I went to the Auction sale of Furniture but the prices were too high for me. Then to the Office. Mr. Gibson again came in but gave way to Mr. William Spear from Quincy who came for various matters connected with Quincy interests. After dispatching his business, Mr. Paine came in, and shortly afterwards Mr. Gibson again. The first appeared to be under the operation of very strong feeling, and seemed desirous of explaining to me his reasons for the articles he had written. I was glad both were present as Gibson had evidently made representations of my opinions which to say the least of them were safer to come from myself. I explained to Paine my reasons for the opinions I had ex-202pressed at the same time absolving him from all blame. He finally concluded by admitting he had been hasty and then he inquired what he was expected to do. I told him the best thing to do was to pass over the whole matter until Mr. Hallett should come home.

Mr. Gibson remained longer. The article I furnished did not appear, and the question was what to do with it, another having shown itself in the Post containing it’s own statement of the matter of the Collectorship. I told him, I would revise the copy if sent back to me, which I did in the Afternoon. I have some suspicion this is the last piece of service I shall be called to do for the Advocate. Perhaps it will be better for me if it is. Politics are bad enough, God knows. And I am so shackled that I had better have meddled with any other topic.

Evening, I did little. Conversation with my wife who is in one of her poorly turns. Afterwards, reading Moore. This is a pleasant book because it throws into strong relief the particular features of his hero’s character. Byron was a genius under circumstances strongly adverse to a favourable development of his powers.