Morning delightfully mild and pleasant. I went to the Office as usual after finishing the fifth volume of Buffon’s Natural History, and thus concluding all that I propose to do in this way just now. I have been interested by much that he says, although in a great many things he seems to me to be wrong. Particularly in the closing Dissertation upon Men and Animals. In which he does not maintain fully the ground he starts upon. After reading several Letters from Washington,1 and T. B. Adams Jr.—The latter enclosing a power of Attorney for his stock in the Fire and Marine2—I sat down and considered the Analysis of Locke’s Essay upon Government.3 A very remarkable production. Took my usual walk.

Mr. Brooks and Miss Julia Gorham dined with us. The former seemed a little depressed. The latter passed the Evening. I felt languid and unable to study but I continued the reading over the Second 15Oration against Rullus and nearly accomplished it. Evening, I thought I would look into Kotzebue’s Voyage4 and I became interested enough in it to accomplish one half of the first Volume. After which I read the Spectator. Two of Addison’s Papers upon Tragedy.