311[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...
312Novr. 25th. 1760. (Adams Papers)
Rode to the Iron Works Landing to see a Vessell launched. And after Launching went to smoke a Pipe, at Ben. Thayers, where the Rabble filled the House. Every Room, kitchen, Chamber was crowded with People. Negroes with a fiddle. Young fellows and Girls dancing in the Chamber as if they would kick the floor thro. Zab Hayward, not finding admittance to the Chamber, gathered a Circle round him in...
3131760. Novr. 26th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Ten days are now elapsed, since I began Hale the 2d time, and all the Law I have read, for 10 days, is that Book once thro. I read Woods Institute thro the first Time with Mr. Put. in twice that time i.e. in 3 Weeks, and kept a school every day. My present Inattention to Law is intolerable and ruinous. This entry and those that follow, through 1 Dec. 1760 , are again from D/JA/4, JA ’s record...
3141760. Novr. 26th Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Night before Thanksgiving.—I have read a Multitude of Law Books—mastered but few. Wood. Coke. 2 Vols. Lillies Ab ridgmen t. 2 Vols. Salk eld’s Rep orts . Swinburne. Hawkins Pleas of the Crown. Fortescue. Fitzgibbons. Ten Volumes in folio I read, at Worcester, quite thro—besides Octavos and Lesser Volumes, and many others of all sizes that I consulted occasionally, without Reading in Course as...
3151760 Novr. 28th. Friday. (Adams Papers)
I have not read one Word of Law, this Day. But several Points, and Queries have been suggested to me, by the Consultors.—In whom is the Fee, and Freehold of our burying Yard? What Right has any Man to erect a Monument, or sink a Tomb there, without the Consent of the Proprietors? In England, the Church Yards are the Places of Burial, and the Parson is seised in fee, of them as of the Ground...
3161760. Novr. 29th. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Read no Law.—An exclusive Property is certainly claimed and enjoyed, by private Persons, in Tombs and Monuments, as well as in Pews. Inhabitants of other Towns, have usually asked Leave of the Select Men, to bury their dead in our burying Place. But I should think the Precinct Assessors, or Parish Committee, had rather the Inspection of our burying Yard. My Father never knew License given nor...
317Novr. 30th. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Read no Law. Read Bolinbroke.
318[December 1760] (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 . Spent the Evening at Coll. Q.’s with Captn. Freeman. About the middle of the Evening Dr. Lincoln and his...
3191760. 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 .
3201760. Decr. 2d. (Adams Papers)
Spent the Evening at Coll. Q.’s with Captn. Freeman. About the middle of the Evening Dr. Lincoln and his Lady came in. The Dr. gave us an ample Confirmation of our Opinion of his Brutality and Rusticity. He treated his Wife, as no drunken Cobler, or Clothier would have done, before Company. Her father never gave such Looks and Answers to one of his slaves in my Hearing. And he contradicted he...
321Decr. 6th. 1760. (Adams Papers)
Talked with Zab about Newton, Bacon, Lock, Martin, Chambers, Rowning, Desaguliers, S’Gravesende &c. I told him I had a low Opinion of the Compilers, Abridgers, and Abstract makers. We had better draw science from its fountain in original Authors. These Writers, the Hirelings of the Booksellers, only vend us the Discoveries of other Philosophers, in another form, and under another Title, in...
3221760. Decr. 8. (Adams Papers)
Began Machiavells Machiavell The illegible word begins with “D” but is not “Discourses.” JA ’s lining out is careless; it is possible that he intended to leave “Began Machiavell” as the entry for this day.
323Decr. 14th. 1760. (Adams Papers)
Hunt v. White. Complaint to Coll. Quincy—of a scandalous Lye, made and published to Hunts Damage. We appear before your Honour to complain of a very slanderous, and malicious Lye, made and published to our Damage. We complain of a Violation of the Law of this Province against Lying and Libelling. The Law runs thus.—If any Person &c. shall wittingly and willingly make or publish any Lye or...
3241760. Decr. 16th. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Attended the Tryal all day, between Hunt and White before Coll. Quincy, at James Bracketts. What will be the Consequence of this Tryal? to me, to Hunt, and to White? White has been punished, for his licentious Tittle tatle, but Hunt has gained neither Recompence nor Credit. Benja. Thayer is enraged and Prat and Pitty Pettee were enraged at me for abusing them, by asking them their Thoughts....
3251760 Decr. 18th. Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
Yesterday spent in Weymouth, in settling the Disputes between old Thos. White and young Isaac French. White has the Remainders of his habitual Trickish lying, cheating Disposition, strongly working to this Day—an infinity of jesuitical Distinctions, and mental Reservations. He told me he never lost a Cause at Court in his Life—which James White and Mr. Whitmarsh say is a down right Lye. He...
3261760. Decr. 18. (Adams Papers)
Justice Dyer says there is more Occasion for Justices than for Lawyers. Lawyers live upon the sins of the People. If all Men were just, and honest, and pious, and Religious &c. there would be no need of Lawyers. But Justices are necessary to keep men just and honest and pious, and religious.—Oh sagacity! But, it may be said with equal Truth, that all Magistrates, and all civil officers, and...
3271760. Decr. 18th [i.e. 19th?] Fryday. (Adams Papers)
I am an old Man seventy odd, and as I had my Education, so I have passed my whole Life in the Country , &c. This is the third entry the diarist dated 18 Dec., but since 19 Dec. 1760 fell on a Friday, an editorial correction seems justified. JA went on with the present canceled draft in an entry conjecturally assigned to Jan. 1761 (p. 190–192, below).
