Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1

6th.

8th.

299 7th. JQA

1785-08-07

7th. Adams, John Quincy
7th.

Went in the morning to Church: Mr. Harrison who is always with the Ladies squired them there

“E'en Churches are no Sanctuaries now.”

A gentleman preach'd from a text in the Psalms. He spoke well, but was so slow that the first part of a phrase was lost before he finish'd the last. After Church I paid a visit with Mr. D. Le Roi1 and Captain Kortright, to Miss van Berkel, who arrived two days agone; she was not within, and to Miss Alsop, who is a little too much the Coquet, and injures her appearance by affectation. Dined with Mr. Le Roi. At 7. in the evening I went and drank tea with Miss Marshall: there was a considerable party there, and I was introduced to Miss van Berkel whom I had formerly seen in Holland. She cannot be called handsome but has that affability which is to me much more agreeable in a Lady than Beauty alone. She complains much of her misfortune in not speaking the Language, and is fearful that she appears awkward and ill bred, because she does not speak: and really, no person can, have an idea, how disagreeable it is to be in a Country, and not speak the Language; without having been himself in that predicament. Here it is worse than anywhere else, because there are fewer persons who speak any foreign Language: and the few Ladies, that can speak a little french, are so bashful, that there is no persuading them to talk. Miss Susan Livingston pleases me much better now than she did the first times I was in Company with her. We walk'd in the evening half an hour on the mall, in Broad way, after which I waited upon Miss van Berkel home.

1.

Daniel Le Roy, son of New York merchant Jacob Le Roy and younger brother of Herman Le Roy (Alexander Du Bin, ed., Le Roy Family and Collateral Lines . . ., Phila., 1941, p. 6).