Of Such Puffs The English Newspapers Are Daily Full, Particularly Of
Quack Medicines And Empirics, By Means Of Which Many A One Here (And
Among Others A German Who Goes By The Name Of The German Doctor) Are
Become Rich.
An advertisement of a lottery in the papers begins
with capitals in this manner, - "Ten Thousand Pounds for a
Sixpence!
Yes, however astonishing it may seem, it is nevertheless undoubtedly
true, that for the small stake of sixpence, ten thousand pounds, and
other capital prizes, may be won, etc." - But enough for this time of
the puffs of the English.
I yesterday dined with the Rev. Mr. Schrader, son-in-law to
Professor Foster of Halle. He is chaplain to the German chapel at
St. James's; but besides himself he has a colleague or a reader, who
is also in orders, but has only fifty pounds yearly salary. Mr.
Schrader also instructs the younger princes and princesses of the
royal family in their religion. At his house I saw the two
chaplains, Mr. Lindeman and Mr. Kritter, who went with the
Hanoverian troops to Minorca, and who were returned with the
garrison. They were exposed to every danger along with the troops.
The German clergy, as well as every other person in any public
station immediately under Government, are obliged to pay a
considerable tax out of their salaries.
The English clergy (and I fear those still more particularly who
live in London) are noticeable, and lamentably conspicuous, by a
very free, secular, and irregular way of life. Since my residence
in England, one has fought a duel in Hyde Park, and shot has
antagonist. He was tried for the offence, and it was evident the
judge thought him guilty of murder; but the jury declared him guilty
only of manslaughter; and on this verdict he was burnt in the hand,
if that may be called burning which is done with a cold iron; this
being a privilege which the nobility and clergy enjoy above other
murderers.
Yesterday week, after I had preached for Mr. Wendeborne, we passed
an English church in which, we understood the sermon was not yet
quite finished. On this we went in, and then I heard a young man
preaching, with a tolerable good voice, and a proper delivery; but,
like the English in general, his manner was unimpassioned, and his
tone monotonous. From the church we went to a coffee-house opposite
to it, and there we dined. We had not been long there before the
same clergyman whom we had just heard preaching, also came in. He
called for pen and ink, and hastily wrote down a few pages on a long
sheet of paper, which he put into his pocket; I suppose it was some
rough sketch or memorandum that occurred to him at that moment, and
which he thus reserved for some future sermon. He too ordered some
dinner, which he had no sooner ate, than he returned immediately to
the same church. We followed him, and he again mounted the pulpit,
where he drew from his pocket a written paper, or book of notes, and
delivered in all probability those very words which he had just
before composed in our presence at the coffee-house.
In these coffee-houses, however, there generally prevails a very
decorous stillness and silence. Everyone speaks softly to those
only who sit next him. The greater part read the newspapers, and no
one ever disturbs another. The room is commonly on the ground
floor, and you enter it immediately from the street; the seats are
divided by wooden wainscot partitions. Many letters and projects
are here written and planned, and many of those that you find in the
papers are dated from some of these coffee-houses. There is,
therefore, nothing incredible, nor very extraordinary, in a person's
composing a sermon here, excepting that one would imagine it might
have been done better at home, and certainly should not have thus
been put off to the last minute.
Another long walk that I have taken pretty often, is through Hanover
Square and Cavendish Square, to Bulstrode Street, near Paddington,
where the Danish ambassador lives, and where I have often visited
the Danish Charge d'Affaires, M. Schornborn. He is well known in
Germany, as having attempted to translate Pindar into German.
Besides this, and besides being known to be a man of genius, he is
known to be a great proficient in most of the branches of natural
philosophy. I have spent many very pleasant hours with him.
Sublime poetry, and in particular odes, are his forte; there are
indeed few departments of learning in which he has not extensive
knowledge, and he is also well read in the Greek and Roman authors.
Everything he studies, he studies merely from the love he bears to
the science itself, and by no means for the love of fame.
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.
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