61John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 17 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I reciev’d this morning your letter of the 14th. in which you speak of Poetry, and although I have not read much of it, yet I always admired it, very much. I take the Delft Dutch paper to learn to read the language. To day there is a report which I read in it that Admiral Kingsbergen had taken fourteen of the German Transports, but this is only a report. Inclosed is a letter which I reciev’d...
62[End] (Adams Papers)
End End of the second Volume of My Journal. J.Q. Adams MDCCLXXX
63John Quincy Adams to John Adams, 21 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
I am now much more at my disposal, with respect to my Time, than I was at Haverhill, and can devote more of it to writing, though, it is said, this Quarter, that is, the last of the Junior Sophister year, is most important, and busy, than any other in the four years. Mr: Williams’s Lectures on natural Philosophy, render it so; his Course consists of 24 Lectures, 13 of which we have already...
64January 1st. 1783. (Adams Papers)
We found here Mr. Schiebe a gentleman who left Stockholm about a week before us. Norrkiöping is distant from Stockholm eighteen swedish miles or 120. English. Its situation is exceeding fine, at present every thing is covered with Snow; but it is in the midst of a plain which is bordered all round at about 6. or 8 English Miles from the town by high mountains from which you at first discover...
65Tuesday 14th. (Adams Papers)
The French consul was here last night (he is to go to Coronna with us). He told us that he would send a man this morning to tell us if it was possible to go to Coronna this day. At 10 o clock a Messenger came to our lodgings after our things. The Muletiers came and carried our things down to the boat. At 4 o clock the Consul came and told us we should set out to Morrow morning at 5 o clock in...
6624th. (Adams Papers)
Committee met again at Mr. Ware’s chamber; after reading all the letters, I was requested to select from them. White went to Boston, and spoke to Mr. Dingley, who sent back my volumes of Gibbon’s roman history. Drank tea and passed the evening in Mead’s chamber, and retired very early. The weather has grown quite moderate. The only extant copy of Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and...
6721st. (Adams Papers)
I attended Mr. Carey in the forenoon, and went with Putnam to hear Dr. Tucker in the afternoon. He is a very good preacher, but the generality of his hearers look, as if they were form’d of the coarsest clay. A number of female figures in particular seem to charge nature with having made gross mistakes. I passed the evening till almost 9 o’clock with Putnam. Townsend took me from there and...
68To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 12 November 1822 (Adams Papers)
I take pleasure in introducing to your acquaintance the Revd. Mr Barber, who has been some years attached to the Catholic Seminary at this place and to the College at Georgetown, and is now going to reside at Claremont in New Hampshire. In passing through Boston he proposes to pay you a visit, from which I am persuaded you will derive equal satisfaction with him. I am, Dear Sir, your faithful...
6924th. (Adams Papers)
Went over, with my Cousin and brother Charles, to dine with Mr. Allen at Bradford. A lame foot prevented Tom from going with us. Last Saturday, he turn’d his foot as he was walking, and disjointed three bones. So that he cannot yet walk. Walker and Ebenezer Webster, formally a pupil of Mr. Shaw’s dined with us: and an old gentleman by the name of Osgood belonging to Andover, a very sensible...
7014th. (Adams Papers)
Was employ’d almost all day, in thinking upon the subject of my conference; wrote a few Lines, with much difficulty. Did not like the subject. Wished the conference to the devil: the junior Class being displeased with the distribution of parts for exhibition; so far as respected their Class; assembled this evening at Prescott’s chamber, and made a great deal of noise. The Sodality met at my...
71Friday 17th. (Adams Papers)
This morning I went to see the tour de fer (as the French call it and the spaniards Tour d’hercule). It is 100 foot in height and perhaps 2000 years old. There is an inscription which I have not seen for I could not go in which runs thus “Marti et Augusto sacrum. Dedicated to Mars and Augustus." Pappa supposes that it was built by Augustus Caesar just after he had routed Brutus, and Cassius,...
7214th. (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.
734th. (Adams Papers)
Employ’d great part of the day in collecting the theses. I have now as many as I shall want excepting five or six in fluxions which I cannot easily find, as I do not understand the doctrine enough for my own satisfaction: in the evening the sodality met at Mayo’s chamber, and play’d till 9. I was very much fatigued and retired to bed quite early. Timothy Fuller of Needham, Suffolk County, will...
74Thursday November 1st. 1787. (Adams Papers)
I attended in the morning, and in the afternoon at the setting of the supreme Court. Judge Dana, took his seat, for the first time since his illness; from which he has not yet, and I fear never will entirely recover. I dined at his house, and pass’d the evening with my old Clasmate Sam: Williams. The Cases before the Court were not very interesting, except one, which was so intricate, that I...
7526th. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
This day the Count Greco, Mr. Gummer and Mr. Peyron dined here. In the evening I went with Mr. Artaud to Mr. Rimbert’s; spent the evening and supped there.
