Morning at the Office. Weather fine as usual. I was very busy all the time. Chapman sent over to me his report for the Debating Society which I signed as a Member of the Committee and returned. Then came the applicant for the House, who after some conversation upon the subject agreed to take it from the first of February at the old rent paid by Mr. Whitney, abating the Taxes.1 And I thought it wise to close with him at once and undertook to have the House prepared for his reception by that time. I then took up my Journal, after which the Deed which Mr. Curtis had left for me to do. This took me some time. Then I filled up an Indenture of Lease for my new Tenant to sign. Thus my whole time was pretty much occupied.

After dinner, I continued Aeschines as usual and came to the close of the argument, the Peroration being now the only part which I have to read. I do not like so well this close for it displays a degree of timidity not held before, and not becoming in a man who is Accuser, and has therefore brought his risk upon himself. I then sat down and attempted a continuation of my Essay upon Eloquence which I brought down tolerably well to a close, a few remarks only remaining to be added as generalizing. I read it all over and was better satisfied than I had expected. From thence I went to attend the meeting of the Debating Society. The subject this evening was not an interesting one, it was upon the question now agitating the Community of legalizing Medical Dissections by furnishing bodies to Physicians, from the Alms Houses and other Establishments where those die who have few friends to feel for them. The discussion was much more interesting however than I had expected and we were detained a considerable time by the Speakers upon it so that I returned not until ten.