The weather was cold and disagreeable. The wind from the Eastward brought a driving sea mist, which wet me pretty thoroughly before I reached town, so that I thought it advisable to go home and change my dress. My particular object in coming was to attend the town meeting for the settlement of the question as to the amount to be borrowed to make a Railway. I went and saw for the first time in my life a primary assembly of the people in Boston. It was not agreeable, particularly as it was very evident the sentiment of the mob was clear and strong. The speaking was none of it good, though some of it was violent enough. I felt somewhat excited although there was 280in fact nothing material to occasion it. But I confess I regretted that the public feeling should run so strongly in favour of a measure which I hold to be ruinous.1

The whole morning was taken up however so that I had only a minute to go and see Mr. Brooks after which I went out of town. The afternoon was passed in taking the list of the remaining books in the Entry and lower floor, leaving now only what are in the Upper Story. Finished Walpole’s 1st. Volume in the evening. An interesting account of a very uninteresting period.

The day was so rainy and disagreeable that I concluded not to go to town at all. My time was very much taken up in commencing upon an Alphabetical arrangement of the books. This is slow and difficult as I look at each Title and in a great many cases examine the account of the Author very fully. In this manner the acquisition of general knowledge of a description a good deal wanted will go on with the mechanical part of the Work. I accomplished this day, the letter A. which as I thought was doing pretty well. The afternoon was taken up in the prosecution of the same plan which carried me through a part of B. My mother being now unwell, deprives me of the chance of going through with the remainder of the books.

The rain continued without any cessation and confined us to the House. Conversation with John and Robert Buchanan. It is surprising to me how little John has cultivated elegant tastes. His steps ever since he has been at Washington, may be called retrograde, which is somewhat of a pity. Evening reading an Article in the Quarterly Review upon the Peerage of England.1 A good article though breathing a spirit of a character questionable to say the least, in this Country.

The morning was clear and as the Clouds that remained from yesterday were passing away, they gave to the Atmosphere a damp, 281sultry heat which is very unpleasant having the true character of a dog day. The roads were also in a shocking condition as we rode over them to town, Robert Buchanan being with me. As he called upon my time considerably, I was forced to pass over my own business. The Appraisers returned me the Account of New’s Estate, about which measures must be taken as soon as possible. A client came but his application was a mere nibble. Rufus Davenport called with his Free Debt Rules, and I got rid of him as soon as possible.1 Collected the balance of Rent due on the commencement of this Quarter and made the Deposit in the Bank.

The remainder of the day was taken up in showing to Robert Buchanan, the Athenaeum Gallery and Library, in which last operation I saw more myself than I had ever done before. This made us late so that we got back to Quincy much after the usual hour. I was fatigued, so that we did not prosecute the Catalogue very zealously in the afternoon, though I did a little in the arrangement. Evening at home. Conversation with John after dinner.