Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1781-06-11
This morning I got up at about 8 o'clock breakfasted, and went to see Mr. Deneufville; we staid there about a half an hour and 77then went and took a walk; we went to the Western market and walked about 1/4 of an hour and then went to Mr. Guild's lodgings, but did not find him at home; we then return'd to Pappa's house. In coming we saw young Mr. Chabanel and spoke to him. At two o'clock we din'd; Mr. Guild din'd with us. After dinner, Mr. Dana, Mr. Guild, brother Charles and myself went and drank tea at Madam Chabanel's. After tea we went to the old-Man-house1 and bought some things; after that, Mr. Dana, brother Charles and myself, went to see Mr. Tegelaar, we found Burger-Master Hoofd there; after staying about a half of an hour we went to Mr. Hartsinck's where we found the Young Miss Chabanel's, Mr. Menoir (a french Gentleman,) and another Gentleman, who lives at Rotterdam, we Stay'd there a little while and from thence went home, we got here at about 9 o clock. At about half past ten I went to bed.2
The Oude Mannen en Vrouwengasthuis; that is, a home for old people, founded in 1559,
built around a courtyard on the south side of which was a broad and high gallery with
eighteen arcades rented as shops whose profits were returned to the home (Le Guide, ou nouvelle description d'Amsterdam, p. 175–176).
Here follows “Chap. 3d.,” covering almost two pages in the Diary and consisting of
twenty-eight lines from King Henry IV, Part II, Act III, scene
i, lines 4–31, beginning “How many thousand of my poorest subjects.”
Because of occasional differences in act, scene, and line numbers of plays by Shakespeare
as quoted and cited by Adams in his Diary, these quotations, unless otherwise indicated,
are given modernized citations without volume and page number from the authoritative
Cambridge edition (Works of Shakespear, ed. Sir Arthur
Quiller-Couch, John Dover Wilson, and J. C. Maxwell, Cambridge, Eng., 1921- ).
1781-06-12
This morning after breakfast I went to Mr. Sigourny's to see about some quill's. He gave me a paper of the place where he buys his; after that I went and bought some. I din'd at home, Mr. Dennie, Mr. Donalson, and Mr. Sigourny and Mr. Du Barry din'd with us; Mr. Dennie, Mr. Donalson and Mr. Du Barry have just arriv'd here from the West India's; after dinner I went to see Mr. Greves and Mr. Brailsford, but they were not at home. I went to the first bible to see Mr. Bordly; I stay'd with him sometime and then came home.
From Guthrie's Grammar. NETHERLANDS. Chap 4th §:I.1
Here follows, on four pages of the Diary, the first three “sections,” as JQA
describes them, of the account of the United Provinces of the Netherlands by William Guthrie, Geographical
Grammar
, p. 399–400, at which point are described 78the physical “extent, situation and boundaries,” as well as the
“air, seasons, soil, and face of the country.” JQA collectively designated
material copied from Guthrie as “Chapter 4,” assigning “section” numbers roughly matching
Guthrie's topical subheadings, which are unnumbered in the source. JQA
acquired a copy of the 1779 edition sometime in 1781 (
Catalogue of JQA's
Books
).