315115th. (Adams Papers)
Read part of the volume of anecdotes concerning Dr. Johnson. He appears to have been a brute; a mere cynic, who thought himself the greatest Character of the age, and consequently, that he was entitled to do just as he pleased and to assume the lawgiver in Sentiments and opinions as well as in Literature, but neither his good opinion of himself, nor all his writings put together will ever...
315216th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Wibird preached all day upon the Same Subject. His text was in I Corinthians XV. 55, 56, 57. O! Death! where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of Sin, is the Law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I did not hear much of it: and indeed I very seldom do. However it was said, that Mr. W. has...
315317th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Cranch went to Boston. Miss P. Storer, N. Quincy and B. Apthorp, pass’d the afternoon, we play’d on the flute, on the harpsichord, and sung. There is always some fine music of one kind or another, going forward in this House. Betsey, and Miss Hiller finger the harpsichord Billy scrapes the Violin, Charles and myself blow the flute. Parson Wibird, was here all the evening.
315418th. (Adams Papers)
Rain’d a great part of the Day. Miss Hiller is only fourteen, her person comes very near to my ideas of a perfect beauty. A pair of large black eyes, with eyelids, an inch long, and eye brows forming beautiful arches, would be invincible if they had a greater degree of animated, and if she was conscious enough of their power, to make use of it. She has not yet I believe been much into Company,...
315519th. (Adams Papers)
At about 7 1/2 in the morning I set out for Cambridge, and arrived there just as the Clock struck ten. I found the Crowd large. At about half after eleven the procession arrived and took their Seats in the meeting house. The performances began, with a Salutatory Latin Oration by Champlin, which was followed by a Poem on Commerce by Fowle, which was very good. A Syllogistic on the Question...
315620th. (Adams Papers)
John Andrews Divinity. Samuel Andrews Law x John Bartlett died in 1786. Timothy Bigelow Law Joseph Blake Do. Samuel Borland Nathaniel Bowman Physic. Alden Bradford Divinity Christopher Grant Champlin Daniel Colt Amos Crosby + William Cutler Physic.
315721st. (Adams Papers)
Spent great part of the day in my fathers library, reading, and writing. This day and to-morrow the Government of the College, are employ’d in examining, those that intend to enter the University this year. Tom waits till the end of the vacation.
315822d. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Shaw went over to Weymouth. Mr. Cranch returned from Boston, and Mr. Standfast Smith came with him. My brothers and myself pass’d the night at the bottom of the hill.
315923d. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Davies preach’d in the forenoon from Matthew V, 20. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, and in the afternoon from I Corinthians I, 23, 24, 25. But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which...
316024th. (Adams Papers)
The young gentlemen went down to Germantown: it was too hot for me. I spent almost the whole day in the library. Mr. Shaw and Miss Lucy went for Haverhill, in the morning; Mr. Smith, and Mr. Cranch for Boston after dinner.
316125th. (Adams Papers)
My Grandmamma spent the Day at Mr. Cranch’s. General Palmer was up in the afternoon. I wrote part of a Letter to my Sister. Not found.
316226th. (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...
316327th. (Adams Papers)
I perceive Charles has been guilty of a trick which I thought he would despise; that of prying into, and meddling with things which are nothing to him: and ungenerously looking into Papers, (which he knew I wished to keep private,) because I could not keep them under lock and key. If he looks here, he will feel how contemptible a spy is to himself, and to others. I visited Mr. Thaxter and Mr....
316428th. (Adams Papers)
Captain Wyer, arrived a few days since from Ireland, and had caught a couple of Turtles in the course of his voyage; he presented one of them to the owners of his ship, Mr. White, and Captain Willis. They invited a large Company to dine upon it, in an island about two miles down the River. A little after one o’clock, we all went on board a flat bottom’d Boat, which had been prepared for the...
316529th. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Mr. White’s, in Company, with Mrs. White of Boston, Mrs. Willard, Mrs. Parkman, and My Classmate Bil: Abbot, who belongs to Andover. Walk’d in the afternoon, and at Mr. Shaw’s heard crazy Temple, talk an hour or two. He will not talk long to any body. Fine weather.
316630th. (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...
316731st. (Adams Papers)
I paid a few visits in the morning. Dined with a pretty large Company at Mr. Duncan’s. After Dinner I went with Mr. W. White, and Leonard, and paid a visit to Mrs. Stoughton. Miss N. Sheaffe, was there, a celebrated Belle. Her appearance does not strike me; as extraordinary; she has a fine eye which gives her countenance a degree of animation. But her complexion is not clear, and she has no...
