My youngest boy Charles has been so unwell for some days as to be under the management of Dr. Woodward who has plied him hard with strong medicine. I went to town this morning taking with me one of our women, Catherine who has been with the children latterly, and bringing out Mrs. Fields their regular nurse. My time was much engrossed by applications from Tenants, by a call at one of the houses in Tremont Street, and by a visit to Mr. Brooks about the Somerset Court 332affair.1 Upon reflection, I preferred to throw off the whole of the odium of making a profit out of the transaction. Home. Afternoon, busy in planting raspberry and straw berry vines upon my ground. Evening, continued my work.

A fine day. I attended divine service and heard Mr. Brooks of Hingham. Text in the morning from John 11. 25 and 26. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” The subject of the resurrection is a mystery. Mr. Brooks earnestly argued the side of the immediate entrance of the spirit into a future state and it is undoubtedly, (considering the apparent regular duration of the universe) the most encouraging doctrine.

Afternoon John 7. 47.48. “Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?” A prolific subject, the want of personal independence of thought and action in our Country, treated in the half quaint, sensible and silly manner of the preacher. There was also a running Commentary upon a Chapter of the Crucifixion marked in much the same manner. Mr. Brooks pretends to more than he can accomplish.

Read a Sermon of Sterne Ezra 9. 6.7. “And I said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the Heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day.” This was an Anniversary Sermon of the beheading of Charles, and afforded an opportunity to declaim upon the wickedness of the age. It is a little curious to observe the high tone of the preacher and to contrast it with the extraordinary prevalence of the democratic principle of the present day. I passed the evening in continuing my Lecture which draws to a close.

The day was an extraordinary one for so advanced a period of the year. I was occupied in finishing the remainder of the transplanting to be done this season. Mrs. Frothingham and Mrs. Everett came out in a 333carriage and passed an hour, after going to see the house they returned home.

I set my trees tolerably thick at my house, intermingling small and large in such a manner as to take the best chance of the success of some. I had wished to try an experiment upon Sir Henry Steuart’s plan but my men have not the patience and regard it as unnecessary.

I made a bold push today and finished the second part of my lecture which I read in the evening aloud to the ladies. My apprehension was that it would prove too long and somewhat tedious from the details which I could not very well avoid. But the verdict of the family was rather in favour of this as the best of the two. Thus is ended what I have regarded as a pretty fatiguing labour.