Pleasant. Morning to Quincy. Afternoon at home. Evening, W. C. Gorham came in.

I went to Quincy this morning and was fully occupied in attending to the various people whom I am setting in motion. Found my drain in progress slowly, contracted with the man about my wall, directed the Carpenter and worked with Mr. Kirk in setting the plants which I have either had purchased or brought out to me. I had barely time to execute every thing and get into town to dinner.

Afternoon, Chevalier, with whose book I am pleased although it is more superficial than Tocqueville’s. Evening, W. C. Gorham came in before going on a voyage. He is intelligent and pleasant.

Day fine. Time divided as usual. Evening Mr. Brooks.

I made another good morning’s work upon Burr today and begin to feel encouraged. There is nothing more curious in the world than the alternation of hope and fear in the labour of composition. While the mind is fresh and warm it is all hope, cooler moments make the defects glaring.

The Trachinians, the least pleasant of all the Tragedies of Sophocles which I have read. The character of Hercules is a mingled one of virtues and defects in which the latter too much predominate, and his death hardly produces sympathy because accompanied with so little heroism in dying.

Afternoon reading a Novel called Fielding by a man who has done better.1 He is over political and tory. Mr. Brooks spent an hour with us.

Cloudy and warm but no rain. Distribution as usual. Evening at Mrs. Carter’s.

Continued my work today. If I can go on at this rate I shall soon wind up this business. The times are again so quiet that I have only to strain a point a little to get rid of all trouble about this article before I go into the Country.

Finished the Trachinians which I shall not review at present, so that I shall be able to embrace the last of the plays of Sophocles within my winter’s work. Well done. This is encouraging.

Afternoon the second volume of Chevalier, the first half of the first dissertation of Spanheim upon ancient coins.1 Evening to Mrs. Carter’s where my Wife was asked to drink tea. Mr. and Mrs. Seaver, and Miss Sigourney there.