Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 2
1786-07-01
The military company, having obtained a promise of 60 stand of arms, met immediately after Dinner, and chose their officers, 59and agreed to a Code of Laws. They were upon the business more than two hours. Vose, was chosen Captain, Fiske, and Packard lieutenants, and Chandler 1st. Ensign.1
This was the college military company, founded in 1770, and named the Marti-Mercurian Band because of its motto, “tam marti quam mercurio.” It was an association for exercise and recreation which marched and maneuvered with fife and drum, though it did not see service in the Revolution. The company was reformed in 1786, procured arms on loan from Gov. Bowdoin, and flourished for a year before it died away again. It was not reestablished thereafter until 1811. During the Shays' uprising the arms loaned to the band were returned and used by a regular infantry company against the insurgents (Columbian Centinel, 2 April 1828; Morison, Three Centuries of Harvard, p. 141).
1786-07-02
I was unwell, and obtained leave of absence from meeting. The weather was so warm, I could not do much. I only wrote a Letter to my Sister.1
Letter not found.
1786-07-03
We had our private exhibition this morning. The Orations by Little and Beale, were both upon Education; that of Little was excellent, generally allow'd to be equal to that of Thomson, who has the greatest character as a composuist of the Senior Class. Beale's being in a dead language, was not so well understood but I thought it good; the Forensic, between Burge, and Abbot 1st. was on the Question, whether habit increases the criminality of an action. Burge appeared to have the best side of the Question. The Syllogistic on the Question, whether a promise extorted by force is binding, was read by the Sophimores, Abbot, Bancroft, Lincoln, and Prescott. The English Dialogue1 was spoken by, Cabot, and Philips, the greek Oration by Sohier, and the Hebrew by Tappan.
We recited in the afternoon, but there were not more than a dozen of the Class, that attended.
The dialogue between Apicius and Darteneuf, from George Lyttelton, Dialogues of the Dead, 4th edn., London, 1765, p. 212–227 (MH-Ar: Faculty Records, 5:226).
1786-07-04
Anniversary of American Independence; an Oration was delivered in the morning at Boston, by Mr. J. Loring Austin;1 many 60scholars went to hear it, I was not of the number. It was said to be very good.
We have had fair weather several days, and the ground begins to be very dry. This morning Borland was restored, because, as the President, said his conduct had been circumspect, and he had shown a due sense of the Enormity of his Crime. This was indeed enormous.
An Oration, Delivered July 4, 1786, Boston, [1786].