As the Weather changed and the appearances were rather in favour of a Storm of some days, I thought I would go to town today instead of tomorrow. At the Office, most of my time occupied in various ways, doing as much as I could. Went to the House where I was glad to see the Mason had done his work pretty thoroughly. One or two applications for Houses and Offices and all told. Indeed the account which I can render of my1 never corresponds to the quantity spent.

Returned to Quincy. After dinner, read Seneca de beneficiis, book 6. I have been a most incredibly long time about this business. Seneca is not one of those Writers in whom you find reason to hurry. His doctrine of the present book is upon the question how far particular gratitude is due for a general benefit. And how far it is due when the benefit is not voluntary. Minor questions these.

Notwithstanding the bad weather, my Wife and I concluded to go according to invitation to Mr. Whitney’s. Nobody there but ourselves and the new Doctors who rushed into the town on the decease of Dr. Phipps—Gordon, Stetson, and Dorr. The two former are promising looking young men. The latter is an old acquaintance, having been a Classmate at College.2