern or Cradle tower, "K," the Well tower, "L," the tower leading
to the east postern, "M,"[36] the dam, with its bridge and sluices for
the retention of the water in the ditch, and the east postern, "N,"
were each and all of them works of sufficient importance to be
replaced, no matter what the cost, when dest