Clear day but continuing remarkable cold for the season. I went to the Office and was occupied there some time in Diary and Accounts. Mr. Dudley, the Lessee of one of the Stone Quarries in Quincy came 196here, to make application for a long lease of the place near where he now works, which joins on to what is called the Bunker hill Quarry. I told him that we had effected our object in opening the Quarry lands and therefore felt no great wish to bind them any further by long leases. I should not refuse to let on any terms, but I should be rather more difficult about terms and was not at present prepared to mention any. He asked me to think of it and so left me.

I made a call upon Mr. Curtis and so home. Greek Grammar. A letter from Mr. Everett1 qualifies the statements of yesterday or the day before and states that Mr. Dallas will not be Secretary of the Navy. In the afternoon, I wrote him a letter in reply which may not have been wise but which is certainly honest.2 If he keeps it to himself, no harm will have been done. If he shows it to others, why my feelings will be understood, and I for one am very desirous they should be.

Evening, to the Play. Miss Tree’s benefit night—the Provoked Husband3 and Perfection.4 Her Lady Townley I think decidedly better than Miss Kemble’s. Indeed I thought that the worst thing she did. Barry made a good Lord Townley. Mrs. Richardson as Lady Grace appeared to me a failure. And the Wronghead family were quite as coarse as the play. I think it must be one of the oldest Comedies now on the Stage and is made out of very thin materials. Perfection is a very good Afterpiece and Miss Tree performed remarkably well. On the whole much pleased.

A fine day although rather cool. I went to the Office and was occupied as usual. My time somewhat taken up however by Mr. Spear, who came in from Quincy with his usual variety of information. He informed me that Mr. Carr had taken a little offence at my strictness of investigation into title, and had concluded to decline the loan. I was not sorry for this at all. I offered the sum last Autumn entirely from a wish to accommodate and enable Mr. Carr to erect a House for himself, and therefore could be released from the burden only by his consent. Other matters we talked over but decided nothing. I could not get an opportunity to walk.

Home. Afternoon reading Burnet and Forster. My Wife was out and in the evening we paid a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham. Talk. Literary and pleasant. Home. Finished Chateaubriand’s Itineraire. A book more valuable in the beginning than the end.

This is the fourth of March. A new era begins in the Government of the Country which will probably vary considerably from the preceding ones, but whether for better or for worse remains yet to be tested.