Morning very cold. The sudden rush of the severity of the Season upon us is somewhat unusual. I went to the Office and occupied myself in my common way. Read the rest of Burkes Speech upon the Nabob of Arcot’s debts. A very able thing and worth attentive study by a man who is likely to be a Speaker. For myself it seems so doubtful whether I shall have any chance to shew myself in this way, that I must be content to speculate upon its effect and the means by which such a thing was composed. Nothing of any particular consequence took place. I went to the Athenaeum and then took a short walk. My Wife still continues very unwell from her cold. This is a great annoyance and one of the Taxes of our Climate.

Afternoon. Continued reading the Work, “De natura Deorum” and was much pleased with it today. The reasoning from Nature’s Works to the existence of a Deity is admirable and can be improved by nobody. 194But the idea that the Earth is that Deity is realizing the step from the sublime to the ridiculous. On the whole the book is a valuable historical relic.

My Wife felt so much indisposed that I could not read to her, but went on with Gibbon. His opening Chapters are excellent. They make so good a starting point. I then read a Book of Homer’s Iliad, but was almost overpowered with drowsiness. Finished the evening with two numbers of the Spectator.

Morning cloudy but rather more mild than it has been. After going to Market and making some purchases for a few days, I went to the Office. Received a short letter upon business from my Father, in consequence of which I was engaged in making the necessary inquiries. Called at Mr. Oliver’s Office, State Street, and settled with him, then saw Degrand for one or two moments, and returned to reply to my father which I did before one o’clock.1 Then took a walk.

Found Abby so sick upon my getting home that I concluded to send for the Dr. A married man must expect this as one of his greatest cares—The health of his Wife and Children if he is blessed with any. Ever since my Marriage, my Wife has been delicate, and she has lost the superintending care of her Mother which was her principal reliance. I do not know what to do. And therefore send to Physicians to take the responsibility off from my mind. Read Cicero the whole Afternoon. Cotta’s Confutation of the Stoic follies, though himself guilty of a few. Evening Gibbon and Homer’s Iliad. After which, the Spectator.

Morning severely cold. I went to the Office as usual and passed my morning besides my usual occupations in reading the Life of Caesar in Suetonius1 which I did as a kind of assistance to my view of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Nothing of any particular consequence occurred and after taking a walk, returned home. Found my Wife laid up by her Cold. My Man sick in bed from the same thing and the House again all out of order. I had flattered myself that my troubles had ceased when my Woman went out of the House, but it 195seems that now I am to have some more. The family was in so much disorder that I concluded to pass my Afternoon at the Athenaeum the result of which was that I did little or nothing.

Returned and as there was nobody to make my Fire, I sat in my Wife’s room all the Evening. Continued Gibbon and made more progress than I expected. A man ought to have the power of fixing his attention upon a book in situations not the most convenient to him, or else he will lose a great deal of time that might have been made valuable to him. This has been so little felt by me that I have suffered by it. But I am likely to be so much tried as to make me learn better. Read my usual Numbers of the Spectator. Mr. Brooks spent a part of the Evening here.