Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 4
1832-10-06
The morning thick and hazy. I went to town accompanied by my father. Of course got in somewhat later than usual. Time taken up in Accounts and collecting Money. This is now nearly accomplished. The first few days of a Quarter must always be devoted to Collections, and I congratulate myself somewhat that I have now got things in such a train that the money comes in with considerable punctuality. 374At half past twelve o’clock, my father was very punctual, and we proceeded according to arrangement to Medford.
We reached Mr. Brooks’ where we were to dine in time to go down and give my father the opportunity of taking possession of the farm under the Mortgage of Judge Adams to him. It is about a mile on the line of the Canal.1 This done we returned and found as a Company, Mr. J. Parker, Jo. Tilden;2 E. Everett, Gorham Brooks and his Wife, Mr. Shepherd, two Miss Phillips’ and Mr. Brooks’ family with our own. The dinner was not at all amusing to me, first, from my having a seat of the least interesting, second, from the tenor of the conversation which was all upon money. Mr. Parker is very wealthy, and cannot avoid discussing the only subject which engrosses his mind. I am not one of the men who consider riches in the character of a Philosopher, but I do not set them in quite so exalted a situation in life as to make them the subject of perpetual conversation.
My father returned with me and we reached Quincy early in the evening. The Ladies arrived soon after and we all retired early.
See vol. 3:236.
John Parker was a merchant, Joseph Tilden president of the Columbian Bank (JQA, Diary, 6 Oct.;
Boston Directory, 1832–1833).
1832-10-07
Morning cloudy and mild. The Weather is on the whole fine for the Season. Morning passed in reading Lingard, previous to divine Service which I attended all day. It was Communion day, and Mr. Whitney preached two Sermons the purport of which did not make the least impression upon my mind. My habit of attention built up with so much care last Winter, has nearly vanished.
Miss Smith dined at our house. I can account for my Afternoon, by having read a little of Lingard and a Sermon of one John Balguy upon Censoriousness in a Collection called the English Preacher.1 I tried to find some Account of the Author but did not succeed. We want a later biographical Work.2 I thought the Discourse good, but not so superior as I had been led to expect from the character given to him in a number I once saw of the Edinburgh Review.
Quiet evening. Conversation. Finished the second Volume of Lingard, and read the Idler as usual.
The collection of sermons published as The English Preacher, 9 vols., London, 1773, and now at MQA has JQA’s bookplate in each of the volumes; however, the set was clearly that used over a long period of time by CFA. In 1838–1842, reading a sermon each Sunday and recording the reading in the volumes, he covered the whole collection. Archbishop Tillotson and Balguy are more exten-375sively represented than any other divines, Balguy having at least one sermon in each of the volumes and twelve in all.
An account of the life of John Balguy (1686–1748), English divine and religious controversialist, appeared in a later edition of the Biographia Britannica than that in JQA’s library and now at MQA; see above, entry for 15 July, note, and the notice of Balguy in
DNB
.