As It Was Quite Dark When I Came Back The First
Evening, I Was Astonished At The Admirable Manner In Which The
Streets Are Lighted Up; Compared To Which Our Streets In Berlin Make
A Most Miserable Show.
The lamps are lighted whilst it is still
daylight, and are so near each other, that even on the
Most ordinary
and common nights, the city has the appearance of a festive
illumination, for which some German prince, who came to London for
the first time, once, they say, actually took it, and seriously
believed it to have been particularly ordered on account of his
arrival.
CHAPTER IV.
The 9th June, 1782.
I preached this day at the German church on Ludgate Hill, for the
Rev. Mr. Wendeborn. He is the author of "Die statischen Beytrage
zur nahern Kentniss Grossbrittaniens." This valuable book has
already been of uncommon service to me, and I cannot but recommend
it to everyone who goes to England. It is the more useful, as you
can with ease carry it in your pocket, and you find in it
information on every subject. It is natural to suppose that Mr.
Wendeborn, who has now been a length of time in England, must have
been able more frequently, and with greater exactness to make his
observations, than those who only pass through, or make a very short
stay. It is almost impossible for anyone, who has this book always
at hand, to omit anything worthy of notice in or about London; or
not to learn all that is most material to know of the state and
situation of the kingdom in general.
Mr. Wendeborn lives in New Inn, near Temple Bar, in a philosophical,
but not unimproving, retirement. He is almost become a native; and
his library consists chiefly of English books. Before I proceed, I
must just mention, that he has not hired, but bought his apartments
in this great building, called New Inn: and this, I believe, is
pretty generally the case with the lodgings in this place. A
purchaser of any of these rooms is considered as a proprietor; and
one who has got a house and home, and has a right, in parliamentary
or other elections, to give his vote, if he is not a foreigner,
which is the case with Mr. Wendeborn, who, nevertheless, was visited
by Mr. Fox when he was to be chosen member for Westminster.
I saw, for the first time, at Mr. Wendeborn's, a very useful
machine, which is little known in Germany, or at least not much
used.
This is a press in which, by means of very strong iron springs, a
written paper may be printed on another blank paper, and you thus
save yourself the trouble of copying; and at the same time multiply
your own handwriting. Mr. Wendeborn makes use of this machine every
time he sends manuscripts abroad, of which he wishes to keep a copy.
This machine was of mahogany, and cost pretty high.
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