Morning cloudy and threatened though it did not rain in fact. I wasted my time very much in preparing my defences for the Winter. Then to the Office where I received letters. One from my Mother1 and one from Mr. James Brown of Cambridge making application about my father’s book which has already been grasped at by several.2 Several visitors, upon dunning and paying errands. Mr. Tenney as punctual as usual. Jos. Adams about J. Q. Adams’ bills which I paid, having been long due.3 Started to perform some Commissions which Mr. T. B. Johnson sent to my Mother to have done.4 I went through with several of them and then took quite a long walk to get rid of an incipient headache.

Returning home, found my Wife in trouble about her Woman who is much worse and fears are entertained for her life. Read part of the Academic Questions,5 though imperfectly today. My fire troubled me again today. I have not yet got the Art.

Evening at Mr. Frothingham’s. Mrs. Parkman, Miss Hall, two Miss Phillipses and W. G. Brooks. Rather stupid. Returned at ten and my head was so bad I went to bed after the Spectator.

Morning fine and cool. I read a little of Demosthenes and then went to the Office. Nothing of any consequence. I was busy in my usual way, spending half an hour however in writing to my Mother the exact state of our affairs. How sick our woman was and how much my Wife had been worried by various cares.1 Called to see Mr. Brooks and went to find Mr. Curtis about the Boylston matters, but did not make out. I was not able to take much of a walk.

Returned home and passed the afternoon in reading the fragment of the 1st book of Academic Questions, which with the assistance of Enfield’s Philosophy I made out to comprehend. Metaphysics in themselves exceedingly difficult of comprehension even in the language with which a man is most familiar, embarass much more in any other. The technicals must all be settled first, and after all a great deal of the Ancient philosophy resides in hard words.

I spent my evening quite actively and read Mackintosh comparing him with Goldsmith.2 In this way I find his superiority in philosophical reflection though his style is singularly careless. Surely he ought to have set the present age a better example. Read a little of Condillac and the Spectator.

The Season has been an uncommonly fine one this year, and though growing cooler is yet very pleasant. Morning passed reading Sir James Mackintosh, then to Meeting as usual. Mr. Frothingham preached all day. Morning from 2. Esdras. 1. 27. “Ye have not as it 171were forsaken me, but your own selves, saith the Lord.” It was upon the self-indulgence of men which subverted all ideas of duty. I did not follow it from my unlucky habit of abstraction. The Afternoon’s discourse was from Micah 4. 5. “For all people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.” The idea of the deity, the religion of man has been different in different ages. The worship of God has been construed often to mean the strangest series of actions. But the true worship is the cultivation of the virtues, to that let every one adhere. I will not say that I succeed in giving any notion of the Sermons, perhaps nothing more than my own reflections upon the Texts guided by what I hear.

Read a Sermon of Massillon upon the forgiveness of injuries. His division was in two parts. 1. The Motives to forgiveness derived from the insufficient reasons we have for hatred and revenge. 2. The rules of pardon, which he defines to require more than the false reconciliations among men. The character of Massillon’s Oratory is singular. It depends upon the meanest view of human nature. He seems to have read Rochefoucauld to some purpose. Take for Example his definition of the friendship of men. He says three motives cause it. Similarity in taste, Interest or Vanity. This may be true but there may be a mixture at least of something better. All his eloquence is therefore fulminating.

Evening, read part of the Life of George 4th. Thoroughly Foxite. E. B. Hall called and paid a visit. I continued Mackintosh and read my usual Spectators. The Woman continues about the same.