The former
he certainly was; for at every stage he refused to give the coachman
the accustomed perquisite, which every body else paid; and every
farthing he was forced to part with, forced a "G-d d - n" from his
heart. As he sat in the coach, he seemed anxious to shun the light;
and so shut up every window that he could come at, except when now
and then I opened them to take a slight view of the charms of the
country through which we seemed to be flying, rather than driving.
Our road lay through Newport Pagnell, Dunstable, St. Albans, Barnet,
to Islington, or rather to London itself. But these names are all I
know of the different places.
At Dunstable, if I do not mistake, we breakfasted; and here, as is
usual, everything was paid for in common by all the passengers; as I
did not know this, I ordered coffee separately; however, when it
came, the three farmers also drank of it, and gave me some of their
tea.
They asked me what part of the world I came from; whereas we in
Germany generally inquired what countryman a person is.
When we had breakfasted, and were again seated in the coach, all the
farmers, the lean one excepted, seemed quite alive again, and now
began a conversation on religion and on politics.
One of them brought the history of Samson on the carpet, which the
clergyman of his parish, he said, had lately explained, I dare say
very satisfactorily; though this honest farmer still had a great
many doubts about the great gate which Samson carried away, and
about the foxes with the firebrands between their tails. In other
respects, however, the man seemed not to be either uninformed or
sceptical.
They now proceeded to relate to each other various stories, chiefly
out of the Bible; not merely as important facts, but as interesting
narratives, which they would have told and listened to with equal
satisfaction had they met them anywhere else. One of them had only
heard these stories from his minister in the church, not being able
to read them himself.
The one that sat next to him now began to talk about the Jews of the
Old Testament, and assured us that the present race were all
descended from those old ones. "Ay, and they are all damned to all
eternity!" said his companion, as coolly and as confidently as if at
that moment he had seen them burning in the bottomless pit.
We now frequently took up fresh passengers, who only rode a short
distance with us, and then got out again. Among others was a woman
from London, whose business was the making of brandy. She
entertained us with a very circumstantial narrative of all the
shocking scenes during the late riot in that city. What
particularly struck me was her saying that she saw a man, opposite
to her house, who was so furious, that he stood on the wall of a
house that was already half burnt down, and there, like a demon,
with his own hands pulled down and tossed about the bricks which the
fire had spared, till at length he was shot, and fell back among the
flames.
At length we arrived at London without any accident, in a hard rain,
about one o'clock. I had been obliged to pay sixteen shillings
beforehand at Northampton, for the sixty miles to London. This the
coachman seemed not to know for certain, and therefore asked me more
earnestly if I was sure I had paid: I assured him I had, and he
took my word.
I looked like a crazy creature when I arrived in London;
notwithstanding which, Mr. Pointer, with whom I left my trunk,
received me in the most friendly manner, and desired me during
dinner to relate to him my adventures.
The same evening I called on Mr. Leonhardi, who, as I did not wish
to hire a lodging for the few days I might be obliged to wait for a
fair wind, got me into the Freemasons' Tavern. And here I have been
waiting these eight days, and the wind still continues contrary for
Hambro'; though I do now most heartily wish for a fair wind, as I
can no longer make any improvement by my stay, since I must keep
myself in constant readiness to embark whenever the wind changes;
and therefore I dare go no great distance.
Everybody here is now full of the Marquis of Rockingham's death, and
the change of the ministry in consequence of it. They are much
displeased that Fox has given up his seat; and yet it is singular,
they still are much concerned, and interest themselves for him, as
if whatever interested him were the interest of the nation. On
Tuesday there was a highly important debate in Parliament. Fox was
called on to assign the true reasons of his resignation before the
nation. At eleven o'clock the gallery was so full that nobody could
get a place, and the debates only began at three, and lasted this
evening till ten.
About four Fox came. Every one was full of expectation. He spoke
at first with great vehemence, but it was observed that he gradually
became more and more moderate, and when at length he had vindicated
the step he had taken, and showed it to be, in every point of view,
just, wise, and honourable, he added, with great force and pathos,
"and now I stand here once more as poor as ever I was." It was
impossible to hear such a speech and such declarations unmoved.
General Conway then gave his reasons why he did not resign, though
he was of the same political principles as Mr. Fox and Mr. Burke; he
was of the same opinion with them in regard to the independency of
America; the more equal representation of the people in Parliament,
and the regulations necessary in Ireland; but he did not think the
present minister, Lord Shelburne, would act contrary to those
principles.
