Cloudy day and dark. I finished Don Carlos this morning and on the whole admire it very much. Although I hardly think justice is entirely done to the characters. Alva for instance is represented as a mean, fawning courtier in league with an ambitious priest. Yet Alva 45was a proud grandee of Spain exercising a command of great latitude with the most decided authority. The Queen and Carlos are made to enter into a Conspiracy against the King which ought to take much from the sympathy for their fate. And Posa by failing in all his vast undertakings runs great risk of meriting the cognomen of “tete exaltée” – visionary.

Office, where I was detained until dinner time by the closing of the sales of the New England Insurance Stock, which was done, the money received, deposited to the credit of my father in Bank and a letter of notice written and despatched before going home.1

Afternoon, MS. papers. Letters of J.A. to Edmd. Jenings and his answers. This man’s character and relations with my Grandfather require explanation. I do not see clearly as yet into these matters. Evening. Finished the first volume of d’Israeli. Afterwards began Wielands Oberon.2