Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1780-09-06
Half Holiday. At about ten o clock Mr. Le Roi came here and invited us to go and dine with him. We told him we would. At about half after twelve I went to Pappa's lodgings but found he 67was gone out, and then I went to Mr. Le Roi's, he was gone out and got home soon after. We dined at his house. After dinner we went with him to take a long walk out of the city and we drank tea there, after tea we came back again to Mr. Le Roi's where we supp'd. We came back to our School. Mr. Chabanel1 came with us as far as the door and then left us, we found the boys Just going to bed. The rule is to be home the holidays at half after ten. Brother Charles and Myself Study in a little chamber apart because we dont understand the Dutch.
Herman Le Roy's cousin (entry of 11 Sept., below).
1780-09-07
Holiday for the first Class, but not for the rest of the School.
Reading a Volume of the Spectator I found this.1
Nothing very remarkable to day.
Here follow, on about two pages in the Diary,
31 lines cited by JQA as coming from “Spectator Vol 9th. page 270–271,” which
appeared in The Spectator No. 628, 3 Dec. 1714 (ed. Bond, 5:147–148). The piece is the entire
first scene of Act V of Addison's play Cato.
1780-09-08
Nothing very remarkable to day.
Reading another Volume of the Spectator I found this which I shall take down.1
Here follow, on about four pages in the Diary, an allegory beginning, “There were two
Families,” which JQA cites as coming from “Spectator Vol 3d. Page 62–63–64.”
This appeared in The Spectator No. 183, 29 Sept. 1711 (ed. Bond, 2:222–223).
1780-09-09
Half Holiday. At about twelve o clock Stevens came here for us, as we were going we met our Dutch Master who was coming to give us a Lesson. When we got home we found Mr. Guile at our house with Pappa. At about 1 o clock Mr. Guile went away. At about half after one Commodore Gillon came to Pappa's lodgings stay'd some time and went away. At about four o clock young Mr. Crommelin came with a coach for us to go to his father's house in the country, we went away and arrived there at about 7 o clock. We shall stay here till to morrow night.