Morning clouds and rain. But the latter stopped soon. My head did not feel perfectly clear yet, and I was apprehensive I should be laid up. But by a long walk I got gradually better by evening. My time was taken up at the Office by a variety of little occupations. Mr. S. Brown called to be paid for his Sale.1 Mr. Peabody my opposite Neighbour2 to learn how to make a Coal Fire, and Messrs. Blake and Chapman at twelve o’clock on a Committee of the Debating Society business. They staid for an hour or so, after which I found it was time for my long walk. The Streets were not over favourable, but what is all that to health.

Afternoon, engaged in the second book de Oratore in which I made great progress, completing beyond the Fiftieth Section. It is all good so far, and continues so until we reach the specimen of poor Jokes. Evening, reading Corinne with my Wife and finished Lady Morgan’s book, which will not tempt me to get the second volume. I cannot endure such nothingness. The remainder of the evening was devoted to pursuing the Catalogue, which I propose now to do constantly until I see some end to it. For it now drags. Read two numbers of the Tatler. It had been my intention to try a little criticism upon these, but such is the vanity of our hopes and resolutions. I take shelter in generalities.

Morning clear and very windy. I went to the Office as usual and was busy in my common way without any definite result. I dispatched however all business immediately necessary by writing a letter to Miss L. C. Smith, notifying her of the arrangement of the Legacy,1 and I called upon Mr. Quincy where I obtained the Letters to the other heirs which I sealed and forwarded. Mr. Grosvenor called upon me to finish the Deed of the Estate of R. New to him which I did, and the drawing up of this and it’s execution consumed a tolerable portion of time. Mr. A. H. Everett called for a moment to ask about the paper he wished to see but he only received my father’s answer.2 My time was in this manner so much consumed that I had no opportunity for my walk, and my afternoon passed as usual in reading Cicero. I accomplished the portion which relates to Wit and was glad to find from my translation that more professed scholars understood it as little as I. It is a perishable material. Evening read with Abby, my portion of Corinne as usual, and having no book to read, I recurred to Shakspeare and read aloud the first Act of Hamlet. Continued my Catalogue and read two numbers of the Tatler.

Morning clear and pleasant. I went to the Office as usual and was occupied first in reading a letter from my Mother, giving an Account of her perils as far as Hartford. She has had a pretty bad time of it since the snow fell. My father however had arrived safe.1 I occupied part of my morning reading the President’s Message which has just arrived. It is a strange mixture of singular doctrines not before heard in the Executive Chair of this Union.2 Part of my morning passed in preparing a draught of my opening of the debate for the Committee of the Society that meets this evening. And a part I felt obliged to 380occupy in walking. My health ought not to be trifled with, for that is the foundation upon which every man should build.

Afternoon, finished the second book of Cicero de Oratore, and was pleased with all the latter part of it in which he describes the various duties of an Orator, clearly and in brief. A peculiarity of this book is, that in it he makes his Speaker contradict every thing he said in the other. In the evening, I went out to the Debating Society as usual, where we had a pretty good sized Company. The old discussion was continued and finished. I said only a very few words. Wrote a little of my Catalogue, and read two numbers of the Tatler.