1051Thursday July the 12th 1781. (Adams Papers)
Dusseldorp a small town strongly fortified on the land side, but open on the river Rhine which we were obliged to cross, (on one of the same machines that I have mention’d yesterday) before we got there, it is in the Dutchy of Burgin Berg and is subject to the King of Prussia. There is a famous cabinet of Paintings here, but as we only stopp’d here to dine, and the cabinet not being then open,...
1052Friday July the 13th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning Mr. Dana and I went to see a gentleman for whom Mr. Dana had letters. He went to take a walk with us about the City which is large, but irregular, very old, and dirty, the streets are very narrow, and the houses are in a decaying situation. We went to see one of the Churches in which they say that the bodies of the three Wise men of the east are interr’d. The priests show their...
1053Saturday July the 14th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning at 6 o’clock we set off from Cologne for Coblentz where we arrived at about 6 o’clock P.M. As we could not get horses to go any farther, we stopp’d here, the distance is about 66. English miles. The roads this day were the best we have had since we left Utrecht. Our road, some part of the way was cut through the mountains on the banks of the Rhine; On these mountains we saw the...
1054Sunday July the 15th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning at about four o’clock we set off from Coblentz for Francfort, Where we arriv’d at 8 ½ o’clock, the distance is 84 English Miles; All the way, the roads are mountainous till you get within about 10 Miles of Frankfort, and then you come upon a very large plain. The roads till the plain are in general very bad; but the soil is good, and cultivated in some places. On this plain we saw...
1055Monday July the 16th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning we enquired something about this city: It is situated upon the river Meyn and is call’d Francfort upon the Meyn to distinguish it from another city in Germany call’d Francfort upon the Oder. It is an imperial city, govern’d by its own magistrates: they Choose every year a new burgermaster or mayor. The dominant religion in this city is Lutheran. Catholics and Jews are tolerated,...
1056Tuesday July 17th 1781. (Adams Papers)
Stay’d at Francfort all day, nothing remarkable happen’d.
1057Wednesday 18th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This afternoon at about 4 o’clock we set of f from Francfort upon the Meyn for Hannau where we arrived at about 7 o’clock. It is about 12 English Miles distant from Francfort. The road for the most part is Sandy, the soil poor; about two Miles from Hannau is a Chateau belonging to the prince of Hannau. About this City are several very large fields of the same corn, we saw some days ago, but...
1058Thursday 19th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning we set away from Hannau at 4 o’clock A.M. and arriv’d at Hunfeld (which is distant 75 Miles,) at about 8 o’clock P.M. The roads this day were for the most part mountainous but in some places there was a very good made road. The mountains in general, which we have pass’d over this day are pretty well cultivated.
1059Friday 20th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning we set off from Hunfeld at about 5 o’clock for Gotha where we arriv’d at about 9 o’clock P.M. It is about 66 Miles. The 2 first Posts to Vaach Vacha and to Bercka we had very bad roads but the rest was pretty good; Vaach belongs to the Prince of Hesse-Cassel, and Bercka is the first town in Saxony. Here we saw a new Married couple going about the streets with some musicians before...
1060Saturday 21st 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning at five o’clock we set of f from Gotha and arriv’d at Naumburg (distant 60 Miles) at about 6 o’clock. Pretty good roads the ground wholly cultivated; flat level country till we get about 10 Miles from Naumburg and then it begins to be a little mountainous.
1061Sunday July 22d 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning at 4 o’clock we set off from Naumburg for Leipsic where we arriv’d at about 11 o’clock A.M. The distance is about 36 Miles. The first post was a little mountainous but pretty well cultivated, the last post is a large plain well cultivated also. A German Post Mile is 6 English Miles And a German post is generally two German Miles; You pay a German Guilder per post for each horse;...
1062Wednesday July the 25th 1781. (Adams Papers)
On Monday at about 1 o’clock P.M. we set away from Leipsig for Berlin, Where we arriv’d this day at about 11 o’clock A.M. The distance is 120 English Miles; The soil, all the way is thin and sandy, and some part of the way foresty. We rode all night on Monday. At about half past eleven at Night, being in the middle of a Forest and the road being at the bottom of a hill, The postilon run our...
1063Thursday July 26th 1781. (Adams Papers)
Nothing remarkable this day.
1064Friday July 27th 1781. (Adams Papers)
This morning we went to see the kings arsenal, The break in the present entry and the absence of all succeeding entries to that of 17 Aug., together with the opening lines of that entry, are attributable to the loss of MS p. 149–156; see note to entry of 8 July (above). The journey from Berlin to Riga can be reconstructed from Dana’s Journal. They remained in Berlin until 2 Aug. On that...
1065[August 1781] (Adams Papers)
Nie mersat we enter’d Poland and were searched there, and about a Mile farther we enter’d into Courland which is a Prus- sian Polish Province , taken from Poland in the late division . We rode in Courland till we came at about 60 English Miles from this place and then we enter’d Semigaul Semigallia , which is a different Province but the same dutchy as Courland; it is call’d the dutchy of...
