In the forenoon I attended at Mr. Carey's meeting. The man that appeared in the pulpit I concluded very soon, was a son of Dartmouth. All was common-place: his ideas were trifling, his language was inelegant and his manner, was an unsuccessful attempt to the florid. He apostrophised Innocence, and said she was charming. In short he appeared to me to have all the defects without one of the excellencies of a youthful irregular imagination. After meeting was over I heard his name was Oliver,1 and that he is settled at Beverley. I had quite enough of him in hearing him once, and therefore in the afternoon I went to hear Mr. Spring, who entertained me much better, though, I am not a great admirer of his doctrine.

Mr. Parsons held a court this forenoon at ten; and at the same hour I attended at Mr. Atkins's, with several actions, brought before him. Mr. Parsons in the afternoon went from home to return to Boston. I pass'd the evening at Mrs. Hooper's. Play'd quadrill as usual.1

I am sinking again into the same insipidity which I have so often lamented. The circumstances which daily occur, are now more than ever alike, for I not only spend the whole day in the same occupation at the office; but as Townsend is unwell, and confined to his lodgings I pass almost all my evenings with him: We have no news stirring of any kind, and as Dr. Kilham said to me, a short time before he went to Boston, “I am tired to death, of seeing one day only the dull duplicate of another.”

The weather was dull, gloomy, and part of the day rainy. Amory invited me to dine with him and Stacey and Azor Orne at Davenport's, but I did not feel inclined that way. I call'd at Mrs. 377Hooper's in the evening and spent a couple of hours with Townsend. The lads who dined at Davenport's warm'd themselves so well with Madeira, that at about seven o'clock this evening, they all set out upon an expedition to Cape-Ann, to attend a ball there this night. Twenty seven miles in such weather and such roads after seven o'clock at night, to attend a ball, would look extravagant in a common person; but it is quite characteristic of Amory.