At home, fine day. Afternoon, visitors and to Weymouth. At my father’s.

My morning was not passed altogether profitably, for after a little reading only at home I went down to the Mansion and became engaged in a rather fruitless examination of old MS papers. Found two or three old sermons and other papers of my great-grandfather Smith and one or two other things of some little interest but not much.

Home where I made further progress in Texier and began Menzel’s History of German Literature,1 a book I have borrowed from Dr. Frothingham. His opening is completely characteristic of his nation. But he is a thinker and will pay perusal.

After dinner, seventeen sections of Tacitus, being interrupted by visitors. Mrs. Carter and Mr. and Miss Sigourney from Boston with Mr. Lunt to pilot the way. They made only a call of form and we started after it in the carriage to go to Weymouth and see Mrs. Tufts and her daughters.2 By we I mean my father, wife, Mrs. John Adams who spent the day with us and myself. Home late after a pleasant ride, and a short visit at the Mansion.

Pleasant day. Usual Exercises. Evening at the Mansion.

I spent an hour in my usual way with my daughter, teaching her some little notion of religion. Read a little of Tucker’s Light of Nature which does not grow in my regard as I go on.

Attended divine service and heard Mr. Lunt preach from Jonah 4. 9. “And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry even unto death.” An interesting abstract of the book from which the text is taken with some moral applications of the story which never occurred to me before. Also from Matthew 15. 5.6. “But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” I recollect this discourse when it was preached before, a very good one.

Read also another discourse of Bishop Butler on the same subject and text of the one last Sunday, and marking the closeness of thought 278which distinguishes his writing. The ladies went down to Mrs. Quincy’s, but I spent the evening with my mother.