Morning to the Office. Weather cloudy but not cold. Engaged in writing as usual some of my Preface. I find this business so easy that I have lost my taste for it. My design in future in reading authors in a foreign Tongue will be to translate in my Common Place only the Passages which strike me as particularly,1 and these I will attempt to finish as much as possible. Several persons came to see me to ask for Money on account of my Father’s Improvements in his Kitchen. I paid as far as I was able,2 but could not come near the amount demanded. I do not know what it is advisable to do. Must see my father about it.

Read a Chapter or two of Pufendorf, and was considerably instructed upon the nature and duties of man in his condition apart from Christianity. He follows the three great divisions which seem to be always laid down, the duties to God, to fellow Men and to one’s self. The morning seemed to pass rapidly. Mr. Curtis called and redelivered to me the Indentures of Assignment, with a request to insert a Clause releasing the Executors from any Bonds entered into by Mr. Boylston to give Deeds, a Clause he had forgotten to state to me before. I therefore occupied myself with this.

In the afternoon, read my usual portion of Aeschines, where he begins his attack upon the policy of Demosthenes, which constitutes the essence of his Oration. I translated as usual but I am fearful that I shall not arrive at the whole force of the original from my inability to devote time enough to the force of the Greek. Attended this evening a Meeting of the Debating Society. It was quite full and on the whole a tolerable debate upon a trite subject, Duelling. I was appointed Secretary and acted in that capacity in the absence of Park, but was obliged to leave before it broke up as I had left my Wife at Mrs. Gorham’s. She returned home before me as it was.