At the Freemasons' Tavern, the bill for
eight days' lodging, breakfast, and dinner came to one guinea and
nine shillings and nine pence. Breakfast, dinner, and coffee were
always, with distinction, reckoned a shilling each. For my lodging
I paid only twelve shillings a week, which was certainly cheap
enough.
At the German's house in St. Catherine's, on the contrary,
everything is more reasonable, and you here eat, drink, and lodge
for half-a-guinea a week. Notwithstanding, however, I would not
advise anybody who wishes to see London, to lodge here long; for St.
Catherine's is one of the most out-of-the-way and inconvenient
places in the whole town.
He who lands here first sees this miserable, narrow, dirty street,
and this mass of ill-built, old, ruinous houses; and of course
forms, at first sight, no very favourable idea of this beautiful and
renowned city.
From Bullstrode Street, or Cavendish Square, to St. Catherine's, is
little less than half a day's journey. Nevertheless, Mr. Schonborn
has daily visited me since I have lived here; and I have always
walked back half-way with him. This evening we took leave of each
other near St. Paul's, and this separation cost me not a few tears.
