- Sega James
- Bonfils
Commencement day— My Son Charles
and Lieutt.
Buchanan went to Cambridge, and attended the performances—
The August Gale of departing Summer came on, but with little Rain— I
planted a Row of mixed Plum Stones, Pear Cores and Seeds, Apple-seeds,
steeped Currants, Wild Cherries, and Bass wood seeds, at the bottom of
the Nursery— Mr
Sega and Mr Bonfils came while we were
at dinner— Sega has published a pamphlet upon duelling; which having met
with approbation, he proposes to expand in a second Edition into a
volume, for which he is soliciting Subscriptions— At the Office, I was
consulting the Encyclopaedia, for the Article Woodchuck; which is not
there— Nor in any of the Dictionaries we possess— Farrar shot one yesterday, which we had
this day in a pye at dinner— It passed at first for an Opossum; but upon
question made we examined the Dictionaries and Buffon— In the last we found the
Opossum, which he calls the Sarigue; but no woodchuck— While looking for
the Encyclopaedia, I found two papers one of Willow Oak and one of Water
Oak Acorns, given me I believe last Summer, by Mr Charles
Harrod of New-Orleans, but which I then neglected, and had
forgotten— They are now in all probability good for nothing; though a
few of the willow, and most of the Water Oak Acorns still sink in Water.
Had I planted them last Autumn they would no doubt have come up. Charles
and Robert returned about nine this Evening. I finished reading the
fifth and last of the Tusculan questions or disputations, and the
Translation of Bouhier. It forms
the conclusion, of the ten books and is devoted to prove that Virtue
alone is sufficient for the consummate happiness of man. A glorious
theme, well suited to the display of the Genius of Cicero— Brutus to whom both these works were addressed, and at
whose instigation they were written had come to the same conclusion in
his Treatise 530de Virtute, which is lost— It is no
small demonstration of the excellence of those principles professed by
the Stoic and Academic philosophers, that the men who professed them
were the most virtuous men of their age, and among the most virtuous men
of any age. The Epicurean Statesmen were corrupt and vicious men— The
Stoics and Academics could not be so without flying in the face of their
principles abeunt studia in mores. Cato and Brutus were Stoics— Cicero adopted the Stoic
doctrine that happiness consists in virtue— Caesar and Cassius were
Epicureans— The Christian system of morals sums up the whole duty of man
in piety and benevolence undoubtedly a doctrine superior to that of the
Greek Philosophers. It makes the end of human existence the performance
of duty— The Greek philosophy made enjoyment the end of existence— The
Greek system is speculative, the Christian is preceptive. I would fain
pursue this parallel but have not now time—