Fine morning. I read and finished Mary Stuart today. The defect of the piece is that it has no action. She is introduced after her trial and sentence so that the whole interest turns upon a weak effort of Mortimer and Leicester to release her and upon the struggle in the mind of Elizabeth as to the execution of the sentence. It is rather wonderful how much he has done with these small materials. The character of Mary Stuart is poetically drawn and with tolerable accuracy—That of Elizabeth also.

I went to the Office, where I wrote Diary and began a Letter to my father but Mr. Brooks interrupted it by wishing me to accompany him and see a piece of land behind my House about which there is a question of selling. This consumed the remainder of my time. Walk and home, where I continued Ibis and it became more difficult. I am nearly at the end of it. Hardly any body would wish to read it excepting as a sort of literary curiosity.

Afternoon short because P. C. Brooks Jr. and Mr. Perry a young shipmate home1 of Horatio’s dined with us. Grimm and Deontology which I finished. There is not much in it. Perpetually prating about the greatest happiness of the greatest number and yet unable in ten cases out of twelve to pronounce what it would be. For who is to be the judge. Why, it may be said, the greater number. A morality put to the vote. I should prefer not to live under it. Evening, Mons. Guizot whose views are clear.