1911760. Novr. 19th. (Adams Papers)
Parson Smith says the Art of Printing like most other Arts, and Instruments, was discovered by Accident. Somebody, at an idle Hour, had whitled his Name, cut his Name out in the Bark of a Tree. And when his Name was fairly cut out, he cut it off and put it into his Hankerchief. The Bark was fresh, and full of Sap, and the Sap colored his Hankerchief, i.e. printed his Name upon it. And from...
19223 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clowdy morning, and in the afternoon, Came up a Clowd of thunder and lightning. Towards night fell a very hard shower.
193From John Adams to Jonathan Sewall, February 1760 (Adams Papers)
I am very willing to join with you, in renouncing the Reasoning of some of our last Letters. There is but Little Pleasure, which Reason can approve to be received from the Noisy applause, and servile Homage that is paid to any Officer from the Lictor to the Dictator, or from the sexton of a Parish to the sovereign of a Kingdom: And Reason will despize equally, a blind undistinguishing...
194Adams’ Minutes of the Arbitration: Boston, October 1769 (Adams Papers)
Silvanus Snow and Amos Knowles. Captains. Have been long acquainted with the Customs of Whaling. If A. strikes a Whale, and B. puts in a 2nd. Iron upon a Call or Swing, from A. or otherwise and A’s Iron draws, the Whale is in the Possession of A. the first striker. Knowles to the Mateship and Value of the Whale. Gamaliel and Barzillai Smith. It was the Custom 1765 at Streights of Bellisle,...
195[November] 1760. (Adams Papers)
Pater was in a very sociable Mood this Evening. He told 3 or 4 merry stories of old Horn. Old Horn, a little crooked old Lawyer in my fathers Youth, who made a Business of Jest and Banter, attacked an old Squaw one Day upon the Neck. The old Squaw made answer, “You poor smitten Boy, you with your Knife in your Tail and your Loaf on your Back, did your Mother born you so?” A Man, whom he...
19627 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge. A Clowdy morning. Afternoon, together with Lock, took a ride to Watertown-Bridge and from thence round through Brookline Back to Colledge again. Samuel Locke (1732–1778) , of Lancaster, Harvard 1755, later minister at Sherborn and, from 1770 to 1773, a most ill-fated president of Harvard College ( Sibley-Shipton, Harvard Graduates John Langdon Sibley and Clifford K. Shipton,...
1971760. Decr. 1st. Monday. (Adams Papers)
I am beginning a Week and a month, and I arose by the Dawning of the Day. And by sun rise had made my fire and read a number of Pages in Bolinbroke. Tuesday and Wednesday passed, without reading any Law. There are no further entries in D/JA/4, JA ’s record of studies, until 27 Jan. 1761 .
198[Braintree and Boston, 1771–1773] (Adams Papers)
The complicated Cares of my legal and political Engagements, the slender Diet to which I was obliged to confine myself, the Air of the Town of Boston which was not favourable to me who had been born and passed allmost all my life in the Country; but especially the constant Obligation to speak in public almost every day for many hours, had exhausted my health, brought on a Pain in my Breast and...
1991771. Feby. 12. (Adams Papers)
At a Time, when the Barriers against Popery, erected by our Ancestors, are suffered to be destroyed, to the hazard even of the Protestant Religion: When the system of the civil Law which has for so many Ages and Centuries, been withstood by the People of England, is permitted to become fashionable: When so many Innovations are introduced, to the Injury of our Constitution of civil Government:...
200June 8th. 1762. (Adams Papers)
Went to Taunton Court. To the Land of Leonards. Three Judges of the Common Pleas of that Name, each of whom has a Son, who was bred at a Colledge. The Honl. George Leonard, the first Justice, seems to me arbitrary. He committed two old Gentlemen who were near 80 Years old, to the Custody of an officer, only for speaking loud, when they were both deaf and not conscious that they did speak loud....
201[Seizure of Hancock’s Sloop, 1768–1769] (Adams Papers)
In the fall of the Year 1773, a great Uproar was raised in Boston, on Account of the Unlading in the Night of a Cargo of Wines from the Sloop Liberty from Madeira, belonging to Mr. Hancock, without paying the Customs. Mr. Hancock was prosecuted upon a great Number of Libells for Penalties, upon Acts of Parliament, amounting to Ninety or an hundred thousand Pounds Sterling. He thought fit to...
202June 29. 1759. (Adams Papers)
Have this moment finished Woods new Institute of the Imperial or civil Law. It is a great Help in the study of Van Muyden and Justinian. I understand Wood much better for having read Van Muyden, and shall now understand Van Muyden much better for having read Wood. Thomas Wood, A New Institute of the Imperial or Civil Law, London, 1704 , went through several editions.
203[April 1771] (Adams Papers)
Last Wednesday my Furniture was all removed to Braintree. Saturday, I carried up my Wife and youngest Child, and spent the Sabbath there, very agreably. On the 20th. or 25th. of April 1768, I removed into Boston. In the 3 Years I have spent in that Town, have received innumerable Civilities, from many of the Inhabitants, many Expressions of their good Will both of a public and private Nature....
