Attended Prayers and recitations this morning very fortunately, and was called upon in a long proposition, the commencement of which I was prepared to recite. Had he continued one word farther than what I actually recited, I think it would have been not so well. No exercises after the Morning as the Seniors were examined today. I squadded my section in the hall this morning on the right oblique step. I then went and took a warm bath which gave me a feeling of fatigue all day. The rest of the morning was employed in writing my Journal and doing a little at the bookstore.

I made an engagement to take a ride this afternoon with Otis, but while at dinner we were surprised by the cry of fire and a tremendous pillar of smoke arose in the direction of Boston. It was in appearance at the bottom of Beacon street as seen from the tops of the Colleges. Otis consequently hurried into town to see if his father’s was in danger and left me to enjoy the afternoon alone. I therefore took up Mitford again and read his view of the Western Countries politically connected with Greece and of the Grecian settlements in Sicily and Italy. The history was rather uninteresting and merely embraced a short account of the Grecian settlements. A small definition of History I met with which struck me and I shall insert it in my Common Place Book.

I then went to the book store where I met Cunningham who had been into Boston and who told me that the fire had caught in Charles Street, had extended up Beacon Street and had burnt sixteen houses besides stables, barns, shops &c. in great numbers. In short there has 227not been such a fire for a great while, it has taken off some very pretty houses. A great effort checked it at a Mr. Eckley’s1 at the bottom of the street. Otis returned before Prayers. It appears that all the people in the street were in a fright and were fixing their houses in preparation, had moved all their furniture, in short that the mall presented a very queer sight—of furniture, books and every thing else lying without distinction all over the common.2 I was troubled with the ringing here and in fact managed somehow or other to spend an extremely unpleasant day, deriving no satisfaction or pleasure from my own reading or any thing. Indeed I begin to believe that unless soon recovered I shall lose my taste for reading which to me would be the most serious loss in the world.

After Prayers, I read my lesson over and then went upstairs to attend a Meeting of the Lyceum Club which was held tonight for the first time this term at Wheatland’s room. The Members did not arrive until very late, nine o’clock for example. And Otis was tired, Chapman’s eyes by working at this fire were almost out of his head. I know no place where Otis shows himself more unpleasantly than at parties of this sort, he has no sort of knowledge how to please them, he does not become warm but on the contrary, either goes to sleep or complains of something the matter with him. He has not those feelings which make him an agreable companion because he has not any energy in his composition. How few there are in this world who can be called perfectly agreable. How few there are in whom the ingredients are mixed in perfect proportion. If Otis has too little energy, Dwight has too much of it. If the one is easily moved, the other is the most difficult. Positive even when incorrect and the more so when the most are against him. It is one of the faults, I have to find in him. Another is his whimwham, to use the expression of the Author of Salmagundi, his frequent expressions of like and dislike which are unpleasant and according to the strict rule of good breeding, improper.

The society met, Lothrop absent who will not probably join the club this term. Cunningham was proposed and admitted, a little other business was settled and we employed ourselves much in our usual way. We played cards for a little while and gave them up to take a few strawberries after which we resumed our amusement not with much life however, as Chapman was really in pain and Otis “as stupid as a beast.” We therefore threw this up and began with a little singing not however in a very loud strain. Tudor was somewhat exhilarated, from the effect of the end of College life and the variety 228of liquors which he took. I staid here till late and humoured Tudor as much as possible. Richardson is unpleasant at a treat of this kind because he becomes talkative, noisy, and impertinent. Sheafe was sulky. The Meeting however was pleasant as I was in one of my quiet fits3 and amused myself with the nonsense of others. My complaisance cost me a sick fit this evening, thanking Heaven that this is the last. I.