1814 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Breakfasted at Put nam’ s.
1827 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
All this past Week my designs have been interrupted, by the Troubles and Confusion of the House. I shall be able to resume the Thread of my Studies I hope now. Wrote pretty industriously in Bolinbroke.— I have never looked attentively into my own Breast. I have never considered, (as I ought) the surprizing Faculties and Opperations of the Mind. Our minds are capable of receiving an infinite...
18312 [–13] Thurdsday. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
I know not what became of these days.
18414 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
I seem to have lost sight of the Object that I resolved to pursue. Dreams and slumbers, sloth and negligence, will be the ruin of my schemes. However I seem to be awake now. Why cant I keep awake? I have wrote Scripture pretty industriously this morning.—Why am I so unreasonable, as to expect Happiness, and a solid undisturbed Contentment amidst all the Disorders, and the continual Rotations...
18515 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
If one Man or Being, out of pure Generosity, and without any Expectation of Returns, is about to confer any Favour or Emolument upon Another, he has a right and is at Liberty to choose in what manner, and by what means, to confer it. He may convey the Favour by his own Hand or by the Hand of his Servant, and the Obligation to Gratitude is equally strong upon the benefited Being. The mode of...
18622 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Yesterday I compleated a Contract with Mr. Putnam, to study Law under his Inspection for two years. I ought to begin with a Resolution to oblige and please him and his Lady in a particular Manner. I ought to endeavour to oblige and please every Body, but them in particular. Necessity drove me to this Determination, but my Inclination I think was to preach. However that would not do. But I set...
18723 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Came to Mr. Putnams and began Law. And studied not very closely this Week.
18829 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
29 Sunday.
189[October 1758] (Adams Papers)
Yesterday arrived here from Worcester. I am this Day about beginning Justinians Institutions with Arnold Vinnius’s Notes. I took it out of the Library at Colledge. It is intituled, D. Justiniani Sacratissimi Principis Institutionum sive Elementorum Libri quatuor, Notis perpetuis multo, quam hucusque, dilligentius illustrati, Cura & Studio, Arnoldi Vinnii J.C. Editio novissima priori Progressu...
190Braintree Octr. 5th. 1758. (Adams Papers)
Yesterday arrived here from Worcester. I am this Day about beginning Justinians Institutions with Arnold Vinnius’s Notes. I took it out of the Library at Colledge. It is intituled, D. Justiniani Sacratissimi Principis Institutionum sive Elementorum Libri quatuor, Notis perpetuis multo, quam hucusque, dilligentius illustrati, Cura & Studio, Arnoldi Vinnii J.C. Editio novissima priori Progressu...
191Fryday. Oct. 6. (Adams Papers)
Rose about sun rise. Unpitched a Load of Hay. Translated 2 Leaves more of Justinian, and in the afternoon walked to Deacon Webbs, then round by the Mill Pond home. Smoaked a Pipe with Webb at the Drs. and am now about reading over again Gilberts section of feudal Tenures.
192Saturday [7 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilbert. Rode with Webb to Mr. Cranche’s. Dined and drank Tea with him, and then home. Saturday night.
193Sunday [8 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read a few Leaves in Baxters Enquiry into the Nature of the human Soul. He has explaind with great Exactness, the Resistance, which Matter makes to any Change of its State or Condition, whether of motion or of Rest. The Vis Inertiae, the positive Inactivity of matter not barely its Inactivity, but its AntiActivity. For it not only is destitute of a Power of changing its state from Rest to...
194Monday Octr. 9. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilberts Tenures. I must and will make that Book familiar to me.
195Tuesday [10 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilbert. I read him slowly, but I gain Ideas and Knowledge as I go along, which I dont always, when I read.
196Wednesday [11 October]. (Adams Papers)
Rode to Boston. Conversed with Ned Quincy and Saml., Peter Chardon &c. By the Way Peter Chardon is a promising Youth. He aspires, and will reach to a considerable Height. He has a sense of the Dignity and Importance of his Profession, that of the Law. He has a just Contempt of the idle, incurious, Pleasure hunting young fellows of the Town, who pretend to study Law. He scorns the Character,...
197Thurdsday [12 October]. (Adams Papers)
Examined the Laws of this Province concerning Pads, Cattle, fences &c. and read in Gilbert. This small volume will take me a fortnight, but I will be master of it. Pad: “A path, track; the road, the way. Orig. slang , now also dial.” ( OED The Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford, 1933; 12 vols. and supplement. ).
