140114th. (Adams Papers)
I was up late last Night, to finish the fourth book of Horace’s Odes; and found my Eyes, this morning very sore indeed, so that I could not write or read. Mr. Storer, Mr. Atkinson, and Mr. W. Smith arrived, at about 10 in the morning, and my time was taken up, in going about with them. Visited Mr. Stoughton for the first time: Mrs. Stoughton is by no means fond of this Town. The sudden...
14024th. (Adams Papers)
Was absent from meeting all day. Read a Sermon, from Blair, in the forenoon, upon the duties of the young. Dined with White, Foster and Lovell, at my chamber. Weather cleared up in the afternoon. Josiah Burge , of Hollis, in New Hampshire, County of Hills borough, was 20 the 19th. of last April; he is possessed of one of those calm, easy minds, which enjoy happiness, under almost all...
1403[Titlepage] (Adams Papers)
Titlepage of D/JQA/12, the third of three leather-bound blank books that JQA presumably purchased in Paris on 20 Aug. 1783. For a fuller physical description of these volumes, see the note for the titlepage of D/JQA/10, ante 1 Jan. 1785 (above). This Diary volume contains entries from 1 Nov. 1787 to 24 Aug.–2 Sept. 1788 , followed by scattered entries, twelve for September and five for Oct....
14044th. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Mr. Osgood’s in a large Company. 16 persons, at table. Mr. Larieu, a frenchman, and Mr. W. Greenleaf, were the only, that I was not before acquainted with. Mr. Larieu has been very unfortunate in losing almost all his Estate, by the failure of Mr. Fessenden, in this Town. Drank tea at Mr. White’s, where, Eliza pass’d the Day. In the Evening I was conversing my aunt, upon the subject...
140525th. (Adams Papers)
In the forenoon I went to Weymouth, to return Dr. Tufts’s horse. Dined at the Doctor’s, and pass’d the afternoon there. Walk’d leisurely home, and arrived at about Sun-set. This morning Mrs. Cranch and her son, went to Boston. My Cousin intends to read law with Mr. Dawes, and will enter his office next monday. Very damp, sultry weather.
140616th. (Adams Papers)
I took a walk this morning as far as Dr. Tucker’s meeting house; but it was to little purpose, unless the exercice of the walk was sufficiently beneficial to me to compensate my trouble: for Mr. Kimball happened to preach; and delivered the same sermon, which I heard him read at Haverhill four weeks ago. As I did not incline to hear the afternoon sermon twice, I attended at Mr. Carey’s: this...
140718th. (Adams Papers)
Went with Charles Storer, and heard, the debates in the House of Representatives; and afterwards, the pleadings, at the Supreme Court. Dined at Deacon Storer’s with Mr. Jackson. As Dr. Tufts was detained in Town, he let me have his horse, to go out to Braintree with. I set out between 3 and 4, with Mr. Cranch. I stopp’d and drank tea at my Uncle Adams’s. Got home, just before dark.
140830th. (Adams Papers)
Attended the meeting forenoon and afternoon; in the morning Cousin Betsey came, here, and spent the day with us. I return’d with her after tea, and found nobody at home, at Mr. White’s. Nancy and Charles went in the afternoon to the other meeting-house. Mr. Smith, after an absence of near two months, return’d home, a day or two since. Mr. Hunt spent the evening here; a gentleman from Boston,...
140929th. (Adams Papers)
Rain’d in the fore part of the day but cleared up in the afternoon: I went with my gun down upon the marshes; but had no sport. Game laws are said to be directly opposed to the liberties of the subject: I am well perswaded that they may be carried too far, and that they really are in most parts of Europe. But it is equally certain that when there are none, there never is any game: so that the...
1410[June 1786] (Adams Papers)
We had this forenoon a Lecture from Mr. Williams. Upon the reflection and the refraction of light. It is not usual for him to give Lectures on Thursdays, as many of both the Classes, are always absent on that day; as was the Case to day, not above half being present. But he has been so long prevented, by the weather, from giving any, that he is obliged to take the first fair day that happened:...
141119th. (Adams Papers)
The whole day at my studies as usual. In the afternoon I read in Watt’s Logic, as my Saturday afternoon’s, are employ’d in reading English. I began this, last week, and am pretty well pleased with the work, though I have not as yet made any great progress in it. There are a number of observations which were quite new to me, and the most of them indisputable: some few I could not well...
141220th. (Adams Papers)
I expected this morning when I waked up, to hear the winds whistle and the tempests roar: but all was still and calm: the storm was violent but short. We were pretty still this day at the office; but four at a time, is certainly too many. Some one or other of us, is talking almost all the time, and consequently, reading does not proceed rapidly. Little came and pass’d half an hour with me in...
