Three of the most celebrated resorts of the _literati_ of the last
century were _Will’s Coffee-house_, No. 23, on the north side of Great
Russell-street, Covent Garden, at the end of Bow-street. This was the
favourite resort of Dryden, who had here his own chair, in winter by the
fireside, in summer in the balcony: the company met in the first floor,
and there smoked; and the young beaux and wits were sometimes honoured
with a pinch out of Dryden’s snuff-box. Will’s was the resort of men of
genius till 1710: it was subsequently occupied by a perfumer.
_Tom’s_, No. 17, Great Russell-street, had nearly 700 subscribers, at a
guinea a-head, from 1764 to 1768, and had its card, conversation, and
coffee-rooms, where assembled Dr. Johnson, Garrick, Murphy, Goldsmith,
Sir Joshua Reynolds, Foote, and other men of talent: the tables and
books of the club were not many years since preserved in the house, the
first floor of which was then occupied by Mr. Webster, the medallist.
_Button’s_, “over against” Tom’s, was the receiving-house for
contributions to _The Guardian_, in a lion-head box, the aperture for
which remains in the wall to mark the place. Button had been servant to
Lady Warwick, whom Addison married; and the house was frequented by
Pope, Steele, Swift, Arbuthnot, and Addison. The lion’s head for a
letter-box, “the best head in England,” was set up in imitation of the
celebrated lion at Venice: it was removed from Button’s to the
Shakspeare’s Head, under the arcade in Covent Garden; and in 1751, was
placed in the Bedford, next door. This lion’s head is now treasured as a
relic by the Bedford family.