watchmen.—noise in london night and morning.—an english family.—advice to travellers.
tuesday, april 27, 1802.
the first night in a strange bed is seldom a night of sound rest;—one is not intimate enough with the pillow to be quite at ease upon it. a traveller, like myself, indeed, might be supposed to sleep soundly any where; but the very feeling that my journey was over was a disquieting one, and i should have lain awake thinking of the friends and parents whom i had left, and the strangers with whom i was now domesticated, had there been nothing else to disturb me. to sleep in london, however, is an art which a foreigner must acquire 66by time and habit. here was the watchman, whose business it is, not merely to guard the streets and take charge of the public security, but to inform the good people of london every half hour of the state of the weather. for the three first hours i was told it was a moonlight night, then it became cloudy, and at half past three o’clock was a rainy morning; so that i was as well acquainted with every variation of the atmosphere as if i had been looking from the window all night long. a strange custom this, to pay men for telling them what the weather is, every hour during the night, till they get so accustomed to the noise, that they sleep on and cannot hear what is said.
besides this regular annoyance, there is another cause of disturbance. the inhabitants of this great city seem to be divided into two distinct casts,—the solar and the lunar races,—those who live by day, and those who live by night, antipodes to each other, the one rising just as the others 67go to bed. the clatter of the night coaches had scarcely ceased, before that of the morning carts began. the dustman with his bell, and his chaunt of dust ho! succeeded to the watchman; then came the porter-house boy for the pewter-pots which had been sent out for supper the preceding night; the milkman next, and so on, a succession of cries, each in a different tune, so numerous, that i could no longer follow them in my enquiries.
as the watchman had told me of the rain, i was neither surprised nor sorry at finding it a wet morning: a day of rest after the voyage and so long a journey is acceptable, and the leisure it allows for clearing my memory, and settling accounts with my journal, is what i should have chosen. more novelties will crowd upon me now than it will be easy to keep pace with. here i am in london, the most wonderful spot upon this habitable earth.
the inns had given me a taste of english 68manners; still the domestic accommodations and luxuries surprised me. would you could see our breakfast scene! every utensil so beautiful, such order, such curiosity! the whole furniture of the room so choice, and of such excellent workmanship, and a fire of earth-coal enlivening every thing. but i must minutely describe all this hereafter. to paint the family group is out of my power; words may convey an adequate idea of deformity, and describe with vivid accuracy what is grotesque in manner or costume; but for gracefulness and beauty we have only general terms. thus much, however, may be said; there is an elegance and a propriety in the domestic dress of english women, which is quite perfect, and children here and with us seem almost like beings of different species. their dress here bears no resemblance to that of their parents; i could not but feel the unfitness of our own manners, and acknowledge that our children in full dress look like colts in harness. 69j—’s are fine, healthy, happy-looking children; their mother educates them, and was telling her husband with delightful pride how they had profited, how john could spell, and harriet tell her letters. she has shown me their books, for in this country they have books for every gradation of the growing intellect, and authors of the greatest celebrity have not thought it beneath them to employ their talents in this useful department. their very playthings are made subservient to the purposes of education; they have ivory alphabets with which they arrange words upon the table, and dissected maps which they combine into a whole so much faster than i can do, that i shall not be ashamed to play with them, and acquire the same readiness.
j— has a tolerable library; he has the best spanish authors; but i must not keep company here with my old friends. the advice which he has given me, with respect to my studies, is very judicious. of our best books, he says, read none but such as 70are absolutely necessary to give you a competent knowledge of the land you are in; you will take back with you our great authors, and it is best to read them at leisure in your own country, when you will more thoroughly understand them. newspapers, reviews, and other temporary publications will make you best acquainted with england in its present state; and we have bulky county histories, not worth freight across the water, which you should consult for information concerning what you have seen, and what you mean to see. but reserve our classics for spain, and read nothing which you buy.[5]
5. having taken his advice, i recommend it to future travellers.—author’s note.
the tailor and shoemaker have made their appearance. i fancied my figure was quite english in my pantaloons of broad-striped fustian, and large coat buttons of cut steel; but it seems that although they are certainly of genuine english manufacture, they were manufactured only for foreign 71sale. to-morrow my buttons will be covered, and my toes squared, and i shall be in no danger of being called frenchman in the streets.
