The rain poured all day and precluded the possibility of our moving an inch. So that I made the best of it and commenced reading Rollin’s Maniere d’etudier les Belles Lettres.1 The critic in the French Dictionnaire Historique thinks it superficial and confused,2 yet so far as I have gone it strikes me there is great merit and clearness. His method is perhaps not perfect, but in a work like this which is to give mere advice perhaps the best way to give it is the pleasantest or most agreeable manner. Not a regular course which must be studied but an easy one with occasional variety to keep up the attention. I pursued it nearly all day with little or no cessation as I had not any means to vary it properly. Took up however a book upon Gardening which I exam-316ined with a view to some improvement in the cultivation of the garden here in future, and to the cultivation of an Orchard at Mount Wollaston, a project entertained by my father and myself. Evening, Conversation with my Mother and having no work retired early.

It seemed as if Rain was the order of the day for we found no cessation of it, and were content with continuing our Quarters here this morning. I pursued the study or rather the reading of Rollin, all the morning and went through a Treatise upon the Instruction of Girls which was not quite so interesting to me as any of the rest of the Work. I then continued with Instruction in the French, and Greek Languages. His system seems to be good and I think on my return to my House I will adopt it. I have pretty nearly made up my mind to pursue eagerly Classical Studies, being satisfied fully that they are the only firm foundation for a Gentleman and Scholar.

My time hitherto, though I am far from admitting that it has been mispent, yet for want of a directing care has not been of the greatest possible service. My father gave advice but the misfortune of it was that in this case as in many others it was speculative. In itself excellent but not preserving that most necessary quality of being gradually given at moments when the use was immediately evident. Yet I will candidly admit that, that advice has been of infinite service to me even to do what I have done.

I worked an hour in the Garden and made an experiment with a Strawberry bed, cutting off the small shoots from the Bed made in the Spring and planting them anew. Called in to see the Judge, my Uncle who wanted the regular allowance for his Son John Quincy, which I gave him by drawing a Check for the Amount. After dinner, the weather looking decently, or at least not positively rainy, we decided upon going off to pay our visit to Medford. Our ride was not an unpleasant one and we arrived before six o’clock. We found the family much as usual with the exception of an addition in Miss Gorham who was there on a visit.