319 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Fine Weather. Settled roads. Drank Tea and spent the Evening at Coll. Chandlers, very gaily, with much Company.
3210 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Fair Weather. Spent the Evening at Major Chandlers, with Major Greene and Mr. Maccarty. Charming Weather. Roads Setled.
3311 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Serene Weather, but somewhat cool. I am constantly forming, but never executing good resolutions. I take great Pleasure, in viewing and examining the magnificent Prospects of Nature, that lie before us in this Town. If I cast my Eyes one Way, I am entertained with the Savage and unsightly appearance of naked woods and leafless Forests. In another place a chain of broken and irregular...
3412 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A cool, but pleasant morning. Heard Mr. Welman Wellman preach the Lecture, and drank Tea, with him, at home where he made this observation, (viz.) That Dr. Mayhew was a smart man, but he embraced some doctrines, not generally approved. Jonathan Mayhew (1720–1766), Harvard 1744 ; D.D., Aberdeen 1749; minister of the West Church, Boston; early famous for his radical theological and political...
3513 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A pleasant morning. Saw my classmates Gardner, and Wheeler. Wheeler dined, spent the afternoon, and drank Tea with me. Supped at Major Gardiners, and ingag’d to keep School at Bristol, provided Worcester People, at their insuing March meeting, should change this into a moving School, not otherwise. Major Greene this Evening fell into some conversation with me about the Divinity and...
3614 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Good Weather. This afternoon took a Vomit of Tartar Emet. and Turbith mineral, that worked 7 Times, and wrecked me much. Turpeth, turbith: “A cathartic drug prepared from the root of East Indian jalap, Ipomoea Turpethum ”( OED The Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford, 1933; 12 vols. and supplement. ).
3715 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Charming Weather. A.M. staid at home reading the Independent Whig. Very often Shepherds that are hired, to take care of their Masters sheep, go about their own Concern’s and leave the flock to the Care of their Dog. So Byshops, who are appointed to oversee the flock of Christ, take the Fees themslves, but leave the Drudgery to their Dogs, alias i.e. curates and understrappers. [Thomas Gordon...
3816 Monday. (Adams Papers)
A most beautiful morning. We have the most moderate Winter that ever was known in this country. For a long time together we have had serene and temperate Weather and all the Roads perfectly settled and smooth like Summer.—The Church of Rome has made it an Article of Faith that no man can be saved out of their Church, and all other religious Sects approach to this dreadfull opinion in...
3917 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A clowdy Day. Dined at Mr. Greenes.
4018 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
A charming morning. My Classmate Gardner drank Tea with me. Spent an Hour in the beginning of the evening at Major Gardiners, where it was thought that the design of Christianity was not to make men good Riddle Solvers or good mystery mongers, but good men, good majestrates and good Subjects, good Husbands and good Wives, good Parents and good Children, good masters and good servants. The...
4119 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
No man is intirely free from weakness and imperfection in this life. Men of the most exalted Genius and active minds, are generally perfect slaves to the Love of Fame. They sometimes descend to as mean tricks and artifices, in pursuit of Honour or Reputation, as the Miser descends to, in pursuit of Gold. The greatest men have been the most envious, malicious, and revengeful. The miser toils by...
4220 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A dull Day. Symptoms of Snow. Writing Tillotson. That is, copying out extracts from the published sermons of John Tillotson (1630–1694) , sometime Archbishop of Canterbury and a celebrated preacher ( DNB Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee, eds., The Dictionary of National Biography, New York and London, 1885–1900; 63 vols. plus supplements. ). There survives among JA ’s papers a literary...
4321 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
A Snowy day. Snow about ancle deep. I find by repeated experiment and observation, in my School, that human nature is more easily wrought upon and governed, by promises and incouragement and praise than by punishment, and threatning and Blame. But we must be cautious and sparing of our praise, lest it become too familiar, and cheap and so contemptible. Corporal as well as disgraceful...
4422 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Suppos a nation in some distant Region, should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. Every member would be obliged in Concience to temperance and frugality and industry, to justice and kindness and Charity towards his fellow men, and to Piety and Love, and reverence towards almighty God. In this Commonwealth, no...
4523 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Fair weather. Crawford spent the Evening here.
4624 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A fine morning. We are told that Demosthenes transcribed the history of Thucidides 8 times, in order to imbibe and familiarize the elegance and strength of his stile. Will it not then be worth while for a candidate for the ministry to transcribe Dr. Tillotson’s Works.
4725 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Fair and cold Weather. An extream cold night.
4826 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
Fair cold morning. An extream cold Day.