1066Friday August 17th 1781. (Adams Papers)
Nie mersat we enter’d Poland and were searched there, and about a Mile farther we enter’d into Courland which is a Prus- sian Polish Province , taken from Poland in the late division . We rode in Courland till we came at about 60 English Miles from this place and then we enter’d Semigaul Semigallia , which is a different Province but the same dutchy as Courland; it is call’d the dutchy of...
1067Monday August 20th. 1781. (Adams Papers)
This day at about 2 o’clock P.M we left Riga, and arriv’d at a village call’d Neuermuhlen at about half past 4, here we are obliged to stop because we found all the horses were gone away; The road is sandy from Riga here, and the land bad. JQA and Dana remained in Riga over the weekend (18–19 Aug.) in order to obtain the passport mentioned in the previous Diary entry ( Dana, Journal ).
1068Friday August 24th. 1781. (Adams Papers)
This day at about 3 o’clock P.M. we arriv’d at Narva after having rode night and day from Neuermuhlen Which we left the 21st at about 3 o’clock A.M. The distance from Riga here is 409 Russian Wersts 7 of Which make 5 English Miles; Part of this way, the roads are very fine as is the soil but here and there you find a station of Sand. Just before you come to Nenal (a Village which is about 110...
1069Monday August 27th. 1781. (Adams Papers)
This day at about 10 o’clock A.M. we arriv’d at St. Petersburg having left Narva yesterday morning at about 9 ½ o’clock. The roads in general are very good, the country in some part is sandy; but there it is almost all paved, the distance is about 145 Wersts.
1070[Titlepage] (Adams Papers)
Titlepage of D/JQA/5 which covers the period 27 Jan.–23 Nov. 1782 and consists of JQA ’s entries for the remainder of his stay in St. Petersburg and for part of his return trip to western Europe. This Diary, the first actual blank book purchased for this purpose, measures approximately 5⅞″ × 3¾″” and contains 118 pages. Presumably it was JQA who marked off in pencil margins on the top and left...
1071[January 1782] (Adams Papers)
Began to read Hume’s history of England. David Hume, The History of England, from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688, 8 vols., London, 1763, which JQA borrowed from the English or British Library of St. Petersburg, where he found “a good collection of English Authors” (Dana to JA , 25 Jan. , Adams Papers ). JQA ’s notes (copied quotations) from his reading of Hume appear...
1072N.(1782)S. January 27th (Adams Papers)
Began to read Hume’s history of England. David Hume, The History of England, from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688, 8 vols., London, 1763, which JQA borrowed from the English or British Library of St. Petersburg, where he found “a good collection of English Authors” (Dana to JA , 25 Jan. , Adams Papers ). JQA ’s notes (copied quotations) from his reading of Hume appear...
107329th (Adams Papers)
Dined at Mr. Rimbert’s; changed Lodgings. Or Raimbert, French vice-consul in St. Petersburg ( Almanach royal, 1783 Almanach royal, année M.DCCLXXVHI [8cc.]. Présenté à sa majesté pour la première fois en 1699 , Paris, no date. , p. 262).
107430th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Went to the Shops, bought this book, with some other matters. Began to translate Cicero’s first Catilinary. Finish’d Hume’s first volume of the History of England 503. Pages. That is, his Diary booklet, D/JQA/5. Probably the edition JQA used for his translations into French was Selectae . . . Orationes . . . , Paris, 1747, p. 510–525, in which JQA has inscribed “J.Q.Adams, a present from Mr....
107531st. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Began Hume’s second volume of the History of England. Went to the shops and bought some things.
1076[February 1782] (Adams Papers)
Stay’d at home all day. Went to the shops, and bought some things A.M. P.M Mr. D. and Mr. Artaud went to the German play, I stay’d at home. Artaud’s identity is uncertain, but in a Diary entry written seventeen years later, JQA provides a fuller account of his relationship with this man. “The Chevalier de Villenotte, told me,” JQA wrote, “he had seen me at Artaud’s at Petersburg in the year...
1077N.(1782)S. February 1st. (Adams Papers)
Stay’d at home all day.
10782d Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Went to the shops, and bought some things A.M. P.M Mr. D. and Mr. Artaud went to the German play, I stay’d at home. Artaud’s identity is uncertain, but in a Diary entry written seventeen years later, JQA provides a fuller account of his relationship with this man. “The Chevalier de Villenotte, told me,” JQA wrote, “he had seen me at Artaud’s at Petersburg in the year 1782. I had altogether...
10793d. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Thermometer in the morning at 15 degrees cold. Fine weather. I went to take a walk with Mr. Peyron the Swedish Consul, and Mr. Montréal. Went into the house where Peter the great resided; it is of wood painted in imitation of brick and is but one Story high, and has four very small rooms in it. There is a Porch since put round it to sustain it, and under the Porch is kept a barge of Peter the...
10804th. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Very unwell all day, but went notwithstanding that to the English Library and took out the 3d. and 4th. Volume’s of Humes history, and begun the third, but read but a few pages.
