The heavy rain continues though with little Wind. I am anxious for my father’s family who must be somewhere upon the Road. Resumed the reading of Demosthenes and made rapid progress in it. The Text is easier than that of Aeschines which I mastered more slowly but more thoroughly. At the Office where after my usual occupations, I continued my Article which I am trying to make able. Col. J. B. Davis called upon me and I agreed to send it to him. Attended a Meeting of the Bar of Suffolk for the first time.1 It was upon the application of a person for admission and of another for dismission.

Returned home and in the Afternoon, read the remainder of the Oration for Plancius. On the whole, this pleases me particularly. The tone of it is a relief from the general invective, the management of the feelings both of opponent, Judges and Client is wonderful, and the beauty of the principles laid down as well as the language, in his defence of himself, all these make this Oration in my opinion among his very best. I began the Oration for Sextius.

The day was dark and cheerless, and my Wife’s spirits seemed to flag. Continued reading to her from Moore’s Life of Byron after which 38I read some of Dr. Richardson’s Appendix to Franklin’s Journal,2 and the Spectator.