Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1839-01-25
Mild and pleasant. Division as usual. Evening at Dr. Frothingham’s and Governor Everett’s.
The cold proved but a short blast of the keen polar wind, and today was mild again. My time was taken up in part by finishing arrears of business at the Office and by a wild goose chase in quest of one of my departed tenants, who has not merely vacated the house but like the dog in the manger policy refuses to let any one else into it.
Continued the review of Electra and after dinner finished the remainder of the Athenaeum collection of coins. This has been a very long work and I am not sorry it is well over.1 I propose to number them and send them home.
Evening I went to Dr. Frothingham’s and there talked until nine o’clock when I crossed over to the house of the Governor’s to a meet-179ing of the members of the Legislature by invitation. As I had no acquaintance with most of them I felt disposed to make my visit very short. And I got back in a few minutes. Home by ten.
CFA had completed the “Catalogue of Brass Coins of the Roman Empire belonging to the Boston Athenaeum” in 120 pages and would dispatch it, along with the coins “assorted” and “in covers,” and a letter to the Trustees on 31 Jan. (MBAt). On 11 Feb., Nathaniel I. Bowditch, secretary pro tem. of the Athenaeum, wrote him on behalf of the Trustees that the “Gentlemen were very much pleased with the manner in which the coins were arranged and directed the Standing Committee to have the catalogue bound” and that the board had ordered recorded their thanks for the “skilfully prepared” catalogue (Adams Papers). The catalogue remains at MBAt; a photocopy is in MHi.
1839-01-26
Warm with rain which continued until night. Time as usual. Evening at home.
I went to the Office in good season for the sake of doing business. As I expected W. Spear came in from Quincy and I received the proceeds of the sale of my Bank Stock which I have converted into land. I redeemed immediately two of my Notes which now leaves three more which I hope to cover before the end of the year. This is but one half however of my general engagement. The reflux1 seems now to be beginning to be visible and perhaps I may rely upon that for a little farther assistance. Electra.
After dinner made up a list of the catalogued coins being in all about 840, not so many as I had supposed, but the trouble has nevertheless been great. I wish to keep them for a few days for the sake of rectifying my own list of my collection which having been made when I knew little of the subject is defective. It is here that I see the advantage that it has been of to me. Evening at home. Luxuriated in an article upon Horace in the London Quarterly Review sent to me by Dr. Frothingham.
“A flowing back, return, refluence” (
OED
); perhaps here in the sense of economic recovery.
1839-01-27
Fine day. Exercises as usual. Evening at Edward Brooks’.
The morning was clear and pleasant. I read some of the London Quarterly Review. My tendencies are not towards the cultivation of periodical literature but when I do I am struck with the superiority in fulness of scholarship in the English articles over our stupid, thin pro-180ductions in the same way. I finished a Review of Mr. Milman’s edition of Gibbon written with much force.
Attended divine service all day. Heard in the morning Mr. Greenwood from Ephesians 4. 30. “Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” In the afternoon Mr. Gannet, Luke 2. 11. “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.” The latter written apparently for a Christmas Sermon, and neither of them of much interest to me.
Read a discourse of Dr. Butler in the English Preacher from Numbers 23. 10. “Let me die the death of the righteous and let my end be like their’s.” Upon the character of Balaam, one of the least comprehensible hensible histories of the old Testament. It is manifest that the account of him is deficient in materials for full judgment.
In the evening Thomas Frothingham came in and took tea after which Mrs. Adams and I went down to spend an hour at Mr. Edward Brooks’. Finished Milman’s History of the Jews, the last part of which is rather lame. But on the whole it is a valuable work and has furnished me much good information.