Morning clear and pleasant. I left Medford and returned to Boston. Morning, passed quietly at the Office and at the Athenaeum whither I went for the purpose of examining one or two authorities for my positions in my last number of the Appeal. I also went to procure a new volume of Thiers and some work upon the collection and arrangement of medals and coins. I find my collection is a trifle—Not more than a thousand specimens including the Casket which I have never seen of ancient medals and coins at Washington.1 And the most valuable I cannot procure. I took out Pinkerton’s book which is a sort of elementary work.2

Home. Read a little of Gifford’s translation of Juvenal. But I must change my hour, for from some unknown cause I am always excessively drowsy just before dinner. It used to be afterward. Read Thiers, the 186treaty of Leoben. His account of the relations of the Directory with the United States shakes my faith in his whole book more than any thing I have yet seen. Thiers is a French Juggler without fixed principle. Madame du Deffand and Crabbe.

Evening, I walked out, calling to see Mr. Frothingham who is better. He was seated in his new study with his children about him, and looked very comfortable and gentlemanly. Home after an hour’s chat. Wrote over again my last page of No. 8 and corrected it. This task is done.

Morning clear and cool but it clouded in the course of the day. I went out early for the purpose of calling at Sharpe’s to see how my case came on. The man was just smoothing out the boards for the frame.

My No. 6 appeared in the Advocate and Centinel this morning, and I carried down No. 8 together with the copy of Mr. Webster’s Speeches which had been lent, to give them to Mr. Hallett. Conversation with him upon various topics, especially Mr. Everett’s situation as candidate for Governor and Mr. Webster’s. He read me an article upon the first subject which I thought very good. The thing must come to a crisis and my only fear is that this crisis will be the retirement of Mr. Webster. A. H. Everett called upon me this morning and we had some conversation upon this very topic. I think the great effort must be to nail the party down to it’s course, and with that end suggested a paragraph for Hallet’s consideration.

I went to Quincy. Found my little girl well and the family generally. Dinner and conversation. I was occupied a short time only in reading Madame Deffand and assorting some Pamphlets. My father talked a good deal about the French business, which he considers as very far from definitively settled. He criticized Mr. Livingston’s Speech at the Philadelphia dinner as well as his letter.1