No People Are So Cleanly As The English,
Nor So Particular About Neat And Clean Linen.
For, one afternoon,
my shirt not having been lately changed, as I was walking through a
little street, I heard two women, who were standing at a door, call
after me, "Look at the gentleman there!
A fine gentleman, indeed,
who cannot afford even a clean shirt!"
I dined below with the family, and a few other persons, and the
conversation in general was agreeable enough. I was obliged to tell
them many wonderful stories (for who are so illiterate or insensible
as not to be delighted with the marvellous!) concerning Germany and
the King of Prussia. They could not sufficiently admire my courage
in determining to travel on foot, although they could not help
approving of the motive. At length, however, it came out, and they
candidly owned, that I should not have been received into their
house, had I not been introduced as I was.
I was now confirmed in my suspicions, that, in England, any person
undertaking so long a journey on foot, is sure to be looked upon and
considered as either a beggar or a vagabond, or some necessitous
wretch, which is a character not much more popular than that of a
rogue; so that I could now easily account for my reception in
Windsor and at Nuneham. But, with all my partiality for this
country, it is impossible even in theory, and much less so in
practice, to approve of a system which confines all the pleasures
and benefits of travel to the rich.
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