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6 The houses lay with their longest side facing the street, as you may see them still in small villages; not until about 100 years later,—that is about the beginning of the 16th century—it became general to build the houses of stone or bricks with tiled roofs and to place them with their gabled ends to the street; such gables being adorned with carved timber- work made the streets look most picturesque like so many of your own old provincial towns. This, as I have described above, was the aspect of Copen­ hagen during the reign of King Erik of Pomerania (1412—39); he was married to an english princess—Philippa— and by her heroism the town was saved from being plundered by the german “Hanses”. By this King the original castle of the bishop Absalon was enlarged (1416) in order to be more comfortable and up to date, and fitted for a royal residence. Unfortunately no true picture has been left to tell us, what this first residence was like; but after all it must have been a strong castle of stone, surrounded by moats and walls. Above the whole structure rose the so-called “Blue Tower” which was used as a prison during many hundred years. Within the forteresses lay the royal residence consisting of many separate buildings—as the church; the stables; stores; dwellings for the servants and the women, and inmost the King’s own build­ ing. From this time—the beginning of the 15th century—all the danish Kings have had their residence here until 1795, and again in a short period from 1828—84.— As I have mentioned above, the third Townhall was erected in the “Gammel Torv” at the beginning of the 15th century;— unlike most buildings at this time we know from old pictures