Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1780-09-11
Half Holiday for the school. This morning at about 9 o clock we left Pappa and went to school.1 We stay'd there till about half after twelve o clock when we went again to Pappa's. We dined there. After dinner we went to Mr. Le Roi's but he was not at home. We stay'd there some time. Mr. Le Roi came home at about half after four. At about five o clock Mr. Le Roi, brother Charles and myself went to take a walk. We got back to Mr. Le Roi's at about Six o clock. We met Mr. Amiel and Captn. Spencer who drank tea with us at Mr. Le Roi's. After tea they went away. Brother Charles and myself stay'd to supper. After Supper Mr. Le Roi and his Cousin Mr. Chabanel came back to the school with us as far as the door and then they left us.
JQA's marginal note here, “vide page 20 of the second volume of my Journal,” refers to his entries of 30–31 Aug. (above), concerning school.
1780-09-12
Received two lett
one a Letter from Mr. Thaxter.1 Nothing remarkable this day.
Reading a Volume of the Spectator I found something which I will copy.2
Undoubtedly that of 4 Sept., on which date
Thaxter also wrote to JA
(
Adams Family
Correspondence
, 3:411–413).
Here follows, on three and one-half pages in the Diary, Alexander Pope's poem, “Messiah, A sacred Eclogue . . . in Imitation of Virgil's Pollio,” from “Spec. vol 5, Number 378,” where the poem was published for the first time on 14 May 1712 (ed. Bond, 3:419–422).
1780-09-13
Half Holiday. To day at about twelve o clock we went to Pappa's lodgings and went from
thence with him to Mr. Le Roi's where we dined. After dinner Mr. Le Roi Pappa, Several other
Gentlemen, and brother Charles and myself went to the (Rasp huis) or house of correction.
There is there a man who is so strong that fifteen men could not take him and he broke some
Iron which was put round his arms. We saw several others some who got there for one thing
some for another; They are Judged once and a while and when there is a criminal the Judge