The custom of sleeping without a feather-bed for a covering
particularly pleased me.
You here lie between two sheets:
underneath the bottom sheet is a fine blanket, which, without
oppressing you, keeps you sufficiently warm. My shoes are not
cleaned in the house, but by a person in the neighbourhood, whose
trade it is; who fetches them every morning, and brings them back
cleaned; for which she receives weekly so much. When the maid is
displeased with me, I hear her sometimes at the door call me "the
German"; otherwise in the family I go by the name of "the
Gentleman."
I have almost entirely laid aside riding in a coach, although it
does not cost near so much as it does at Berlin; as I can go and
return any distance not exceeding an English mile for a shilling,
for which I should there at least pay a florin. But, moderate as
English fares are, still you save a great deal, if you walk or go on
foot, and know only how to ask your way. From my lodging to the
Royal Exchange is about as far as from one end of Berlin to the
other, and from the Tower and St. Catharine's, where the ships
arrive in the Thames, as far again; and I have already walked this
distance twice, when I went to look after my trunk before I got it
out of the ship. As it was quite dark when I came back the first
evening, I was astonished at the admirable manner in which the
streets are lighted up; compared to which our streets in Berlin make
a most miserable show.
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