THE LIONS IN THE TOWER

Mr. Editor,—Some one of your readers may be interested in knowing that there was a royal menagerie in the Tower of London in the reign of Edward III. In the Issue Roll of the forty-fourth year of his reign, 1370, there are five entries of payments made to "William de Garderobe, keeper of the king's lions and leopards" there, at the rate of 6d. a day for his wages, and 6d. a day for each beast.—pp. 25. 216. 298. 388. 429. The number of "beasts" varied from four to seven. Two young lions are specially mentioned; and a "lion lately sent by the Lord the Prince from Gascony to England to the Lord t…