141326th. (Adams Papers)
At about 6 this morning we set out I on horseback, Charles and Tom in a Sulkey; we got to Cambridge, at about 9. Went down to the President’s to know what Chamber they had given me; he told me I could not have that which I have hitherto occupied because I was going to live with a Sophimore; so that I must put up with N: 6 which was held last year by Bigelow and Lowell, a senior Chamber, but a...
14149th. (Adams Papers)
The air is very temperate, in Comparison to that of yesterday. The river, was froze over in such a manner, that it was almost sufficient to bear a man’s Weight: but it is now so different, that Mr. Peabody, came over this Evening in a boat: the closing of this River, is always a sudden affair. Mr. Duncan, and Mr. Payson, were here, in the Evening; and Mr. Ben Willis, a youth, about 17 years,...
141523d. (Adams Papers)
The weather has look’d snowy, for several days past, but has remained, in Statu quo, till this evening; Which is pretty stormy. I am not fond of seeing this Robe; there is something so dreary so gloomy, to me, in looking, all around, to see a dull lifeless sameness, every where, that the first appearance of snow, is quite disagreeable to me. James Thomson, “The Seasons: Winter,” lines 232–233...
141616th. (Adams Papers)
Charles came to Cambridge last Monday in order to move into our new Chamber. My Cousin and myself came from Braintree at about 9 o’clock, and arrived here just at Commons time. I found the Chamber all in Confusion, and it will be so probably all the rest of this Week, for Lowell and Bigelow, who lived in it last year were two of the greatest slovens in their Class. The studies must both be...
141730th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Shaw preach’d in the forenoon from Proverbs I. 5. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. A great deal was said about neglect in attending public worship on the Sunday. I rather doubt whether it be a matter of so much consequence as was supposed. It is however very proper for a minister to remind his People of their...
141822d. (Adams Papers)
Mr. A. received in the morning a Card from Dr. Franklin informing him that a person who came in the Packet had called upon him last evening: and told him he had a pacquet for my father addressed at the Hague. My father immediately went to Dr. Franklin’s, and from thence to the Hôtel d’Orleans, where he found two gentlemen who came in the Packet. Mr. Jervais, an American, and Mr. Lefevre, a...
141913th. (Adams Papers)
Went in the afternoon, with an Intention to visit Mr. Soughton, but stopping in at Mr. White’s, was told he, and his Lady were spending the afternoon at Judge Blodget’s: found Eliza, somewhat unwell. Mr. Sears, Mr. Burges, and Mr. Marquand, were at Mr. White’s all the evening; and Mr. Osgood and Mr. Duncan. Mr. Sears I take to be between 30 and 35 years old; has made an handsome fortune in the...
14206th. (Adams Papers)
This day the annual Dudleian Lecture was preach’d by Mr. Symmes of Andover; the subject was the validity of Presbyterian Ordination. There are four subjects which are alternately treated the first Wednesday in September. They are Natural Religion, Revealed Religion, The errors of the Romish Church, and that above mentioned. The founder was Mr. Dudley: who gave a Sum the annual interest of...
142120th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Deane, of Falmouth preach’d here this day, in the forenoon from Matthew. XI. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls, and in the afternoon from Luke XVI. 31. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. A whining sort of a Tone was...
14226th. (Adams Papers)
After dinner the Ladies went into Paris: I left them at the Place de Louis 15. and went to Mr. West’s lodgings: he had been out to Auteuil in the morning with Mr. Bowdoin, and had promised to meet me in the afternoon at his lodgings, but did not. I walk’d from 5. o’clock till 9 in the Palais Royal. Met M: de Gouvion there, and walk’d with him, about an hour and an half. He was much averse to...
142326th. (Adams Papers)
I went in the morning to the Sweedish Ambassador’s Hôtel to go with Mr. d’Asp, and see the Abbé Grenet, but I was too late and Mr. d’Asp was gone out, I went to see Mr. Jarvis: and afterwards Count d’Ouradou, at the hôtel de Nassau, Ruë de la Harpe. We agreed to go together to l’Orient. Went to see West, but did not find him at home. Walk’d in the Palais Royal, where I met Mr. Williamos; and...
142410th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Porter the Minister of Roxbury, preach’d here; he is a pretty good Speaker. His discourse in the forenoon was from Revelations XI. 17th. We give thee thanks O, Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great Power, and hast reigned. And in the afternoon from John I. 45, 46. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of...
