Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1

3d.<a xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" href="#DQA01d691n1" class="note" id="DQA01d691n1a">1</a> JQA 3d. Adams, John Quincy
3d.1

Paris. In the afternoon with Mr. A. went for the books arrived from London. Not to be found. Bought other books.2 Weather somewhat cold. The whole month of January very mild.

220 1.

JQA began this month with the date “Tuesday February 1st. 1785.,” but his first entry is on the third.

2.

Neither set of books has been identified.

4th. JQA 4th. Adams, John Quincy
4th.

Snowy, stormy weather all the morning, but clear in the afternoon. Mrs. and Miss A. went to Paris, and at length got, the long expected Books.

5th. JQA 5th. Adams, John Quincy
5th.

Stormy Weather. Mr. A. went to Passy in the morning, and to the Marquis's afternoon. A Letter from Mr. Dana:1 a vessel arrived at L'Orient from Boston.

1.

Dana to JA, 12 Dec. 1784 (Adams Papers).

6th. JQA 6th. Adams, John Quincy
6th.

Enter Miss A. in the evening, and cries out, “Callahan1 is arrived, and a bushel of Letters. One for you Sir from C. Storer:”2 and away she flew. Miss had a dozen at least: there were very few for any body else.3

1.

Presumably Capt. John Callahan, Boston shipmaster; it was probably his vessel that JQA referred to in his previous entry (JA, Diary and Autobiography , 3:215–216).

2.

Letter not found.

3.

Among them probably was Mary (Smith) Cranch to AA, 6 Dec. 1784 (Adams Papers), as referred to in AA to Mary (Smith) Cranch, 20 Feb.–13 March 1785 (MWA). The letters to AA2 are presumably lost.

7th. JQA 7th. Adams, John Quincy
7th.

Dined at Mr. Jefferson's. Masks in the rue de Fauxbourg St. Antoine and in the ruë St. Honoré.1 With reason, are the Parisians called by all the rest of the Nation badauds2 de Paris, for nothing can be conceived more stupid, than this Carnaval amusement. An hundred people perhaps run about the streets in masks, and there are ten thousand people without masks looking upon them: it is said however that this diversion is going much out of fashion; and that the Police, are obliged to hire a vast number of People, to set the example: two thirds of the Masks, are paid, say they. Thus does this government take every measure imaginable, to keep the eyes of the People shut, upon their own situation: and they really do it very effectually.

221 1.

A pre-Lenten carnival culminating in a masked ball that evening (AA2, Jour. and Corr. , 1:46–47).

2.

Idle, frivolous persons.