Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 1
1824-09-02
Arose and after breakfast as my Uncle wished to write this morning which deprives me of the power of doing so, I took my gun and ranged the woods, with but little success, as I only obtained one bird. 309I found so little prospect that I did not go very far, and returned soon. The remainder of the morning I positively lazed away, doing nothing but looking over the titles of some old books in the library of Grandfather, alias that of Quincy.1 Some of them were exceedingly amusing and, as I was in a laughing mood, I attempted to turn them into ridicule with some little success, if I may judge from the way it entertained him. One book I observed with a singular publisher. It ran thus, “Printed for Thomas Cockwill at the sign of the three legs and Bible in the Poultry!” There
In the afternoon, I wrote my Journal as usual and came within one day of making it up to it’s regular time. It has been a very great task. My days have not been as long as formerly but it is now principally because there is a deficiency of material to write about. We had rain and thunder and I do not know really what I managed to do, but I came to this determination, to take up some book to read as it was too abominable to spend valuable time with such perfect waste. I am angry and ashamed of myself for my course this last three months but I can hardly perceive how I could have done differently. My time was so taken up by my military service and by my Journal that I could have no time to do any thing else. Indeed when I have finished this book, I shall lay down to myself another system which I expect will be a little more advantageous.2 Experience is the best teacher and, as I find my time too much called upon by this, I shall endeavour as far as is in my power to save it. In this last year it will be of peculiar importance to study and attend to the parts of instruction which are laid down in the College course. They are some of them of exceeding importance to me. In the Evening, I did not sit with my grandfather as George read to him. I wrote to Tudor3 and had the usual talk after supper. XI.
To promote education in Quincy, JA not merely gave the town some land (see entry for 22 May, and note, above) but, in 1822, the approximately 3,000 volumes in his personal library. They were to “be deposited in an apartment of the building to be hereafter erected for a Greek and Latin School or Academy,” for the establishment of which part of the income from the lands was to be devoted (Deeds and Other Documents Relating to the Several Pieces of Land, and the Library Presented to the Town of Quincy, by President Adams, Together with a Catalogue of the Books, Cambridge, 1823, p. 12 and passim). As CFA opined, the books were ill-adapted to JA’s benevolent purpose; although an Adams Academy was founded after the Civil War and survived into the early years of this century, the books suffered loss and deterioration through years of neglect, and were in 1893 transferred to the Boston Public Library, where they remain as a special collection in the care of the Rare Book Department. See Cata-310logue of the John Adams Library in the Public Library of the City of Boston, Boston, 1917.
For the plan of CFA’s next extant diary (D/CFA/5), see entry for 26 Nov. 1826, below. The continuation of his present “book” (D/CFA/4) beyond 31 Oct. 1824 has been lost, and only an “Index” of some portions remains to be printed, beginning at 1 Nov., below. See the description of CFA’s MS diaries in the Introduction.
Letter missing.
1824-09-03
Arose just in time to get into the stage for Boston. I had expected to have gone in a different way but I could not. We got to Boston and as I passed a circulating Library, I went in and got the second volume of Percy Mallory which I commenced reading as soon as I got to my brother’s room. I was rather impolite to him as I did not notice him in his own room. I staid here until twelve o’clock when I went to Cambridge in the Stage. Arrived, I immediately went to my room where they were making arrangements of some sort or other which very much disordered it. I merely staid long enough to obtain the things for which I came and then went to the Hotel where I took dinner, rather a meagre one considering that I had no breakfast but I managed to make it passable and returned to town. I continued Percy Mallory and finished it in the course of the afternoon. I cannot say that I think it well written or well managed, but I think it is extremely interesting. The plot is one of the most intricate, I ever saw, as it runs upon the exchange of three or four children and the consequent confusion. He tries at times to make too much of his scenes and lengthens them out beyond the possibility of endurance. His conversation is frequently flat, as he introduces much in his dialogue which may be very common in conversation but if it is, very certainly it will not bear repeating. It closes well as could be wished and I will not quarrel with the author although I am inclined to believe there is not much probability in the story. He insists that the most improbable part of it is true, in which case, I must be satisfied.
We returned to Quincy in the stage and arrived there safe. The family went this Evening to Mrs. Beale’s to a select party. As I have no taste for things of this sort, I did not attend, but staid at home and spent the Evening with Grandfather. He was in good spirits and talked with more life than usual. He made a Greek quotation which shows his memory not to be impaired. In fact with him, mind is the only thing which is not touched, but the senses by which that mind is conveyed all fail him. The party came home early and we had supper as usual, when we commenced the same course of conversation and did not finish till it was time to recollect retirement. XI:15.