Mild and pleasant day. Miss Julia Gorham accompanied me to town today. She returns home much to the regret, I believe, of all the family.1 The company of young ladies always contributes much to enliven a House, when they are not bent upon doing mischief. My principal occupation in town was to go to the House and see that every thing was in order there, to attend to several commissions and regulate Accounts. Henry Brooks called to see me a few minutes, and I conversed with Mr. Peabody upon political affairs. The proceedings of the Worcester Convention are to me very singular. The nomination of such a man as S. T. Armstrong for the place of Lieutenant Governor is a political catch like that of Wells last year, for the Mayor’s situation.2 The political news received this day from Pennsylvania is encouraging.3

Returned to Quincy, and read in the Afternoon the rest of the reign of Edward the first in Lingard which I afterwards compared with Hume. The material variations consist in the account of the course of the Clergy in resisting the exactions of the Crown, and in the accounts of the Scotch and Welsh conquests. I am inclined to think Lingard’s, the nearest to the truth. Evening, read an Article in the North American Review upon Mackintosh which I thought good.4

Morning cloudy but it cleared away towards night with a sharp North-Westerly Wind. I attended Divine Service all day and heard Mr. Whitney without the attention which I think is due to him. I shall set about a reform when I get back to town. Mr. Degrand came out and gave us the Newspapers containing very flattering Accounts of the Election from Pennsylvania. There is now a prospect that the Country may be redeemed.

Afternoon read a good Sermon of Mr. John Balguy upon the subject of Differences of Opinion leading to Discord. His discourses are short and plain, but well conceived and full of strong, downright sense. Evening, Josiah Quincy spent an hour. I afterwards read Lingard. But on the whole I have not an adequate account to give of my day.

Fine morning but very cold. I went into town and felt more chilled than I have done this autumn before. Time taken up at the Office writing. I am attempting another short article on politics. The present crisis is such that every little counts. The intelligence from Pennsylvania is very encouraging. It seems to show that the People have still 379a redeeming principle about them, that they are not at the feet of a man all the time without any exercise of judgment. Attended a sale of Coal and purchased at quite a reasonable rate a Chaldron of very excellent quality, and this winds up the Stock for the Year. Returned to Quincy.

Afternoon passed in reading Lingard and comparing him with Hume. There is no material variation in the Account of the Reign of Edward the second. Perhaps Dr. Lingard inveighs with more justice and warmth against the Murderers of this Monarch—The philosophical character of the other historian leading him to speak of vices and virtues with almost equal indifference.

Quiet evening. Mr. Beale came in for a few minutes with his daughter1 who goes to school in Boston tomorrow. Afterwards, read Granville, and having finished Lingard’s third volume without having the fourth, I passed an hour in looking over the Port folio—An Old periodical containing much of my father’s contributing.2 I could not help reflecting concerning it, how much of it was old and stale. Such is the fate of all writing for particular occasions and indeed of all review writing. If a mind cannot produce, if the power of invention is wanting, it is needless for him to expect any thing like durable reputation.