Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 4
1831-10-10
Heavy rain all day with the Wind from the Eastward. I remained quietly at home reading the remainder of the Debates in the Convention of Massachusetts, and going over a part of the second Olynthiac of Demosthenes. There was very little variety and therefore very little to record. I read a part of Mr. Jefferson’s famous Memoir of himself in the beginning of his Works,1 and was much interested by it.
After dinner my father entered into Conversation and we talked more than an hour upon the course of the Messrs. Everett politically and personally, and he then gave me an Account of the ΦBK Affairs, at their late Meeting in August.2 T. B. Adams Junr. came in afterwards and I passed the remainder of the afternoon, in transacting business with him, and in completing the loan which he had solicited from me.3 I also conversed with him a little upon his views which are to redeem himself from these difficulties as soon as possible. This young man is now feeling the first mortification of an extravagant man.
In the evening, we all sat and discussed Poetry4 and my father read to us Gray’s Bard and Progress of Poesy. After which I read the North American Review and the Spectator.
The “Memoir,” written by Jefferson in 1821 of events in his life up to 1790, is in his Memoir, Correspondence and Miscellanies, 1:1–89, on which see above, vol. 3:74.
See above, entry for 25 July, note.
The loan of about $200 was still outstanding a year later (M/CFA/3).
“This Evening we read a number of passages of Poetry by American Poets—Percival, Halleck, Dana, Bryant, Peabody, Willis and a review of their compositions gravely settling the pretensions to precedence among them and placing Dana at their head” (JQA, Diary, 10 Oct.). See also the entry for 22 Oct., below. The poets mentioned are all represented in the work there named.
1831-10-11
Very high wind with heavy rain during the day. I could not remain at the Office with any comfort. So I concluded to abandon my regular plan of study, and to go into the House, where I might take up Mr. Jefferson’s Memoir. This I did and read a considerable portion of it relating to the period of our Revolution. But as it stopped raining I thought I would for exercise go down and try fishing, but the wind was so high I could catch nothing so that I soon returned home.
Afternoon. Read but slowly and superficially some of the fourteenth Book of Letters to Atticus. The Afternoons now grow so short as to prevent much study. I was also excessively drowsy and required exertion to keep me awake.
Today, I experienced for the first time a strong desire to be at home—As the weather makes the House here pretty cheerless. My 155Wife has however recovered so much that I feel quite thankful for our visit here. Miss Roberdeau was quite dull today and could not enliven herself with music. I read one or two Articles in the North American Review, and was very much disgusted with them. Read an Essay of Bacon’s “Of Negotiating” and the Spectator. We had an alarm from a Chair cover catching fire in my Wife’s room.