Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 3
1830-06-26
Quincy—Medford
Morning fine. My Wife and I left Quincy this morning for some days intending to make a stay for a short period at Medford, according to invitation. First to town, and I to the Office as usual. Inquired about my investment but found I had lost my chance. Still resolved to sell out of the American Bank if the Stock should go up. Finished a fair Copy of My Article about Railways, to send to the Patriot. Finished the whole of my fathers portion of the Annual Register with the Chapter on Greece. And consumed the remainder of my morning in going to make a bargain about my Mother’s bathing tub, which I did not succeed in after all.
Went with my Wife to Medford and found upon our arrival Gorham Brooks and his Wife there, who came to dine and pass the afternoon. They are not favourites of mine. She has not character enough, he too much. Began upon Winthrop’s Journal,1 being resolved that if I must stay here, my time should not be altogether wasted. Evening, Conversation with Mr. Frothingham about Cromwell—Our views of his character.
269That part of John Winthrop’s “Journal” known at the time was published in 1790 at Hartford. With the discovery in 1816 of a third section of the MS in the Prince Library, the Massachusetts Historical Society began at once to plan for a reissue of the earlier printed volume, corrected and annotated, and for the printing of the previously unpublished part in a second volume. With some help from the legislature and under the editorship of James Savage, the first volume was published at Boston in 1825, the second in 1826, both under the title The History of New England from 1630 to 1649 (MHS, Procs., 1st ser., 1 [1791–1835]:254, 374, 376). It was this edition that CFA was reading; see the next entry. His copy of the work is in MQA.