204From John Adams to Alexander Wedderburn, 25 April 1774 (Adams Papers)
Your Defence of Messrs. Hutchinson and Oliver before the Lords Committee of his Majestys privy Council for Plantation affairs, against the Address of the House of Representatives of the Massachusetts Bay, has arrived in Boston,: and as it is very curious, interesting and extraordinary, you will excuse a fair Discussion of its Merits, before the Trybunal of the Public. Whatever may be your real...
205Friday [29 December]. (Adams Papers)
Let me see, if Bob P aine dont pick up this Story to laugh at. Lambert will laugh no doubt, and will tell the story to every man he sees, and will squib me about it, whenever he sees me. He is impudent and unfair enough, to turn this on every Occasion to my Disadvantage. Impudence, Drollery, Villany, in Lambert, Indiscretion, Inconsideration, Irresolution, and ill Luck in me, and Stinginess as...
206John Adams to Richard Cranch, 18 September 1774 (Adams Papers)
I thank you most kindly for your obliging Letter. And beg the Continuance of your Correspondence. Every Line from Boston is a Cordial, and of great Use to us in our Business. It is a grief to my Heart that I cannot write to my Friends so often and particularly as I wish. But Politicks I cant write, in Honour. I send the Votes of Yesterday, which are ordered to be printed, and this is the only...
20720 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A fair, warm spring like Day. Drank Tea and supped at Mr. Greenes. For the first few months after he came to Worcester JA had “boarded with one Green at the Expence of the Town” ( JA , Autobiography), but since there were numerous Greens in Worcester at this period and since JA writes this name as “Green” and “Greene” interchangeably, none of those mentioned in the early Diary can be certainly...
208Fryday [17 January]. (Adams Papers)
Came home, and dined, and there stayed.
20924 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
A very high west Wind. Warm and cloudy. P.M. warm and fair.
210Thurdsday 13th. (Adams Papers)
At home.
211February. 1756. 1 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Pretty cold. Staid at Home, A.M. P.M. heard Mr. Maccarty. Lodg’d with him at night.
212[June 1761] (Adams Papers)
I have been for a Week or fortnight engaged in a Project. Have remarkably succeeded hitherto. Mr. Niles approved in all Things. Major Crosbey approved in all Things. Deacon Palmer approved in all Things. They have given under their Hands a very full and handsome Character and Recommendation of my Brother—much more ample than I expected. They have really Spoken in Hyperbole. They have expressed...
213[June 1770] (Adams Papers)
Rambled with Kent, round Landlord Treadwells Pastures, to see how our Horses fared. We found them in Grass, up to their Eyes. Excellent Pastures. This Hill on which stand the Meeting House and Court House, is a fine Elevation and We have here a fine Air, and the pleasant Prospect of the winding River, at the foot of the Hill. Preceding this entry is a gap of nearly four months in the Diary...
214Monday March 17th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Rain. A Piece in Even ing Post March 10th. Remarks and Observations on Hutch inson ’s History. The Writer seems concerned least his Country men should incur the Censure of hissing from the stage all Merit of their own Growth. But Q. Allowing Mr. Hutchinsons great Merit, what Disposition has his Country men discovered to hiss it from the Stage? Has not his Merit been sounded very high by his...
21522 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...
216Tuesday April 15th. 1766. (Adams Papers)
Went to Boston. The Superior Court adjourned again, for a fortnight. Hutchinson, Cushing and Oliver, present. What Insolence And Impudence, and Chickanery is this? Fleet of Yesterday, gives us, a Piece from Lon don Gaz ette Jany. 8th. signed Vindex Patriae. The sole Q uestion he says is, if the Americans are represented in Parliament? Colonists by Charters shall have same Priviledges, as if...
217[October 1761] (Adams Papers)
Read in Just inian and Lancelot. I began Lancelotts Institute last Jany., and have read no farther than Lib er 3. Ti tulus 8. De Exceptionibus et Replicationibus. This entry, the second so dated, is from D/JA/4, JA ’s journal of studies. Arose at 6. Read in Popes Satyrs. Nil Admirari &c. I last night read thro, both of Dr. Donnes Satyrs versifyed by Pope. Was most struck with these Lines Bear...
2181760 Aug. 19th. (Adams Papers)
I began Popes Homer, last Saturday Night was a Week, and last Night, which was Monday night I finished it. Thus I found that in seven days I could have easily read the 6 Volumes, Notes, Preface, Essays, that on Homer, and that on Homers Battles and that on the funeral Games of Homer and Virgil &c. Therefore I will be bound that in 6 months I would conquer him in Greek, and make myself able to...
219[A Letter to William Crawford, Describing a Visit to Boston, October–November 1758.] (Adams Papers)
Am returned from Boston, and according to my Promise sett down begining to write you a Discription or a History of what I saw, and heard, &c. I distrust my Capacity, without an Invocation, but am afraid to make one, for I know the Muses are not fond of such Work. Take it then in the plain Language of common sense. My Eyes were entertained with Objects, in every figure and Colour of Deformity,...
220Adams’ Copy of the Information and Statutes Involved: Court of Vice Admiralty, Boston, December 1768 (Adams Papers)
For that the same Molasses on 19 Aug. last, was imported and brought into the Port of Salem and Marblehead, from the Island of Guadaloupe, in a certain Schooner called the Neptune, Phillip Saun ders Master, and in the Night Time between the 6. and 7. days of September last, the said 19 Casks of Molasses were fraudulently and clandestinely landed from on board the said Schooner, and put on...