John Adams diary 1, 18 November 1755 - 29 August 1756

by John Adams

NOVEMBER 18TH. 1755. We had a severe Shock of an Earthquake. It continued near four minutes. I was then at my Fathers in Braintree, and awoke out of my sleep in the midst of it. The house seemed to rock and reel and crack as if it would fall in ruins about us. 7 Chimnies were shatter'd by it within one mile of my Fathers house.

JANUARY THE 14TH. 1756. At Worcester. A very rainy Day. Kept school in the forenoon; but not in the afternoon, because of the weather and my own indisposition. 15. A fair morning and pretty warm. Kept school. Drank Tea at Mr. Swan's, with Mr. Thayer.

16 FRYDAY. A fine morning. A large white frost upon the ground. Reading Hutcheson's Introduction to moral Phylosophy. A beautiful Day and Evening. Din'd with Major Chandler.

17 SATURDAY. A clowdy, dull, Day. Some snow about noon, and rain towards night.

18 SUNDAY. A fair morning. Heard Mr. Maccarty.

19 MONDAY. A rainy Day.

20 TUESDAY. A fair, warm spring like Day. Drank Tea and supped at Mr. Greenes.

21 WEDNESDAY. A very rainy day. Dined with Coll. Chandlers Jur. Spent the Eve at Mr. Maccarty's. Kept school. Nothing more.

22 THURDSDAY. A fair morning. Fresh and lively Air. Drank Tea and supped at Mrs. Paine's.

23 FRYDAY. A fair and agreable Day. Kept School. Drank Tea, at Coll. Chandler's Jur. and spent the Evening at Major Gardiners.

24 SATURDAY A very high west Wind. Warm and cloudy. PM. warm and fair.

25 SUNDAY. A cold Weather. Heard friend Thayer preach two ingenious discourses, from Jeremy 10th 6. and 7. Supped att Coll. Chandlers.

26 MONDAY. A sharp piercing Air. Sat out for Uxbridge, arrived 2'O clock.

27 TUESDAY. Att my Uncles.

28 WEDNESDAY. Ditto. Thick weather, and some rain.

29 THURDSDAY. Still, cloudy Weather. Set out for Worcester, Drank Tea in Sutton, with my class mate, Wheeler and arrived at Worcester about 7 o clock. Supped with Major Chandler. Very miry Roads.

30 FRIDAY. Still, foggy, damp Weather. Kept School and dined at Mr. Greenes.

31 SATURDAY. A warm, spring-like Day. Kept School. Lodged at Mr. Maccartys, at night.

FEBRUARY. 1756. 1 SUNDAY. Pretty cold. Staid at Home, A.M. P.M. heard Mr. Maccarty. Lodg'd with him at night.

2 MONDAY. Wrote to John Wentworth by Coll. Josiah Willard. Spent the Eve, sup'd and lodg'd at Major Chandler's, with that universal Scholar, gay Companion, and accomplish'd Gentleman Mr. Robert Treat Pain. Misty, thick Weather.

TUESDAY. Breakfasted at Gardiners. This morn the Weather clear'd away. As warm and brilliant as May. Kept School all Day.

4. WEDNESDAY. A charming warm Day. Dined at Coll. Chandler's with Mr. Pain, Abel Willard and Ebenr. Thayer. Drank Tea at Mr. [Timothy?] Paines and supp'd and spent the Eve at Major Chandlers with the same Company, very gaily.

5 THURDSDAY. A fair morning but some symptoms of a Change of Weather. Kept School. Spent the evening with Messrs. Paine, Putnam, Willard, Thayer, partly at home and partly at Mr. Putnams.

6 FRYDAY. A cloudy morning. About 10 the sun brake out. A warm Day. Dined at Mr. Paines. Kept school. Spent the Evening at home. A windy Evening.

7 SATURDAY. A Fair warm, day. Dined at the judges. Drank Tea at Major Gardiners.

8 SUNDAY. Heard Mr. Maccarty. Fine Weather.

9 MONDAY. Fine Weather. Settled roads. Drank Tea and spent the Evening at Coll. Chandlers, very gaily, with much Company.

10 TUESDAY. Fair Weather. Spent the Evening at Major Chandlers, with Major Greene and Mr. Maccarty. Charming Weather. Roads Settled.

11 WEDNESDAY. Serene Weather, but somewhat cool. I am constantly forming, but never executing good resolutions. -- I take great Pleasure, in viewing and examining the magnificent Prospects of Nature, that lie before us in this Town. If I cast my Eyes one Way, I am entertained with the Savage and unsightly appearance of naked woods and leafless Forests. In another place a chain of broken and irregular mountains, throws my mind into a pleasing kind of astonishment. But if I turn my self round, I perceive a wide extensive Tract before me, made up of Woods, and meadows, wandring streams, and barren Planes, covered in various places by herds of grazing Cattle, and terminated by the distant View of the Town.

12 THURDSDAY. A cool, but pleasant morning. Heard Mr. Welman preach the Lecture, and drank Tea, with him, at home where he made this observation, (viz.) That Dr. Mayhew was a smart man, but he embraced some doctrines, not generally approved.

13 FRYDAY. A pleasant morning. Saw my classmates Gardner, and Wheeler. Wheeler dined, spent the afternoon, and drank Tea with me. Supped at Major Gardiners, and ingag'd to keep School at Bristol, provided Worcester People, at their insuing March meeting, should change this into a moving School, not otherwise. Major Greene this Evening fell into some conversation with me about the Divinity and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ. All the Argument he advanced was, "that a mere creature, or finite Being, could not make Satisfaction to infinite justice, for any Crimes," and that "these things are very misterious."