10815th. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Went with Mr. Artaud to the shops and bought some things. Fine weather. The Thermometer at night was. 15 degrees below.0. which is the degree of freezing. On the 20th. of December last and on the 25th. of the same month our Thermometer was at 25. below 0. and at that of the academy it was at 28, which is colder than it has been here since the year 1776. In 1759 it was as low as 33. The...
10826th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Staid at Home all day. Mr. D. went to Mr. Wolff the banker’s. Member of Strahlborn and Wolff, St. Petersburg bankers, who handled financial matters for Dana in the Russian capital (Dana to Benjamin Franklin, 29 April/[10 May] 1782, and to Robert Morris, 21 Oct./[1 Nov.] 1782, both LbC , MHi :Dana Papers).
10837th. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. D. very unwell all day. Mr. Artaud dined out. Finished the 3d. Volume of Hume’s history. 472 pages.
10848th. Friday. (Adams Papers)
Thermometer at 18 below.0. in the morning. Mr. D. Continues unwell. Stay’d at home all day as well as, Yesterday. Begun Hume’s 4th. Volume, Mr. Montréal came to pay us a visit in the forenoon.
10859th. (Adams Papers)
Staid at Home all day.
108610th. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Finished Hume’s 4th Volume. 480 pages. Mr. Artaud dined out. Mr. Peyron Mr. Montreal and Mr. Abraham came to pay us a visit.
108711th. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Peyron, Mr. Montréal and several other gentlemen dined with us. I went to the English Library and took out the 5th. and 6th. Volumes of Hume’s history of England, begun the fifth but read but 3 or 4 pages; went in the evening to the concert got home at about 9. o’clock.
108812th. (Adams Papers)
Thermometer in the morning at 22 ½ degrees below.0. Stay’d at Home all day.
108913th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Thermometer in the morning at 25 degrees below 0. Went in the forenoon to Mr. Rimbert’s. In the afternoon, I went with Mr. Artaud to the Shops, and bought some things. Thermometer at night at 26 ½ degrees. below.0. Fine clear weather all day.
109014th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Artaud dined out. Stay’d at home all day.
109115th. Friday. (Adams Papers)
Fine weather all day. Thermometer at 28 degrees below.0. At the Academy it was 30. Finished the 5th. Volume of Hume’s history of England 577. pages, and begun the 6th.
109216th. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Thermometer in the morning at home 29 academy 32 degrees below 0. Stay’d at home all day.
109317th. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Montréal came in the forenoon to pay us a visit. Mr. D. went out for the first time since his sickness. Mr. Artaud dined out. Mr. Hoogwerst came to pay us a visit in the afternoon.
109418th. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Finished the 6th. Volume of Hume’s history. 480 pages. Went to the English Library and took out the 7th. and 8th. volumes of Hume’s history. Begun the 7th. In the afternoon I went with Mr. Artaud to the Shops.
109519th. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Went to two booksellers shops in the forenoon for some books. Mr. Artaud dined out. Fine clear weather all day. None of JQA ’s extant books is inscribed with this date, though he may be referring to at least one book, Peter Rondeau [i.e., Johann Theodor Jablonsky], Nouveau dictionnaire françois—allemand, Basel, 1739, which he records as having bought on 18 Feb. ( Catalogue of JQA’s Books...
109620th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
In the forenoon Mr. Wolff came to pay a visit to Mr. D. In the afternoon I went with Mr. Artaud to a booksellers and bought Cicero’s catilinaries French and Latin, and to the academy to get an almanack. In the evening Mr. Rimbert came to pay Mr. D. a visit. This is undoubtedly Phillippiques de Demosthene, et Catilinaires de Ciceron . . ., transl. Pierre Joseph Thoulier, l’Abbé d’Olivet, Paris,...
109721st. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Went in the forenoon with Mr. D. to the Hotel of the Marquis de Verac, the French minister here. Mr. Artaud dined out. In the afternoon Mr. D. went to take a ride. Finished the 7th. Volume of Hume’s history of England. 526. pages. Cloudy weather in the morning, but in the afternoon it cleared up. Charles Olivier de Saint Georges, Marquis de Vérac , formerly French minister to Denmark,...
109822d. Friday. (Adams Papers)
Stay’d at home all day. Begun The 8th. Volume of Hume’s history of England. Mr. D. wrote a letter to Holland. In the after noon he went to Mr. Wolff’s. Cloudy in the morning, but clear’d up in the afternoon. Undoubtedly Dana to JA , 21 Feb. , the only letter written to Holland at this time in Dana’s letterbooks; the letter was sent by post on 22 Feb. ( Adams Papers ; MHi :Dana Papers).
109923d. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Finished translating the first Oration of Cicero against Catilina, and began the second. In the forenoon Mr. D. went out to take a walk. Stay’d at home all day. Cloudy weather. M/JQA/45, Adams Papers, Microfilms , Reel No. 240. See entry for 30 Jan., note 2 (above).
110024th Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Finished the 8th. and last volume of Hume’s history of England 327. pages. Mr. D. went to Mr Wolff’s in the forenoon, and dined at Mr. Rimberts. Mr. Artaud dined out also. Mr. D. receiv’d a letter from England in the afternoon. Cloudy weather. Stay’d at Home all day.