Clear fine day. Passed at home writing and in study. Evening at the Mansion.

I felt somewhat unwell this morning, the result of my exposure yesterday, so I deemed it prudent to remain in the house. My time much devoted to the continuation of my papers upon the Carolina policy the first draft of which I completed. My endeavour will be to make these papers as good as I know how, in order to test the strength of the public prejudice. My course is the most difficult ever undertaken by a young man and can only command success by ascribing to myself a degree of ability I fear I do not possess. At any rate my duty is to try. I began a fair copy directly after finishing it. Writing is to me a far more difficult process than it used to be because I feel my defects more. A single sentence often stops me some time.

Evening, at the Mansion. The family already talk of their probable removal.

Clear day. Attended divine service as usual and the remainder of the day passed in writing and reading. Evening at the Mansion.

I was unable to find the other volumes of Milman’s History so that I could not go on. What time was not devoted to the usual exercises of the day was spent in continuing to copy my papers.

Attended as usual at Meeting and heard Mr. Muzzy of Cambridge, from Matthew 24. 35. “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away.” The permanency of the Christian faith from which neither the attacks of avowed infidelity nor the divisions of its disciples can detract aught of it’s durable principle. Sensible enough. Mark 9. 23. “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Upon faith as the engine of power in the mind itself.

Read a Sermon of Mr. John Balguy from Job. 37. 14. “Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.” The creation is a never ending source of reflection and moral exhortation and is not treated in this discourse with remarkably new or striking thought. Mr. Beale and his daughter paid a short visit in the evening and we then accompanied them to the Mansion.

Fine day. Kept much at home by the effect of a severe cold. Evening at a meeting of the Society to prevent stealing.

I did not deem it prudent to hazard myself so much out as I have done, so I was industrious upon my papers, finishing two. The composition of these is pleasant enough and varies my occupations in a suitable manner.

Mr. Price Greenleaf called in the evening and I accompanied him to the adjourned meeting of the Society for the suppression of theft of gardens &ca. where about thirty persons spent the whole evening in adopting the Constitution and choosing Officers.

Fine day. Morning spent in town. Afternoon busy planting trees. Evening at the Mansion where I dined.

My cold was extremely troublesome all day. I went to the Office where I tried to make a fire in my new Office and found it smoke so badly as to drive me away. Something has happened to the flue. My time very much thrown away in consequence of this vexation. Visit from S. Conant about the Weston farm. Home late.

We dined at my Mother’s who talks of starting for Washington on Thursday. And spent the evening, partly in a game of whist. I was busy in setting trees all the afternoon with Kirk. The workmen removed my fence today to the new boundaries.