One Could Hardly Help Saying It Is A Pity That So Excellent A Man
Should Be So Little Known, Were It Not Generally The Case With Men
Of Transcendent Merit.
But what makes him still more valuable is
his pure and open soul, and his amiable unaffected simplicity of
character, which has gained him the love and confidence of all who
know him.
He has heretofore been secretary to the ambassador at
Algiers; and even here in London, when he is not occupied by the
business arising from his public station, he lives exceedingly
retired, and devotes his time almost entirely to the study of the
sciences. The more agreeable I find such an acquaintance, the
harder it will be for me to lose, as I soon must, his learned, his
instructive, and his friendly conversation.
I have seen the large Freemasons' Hall here, at the tavern of the
same name. This hall is of an astonishing height and breadth, and
to me it looked almost like a church. The orchestra is very much
raised, and from that you have a fine view of the whole hall, which
makes a majestic appearance. The building is said to have cost an
immense sum. But to that the lodges in Germany also contributed.
Freemasonry seems to be held in but little estimation in England,
perhaps because most of the lodges are now degenerated into mere
drinking clubs; though I hope there still are some who assemble for
nobler and more essential purposes. The Duke of Cumberland is now
grand master.
CHAPTER VII.
London, 20th June, 1782.
At length my determination of going into the country takes effect;
and I am to set off this very afternoon in a stage; so that I now
write to you my last letter from London, I mean till I return from
my pilgrimage, for as soon as ever I have got beyond the dangerous
neighbourhood of London, I shall certainly no longer suffer myself
to be cooped up in a post-coach, but take my staff and pursue my
journey on foot. In the meantime, however, I will relate to you
what I may either have forgotten to write before, or what I have
seen worth notice within these few days last past; among which the
foremost is
St. Paul's.
I must own that on my entrance into this massy building, an uncommon
vacancy, which seemed to reign in it, rather damped than raised an
impression of anything majestic in me. All around me I could see
nothing but immense bare walls and pillars. Above me, at an
astonishing height, was the vaulted stone roof; and beneath me a
plain, flat even floor, paved with marble. No altar was to be seen,
or any other sign that this was a place where mankind assembled to
adore the Almighty. For the church itself, or properly that part of
it where they perform divine service, seems as it were a piece stuck
on or added to the main edifice, and is separated from the large
round empty space by an iron gate, or door.
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