Fine day. Morning in town. Afternoon reading and work. Evening, a visit at Mrs. T. B. Adams’s.

After reaching town I thought I would call at the State house for the purpose of returning to Mr. Felt the lecture I had borrowed, and look into my own house. Upon opening my inner entry door I found the parlour door which I had left locked was open, and was not long in convincing myself afterwards that the house had been forcibly entered. My precautions respecting the plate and the jewels of my Wife had not 110proved useless for I found the doors of the chambers forced like those of the parlour, and my Wifes draws1 in which they were kept thoroughly ransacked. But the plunderers did not seem in quest of silver for they had left some pieces which I did not think to take with me. In my study they examined two or three draws and left the remainder untouched. My Cabinet they did not touch nor the sideboard. They appear to have entered in the cellar although I could not ascertain precisely where. On the whole, from the very cursory examination which I could make, I felt tolerably well satisfied with the result and my first sensations degenerated into mere surprise. I called at Mrs. Frothingham’s to tell her and thence to the Office in Accounts.

Mrs. Smith and Mary dined with us, who with my Wife were startled by the information. Lucretius. b. 3, l. 136–258, and some time at work on my trees. Mr. and Mrs. Miller and Mr. Beale were at Mrs. Adams’s.

Clear day. Morning to town. Afternoon reading and evening at the Mansion as usual.

My Mother, Mary, my Wife and I went to the City in order to take an account of the amount and nature of the losses. Upon examination, we could find nothing but a gold watch gone which I bought some years since at Washington. The object of this conduct seems difficult to divine.

The remainder of the morning was passed in hunting up workmen to repair damages, which all things considered are not great. And I feel on the whole very glad that as every thing was at the mercy of the plunderer, he took or spoiled so little.

Afternoon Lucretius l. 258–425. He makes a curious system of his metaphysical science. Finished the letters of Bayle.

Clear but cold with an Easterly wind. Day passed in the usual duties and evening at the Mansion. There has been a very bright Aurora borealis for four successive nights.

Attended divine service and heard Dr. Henry Ware Jr. preach in the morning from Proverbs 4. 23. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” A very good discourse explanatory of Pope’s verse “An honest man’s the noblest work of God” which he considers as designed only to embrace that sort of honesty which is of the world and not the higher duty of faithfulness to God. Afternoon Matthew 16. 26. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” He first considered the probable meaning of the word in this text as it was used in other places indiscriminately for life or spirit, but whichever it might mean he regarded it as emphatically expressing the value of another life and the vanity of attaching the affections to the things of this.

Read a discourse of Bishop Atterbury’s in the English Preacher upon the duty of praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 50. 14. “Offer unto God thanksgiving.” I take much pleasure also in reading the criticism of Grimm, which though prejudiced is still excellent. He possessed a great deal of discriminating talent which is the sine qua non for the critic.