142510th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. A: went to Versailles, to take leave, of the Court. Mr. Carnes came out. Was all day preparing for my departure, in the evening Mm. de la Fayette, with two of her Children, came out: and Mr. Jarvis and Mr. Randall. Burrill Carnes, a merchant at Nantes, appointed American agent there in 1786 by Thomas Barclay ( Jefferson, Papers The Papers of Thomas Jefferson , ed. Julian P. Boyd and...
14267th. (Adams Papers)
In the beginning of the evening I wrote a Letter to W. Cranch requesting of him an explanation, of something he wrote me, which was plain enough to alarm me exceedingly, but not sufficiently explicit to ascertain my suspicions. At eight o’clock I left the office, and went to Dr. Swett’s; where I found Little very agreeably situated. He had been writing part of a Letter to Freeman. I join’d...
142711th. (Adams Papers)
From the office this afternoon I went with Townsend to his lodgings, and there past a couple of hours; after which I went in to Mr. Tufts’s, spend the remainder of the evening, and supp’d there. I found Mr. I. Smith there, and conversed with him upon the subject of the late disturbances at college. He hinted to me, that one of my brothers, had been much irritated, and that he was suspected of...
142829th. (Adams Papers)
I attended at meeting and heard Mr. Wibird. The weather was rather dull and somewhat sultry. I am still undetermined whether to return this week to Newbury-Port, or wait till after Commencement: I believe however I shall determine upon the latter.
142914. (Adams Papers)
Fete de S: Cloud. Diné entre là et Auteuil. M: T——r parti. An annual festival held on the grounds of the royal palace of St. Cloud ( Journal de Paris , 4 Sept. 1785). John Thaxter left for Philadelphia, carrying with him the Definitive Treaty with Great Britain, and the original Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the Netherlands, the latter signed at The Hague on 8 Oct. 1782 ( JA to Benjamin...
1430Friday February 1st. 1788. (Adams Papers)
Pass’d a great part of the fore noon at Mr. Thaxter’s. He is now quite in the family way: he dined with us at Mr. Shaw’s; as did Leonard White and Sam Walker. In the afternoon we rode in a couple of sleighs about 6 miles down upon the river, and return’d just after dark. The party was agreeable; but Walker was an object of great pity. He has ruined his reputation irrevocably; the fairest Life...
143119th. (Adams Papers)
I was considerably fatigued by my jaunt of yesterday, but made out however to read something, in the course of the day; and in the slow progress which I have made since I came to Braintree, I have at length got through the volume of Doctor Priestley upon history and general policy, which I take to be an excellent work; I shall take as early an opportunity as possible to peruse it again.
143224. (Adams Papers)
Mme. Ridley accouchée. Ann Richardson, whom Matthew Ridley married in England in 1775, gave birth to a son, Lucius, on this day. They were also living in the house of the Comte de Rouault at Auteuil to which they had moved for the sake of Mrs. Ridley’s health (Herbert E. Klingelhofer, “Matthew Ridley’s Diary during the Peace Negotiations of 1782,” WMQ William and Mary Quarterly. , 3d ser.,...
14339th. (Adams Papers)
Thompson went to see Miss Roberts at Newtown. I cannot read with so much satisfaction for some days past, as I usually do, as my eyes are very troublesome. Walk’d in the evening, but quite alone: I finished a day or two since, my performance for the 5th. of next month; and am now very closely engaged in a matter which has been accumulating upon me these two months. According to JQA ’s draft...
143423d. (Adams Papers)
I had almost promised Mr. Thaxter to wait till the afternoon; but as there was an appearance of a probability that the weather would be disagreeable, I thought it would be safest to come home before dinner. My Brother Tom, rode with me about four miles to the ferry. I got to my lodgings between twelve and one. I called at Dr. Kilham’s shop: and there received an invitation from Mr. Marquand to...
1435Tuesday. 21st. (Adams Papers)
Set away from St. Just at about 7 ½ o’clock; dined at Amiens; the Capital of the Province of Picardy: stopp’d at Abbeville; after having rode 11. posts.
143629th. (Adams Papers)
Attended meeting all day. Mr. Hilliard preach’d in the forenoon, and Mr. Willard, brother to my Classmate, after dinner. Quite a young man; and his sermon was a proof of it. It was upon justice, temperance fortitude, godliness brotherly kindness, and charity: and not contemptible: his pronunciation however was not perfectly accurate, and there were some little improprieties in his language....
143726th. (Adams Papers)
I took an additional cold, yesterday, and am still more unwell than I have been. I pass’d the evening at my lodgings; reading Gibbon, and translating a piece from the french.
