Morning in the Supreme Court and at the Office. Found not much of interest in the first, and but little in the last, succeeded in finishing the first Volume of Massachusetts Reports, and looked over some por-321tion of the Statutes. On the whole a pretty good morning’s occupation. It rained pretty steadily though it was not cold. In the afternoon, Mr. Davis, my old fellow student at Mr. Webster’s Office, paid me an agreeable visit which prevented my reading, though not at all an unpleasant substitute. I attended a meeting of Mr. Quincy’s friends in the evening, commonly denominated a Caucus. He has most unexpectedly been defeated in his election to his old place of Mayor. This was got up to assist him and was rather tame.1 Indeed if this is the machinery of caucus, it is disgusting enough. I finished the evening at the Office with Boswell. But I was ill at ease for I thought Abby might be in town.

Morning pleasant. Passed the day at the Office and in Court. I generally devote the hour after breakfast to that purpose after which I read Law. Richardson and my brother George called this morning and passed an hour. Received a letter from my Mother, which amounted to exceeding little. After dinner, read Minot’s account of the Insurrections in Massachusetts in 17861 which afforded me much new matter never before under my notice. In the evening I went to the Tremont Theatre. Saw the Opera of the Barber of Seville in English, so that I have now seen it in all it’s forms. I liked it least as I saw it this evening but the intrinsic merit of the music and the piece is such as to make it in any shape delightful. We have not sufficient talent to support it fully with us. Mons. and Mad. Vestris danced afterwards and displayed beauty indeed. Their performance at New York when I saw them was nothing to this. It is astonishingly fascinating.

Nearly all the morning taken up in writing my usual letter to my Mother this morning. I was in better humour though the excitement of last evening reacted so much today as to make me a little unfit for law. I wrote also a short Note to John1 congratulating him upon 322the birth of his child. The afternoon was passed as usual in reading a portion of American History. In the evening, I went to a meeting of the Debating Society and heard discussed the subject of a University in Boston. There was a tolerably spirited debate and I returned home quite pleased.