Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1782-01-27
Began to read Hume's history of England.1
David Hume, The History of England, from the Invasion of Julius
Caesar to the Revolution in 1688, 8 vols., London, 1763, which JQA
borrowed from the English or British Library of St. Petersburg, where he found “a good
collection of English Authors” (Dana to JA, 25 Jan., Adams
Papers). JQA's notes (copied quotations) from his reading of Hume appear
in M/JQA/1, Adams Papers, Microfilms, Reel No.
199.
1782-01-29
Dined at Mr. Rimbert's;1 changed Lodgings.
Or Raimbert, French vice-consul in St. Petersburg (
Almanach royal, 1783, p. 262).
1782-01-30
Went to the Shops, bought this book,1 with some other matters. Began to translate Cicero's first Catilinary.2 Finish'd Hume's first volume of the History of England 503. Pages.
That is, his Diary booklet, D/JQA/5.
Probably the edition JQA used for his translations into French was Selectae . . . Orationes . . ., Paris, 1747, p. 510–525, in which
JQA has inscribed “J.Q.Adams, a present from Mr. Cussy Catalogue of JQA's Books
, p. 90Selectae . . . Orationes bear MS markings by
JQA presumably made while he was translating.
1782-01-31
Began Hume's second volume of the History of England. Went to the shops and bought some things.