The day was clear and calm. According to my promise I started early and rode to Quincy. Arrived there in good season notwithstanding the badness of the roads which the late rains have caused. The Country scarcely bears any appearance of the advance of spring. I happened to be favored in my weather and saw it far more cheerful than it generally looks. But notwithstanding great beauty in natural undulations there is want of richness in all the natural scenery about us.

I found Mr. Spear at the House, whom taking with me, I reached the Railway House and we proceeded with Mr. Winkley to the spot. We passed up the Railway which has been newly laid in a very durable manner and observed some beautiful specimens which are in process of sculpture for the new Hotel of Mr. Astor in New York. The perfection to which this process is now carried here is wonderful.1 We saw two columns which are almost ready for the front of the same building and the blocks for those at our Court House.

We came to the spot in question between Mr. Winkley and ourselves and examined it fully, after which we went up to see the spot applied for by Mr. Dudley and Knox. By accident we collected all the applicants on the premises and thus procured all their views. The quarries are manifestly exceedingly valuable. The Stone is in great abundance and promises richly but will require some outlay to open, and communicate with the road. I found my visit by no means useless although we decided upon nothing. I returned to town before dinner, having agreed to be prepared with an answer by Tuesday May 5. After dinner, I was occupied in writing another letter modifying very 127considerably my views as expressed last Saturday,2 which I put in the Post Office myself. Evening at home. Mrs. Everett was better today. Thiers a little while.

A very heavy rain storm with wind in the morning but it did not continue long. We have been somewhat flooded this year. I went to the Office after finishing Tasso. Time occupied in Accounts, bringing up Arrears and afterwards in Commissions for the House to which I went. The process is slow of cleaning and until that is done a house looks cheerless enough. I felt a little dispirited at the idea of returning to the confined quarters we have, but I think this will wear off when my arrangements are more perfectly made. Home. Nothing remarkable. Mrs. Everett continues slightly better. Afternoon, Thiers who proceeds more coolly and methodically in his Account of the surges of the Revolution than any other person, and for the first time I form an accurate idea of the motion of things. Evening at home. Grimm.

A very pleasant day. I was out some time with my Wife making purchases and giving directions. Then to the House where matters looked far more cheerful. The sun is always a great thing to enliven the spirits. A great mass of work remains to be done however.

Office where I remained but a short time. Went in to see some Gobelin Tapestry which is exhibiting here—The original work from the Cartoons of Raphael. Paul preaching at Athens which I remember at Hampton Court in England. The death of Ananias. Christ delivering the Keys to Peter and the healing of the man at the gates of the Temple. These have been in existence three hundred years and have been successively transferred from Leo the 10 to Henry the 8 and from Charles the 1st to the Court of Spain. The gold is much tarnished and has lost it’s effect as a colour, but the rest are in admirable preservation. I think the third in the best preservation though perhaps the least effective piece as a whole originally. A fine copy of the crucifixion by Rubens is alone worthy of attentive observation. I mean to recur to it again.

Afternoon M. Thiers, Revolution of May 31, 1793—Another wave of the Ocean. Evening at home. Landor, Imaginary Conversations.1