A very beautiful day. I went to the Office early and attended to my Diary at once in order to prevent the omission which most frequently 212begins on Saturday. I then went out and attended an Auction Sale of Horses and Carriages for the purpose of supplying myself with a Chaise and Harness at a low price. My outlay for a house this year is so very considerable, that I cannot afford much of an equipage. I succeeded in purchasing both at very reasonable rates. This relieves my mind very much. I had feared being at a great cost about it. My morning was however consumed.

Home where instead of Homer I had an interruption in the shape of John Toohey, the gardener at Quincy of last year. After a long talk, I succeeded in making an arrangement with him upon rather more reasonable terms than last year. Afternoon, Burnet. Plutarch and Forster each for a limited time. I am more pleased with Plutarch as I go on. His anecdotical style is very interesting although none of those yet given in this Essay are new to me, the author having introduced them in his Lives.

Evening quiet at home for the first time for a great while. Read Moore’s Life of Byron which is amusing. Mr. Walsh came in for an hour after which I continued Wraxall.

A fine day. I occupied myself until service time reading Wraxall, then attended Divine service and heard Mr. Frothingham from Acts 17. 18. “Others say, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods; because he preached unto them Jesus and the Resurrection.” A sermon upon Easter of which this is the anniversary, the great day of Christianity, upon which the whole of our doctrine of Immortality took its rise as revealed to us in the Resurrection of the Saviour. Mr. Sullivan1 in the Afternoon from Colossians 3. 1.2. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above not on things on the earth.” A discourse upon the same subject with less power. He finished with a quotation somewhat longer than usual of Campbell’s Pleasures of Hope.

Afternoon, read a sermon of Sterne. Luke 10. 36.37. “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell amongst the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise.” Upon philanthropy, the story of the good Samaritan. I had occasion here to observe how our tastes change. I had at some time marked this discourse as very good 213and particularly some two or three passages. They now seemed laboured and commonplace and I preferred either of the former Sermons I had read.

T. K. Davis took tea here and we had a pleasant talk. Then upon his going, with my Wife to Edward Brooks’. Conversation with him. Home at ten. Wraxall.