Morning at the Office and in Court. Received a pleasant letter from my father upon general subjects which I reflected upon much during 369the morning. His style to me is flattering to my vanity and he no doubt so intends it. Read a little law and rode to Medford to dine. The weather was very warm. Mrs. Brooks was unwell again. Conversation with Abby. Better pleased with her than last time, though she is still cold.

Returned to town this morning. Conversation with George. At the Office reading Blackstone which did not give me much information. The weather dark and gloomy. Afternoon, finished the first Volume of Clarendon’s History, comparing it with Hume. The foundation of Hume seems to be good but he frequently throws false lights upon the building. It rained so that I omitted my usual reading in the evening. Miss Susan Tufts very ill.

Morning at the Office, engaged in writing an answer to my father and in doing it I could not help writing also a short Note to my Mother.1 On opening my Intelligencer I was struck with the notice under the marriage head. Johnson Hellen to Jane E. Winnull. The die is cast, and my mother has only an additional trial. I regret it most on her account, for though Johnson was once a friend of mine, I have seen too long the victorious progress of his evil qualities not to have been warned of the result. May a similar misfortune never come nearer home in the family. I have no design to forebode. Amused myself for the hour which remained after copying and sending my letter, in reading the Life of Dryden together with his tragedy of All for Love.2 It is not so good as I expected, the beautiful passages hardly redeeming the general character of the piece, and yet it is called his best. Evening, engaged in reading some numbers of the Spectator. This was Abby’s Birth day and she is twenty one.

Morning clear but cold. Rode to Medford to dine. Found Mr. Walker, the Minister of Charlestown, Mrs. Everett and Miss Phillips, besides the usual family. Mrs. Brooks still too unwell to come down. Mrs. E. is not by any means improved by her last visit to Washington. The evening was passed delightfully.