Warm, but heavy clouds and rain. At the Office much as usual. Read Lingard very attentively and finished the History of the Reign of Elizabeth. He treats her character very harshly, by heightening her follies and shading her good sense. She was nevertheless a very remarkable woman. Her successful career brought England up to the first rank among Nations. And her Ministers made themselves a lasting reputation for wisdom by their judicious management of a difficult game. From this last reading, however I am more and more satisfied that nothing positive can be deduced from the history of the modern world unless you put Religious feeling at the foundation. It is this to which we owe our civil liberty. But Dr. Lingard is not the man to make this discovery.

I killed half an hour looking over some books about to be sold, at Auction, and walked, though not far, owing to the weather. Afternoon, finished No. 8 which I shall be forced to write over again. And I then studied the division of the rest of my subject, which will require much reflection.

Evening at home, finished 1st volume of Malvina and the life of Flaxman. I afterwards finished two Paragraphs of Wieland’s History of the Abderites.