Morning clear and cold again with a high wind. This felt more sharp from the mildness of what had preceded it. I am altogether inclined to the belief that the effect of weather upon the human frame is not in proportion to the degree of its severity, but its variation. A cold day coming after a warm one is more trying than a uniform decrease of temperature to a much lower degree. This is strengthened by reading Parry.

My Wife attended at Meeting with me and we heard a learned Sermon from Mr. Frothingham upon the doctrine of the final destruc-13tion of the Earth by fire. Afternoon I heard Mr. Ripley, alone. He is very prosy. Continued reading Buffon who is both instructive and amusing. Evening, finished Parry’s first voyage. An amusing work on the whole, being a history of a portion of the earth probably never before inhabited during its winter season by civilized man. He failed in his undertaking but on the whole the Voyage has not been without some profit to the knowledge of mankind. Continued Buffon and read the Spectator as usual.

Morning clear and still pretty cold. I went to the Office as usual after reading my regular portion of Buffon in the morning. Engaged pretty fully after my common matters, in reading an Abstract of the Political Essays of Hume.1 They are well written, having the peculiar style of the Author with his philosophical manner of thinking. But the tendency of his opinions is to the establishment of absolute power, and his feelings lead him to look with more composure upon oppression by a few, than by the many. He was too cold blooded for his authority to be valuable. There are some things upon which every man should feel and speak strongly. He does not upon any thing. I then went to the Athenaeum where I spent an hour instead of walking.

In the Afternoon, I accomplished though superficially the three Orations against Rullus upon the Agrarian Law. These have not much interest. They are Addresses calculated to excite the People and of course evidently upon reading, overcharged. The idea that Capua was likely to be a Rival of Rome was clearly to catch. So is much of what is said against Rullus who was probably a Popularity seeker like the Gracchi.

Evening I began the account of the second Expedition of Parry which went through Hudson’s Bay.2 Also, Buffon and the Spectator.

Morning pleasant but still cool. Read Buffon for an hour as usual, and then went to the Office. Nothing material took place; I received a letter from my Father, and a Copy of Verses addressed to me.1 He frequently poetizes, and what he writes is in the usual strain of lofty morals. The remainder of the morning was taken up in my common duties, and in reading over the Essays of Hume which affected me 14much in the same manner as heretofore. They made me doubt not principles but his system of explaining them. My Uncle Judge Adams from Quincy paid me a long visit and gave me some Account of the proceedings at that place in relation to the House &ca. He seems puzzled in regard to the Posts.

Returned home, having lost my walk and after dinner was busy in reading over the Orations against Rullus. They do not strike me as very much deserving further Comment. But as a peculiar kind of Oratory, they deserve some attention. Speaking against the Popular Current.

Evening, Parry’s second Voyage, which appears to have been unsuccessful enough. He was entangled in Bays all the time. It is on the whole somewhat doubtful whether there is any passage through Hudson’s Bay. But we shall see more. Buffon afterwards and the Spectator.