Morning clear and pleasant for the season. As soon after breakfast as practicable we returned to town. I was better pleased with this visit 71to Medford than with any previous one. After a few moments at my house, I went to the Office and sat down to read as usual. I began the first Chapter of Pufendorf again, but was soon interrupted so as to be unable to resume it again this day.

My father came in and spoke to me about a Number of things which he had desired to have done and I accordingly undertook to do his Commissions whatever they might be. He wished to see Mr. Curtis and accordingly I sent for him and as they were in my Office and conversing upon the subject of Mr. Boylston’s Affairs, I was unable to do much of any thing. Nor did they go until nearly time for me to return home. Mr. Lewis came to see me as I was going with the acceptable offering of some rent—Altogether an agreeable thing. I conversed with him a little upon Mrs. Lewis’ removal, in which she seemed to intimate that I had been a little too precipitate. I told him that I should like to talk with him about it, as I had no doubt but that we might agree upon the subject finally. And so there is yet hope of letting the House. Returned after depositing the Money, and upon going home, found Mr. Everett and my Father sitting with Abby. Alexander, I mean, for the other one I generally call by his name. They made us wait for dinner some time and put me no little out of humour.

In the afternoon, Mr. Frothingham came and examined my library with which he seemed not a little pleased. But I was prevented from reading or studying the whole afternoon, and in the evening, I passed the time in reading to Abby from Clarissa Harlowe, after which I completed La Harpe’s Chapter upon the Philosophy of Cicero.

Morning Cloudy and warm. I went to the Office as usual and passed my time in translating a part of the Preface of Pufendorf, but was less interested in the work and did not do it so well. There is much sense in this Preface, rather clumsily given and it is my desire to make my translation express the ideas even more clearly than the original. Whether I shall succeed I do not know, nor care, but I hope the attempt will do something to facilitate my powers of writing. They say practice makes perfect. Why not so with me? And are there many men who use themselves to it equally. I again attempted the first Chapter of Pufendorf but did not succeed in mastering it even this morning which makes me almost despair. I should not have taken so long to have read the larger work. It is to be allowed that the 72arrangement of it is clumsy for it forms divisions and subdivisions according to the ancient mode, which only serve to perplex and entangle.

I returned home without having been much interrupted, Mr. Champney, my father’s Tenant in Common Street being the only person, who came to tell me he could not yet pay me. I told him I was sorry, but could wait a little longer. Afternoon, passed in continuing my Catalogue which has nearly come to it’s end, and a further portion of Aeschines. I completed all my task and felt better satisfied than I did yesterday. My translation of this Oration goes on with perseverance and upon it’s success will depend the continuation of it to that of Demosthenes, which is the most important, and would certainly be much the most beneficial one. My time however is so limited that much must be done in a very little while, and I must hurry even what I now do. In the evening I read to Abby some of Clarissa Harlowe, interesting but interminable. She is a little too apt to prose, as all very good people are.1 I continued La Harpe in his Chapter upon Seneca. He is warped by his ideas of the French Revolution and tries one.