Day clear and milder than heretofore. To the Office where I read more of Rousseau’s Social Compact. He has an extraordinary clearness of style which makes every sentence tell. I think his mode of composition must be worth studying. It is but of late that my attention has been drawn so much to this matter, only since I have myself written so much.

Diary and Accounts. Received a letter from my father1 inclosing a necessary Draft to meet Josiah Adams’ demand. This is well. Home. Read over the fourteenth Satire of Juvenal. I now understand his reputation. This upon the example of Parents to children is admirable.

Afternoon, continued Levesque’s sketch of Peter. It would seem as if the Author of the family Library had compiled from this edition. Continued and finished the Letters of Voltaire and Mad. du Deffand. Evening, reading Beatrice, and afterwards Wallenstein.

More moderate, but still cold winter’s weather. I went to the Office as usual. Calm in the political elements. My last number on the Presidential question appeared yesterday. I believe it is now time for me to stop and fold up my Arms. I will see the combatants and amuse myself. Read the remainder of Rousseau’s Social Compact and a little of his Essay on the inequality of men.1 Diary and Accounts as usual.

Walk. Then home where I finished the fourteenth and nearly all the fifteenth Satire of Juvenal. Afternoon, continued Levesque and finished Mad. du Deffand’s portraits. A complimentary style. Evening, Beatrice and Beaumont and Fletcher’s Play of Beggar’s Bush. I took it up on Coleridge’s recommendation in the Table Talk. I indistinctly remembered it. It does not strike me so much.2

Morning clear and cold. I went to the Office as usual. Time taken up in reading Rousseau’s Essay. Read the President’s Message which got here yesterday.1 It is a pretty good production and in a far better 279spirit than any of it’s predecessors. I agree to all of it’s doctrine excepting that which regards the Bank of the United States. On that point he is as bad as usual. The political aspect at Washington is bad enough for the opposition. They are almost completely prostrate. But as I say my province is now to keep myself in reserve. To see what turn things take.

Home where I finished Juvenal, and began the Satires of Persius. A rough, ungainly style, with some bold thoughts. Evening, Levesque, and Gallatin’s Treatise on Banking. I wish to make myself master of the subject.2

Went to the play, Opera of Robert le diable,3 a singular story. Robert, Mr. Wood, is the son of the heiress of the Dutchy of Normandy by no less a personage than his Satanic Majesty. He has been expelled from his dutchy for his tricks and finds himself in Sicily in love with the Princess of the Island (Mrs. Wood). Here he is exposed to the temptations of his papa who has liberty to get possession of him provided he can do so before the clock strikes twelve. The temptations all prove too strong for the weak hero who is nevertheless saved by delay. There are horrors in plenty. The story is similar to der Freyschutz but not so consistent or striking. Mrs. Wood was suffering severely from a cold. We remained to the Afterpiece, “the Affair of honor.” Ridiculous enough.