3281760. Decr. 22nd. Monday. (Adams Papers)
This day and Tomorrow are the last. I have but one Blank left that I can use.
3291760. Decr. 27th. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Governor Bernards Speech to the two Houses, at the opening of the present sessions, has several Inaccuracies in it. “The glorious Con clusion of the North American War.”—The N. American War is not yet concluded, it continues, obstinate and bloody, with the Cherokees, and will be renewed probably, against the french in Louisiana. However with Regard to this Province, whose Legislature, the...
330[January 1761] (Adams Papers)
The Representatives in their Address to the Governor, have told him that “Great Britain is the leading and most respectable Power in the whole World.” —Let us examine this.—Is she the Leading Power, either in War or Negociation?—In War? She has no Army, not more than 50 or 60 thousand Men, whereas France has a standing Army, of 250, 000 men in Camp and in Garrison. And their officers are as...
331Jany. 2nd. 1760 [i.e. 1761]. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
The Representatives in their Address to the Governor, have told him that “Great Britain is the leading and most respectable Power in the whole World.” —Let us examine this.—Is she the Leading Power, either in War or Negociation?—In War? She has no Army, not more than 50 or 60 thousand Men, whereas France has a standing Army, of 250, 000 men in Camp and in Garrison. And their officers are as...
3321760 [i.e. 1761]. Jany. 2nd. Friday. (Adams Papers)
Nathl. Bayley Administrator v. Nathll. Niles.—Plea in Abatement. Defendant lives on the Castle, within the Town of Boston but is called of Braintree. It seems he was born in Braintree, owns a House And Land in Braintree, and for about six Weeks past his Wife and family have lived in Braintree. The Question is therefore whether his Non Residence is a good Plea? He has not lived in Town these...
333Jany. 8th. 1761. (Adams Papers)
Last Monday, had a passionate Wrangle, with Eb. Thayer, before Major Crosby. He called me, a petty Lawyer. This I resented. The Defendant Niles appeared by 10 o’clock, and had his Costs allowed, is:6d, for attendance, but nothing for Travel, tho he lived 8 miles off. Upon the first Appearance of the Defendants Daniel White, and Neh. Hayden, the Justice pronounced that they should have no...
334[January? 1761.] (Adams Papers)
I am an old Man, seventy odd, and as I had my Education, so I have spent my whole Life, a few months Weeks in a Year excepted, when I commonly took a Journey, in the Country. I was naturally inquisitive, and a little too talkative, in my Youth, which Qualities have perhaps increased with my Age, but as I remember, I used to swear at the vanity and Impertinence of old Nestor whose Speeches I...
3351761. Tuesday Jany. 27th. (Adams Papers)
Last Fryday I borrowed of Mr. Gridley, the second Volume of the Corpus Iuris Canonici Notis illustratum. Gregorii 13 Iussi editum.— complectens Decretum Gratiani. Decretales Gregorii Papae 9. Sextum Decretalium Bonifacii Papae 8. Clementinas, Extravagantes Ioannis Papae 12. Extravagantes communes.— Accesserunt Constitutiones Novae summorum Pontificum, nunquam antea editae, quae 7. Decretalium...
336[February 1761] (Adams Papers)
I have now almost finished the first book of Peter Lancelotts Institute, which first Book is taken up De Jure Personarum, and is well analized in the 29th Title De Clericis non Residentibus, in these Words vizt. “Personarum quidam Laici sunt, quidam Clerici. Rursus Clericorum, quidam sunt in Sacerdotio constituti, quidam in sacris, licet non in sacerdotio, quidam nec in sacris, nec in...
3371761. Friday [6] Feby. (Adams Papers)
I have now almost finished the first book of Peter Lancelotts Institute, which first Book is taken up De Jure Personarum, and is well analized in the 29th Title De Clericis non Residentibus, in these Words vizt. “Personarum quidam Laici sunt, quidam Clerici. Rursus Clericorum, quidam sunt in Sacerdotio constituti, quidam in sacris, licet non in sacerdotio, quidam nec in sacris, nec in...
3381761 Monday. Feby. 9th. (Adams Papers)
This morning, as I lay abed, I recollected my last Weeks Work. I find I was extreamly diligent, constantly in my Chamber, Spent no Evenings abroad, not more than one at the Drs. Have taken no Walks, never on Horseback the whole Week, excepting once, which was on Tuesday, when I went to Boston. Yet how has this Retirement, and solitude been spent? In too much Rambling and Straggling from one...
3391761. Feb. 9th. (Adams Papers)
His Majesty has declared him self, by his Speech to his Parliament to be a Man of Piety, and Candor in Religion, a friend of Liberty, and Property in Government, and a Patron of Merit. “The Blessing of Heaven, I devoutly emplore”—“as the surest Foundation of the whole, (i.e. the Loyalty and affection of his People, his Resolution to strengthen the Constitution, the civil &c. Rights of his...
340[March 1761] (Adams Papers)
Mem. To enquire of Tufts, Gould, Whitmarsh, Hunts, Whites, &c. about their Method of mending High Ways by a Rate. And to enquire at Worcester, whenever I shall get there of Chanlers, Putnam, Willard, Paine, Swan &c. about their Method. They mended their Ways by a Rate, I am sure. Saml. Clark, Jo. Field, Eb. Newcomb Danl. Nash, the Mirmidons of Thayer. Luke Lambard, Ben Hayden, Saml. Clark &c....