John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

16. I rose this morning some time before day-light and just before breakfast Waldstein came in affecting great amazement, and enquiring what had happened in the house— I directed him to deliver the key of the cellar to Thomas, and ordered them both to take the account of the wines in the cellar— After breakfast I went down and compared the numbers with the Book kept by Waldstein himself. I found there were missing 573 bottles, all of them excepting 101. the choicest and most costly wines I had— I then discharged Waldstein from my service—and ordered him to deliver up the remaining articles with which he had been entrusted; to furnish me a precise account of the persons to whom he was indebted— He came again in the Evening, and I was obliged to order him to be turned out of the house— In the course of the day a number of bills were brought which I had paid to him. Among the rest one from the Baker, who now serves the family. He told me that the Baker who had served us while we lived in Plincke’s house had also a Bill of nearly 300 Rubles, unpaid— I shewed him the Book of bread kept at that time, with the receipt, signed with his name at the end of every month, untill August last inclusive—at which time he ceased to furnish us— The man was astonished, and said he doubted whether the name was written by Mr Schultz himself— I afterwards shewed the Book to Waldstein and asked him who had signed Schultz’s name to the receipts— He said that he, Waldstein had written it.— I rode out in the sleigh with Charles, and paid visits to Mr Raimbert and Mr Montréal— In the 336Evening I finished reading the Oration of Demosthenes against Timocrates— It is an accusation for attempting to obtain a Law, contrary to the Laws— A singularity which I knew not how to account for in reading some of the former Orations, but which in this is fully explained. There is a long passage repeated from the Harangue against Androtion, who was also in some sort a party to this case— The object of the Law proposed by Timocrates was to exempt certain debtors to the Treasury, and to Minerva, from imprisonment, provided they could offer bondsmen for security— Demosthenes in this as in all his other accusations urges for the punishment of Death, against the accused. He generally adds however, or the severest penalty that can be inflicted.— Auger in the summary remarks that Demosthenes seldom restricts himself to any regular method in his discourses; and often departs from that which he himself announces.