4927 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A fair, cold day. Drank Tea at Mrs. Paines. All day, in high health, and spirits. Writing Tillotson. That Comet which appeared in 1682, is expected again this year, and we have intelligence, that it has been seen, about 10 days since, near midnight, in the East. —I find my self very much inclin’d to an unreasonable absence of mind, and to a morose, unsociable disposition. Let it therefore be...
5028 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
A raw cold day. Attended Mrs. Brown’s funeral. Let this, and every other Instance of human frailty and mortality, prompt me to endeavour after a temper of mind, fit to undergo this great Change.
5129 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Went to Leicester with Thayer. Heard him preach all Day. Dined at Mr. Whitneys. Returned home and drank Tea, and spent the Evening at Mr. Paines.
52[March 1756] (Adams Papers)
Wrote out Bolingbrokes reflections on Exile. For JA ’s lifelong study of, and his extensive commentaries on, the writings of Henry St. John, first Viscount Bolingbroke, see Haraszti, JA and the Prophets of Progress Zoltán Haraszti, John Adams and the Prophets of Progress, Cambridge, 1952. , ch. 4. JA ’s own copies of Bolingbroke’s writings are now divided between the Boston Athenaeum and the...
53March. 1756. 1 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Wrote out Bolingbrokes reflections on Exile. For JA ’s lifelong study of, and his extensive commentaries on, the writings of Henry St. John, first Viscount Bolingbroke, see Haraszti, JA and the Prophets of Progress Zoltán Haraszti, John Adams and the Prophets of Progress, Cambridge, 1952. , ch. 4. JA ’s own copies of Bolingbroke’s writings are now divided between the Boston Athenaeum and the...
542 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A snow fall last night, half leg deep. Began this afternoon, my 3rd. quarter. The great and almighty Author of nature, who at first established those rules which regulate the World, can as easily Suspend those Laws whenever his providence sees sufficient reason for such suspension. This can be no objection, then, to the miracles of J esus C hrist . Altho’ some very thoughtfull, and...
553 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Fair Weather. Natural Phylosophy is the Art of deducing the generall laws and properties of material substances, from a series of analogous observations. The manner of reasoning in this art is not strictly demonstrative, and by Consequence the knowledge hence acquired, not absolutely Scientifical, because the facts that we reason upon, are perceived by Sence and not by the internal Action of...
564 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A fine morn.
575 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at home, Mr. Barnes dined here, drank Tea, and spent the evening at Coll. Chandlers. The ambiguous punctuation of the MS has been retained. JA probably intended a full stop after “dined here.”
586 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Rose 1/2 after 4. A clowdy morn. Wrote Bolinbrokes letter on retirement and study.
597 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Heard Mr. Maccarty all day. Spent the Evening and supped at Mr. Greenes, with Thayer. Honesty, Sincerity and openness, I esteem essential marks of a good mind. I am therefore of opinion, that men ought, (after they have examined with unbiassed Judgments, every System of Religion, and chosen one System on their own Authority, for themselves) to avow their Opinions and defend them with boldness.
608 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Spent the Evening at Major Chandlers. Fair Weather.
619 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A charming Day. Spent the evening up Chamber.
6210 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
A misty morning. Sun brake out about noon. Spent Evening at Gardiners.
6311 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at the Colonels. Drank Tea at Mr. Paines with a number of Ladies, and spent the Evening at Major Chandlers, with Thayer.
6412 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Clowdy. Laid a pair of Gloves with Mrs. Willard that she would not see me chew tobacco this month. We do not know who won this wager. We do know something about JA ’s use of tobacco. In 1805 his friend Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse of the Harvard Medical School published a tract entitled Cautions to Young Persons concerning Health in a Public Lecture...; containing the General Doctrine of Chronic...
6513 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Some Snow last night, a clowdy, raw morning.
6614 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Heard Mr. Maccarty all Day upon Abrahams Faith, in offering up Isaac. Spent the Evening, very Sociably at Mr. Putnams. Several observations concerning Mr. Franklin of Phyladelphia, a prodigious Genius cultivated with prodigious industry.
6715 Monday. (Adams Papers)
I sometimes, in my sprightly moments, consider my self, in my great Chair at School, as some Dictator at the head of a commonwealth. In this little State I can discover all the great Genius’s, all the surprizing actions and revolutions of the great World in miniature. I have severall renowned Generalls but 3 feet high, and several deep-projecting Politicians in peticoats. I have others...
