John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

18. V. Wednesday.

Elizabeth C. Adams Susan Harrod.

Heavy rain almost the whole Night, which continued part of this morning. I went to French’s Tavern, where I had agreed to meet Mr T. Greenleaf. G. W. Beale and Edward Miller, with Mr Fuller the Surveyor from Boston; but neither of them was there. I then called at my brother’s and left a Letter from his Son Thomas to his Mother— I also gave him the draft of a Deed to the Supervisors of the Temple and School fund of the Tomb, monument and two Pews: and I had some conversation with my brother about sending his Son, John Quincy to School at Leicester. On returning home I found Elizabeth C. Adams and her Cousin Susan Harrod here; and they spent the day with us— The afternoon was consumed in commencing a Catalogue of my books; but before we had got through even a notice of the Folio Volumes, darkness came— I distress myself with the consciousness that my few hours of remaining life are slipping away from me unimproved— That my occupations are engrossed for transitory purposes, and that I am losing day after day without atchieving any thing— The Memoir of my father’s life has been six weeks suspended; and in the interval what have I done? I have made some small progress in preparation for my own departure, and that is all. I have brought my Books from Boston, and lodged them at this House. I have completed the Surveys of the Lands which belonged to my father’s Estate; and have nearly completed a Survey of all my own— I have plans of the whole—and in the event of my own decease very shortly; the labours of my Executors will be facilitated, though I have yet much to do to set my house in order. Another Summer of leisure and health if allowed me, will I trust be sufficient to enable me to leave my Affairs in some condition of regularity. May the Mercies of Providence not forsake me— I wrote short Letters to T. B. Adams junr. To Cuyler Staats who has sent me a copy of a Tribute of Panegyric upon De Witt Clinton, and to Charles M. Putnam returning him his Dissertation upon the character of Thomas Shepard. I read part of the Life of this eminent man in Mather’s Magnalia— The preface to the first Volume of Chalmers’s Political Annals— A Chapter of the life of Arthur Lee; and 303the fourth Chapter of Grahame’s Second Book— It contains the account of Charles the second’s Royal Commissioners sent to New England—of Philip’s War—and of the Judgment of forfeiture against the first Charter of Massachusetts Bay.