The Streets presented quite an extraordinary appearance this morning as the snow lay piled in heaps on every side. The People however turned out with great alacrity and began to clear out the paths for people riding, and walking. The horses had great difficulty to keep their course, as the snow was removed from the sidewalks only to be piled in their way.

Occupied at the Office with my Journal and with writing out a sketch of some papers on the present state of public affairs but the spirit does not yet come to me. Returned home after a walk to the Athenaeum to get a book or two. Afternoon, reading the Oratoriae Partitiones of Cicero which appears to be a mere summary of what has already been said, in the shape of a Dialogue between himself and his Son. It was therefore uninteresting although I succeeded in accomplishing one half of it. After what has preceded, it is not difficult.

Read French with my Wife and then continued the Year in Spain which gave us a clear sketch of a Spanish Bull Feast. My Ideas of Spain have obtained some clearness by this book. Afterwards, I began a book called Rhetorices Contractae Libri 4 by Gerard Voss.1 It is a mere abridgment of Cicero and Quinctilian, and after them is hardly worth the trouble of reading. Two Numbers of the Tatler.