198Fryday [13 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read Gilbert. Went in the Evening to Coll. Quincys. Heard a Tryal before him, as a Justice between Jos. Field and Luke Lambert. The Case was this. Lamberts Horse broke into Fields Inclosure, and lay there some time, damage feasant. When Lambert found that his Horse was there he enters the Inclosure and altho Feild called to him and forbid it, waved his Hat, and Screamed at the Horse, and drove...
199Monday [16 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read a few Pages in Gilbert. I proceed very slowly.
200Tuesday [17 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilbert. Went to Monatiquot to see the Raising of the new Meeting House. No Observations worth noting. I have not Spirits, and Presence of mind, to seek out scenes of Observation, and to watch critically the Air, Countenances, Actions and Speeches of old men, and young men, of old Women and young Girls, of Physicians and Priests, of old Maids and Batchelors. I should chatter with a...
201Wednesday [18 October]. (Adams Papers)
Went to Boston. Bob Paine . I have ruined myself, by a too eager Pursuit of Wisdom. I have now neither Health enough for an active Life, nor Knowledge enough for a sedentary one. Quincy . We shall never make your great fellows. Thus Paine and Quincy both are verging to Despair. Paine . If I attempt a Composition, my Thoughts are slow and dull. Paine is discouraged, and Quincy has not Courage...
202Thurdsday [19 October]. (Adams Papers)
I borrowed yesterday of Quincy, the 1st Volume of Batista Angeloni’s Letters, and a general Treatise of naval Trade and Commerce as founded on the Laws and Statutes of this Realm in which those (Laws and Statutes I suppose) relating to his Majesties Customs, Merchants, Masters of Ships, Mariners, Letters of Marque, Privateers, Prizes, Convoys, Cruizers &c. are particularly considered and...
203Saturday [21 October]. (Adams Papers)
Rose with the sun. Brot up the Horse and took a Ride over Penns Hill, as far as John Haywards in a cold, keen, blustering N. Wester. Returned and breakfasted. I feel brac’d, as if the cold clear Air had given a Spring to the System.—I am now sett down to the Laws relating to naval Trade and Commerce. Let me inquire of the next Master of a Ship that I see, what is a Bill of Lading, what the...
204[Sunday 22 October]. (Adams Papers)
Conversed with Capt. Thatcher about commercial affairs.—When he receives a freight of Goods on board his Vessell, he signs 3 Bills of Lading (a Bill of Lading, by the Way, is a List of the several Articles, and the Receipt of them signed by the Master) two of which the Merchant keeps, and the other he incloses in a Letter to his Correspondent to whom he sends the Goods and sends it by the...
205Monday [23 October]. (Adams Papers)
Monday 23 October .
206Tuesday [24 October]. (Adams Papers)
Rode to Boston. Arrived about 1/2 after 10. Went into the Court House, and sett down by Mr. Paine att the Lawyers Table. I felt Shy, under Awe and concern, for Mr. Gridley, Mr. Prat, Mr. Otis, Mr. Kent, and Mr. Thatcher were all present and looked sour. I had no Acquaintance with any Body but Paine and Quincy and they took but little Notice. However I attended Court Steadily all Day, and at...
207Wednesday [25 October]. (Adams Papers)
Went in the morning to Mr. Gridleys, and asked the favour of his Advice what Steps to take for an Introduction to the Practice of Law in this County. He answered “get sworn.” Ego . But in order to that, sir, as I have no Patron, in this County. G . I will recommend you to the Court. Mark the Day the Court adjourns to in order to make up Judgments. Come to Town that Day, and in the mean Time I...
208Thurdsday [26 October]. (Adams Papers)
Went in the morning to wait on Mr. Prat. He inquired if I had been sworn at Worcester? No. Have you a Letter from Mr. Putnam to the Court? No. It would have been most proper to have done one of them things first. When a young Gentleman goes from me into another County, I always write in his favour to the Court in that County, or if you had been sworn, there, you would have been intitled to be...
209Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday [27–30 October]. (Adams Papers)
All Spent in absolute Idleness, or what is worse, gallanting the Girls.
210Tuesday [31 October]. (Adams Papers)
Set down, and recollected my self, and read a little in Van Muyden, a little in naval Trade and Commerce.