3168[August 1786] (Adams Papers)
There was a meeting of an association of ministers here this day; but there were only three present. Mr. Adams preach’d the Lecture, and was a whole hour in Sermon, endeavouring to prove, the Trinity, and the existence of hell. After all I believe he left all his hearers where he found them, and he was certainly much too long. After dinner I went with Mrs. White, Miss P. M’Kinstry, and Leonard...
3169Tuesday August 1st. 1786. (Adams Papers)
There was a meeting of an association of ministers here this day; but there were only three present. Mr. Adams preach’d the Lecture, and was a whole hour in Sermon, endeavouring to prove, the Trinity, and the existence of hell. After all I believe he left all his hearers where he found them, and he was certainly much too long. After dinner I went with Mrs. White, Miss P. M’Kinstry, and Leonard...
31702d. (Adams Papers)
We Lodged at Hamstead last night: it storm’d so all this morning, that, we could not think of returning. After dinner it was not quite so bad and we all return’d to Haverhill.
31713d. (Adams Papers)
Spent part of the forenoon at Mr. Thaxter’s Office. Mr. Dodge was there. I went with Mr. Thaxter and paid a visit at Judge Sargeant’s. The young Ladies lately return’d from Rye, where they went last week to accompany their new married Sister Mrs. Porter. Mr. T. Leonard White and S. Walker dined at Mr. Shaw’s. In the afternoon Mrs. Shaw and B: Smith, Mr. Thaxter and Miss Duncan, Leonard White...
31724th. (Adams Papers)
Went in the forenoon, and pick’d blackberries with the young Ladies. Lucy Cranch tells me I have no Complaisance in me, and I suspected as much before. And for a person who has it not naturally, it is much too hard a task to undertake to be complaisant. Visited Dr. Saltonstall, and Mr. Bartlett in the afternoon. Drank tea at Mr. White’s. Mr. N. Blodget was there; I knew him formerly but have...
31735th. (Adams Papers)
We were up at four in the morning; but were so long in preparing our things that we did not set out till the Clock had struck six, and before we started from the banks of the river on the Bradford side the clock had struck seven. Mr. C. Blodget was going to Boston on horseback, and we rode together as far as Mystic. He was in the army, almost all the late war, and told a number of anecdotes,...
31746th. (Adams Papers)
I felt so stiff all day that I did not go to meeting. I was unfit for almost every thing, and only read a few pages in the course of the day.
31757th. (Adams Papers)
I could not sleep last night. Lay restless till about 3 in the morning. Then got up, and read one of Bishop Berkeley’s Dialogues against matter, a curious System, and rather a new one to me. At day light I went again to bed, and slept till eleven o’clock. In the afternoon I went down to see my Grand-mamma, but she was not at home. Presumably George Berkeley, Three Dialogues Between Hylas and...
31768th. (Adams Papers)
Read through the remainder of the Dialogues, which Reid says, “prove by unanswerable arguments, what no man in his Senses can believe.” There are however, great objections to the System which are not mentioned. This work appears to me, to confound the cause with its effect for ever. Thus if I burn my fingers, they say, the fire by which I burnt them is in my mind, because, the Sensation which...
31779th. (Adams Papers)
All the forenoon down in the Library; reading and writing. Pass’d the afternoon at my uncle Adams’s. There was some conversation concerning Mr. T——r. He has not many friends I believe in Braintree. I believe him at best a very imprudent man, or as Horace says of a character something like him Royall Tyler. “Never was a creature so inconsistent,” Horace, Satires , Bk. I, Satire 3, lines 18–19 (...
317810th. (Adams Papers)
Spent the whole day in my father’s library; wrote but little, I cannot indeed write half so much as I wish to, for if I leave off two minutes, I take up some book as if by instinct, and read an hour or two before I think what I am about. I intended to have written a great deal this vacation; it is now almost gone and I have not written twenty Pages.
317911th. (Adams Papers)
I went down with Charles and Billy to Mrs. Quincy’s, in the afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Gannett were there, Captain Freeman of Dorchester, and Mrs. Edwards, an antiquated Coquet, who was about half a century gone. Very much such a thing as Narcissa is at present; and if her face did not give the lye to her behaviour I should suppose her now to be 17 rather than 70. Edward Young, Satire V, “On...
318012th. (Adams Papers)
Charles and myself went over to Weymouth, and dined at Doctor Tufts’s. We were overtaken by a violent thunder shower. The lightening fell at a very small distance from an house where we took shelter while the Cloud pass’d over. When we return’d to Braintree we found Mr. Dingley at my uncle’s.