764th. (Adams Papers)
Eliza, spent the day at Mr. White’s. Mr. Thaxter was here in the Evening. The weather very mild: a farmer, who was here in the Course of the day, said the river was very ticklish.
7719th. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
This forenoon Mr. D went to take a walk. After dinner he went with Mr. Artaud to the shops. Mr. Hoogwerst came to pay us a visit.
7818th. Monday. (Adams Papers)
This morning we set off from Varsala in a boat and went 5. miles as far as Kůmlinge. Fine weather.
My last Letter accounted regularly for my progress from Stockholm, only as far as Oerebro, where I arrived, at 11. O’Clock on Friday Evening 3. June. My Servant according to my directions had waited for me there—I immediately made up his ticket or Marche-route for the next day; allowing for the Stages, at the same rate of time that I had untill then found necessary. I dispatched him...
8030th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
This morning I went and took leave of the Baron Albedyhll the Swedish chargé d’affaires here, and he gave me a couple of letters for Stockholm. At about noon I took leave of Mr. D. and of Mr. Artaud and set out upon the road for Wibourg Vyborg . We arrived at about 11. o’clock P.M. at the third station and as it was extraordinarily dark we stay’d there till 7 o’clock the next morning. For 30...
8126th. (Adams Papers)
Attended court the whole day. Little was done in the forenoon except calling over the cases. But in the afternoon, a cause was tried by Jury, between one Smith and James Brown. Smith had attached certain lands as the estate of Brown’s father, to satisfy a debt due to him: Brown claim’d those lands, as his property, and produced in court two deeds, by which his father had made over the lands to...
829th. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
This forenoon I went with Mr. D. to the French minister’s hotel. Mr. Normandes the Spanish Chargé d’affaires came to pay a visit to Mr. D. In the afternoon I went to the Shops with Mr. Artaud, but found them all shut-up because of the Esther holidays. We went to see some of their diversions. We went also to Mr. Rimbert’s, to see how Mr. Montreal does. Mr. D. went to carry his letter to be sent.
8328th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Williams, this day, gave us, the first Lecture, upon Experimental Philosophy. It was upon the Properties of Matter, as Extension, Divisibility, Solidity, Mobility, figure , and Vis Inertiae. After the Lecture was over, he told us, the Regulations, which were, that the Door should be lock’d at the beginning of the Lectures; that there should be no whispering, nor spitting on the floor, and...
84From John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 4 July 1812 (Adams Papers)
Since the original of my last letter was written, I have received no letters from America, but there are newspaper Accounts and letters to other persons untill late in May—Universal War seems to be blazing out all at once—Here it has already commenced— I had indulged a faint hope that the tragical catastrophe which terminated the days of Spencer Perceval, was intended by Providence in Mercy to...
85From John Quincy Adams to William Smith Shaw, 27 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
I have to thank you for the receipt of your letter of the 14th: instt: and for the last number of the Anthology, which came at the same time—I am much pleased with the Spirit of this publication which appears to improve as it advances, and which I hope you will not suffer to flag—I am much flattered by the partiality of the opinion entertained by the Gentlemen that a regular contribution from...
8623d. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
This day Mr. Blondot dined with us. In the afternoon Mr. Hoogwerst came to pay us a visit. Stay’d at Home all day. Our German master gave us the second lesson. He comes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Fine weather.
87From John Quincy Adams to George Washington Adams, 30 March 1825 (Adams Papers)
I have this day drawn upon you, at sight, for ten thousand Dollars, in favour of Richard Smith, Cashier of the United States Branch Bank or Order—I drew for the whole sum, because I cannot comprehend, how you should want five hundred dollars, to supply any claims upon you, on my account, while you are in the receipt of all the rents due not only on the first of January last, but on the first...
88From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 23 April 1816 (Adams Papers)
I wrote you last week by Captain Bronson, and sent you a Volume of Letters from the Continent, about the Battle of Waterloo and the like, by the Poet Walter Scott—I now send you a Newspaper in which you will find certain effusions of another personage, who is not only a Poet but a Lord—He has been married little more than a year, and is already separated from his wife—Partly, as his verses...
8922d. Friday. (Adams Papers)
This evening at about 11.o’clock we arrived at Stockholm. We found all the taverns in the town shut up, and could not get one opened. From Åbo to Swed: miles Nussis Nummis 2. Tursanparo 1. Laertes 1 1/2 Botila 1 1/4 Helsings 1 3/4. à Varsala (par eau) by water 2. Bränden. Brandö
90To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 6 June 1796 (Adams Papers)
At length I have been released from a situation, equally remote from all public utility and all personal satisfaction. After a detention which I could not avoid, but which was at least unnecessary, of several months I left London on the 28th: of last month, and arrived here on the 31st: The People there were in the midst of the Saturnalian electioneering holidays. The writs issued for the New...