1548129th. (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.
1548214. (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...
15483John Quincy Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, 2 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have not written to you before, since I left you, because my Studies and European Letters have engrossed all my Time. But as you will probably soon enter this University, I wish to give you a few hints which you may improve as you please. You will consider them, not as the commands or instructions of a Preceptor, but as the advice of a friend, and a Brother. Your intimate acquaintances will...
15484Friday 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...
15485John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 30 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Altho’ I have already written you by Mr. Brush who will probably deliver this to you; yet I cannot help writing a few more Lines to justify myself with you, from a reproach; the Idea of which I cannot bear. If the Northern Regions have frozen up that Quick and Lively Imagination, which you are please to say, used to be agreeable to my Friends, they have most certainly not chilled my affection,...
1548629th. Wednesd. (Adams Papers)
I receiv’d this day several letters from Messrs. Wadström at Norrkiöping. Letters not found.
1548719th. (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.
15488John Quincy Adams to Cotton Tufts, 16 February 1788 (Adams Papers)
I desired my brother Charles when he went from Haverhill, to mention, that I was again in need of a supply of money, and since that time I have been obliged to stop my payments: I am apprehensive he forgot to deliver my message, and take this opportunity to request some money, as soon as may be convenient. The riotous ungovernable spirit, which appeared among the students at the university in...
15489To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 31 October 1811 (Adams Papers)
In the month of June last Myers Fisher junr: of Philadelphia, who is established here as a partner of a Commercial House, called upon me with a Gentleman who had just arrived with a Vessel and Cargo of which he was the owner, and whom he introduced to me by the name of Mr David of Philadelphia—I thought this Gentleman a total stranger to me, and was a little surprized when he said to me, Sir,...
1549022d. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
We dined this day with a numerous company at Mr. Lycke’s. In the evening I went to the play and had there an occasion of seeing the King, and Prince royal. As I was in Company with a gentleman of the town I ask’d him some question about the King and royal Family; he did not say much about the King but when I spoke of the Prince royal ah ! says he, “nôtre Jeune prince a beaucoup d’esprit.” As...
1549124. (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.,...
154929th. (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...
1549323d. (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...
15494Tuesday. 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.
1549529th. (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....
15496John Quincy Adams to Joshua Johnson, 9 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
I received some time since your favour of Nov r: 29. and this morning that of Dec r: 16. You mentioned in the former your intention to take measures if possible which might secure my wishes, but that you could not fix upon them without first receiving Letters from your partners in America.— Not having it in my power to conjecture what you contemplated, I had hitherto postponed an answer until...
1549726th. (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.
1549826th. (Adams Papers)
The Count came on board to take us on shore with him so we left our trunks on board and having told the Captain to let us know when the wind became favourable, we return’d on shore.
1549913th. (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...
15500John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 11 November 1794 (Adams Papers)
The day after the date of my last Letter, we dined at M r: Hallowell’s, and were entertained with much hospitality. We saw his Daughter, whom we found very amiable and accomplished After seeing her, I felt myself at least highly flattered by the proposal M rs: Gill made to you, and the young Lady, certainly took the shortest way to my heart, by the manner in which she spoke of you. I was much...
1550119th. (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...
1550216th. (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...
15503Wednesday 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...
1550430th. (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.
155059th. (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...
15506Aug 29th. Friday. (Adams Papers)
The Journal de Paris of this day, speaks as follows of the flying globe. “Nous venons d’apprendre que le Ballon, aprés avoir voyagé pendant trois quarts d’heure dans les regions de l’air et hors de la vue, est tombé à Gonesse, distant de Paris de quatres lieues; l’on y a reconnu une ouverture produite par l’explosion qui a dû se faire, lorsque ce Globe a atteint un air qui, lui opposant moins...
1550723d. (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...
15508John Quincy Adams to Charles Adams, 6 July 1795 (Adams Papers)
I received some time since from M r: Rogers in London your bill upon me for £225 sterling, with a request to have the money remitted there. I have been obliged in consequence of the measures that have been taken in England, to prevent all payments from this Country, to procure a bill upon London from Hamburg, which I hope M r Rogers will receive within a week or ten days, from this. The...
1550920th. (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...
15510To John Adams from John Quincy Adams, 3 September 1813 (Adams Papers)
This day thirty Years ago, you signed a definitive Treaty of Peace, between the United States of America, and Great-Britain; and here am I, authorised together with two others of our fellow-Citizens to perform the same service, but with little prospect of a like successful issue.—The British Government shews great disinclination to treat with the United States, under a Mediation—They have not...