Rain. Time divided. Evening at Mrs. H. G. Rice’s.

My first number on the currency appeared today.1 I read it with some interest and liked it much. But it comes at a wrong season. Nobody knows or cares for it. Perhaps it is worth nothing.

Read Philoctetes, the only pursuit that gives me rich satisfaction. The rest are all in the performance of a heavy duty. Crevier, History of Constantine. His catholic feelings influence the latter portion of his history much. The struggles of the christian religion over the passions of men would make perhaps a most interesting subject of investigation. 202They were terrific during the middle ages. And yet they remain working upon generation after generation with improving force but very gradual success. Ms.

Evening at Mrs. H. G. Rice’s. A new acquaintance. Company as usual. Returned at ten.

Clear and fine day. Time as usual. Evening at home.

I felt this morning a little the worse for the week’s dissipation and was glad to think that it was now probably at an end. At the Office where I was so engrossed with business matters that I was unable to touch my papers. I left it sooner than usual for the purpose of putting into the hands of Mr. Hosmer of the Council who is a lawyer the very abominable case of Conant’s trespass. A person who applied for the place came to me today and told me they were going on with a high hand there. This has reanimated my courage which had been wavering since Mr. Cheney’s declining the business. I hope it will now turn out for the best. But I dread the law.1

Walk round the South Cove. Philoctetes as usual. Afternoon, finish Crevier which is rather a lumbering book after all. MS, upon which I make gradual advances. I purpose to touch a little upon Gibbon and then devote my Afternoons for the remainder of the season to vigorous pursuit of it.

Quiet evening. My head felt so dull and achy that I had an insurmountable repugnance to taking up Burr, so I wrote an answer to my Mother’s letters received yesterday and today.2