Morning foggy and thick, but it cleared away and became a mild and beautiful day. I went to the Office and passed my time in reading Monsieur Meisel. This book is after all a mere compilation of examples in the various kinds of Diplomatic Writing. I also did a little in the 350way of writing. Being dissatisfied with the old Exordium of my Article upon Graham, I wrote a new one. But my Father keeps the thing itself without any mercy. I feel discouraged about all this, but still it is worthwhile to try a little longer.

Afternoon, Cicero de Oratore in which I made some progress. The discussion turning upon the qualities necessary to an Orator Cicero gives it as his opinion that an Orator should be acquainted with all the Sciences. But I do not think his argument applies more to Orators than People of every Class. Knowledge is valuable in all it’s shapes. It is power and can only apply more to Orators than other Classes when we define Oratory to be Speech. The style of the Book is fascinating.

I forgot to mention in its place that Mr. Brooks and Horatio dined with us. Evening, Corinne, and finished Mason’s Life of Gray. On the whole an amusing work. Yet only two Poems have immortalized his name. The rest are not of much interest. I read part of the first Book of Paradise Lost1 and Two numbers of the Tatler.