6816 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Sat out for Uxbridge, arrived about 12, dined. Rode to Aldridges after Mr. Webb, and brought him with me to my Uncles. Spent the Evening there. Lodged with Webb. Presumably Nathan Webb (1734–1760), Harvard 1754 , nephew and namesake of JA ’s “Uncle Webb"; he is said to have practiced medicine, and it was to him that JA addressed his first letter that survives, 1 Sept. 1755 ( Adams Papers ; JA...
6917 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
A fine morning. Proceeded on my Journey towards Braintree. Stop’ed at Josiah Adams’s. Baited at Clarks of Medway. Dined at Clarks of Medfield. Stopd to see Mr. Haven of Dedham, who told me very civilly that he supposed I took my faith on Trust from Dr. Mayhew, and added that he believed the doctrine of the satisfaction of J esus C hrist to be essential to Cristianity, and that he would not...
7018 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A cloudy morning. Spent the afternoon at my Uncles, and part of the Evening at the Doctor’s. Ebenezer Adams (1704–1769?) , youngest brother of Deacon John Adams; his wife was Ann, sister of Susanna Boylston, JA ’s mother; their daughter Ann was Mrs. Elisha Savil, mentioned in the preceding note ( Braintree Town Records Samuel A. Bates, ed., Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793,...
7119 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A rainy morning. Went down in the afternoon, to the Point. Spent the afternoon and Evening and lodged with my dear Friend Cranch, in the usuall social friendly Strain. Richard Cranch (1726–1811) , who in 1762 became AA ’s brother-in-law before her marriage to JA . Cranch conducted a glass manufactory at a settlement called Germantown (from the German artisans who worked there), on a point of...
7220 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
After breakfast, rode to my Uncle Hunts, dined there, came Home, went to see my Aunt Owen, drank Tea at Deacon Webbs with Mrs. Nabby Webb . Came home. Spent the evening at the Drs. JA ’s aunt Hannah Adams had married Benjamin Owen of Braintree, 1725; his aunt Bethiah Adams had married Ebenezer Hunt of Weymouth, 1737 ( A. N. Adams, Geneal. Hist. of Henry Adams of Braintree Andrew N. Adams, A...
7321 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Vernal Equinox. Heard Mr. Wibird preach two excellent Discourses from Eccles. 9.12. Spent the Evening at Mr. Wibirds with Messrs. Quincy, Cranch, Savel, in Conversation upon the present Scituation of publick affairs. Mr. Quincy exerted his Talents in the most Eloquent Harrangue. Mr. Cranch quoted the bishop of Quebecks Letter concerning the french Missionaries among the Indians. Some, he says,...
7422 Monday. (Adams Papers)
A fair but cool morn. Mounted for Boston, arrived about 11 o’clock, went to friend Wm. Belchers, drank a bowl of punch, dined at my Uncle Sympsons, rode to Cambridge, drank Tea with Tom Went-worth. Spent the Evening partly at Hills Chamber, partly at Slewmans Sluman’s , and partly at Trumbles Trumbull’s and partly at Harry Hills. Lodged with John Hill. Nathan Simpson , a blacksmith of Boston,...
7523 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A fine morn. Breakfasted with Slewman at Prentices, mounted for Braintree, arrived about 1, dined, went to Dr. Millers, to see friend Sam. Drank Tea there with Mrs. Veasey and Mrs. Mary Miller, stopped in my return at Dr. Marshes, smoked a pipe there, came home, went to my Uncles and spent the Evening. Returned home and went to bed. Samuel Miller, Harvard 1756 , was a son of Ebenezer Miller,...
7624 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Sat out for Worcester. Dined at Dedham and rode from thence in the rain to Mendon, supped and lodged at Josiah Adamses.
7725 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
Rode to Uxbridge. Tarried at my Uncle Webbs and lodged with Mr. Nathan Webb .
7826 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A delightful morning. Rode to Grafton, dined at Josiah Rawsons. He exerted his rawsonian Talents concerning the felicity of Heaven. I sat and heard for it is vain to resist so impetuous a Torrent. Proceeded to Worcester, drank Tea at Mr. Maccarty’s and spent the evening at Major Gardiner’s.
7927 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
The Stream of Life sometimes glides smoothly on, through flowry meadows and enamell’d planes. At other times it draggs a winding reluctant Course through offensive Boggs and dismal gloomy Swamps. The same road now leads us thro’ a spacious Country fraught with evry delightful object, Then plunges us at once, into miry Sloughs, or stops our passage with craggy and inaccessible mountains. The...
8028 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Heard Mr. Maccarty, spent the Evening at Coll. Chandlers, in Conversation concerning Lands and Farms &c.