The morning was very pleasant, but the usual change took place at noon, and we were chilled by an Easterly wind. At the Office, but felt indisposed to translating; so that I read the laws upon the course of Administration upon insolvent Estates, and made a reexamination of New’s Papers. Found nothing of any value. Mr. Kinsman called about a demand made in favour of New, and with some propositions to a settlement. I told him that I would attend to it. Mr. Greenough called to be paid his demand for the expenses of the Bust, a stale thing for which he ought to have been ashamed.1 I called on Mr. Bowditch for a memorandum of New’s debt to the Life Office but could get none.2 Called also upon Mr. Welsh for it. He had mislaid it. Thus the morning passed.

The Afternoon found me engaged in an occupation very different from my usual ones. I had sent for Prior’s Life of Burke to the Athenaeum, and could not help sitting down at once to it’s perusal.3 The character of the man, his eloquence, and the society in which he lived, all make him to me one of the most interesting individual biographies in the world. I could not leave excepting for an hour in the Evening to read to my Wife from Eustace. How valuable the privilege of the Athenaeum is to me. I obtain books to amuse my Wife whose state of health depresses her spirits, and to instruct me—Though my own resources are very considerable. Continued Prior until I had nearly devoured the volume.

Morning bright and pleasant. I went to the Office as usual and passed a great part of my time in translating Aeschines. Mr. Chadwick came in and asked me to accompany the Directors of the Middlesex Canal tomorrow1—An arrangement to which I consented, providing I found no difficulty in my present situation at home, my Servant being gone to Quincy. Called to see Mr. Brooks and afterwards at the Bank to know if Whitney’s Note had been collected, found it was not yet due.

Returned home for an early dinner, in order to be able to go out and see how things went on at Quincy. My Wife accompanied me today. We found things in considerable confusion, and our woman very much discouraged at the magnitude of the Work. Things had been left so very dirty as to multiply the work exceedingly. It made me feel badly, as it showed the mode of life pursued by my father during the last Summer. It will be different this year I hope, but I care much less about it. We remained looking round until evening when we returned through Milton. I received a letter this evening from my Mother in answer to my first, counting very much upon my being there.2 Now I wait for the reply to my last, which will change the face of things. Evening, two hours of Prior’s Life of Burke.

Morning cloudy and threatening rain. After reading as much of Prior as possible, I went to the Office to stop only a few moments, before the proper time to go to meet the other gentlemen on the expedition. I went into State Street and after conversing with Degrand about the Salem Murder, the perpetrator of which has just been discovered,1 and also about the nomination of Mr. Randolph as Minister to Russia, a late wise measure of the President,2 I met the gentlemen and we got into Carriages to start for Charlestown where we stopped to see the 248new Mills, the superintendent’s House and every thing which might be considered curious.3 The set in our Carriage consisted of Mr. Coolidge, Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Joy and myself.4 From this spot, we rode to the Aqueduct over Medford river which we examined. I had seen it but a few days before so it was no curiosity.5 We then took the Canal Boat and went directly to Woburn. I saw nothing new excepting the breach made a few days since, and a stone lock which is certainly a very beautiful specimen of work. But the rage for railroads is increasing, and the determination seems to be to obtain one to go to Lowell at all hazards. The very one which will be ruinous to us. We arrived at Woburn in a shower, which changed to a settled rain for the afternoon. This is a beautiful place. I doubt whether any where a sweeter position for a residence could be found.6

Our body here assembled, and we found it consisted of ten of the Board and three visitors. Messrs. Guild, Sullivan, Coolidge, Thacher, Hallet, Chadwick, Joy, Baldwin, Eddy and myself,7 with Mr. Coles of New York, Mr. Whitwell and S. Torrey of Boston. Our dinner was good, and the conversation pleasant, but the party was so mixed it made Conversation a little hazardous, particularly when upon the ticklish points of Politics. Unfortunately, Whitwell touched upon the Hartford Convention, and gave us his idea of that body immediately after his explaining to us how the nonintercourse laws were evaded. The connection seemed to be good, as the one who justified what he himself had practised, would not be there to justify what would bear him out among others in doctrine. I felt awkwardly enough, and did not like to join him in the Conversation, particularly before so many Federalists among whom Mr. Sullivan was, who had taken pains to treat me politely. But it was lucky the conversation was changed for I might have become worked up to speak. There was much other talk about the present state of affairs which might as well have been omitted.

We rose from dinner and returned home, I being unable to accomplish what I had intended, the stopping at Mr. Brooks’, because the party went through West Cambridge, a different route. So that I was compelled to return to Boston before I could go to Medford. My wife was at the latter place, so that I took Chardon Brooks’ horse and went out getting there late, a Short Conversation and went to bed.