10515th. (Adams Papers)
A Snowy day. Two Sermons from Hebrews XI. 1. Now faith is the Substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I should not conceive how one Sermon could be made out of this text, much less two. However, what with faith, and the immortality of the Soul they were made out. That ancient and celebrated Poet Homer, had taken notice of a place, which he called αδης and supposed it to...
10526th. (Adams Papers)
Finished the 4th. Book of the Cyropaedia; I shall have no more to do with this author while I remain here, and am heartily glad of it. It is not now, as in the first book. The Conquest of Empires is related, but in the same manner, that the trifles of the hero’s childhood were. Gobryas appears to me to tell his story, just as a crabberly boy complains to his mother, that he has been beat, not...
10537th. (Adams Papers)
Drank tea, and spent the evening at Mr. Payson’s. His lady, who has had two daughters by a former, takes, as I believe, the shortest possible method to ruin them. She made one of them this evening, mimic, the peculiarities, of several respectable persons in town. The Child, would first examine particularly, to see if the persons she was to ape was not present, and when satisfied they were not,...
10548th. (Adams Papers)
At home all day. Mr. True, was here all the afternoon. There is something extraordinary about this man: he has formerly been in a Melancholy state of mind, and appears even now to retain it, to a certain degree. Finished the book of Luke in the afternoon.
10559th. (Adams Papers)
Miss Nancy, finally left us, this afternoon; and is going to board at Mr. Israël Bartlett’s. Her going away, has given me pleasure, with respect to myself; as she was the Cause of many disagreeable little Circumstances to me. There was a Time, when I was Sensible of being more attached to her, than I should wish to be; to any young Lady, to whom I was not in any way related: but it was of very...
105610th. (Adams Papers)
Thaw’d all day. The winter seems in some measure, to be gone; very little snow remaining on the ground, and the weather much like Spring. Finished the Ars Poëtica of Horace, with which his works conclude. Thus I have of late dismissed several books, but shall be obliged, rather to increase my diligence, than otherwise; as Mr. Shaw received this Evening, from Mr. Williams the Professor of...
105711th. (Adams Papers)
Eliza spent the day at Mr. White’s; went down and drank tea there, with Mr. Thaxter, who was here part of the Evening. Mr. Shaw preaches to-morrow at Boxford, and is to be supplied, by a Mr. Howe, who came here this Evening. An extraordinary Character. He adopted a degree of familiarity, as soon as he came into the house, which, did not in any measure prejudice me in his favour. Indeed by the...
105812th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Howe, preached us two Sermons from John III. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. The text did not please me at first, and the tenets held forth, were pretty much such as I should have expected from this beginning. In the morning he said he would have us suppose, that we all wish’d and desired our...
105913th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. and Mrs. Allen, came over and dined here. They carried away my Cousin with them. She purposes spending a week at Bradford. Finished the second Book of the Iliad, the latter part of which is a tedious enumeration of the Ships, which might I think as well have been omitted. Pope’s Translation of this, is surely an excellent Poem; but the Ideas, are often very different. There is indeed a...
106014th. (Adams Papers)
Snow’d all the morning. Young Mr. Willis arrived from Boston, and informed us that a vessel will sail from Boston for London, in the Course of this Week. I wrote all the Evening, and closed a Letter to my Sister. Began the third book of the Iliad, and the Acts in the Testament. Letter not found.