Addison,
before his marriage, used to live in St. James's Place, and the house
where Mr. Rogers recently died is up the court, not that this latter
residence excites much interest in my mind. I remember nothing else very
noteworthy in this first day's experience, except that on Sir Watkins
Williams Wynn's door, not far from this house, I saw a gold knocker,
which is said to be unscrewed every night lest it should be stolen. I
don't know whether it be really gold; for it did not look so bright as
the generality of brass ones. I received a very good letter from J-----
this morning. He was to go to Mr. Bright's at Sandhays yesterday, and
remain till Monday.
After writing the above, I walked along the Strand, Fleet Street, Ludgate
Hill and Cheapside to Wood Street,--a very narrow street, insomuch that
one has to press close against the wall to escape being grazed when a
cart is passing. At No. 77 I found the place of business of Mr. Bennoch,
who came to see me at Rock Ferry with Mr. Jerdan, not long after my
arrival in England. I found him in his office; but he did not at first
recognize me, so much stouter have I grown during my residence in
England,--a new man, as he says. Mr. Bennoch is a kindly, frank, very
good man, and was bounteous in his plans for making my time pass
pleasantly. We talked of ------, from whom he has just received a
letter, and who says he will fight for England in case of a war. I let
Bennoch know that I, at least, should take the other side.
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