191Fryday. Oct. 6. (Adams Papers)
Rose about sun rise. Unpitched a Load of Hay. Translated 2 Leaves more of Justinian, and in the afternoon walked to Deacon Webbs, then round by the Mill Pond home. Smoaked a Pipe with Webb at the Drs. and am now about reading over again Gilberts section of feudal Tenures.
192Saturday [7 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilbert. Rode with Webb to Mr. Cranche’s. Dined and drank Tea with him, and then home. Saturday night.
193Sunday [8 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read a few Leaves in Baxters Enquiry into the Nature of the human Soul. He has explaind with great Exactness, the Resistance, which Matter makes to any Change of its State or Condition, whether of motion or of Rest. The Vis Inertiae, the positive Inactivity of matter not barely its Inactivity, but its AntiActivity. For it not only is destitute of a Power of changing its state from Rest to...
194Monday Octr. 9. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilberts Tenures. I must and will make that Book familiar to me.
195Tuesday [10 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilbert. I read him slowly, but I gain Ideas and Knowledge as I go along, which I dont always, when I read.
196Wednesday [11 October]. (Adams Papers)
Rode to Boston. Conversed with Ned Quincy and Saml., Peter Chardon &c. By the Way Peter Chardon is a promising Youth. He aspires, and will reach to a considerable Height. He has a sense of the Dignity and Importance of his Profession, that of the Law. He has a just Contempt of the idle, incurious, Pleasure hunting young fellows of the Town, who pretend to study Law. He scorns the Character,...
197Thurdsday [12 October]. (Adams Papers)
Examined the Laws of this Province concerning Pads, Cattle, fences &c. and read in Gilbert. This small volume will take me a fortnight, but I will be master of it. Pad: “A path, track; the road, the way. Orig. slang , now also dial.” ( OED The Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford, 1933; 12 vols. and supplement. ).
198Fryday [13 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read Gilbert. Went in the Evening to Coll. Quincys. Heard a Tryal before him, as a Justice between Jos. Field and Luke Lambert. The Case was this. Lamberts Horse broke into Fields Inclosure, and lay there some time, damage feasant. When Lambert found that his Horse was there he enters the Inclosure and altho Feild called to him and forbid it, waved his Hat, and Screamed at the Horse, and drove...
199Monday [16 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read a few Pages in Gilbert. I proceed very slowly.
200Tuesday [17 October]. (Adams Papers)
Read in Gilbert. Went to Monatiquot to see the Raising of the new Meeting House. No Observations worth noting. I have not Spirits, and Presence of mind, to seek out scenes of Observation, and to watch critically the Air, Countenances, Actions and Speeches of old men, and young men, of old Women and young Girls, of Physicians and Priests, of old Maids and Batchelors. I should chatter with a...
201Wednesday [18 October]. (Adams Papers)
Went to Boston. Bob Paine . I have ruined myself, by a too eager Pursuit of Wisdom. I have now neither Health enough for an active Life, nor Knowledge enough for a sedentary one. Quincy . We shall never make your great fellows. Thus Paine and Quincy both are verging to Despair. Paine . If I attempt a Composition, my Thoughts are slow and dull. Paine is discouraged, and Quincy has not Courage...
202Thurdsday [19 October]. (Adams Papers)
I borrowed yesterday of Quincy, the 1st Volume of Batista Angeloni’s Letters, and a general Treatise of naval Trade and Commerce as founded on the Laws and Statutes of this Realm in which those (Laws and Statutes I suppose) relating to his Majesties Customs, Merchants, Masters of Ships, Mariners, Letters of Marque, Privateers, Prizes, Convoys, Cruizers &c. are particularly considered and...
203Saturday [21 October]. (Adams Papers)
Rose with the sun. Brot up the Horse and took a Ride over Penns Hill, as far as John Haywards in a cold, keen, blustering N. Wester. Returned and breakfasted. I feel brac’d, as if the cold clear Air had given a Spring to the System.—I am now sett down to the Laws relating to naval Trade and Commerce. Let me inquire of the next Master of a Ship that I see, what is a Bill of Lading, what the...
204[Sunday 22 October]. (Adams Papers)
Conversed with Capt. Thatcher about commercial affairs.—When he receives a freight of Goods on board his Vessell, he signs 3 Bills of Lading (a Bill of Lading, by the Way, is a List of the several Articles, and the Receipt of them signed by the Master) two of which the Merchant keeps, and the other he incloses in a Letter to his Correspondent to whom he sends the Goods and sends it by the...
205Monday [23 October]. (Adams Papers)
Monday 23 October .
