much alike. A gentleman, to whom my friend spoke afterwards on the subject, remarked very properly," Sir, on getting near London, you must expect the roguery of the world; and, indeed, individual villany any where is no criterion of national character; for where is rascality not to be found?” No. IX. LIEUT. MALONY. (Continued.) -Across the threshold led, And every tear kissed off as soon as shed, ROGERS. I CAN assure my brother half-pay Subs, that they may live in London on four shillings per day, which may be a useful piece of information to many a gentleman who, like myself, has only that sum ; and who, if he live at an hotel, or even in private lodgings, will find three times as much hardly sufficient. You must not live at the west-end of the town, where every thing is one-third dearer than in the city-no, lodge at No. 7, St. Martin's-le Grand*, at the foot of Bull and Mouth-street, near St. Paul's. There you will get a comfortable bedroom for a shilling a-night—a clean well-warmed coffee-room up stairs, to amuse yourself in over the newspapers during the day-your breakfast for eightpence, and a sufficient dinner for one shilling and fourpence, without any charge for servants. This suitable place for gentlemen of small means is entitled "The City of London Coffee and Refreshment-rooms.' "There are some other houses on the same scale; but here you will not only be wellused as long as you can pay, but meet with others, like yourself, who have wisdom to be independent, by living within their income. * In order to make the above observation as generally useful as possible, I beg leave to mention, that Mr. Thomas Nesbit, the proprietor of the coffee and refreshment rooms alluded to, has it in contemplation to extend his plan for the accommodation of respectable classes of society who may, either from limited circumstances or duty to large families, make economy an object on coming to London. His terms for ladies and gentlemen are as follow: s. d. A comfortable single-bedded room 1 0 A regular breakfast, consisting of either tea or coffee, with toast, roll, or muffins 0 10 The gentleman publisher, at whose desire I travelled, was not in town on my arrival; but two days after, I saw him, and received a most favourable impression of his spirit and generosity. Amongst other instances of polite and kind attention, he honoured me with an invitation for the next day to dinner. N. B. There is no demand made by servants, but as the attendants receive no wages, it is expected that 5d. per diem will not be deemed too heavy a remuneration for their services. Porter, ale, beer, wine, &c. are sent up as ordered, from an adjoining tavern. Nearly all the papers, and some of the periodicals, are taken in. Meanwhile, Sunday having intervened, I had attended divine service at St. Paul's, and wondered that so few were inclined to worship God in the most magnificent cathedral in Britain. I may say there was no congregation; and the choir and clergyman, feeling no excitement, hurried over the service with obvious inattention and neglect. I presume it is on account of the coldness produced by the vast extent of the edifice, that it is almost deserted in winter. Thus magnificence may be carried to a useless extent. St. Paul's is out of proportion to human nature; in it I looked upon myself as a pigmy. It is a curious fact, that the sublime in art makes man feel little, while that in nature elevates us, and raises the mind to the great Architect of heaven and earth. The use that St. Paul's is to the living, then, seems only to be, the inspiring influence which its monuments have on the rising generation. His heart must be a cold one that does not beat warm before the trophies of well-earned fame, and utter a wish for such a perpetuation as the ornaments of that fabric have secured. It would be too common-place, however, to say much more on this well-thrashed subject. |