Morning mild and clear. Went to the Office as usual, and from thence to a Meeting of the Directors of the Middlesex Canal at Mr. W. Sullivan’s Office. The question was upon the yearly Report of the Agent, and the Dividend. The Agent read his Report and the conclusion of it was that about six thousand four hundred dollars, remained in his hands, the Company being in debt something over seven thousand dollars to Mr. J. C. Jones.1 The Majority of the Board were in favour of paying off this sum and releasing the Company from debt, thus making no Dividend. This is rather severe, but it cannot be helped. So much for the Middlesex Canal.

Returned home after taking a walk, having passed upon the whole a pretty useless morning. After dinner I read the Oration for Q. Roscius, the Comedian. It is a mere trunk like the Hercules Torso without head, hands or legs, but is still an able specimen of reasoning skilfully. His object was to prove that Roscius had made an arrangement for himself and not the Partnership. And his evidence is some of it curious. The first part is difficult owing to the peculiar law which it embraces.

Evening, I read Middleton’s Life of Cicero which I finished. It does not say enough about his Works. Began the Port Royal Latin Grammar and read the Tatler.