206Tuesday [24 October]. (Adams Papers)
Rode to Boston. Arrived about 1/2 after 10. Went into the Court House, and sett down by Mr. Paine att the Lawyers Table. I felt Shy, under Awe and concern, for Mr. Gridley, Mr. Prat, Mr. Otis, Mr. Kent, and Mr. Thatcher were all present and looked sour. I had no Acquaintance with any Body but Paine and Quincy and they took but little Notice. However I attended Court Steadily all Day, and at...
207Wednesday [25 October]. (Adams Papers)
Went in the morning to Mr. Gridleys, and asked the favour of his Advice what Steps to take for an Introduction to the Practice of Law in this County. He answered “get sworn.” Ego . But in order to that, sir, as I have no Patron, in this County. G . I will recommend you to the Court. Mark the Day the Court adjourns to in order to make up Judgments. Come to Town that Day, and in the mean Time I...
208Thurdsday [26 October]. (Adams Papers)
Went in the morning to wait on Mr. Prat. He inquired if I had been sworn at Worcester? No. Have you a Letter from Mr. Putnam to the Court? No. It would have been most proper to have done one of them things first. When a young Gentleman goes from me into another County, I always write in his favour to the Court in that County, or if you had been sworn, there, you would have been intitled to be...
209Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday [27–30 October]. (Adams Papers)
All Spent in absolute Idleness, or what is worse, gallanting the Girls.
210Tuesday [31 October]. (Adams Papers)
Set down, and recollected my self, and read a little in Van Muyden, a little in naval Trade and Commerce.
211[November 1758] (Adams Papers)
Read a little in Van Muyden, and a little in naval Trade and Commerce. Rode as far as Smelt Brook. Breakfasted, made my fire and am now set down to Van Muyden in Earnest. His latin is easy, his definitions are pretty clear, and his Divisions of the subject, are judicious. Drank Tea at Coll. Quincy’s. He read to me a Letter Coll. Gouch wrote him in answer to his Questions, whether a Justices...
212Wednesday [1 November]. (Adams Papers)
Read a little in Van Muyden, and a little in naval Trade and Commerce.
213Thurdsday [2 November]. (Adams Papers)
Rode as far as Smelt Brook. Breakfasted, made my fire and am now set down to Van Muyden in Earnest. His latin is easy, his definitions are pretty clear, and his Divisions of the subject, are judicious.
214Sunday [5? November]. (Adams Papers)
Drank Tea at Coll. Quincy’s. He read to me a Letter Coll. Gouch wrote him in answer to his Questions, whether a Justices Court was a Court of Record? and then concluded, “So that Sammy was right, for he was all along of that Opinion. I have forgot what your Opinion was?” [This must be a Lye, or else Partiality and parental affection have blotted out the Remembrance that I first started to his...
215Monday [6? November]. (Adams Papers)
Went to Town. Went to Mr. Gridleys office, but he had not returned to Town from Brookline. Went again. Not returned. Attended Court till after 12 and began to grow uneasy expecting that Quincy would be sworn and I have no Patron, when Mr. Gridly made his Appearance, and on sight of me, whispered to Mr. Prat, Dana, Kent, Thatcher &c. about me. Mr. Prat said no Body knew me. Yes, says Gridley, I...
216[December 1758] (Adams Papers)
Bob Paine is conceited and pretends to more Knowledge and Genius than he has. I have heard him say that he took more Pleasure in solving a Problem in Algebra than in a frolick. He told me the other day, that he was as curious after a minute and particular Knowledge of Mathematicks and Phylosophy, as I could be about the Laws of Antiquity. By his Boldness in Company, he makes himself a great...
217Tuesday. December 3 or 4 [i.e. 5?]. (Adams Papers)
Bob Paine is conceited and pretends to more Knowledge and Genius than he has. I have heard him say that he took more Pleasure in solving a Problem in Algebra than in a frolick. He told me the other day, that he was as curious after a minute and particular Knowledge of Mathematicks and Phylosophy, as I could be about the Laws of Antiquity. By his Boldness in Company, he makes himself a great...
218[Marginalia in Winthrop’s Lecture on Earthquakes, December 1758?] (Adams Papers)
“O! there is no getting out of the mighty hand of GOD!” This Exclamation was very popular, for the Audience in general like the rest of the Province, consider Thunder, and Lightning as well as Earthquakes, only as Judgments, Punishments, Warnings &c. and have no Conception of any Uses they can serve in Nature. I have heard some Persons of the highest Rank among us, say, that they really...
219Monday. December 18th. 1758 (Adams Papers)
I this Evening delivered to Mr. Field, a Declaration in Trespass for a Rescue. I was obliged to finish it, without sufficient examination. If it should escape an Abatement, it is quite indigested, and unclerk-like. I am ashamed of it, and concerned for it. If my first Writt should be abated, if I should throw a large Bill of Costs on my first Client, my Character and Business will suffer...
220Wednesday [20 December]. (Adams Papers)
I am this forenoon, resuming the Study of Van Muyden. I begin at the 99th Page.