Pleasant day. Distribution as usual. Evening at home.

I was at the Office this morning with my time much taken up in writing. Began a letter to my Mother but was interrupted by Winch the Tenant of the farm at Weston who came to pay rent. Then home where I read about forty lines more of the Oedipus.

In the afternoon, reading and writing upon my Lecture. I never was in more doubt in my life. I think what I have written is pretty good but I doubt it’s telling well upon an audience. Evening at home, reading.

The accounts from Washington are very bad. The dignity of the country is much implicated in this proceeding. I hope my father will get through with credit in this perhaps the most perillous situation of his life.1