adams-john10 Neal Millikan
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17. Every change of the weather in this Country, affects my
own health considerably, and that of my family much more. I had an
entirely sleepless Night— Rose between 5 and 6— And at 7 I took Charles out with me to walk— But he
has taken a bad Cold and was quite unwell, great part of the day— From
Breakfast time I did not go out again— It snowed and rained at the hours
when I usually walked— Mr
Redwood called upon me twice to ask me to see Mr
Gourieff the Minister of Finance, and sollicit him in
Redwood’s behalf— He brought here last Summer some Straw Hats, which
being prohibited, have been confiscated, and now they come upon him for
the fine— I promised to see Mr Gourieff, and
sent to ask him for an interview to-morrow— He appointed eleven O’Clock
in the morning for that purpose— I sent for my Landlord Mr Strugofshchikoff and
paid him a half-year’s Rent in Advance— He conversed with me, as he
always does upon politics and upon the character of the Russian People—
He is very well satisfied with the present state and prospect of
Affairs; and thinks the Emperor
Alexander might now come home and take his ease. He says
that of the Petersburg levy of men last Summer, of one Man in ten, the
greatest part have perished, and the rest have been or will be
incorporated in the regiments— Not one of them will ever come back. He
spoke of their lent, of which this is the second week— They keep the
first and last weeks with great rigour, and in them they are not allowed
to eat fish— No animal food of any kind—scarcely any-thing but bread,
Oil, and mushrooms, dry— The common people, he says, consider a
violation of the lent, as the most heinous of Crimes— Murder they
suppose may be pardoned, but to break the fast is a Sin utterly
irremissible— He himself kept the fast last week; not from a religious
scruple, but because he thought it a salubrious practice, and an
useful one, to form habits of self-denial— I am of that opinion myself,
and I have often wished that the reformers who settled New-England had
not abolished the practice of fasting in lent— I am convinced that
occasional fasting, & particularly abstinence from animal food,
for several weeks at a time and every year, is wholesome both to body
and mind— It is true that fasting is not expressly enjoined in the
Scriptures, and therefore cannot be required as a religious observance;
but unless prescribed by a principle of religion there is no 464motive sufficient powerful to controul the appetites of
men.— I finished reading the Appendix to the first Volume of Olivet’s translation of Cicero de Natura Deorum—