143813th. (Adams Papers)
Mrs. Emery who has been very ill these four or five weeks, died last night, leaving to the wide world two orphan children, who three years ago had the fairest prospects of sharing a fortune of ten thousand pounds sterling; but who in consequence of Mr. Tracy’s misfortunes, are now almost destitute of support. I walk’d in the evening with Stacey and Little. Stacey left us. We met Putnam walking...
143919th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Thaxter was here, about half an hour, on his return to Haverhill. Mr. Williams, gave us yesterday a lecture; still upon the subject of air: in the afternoon, I carried down my theses to the president, for approbation: I went with Mrs. and Miss Williams, and Miss Betsey Cranch into the Museum, where the professor diverted them, with a number of experiments. He was very sociable, and full of...
144016th. (Adams Papers)
I waited upon Parson Cary this forenoon, in expectation of much edification; but he gave us a more indifferent sermon than usual; which in addition to the weather’s being very cold, prevented me from going in the afternoon: instead of which I read three or four of Yorick’s sermons; Townsend, who returned last night from Boston; was here all day: in the evening I concluded the first volume of...
1441Wednesday September 3d. (Adams Papers)
I went over the river with Stacey and Romain upon a shooting party. We had tolerable success. It was very windy; and with a heavy boat and only one oar, we had some difficulty to get across the river. Bridge arrived this day in town. I proposed to him to go with me to-morrow: and he has partly promised to accept my proposal. I this evening informed Mrs. Leathers of my intention to change my...
144230th. (Adams Papers)
I passed the forenoon with Leonard, who has been making two or three unsuccessful attempts to make phosphorus; his glass vials melt in the process. Dined at Mr. Duncan’s. Mrs. Thaxter has got two or three wrinkles on her forehead. I went to see the house in which they are to live. Pass’d the afternoon with him. His honey moon is not yet past. I was at Mr. White’s in the evening.
14439th. (Adams Papers)
This morning the president returned my theses to transcribe a fair copy for the press. I past the day at Judge Dana’s. Mr. W. Ellery is there: his first address is certainly not in his favour. He talks too much about Newport; and our State, and his State; First impressions if they are not favourable, should not be attended to; but unless I am much mistaken this gentleman, is very far from...
144423d. (Adams Papers)
This day, we had a lecture upon electricity: we received a shock, which was much more violent than that given us last year. I felt it only by a very disagreeable twitch in the joint at both elbows; but it was a kind of pain different from any thing else I ever felt. It is so instantaneous, that the sensation is known only by recollection: it was over before I was sensible of the stroke: it had...
144520th. (Adams Papers)
The cold weather appears to be for setting in seriously; and indeed it is high time that it should. It snow’d some part of the day. Just after dusk, I walk’d with Thompson and Putnam to Little’s home in Newbury, but he was gone to attend the ordination at Byfield. We return’d, and the lads pass’d the evening quite sociably with me, till 9 o’clock. Captain Wyer was here in the evening. He was...
144629th. (Adams Papers)
Went to Mr. Dana’s, in the afternoon, upon some business. There were two gentlemen, there, one of which, had a deal of small talk with Miss Almy, upon matrimony. Tea, at 3d Chandler’s. Most of the Members were there. Few of the Scholars are now absent. Windy Weather. Presumably a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Gould) Almy, of Newport; Mrs. Elizabeth Dana’s family, the Ellerys, were...
144726th. (Adams Papers)
Attended meeting for the first time these three weeks. Dined at Judge Dana’s. Captain Hobby, who was an officer in the late war, is there, and remains in town, by the desire of Genl. Lincoln, who will take the command on Tuesday, to oppose the rioters, in case they should appear, and who wishes to place experienced officers, at the head of those companies of militia, that are not organized. We...
144813th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Wigglesworth gave a lecture this forenoon, but I did not attend; engaged the chief of the time in writing off my theses: read Mason’s Caractacus, and was much pleased with it. I think he has made it more interesting than his Elfrida. The Catastrophe it is true is not more tragical; but the speech of the Chorus which closes the Poem of Elfrida, is cold and inanimate, and that of Caractacus...
144919th. (Adams Papers)
I was informed, that Captain will sail to-morrow for Europe; went to Mr. Reed, and requested to be excused from reciting to-morrow morning, in order to write, to my friends. Studied Algebra, and wrote off part of the Lecture. Sullivan a Senior Sophister, spent an hour with me, in the afternoon. The Class are in the greatest anxiety, and Suspense, concerning the Parts, which are expected to be...
145016th. (Adams Papers)
Tom, came from Boston this forenoon. Fifteen persons were buried there this afternoon, who perished, by different shipwrecks in the late storms. The weather quite moderate; and so calm that we could hear the bells in Boston toll, as plain, as we can that in Town, from the chambers in Hollis.