8. Recd a letter from Edes & Gill desiring to have the copy of an

Almanack.

20. Gill here about Copy of an Almanack. disagre.

Nov. 8. Went Milton & Boston. M'Alpine copy alm.

12.. M'Alpine here.

Dec. 2. Very cold, returned from Boston with new Almanacks.

Aug 5. Sun's Eclipse came on rather sooner than the time I said perhap [fly leaf] 3 Minutes in the midst thereof it was a very serene air but a peculiar gloominess overspread the horizon such as I never saw before.

Aug 7. Draper put in Thursday Paper that ye Eclipse nearly agreed with the Gentlemn who favored Dr. Ames with his calculat". best observation of the Eclipse at Newport.

Sept. 24. Never let me write again to the Printers of Boston News Papers for they are all Knaves Liars, Villains to serve their Intrest & when they appear most Friendly have most of the Devil in their Hearts.

Oct. I.

(Dr. Ames bore on hard to the pen which wrote this entry.-ED.)
Had a conversation with a gentlen about my Almanack obtain-
ing a patent of the Minister of State for the sole printing &
vending thereof, this Gentleman thinks that by the recom-
mendation of Friends I might obtain it for less than 20 Guineas.
The Friends I have tho'ts of applying to are George Apthorp
of London, Brother to alderman Trecothick a man of great
Influence & to John Winthrop, Esq., Professor of Harvard
Col. F. R. S. & to Sam. Dexter, Esq. to write to his old cor-
respondents in London & to Mr. Sheriff Greenleaf of Boston
& to Mr. Fayerweather of Narraganset in Colony of R. Island
& to Edmund Dana now in England married into a noble
Family & to Thomas Palmer now in London both my Friends,
but all will avail but little unless I can invent something new
& useful to mankind.

Country People complain that I have mentioned no Snow in
nex year's Almank.

1767.

Oct. 7. Was at Boston had conversation with McAlpine about Copy of an Almanack he would not give 200£ unless I would take it all

in almanacks. Recd a letter from Mein that he was provided with a copy but knew of a person who would give a moderate Price.

8. Was at Boston and agreed to let Edes & Gill have my copy for 150 they engaging on their words & honor to raise it to 200 next year if possible & let me have their Paper or Gazette I year from this time. I paying Mumford for brigng also to to supply me with Almanacks at 13s. 6d per doz. before they expose any to sale anywhere or send any off to be sold.

19. Carry'd copy of Almanack for 1768 to Edes & Gill Might had 100 Dollars for it of Mein.

Oct. 20.

Nov. 13.

Oct. 18.

This day compleats the 26th year of my age.

Went Boston. Case not come on. Got I gro. Almanacks.
Vastly hurried about my Almanack for 1768 I would exhort myself
to begin calculation earlier so that I might have time (to) fill
up with useful & entertaining things against another year to
stop the progress of other Almanacks especially Bickerstaffs
which is like to have a great sale, being printed on a good
Type & full of useful and entertaining things.

1768.

Jan. 19. The Eclipse happend much as this Almanack says-it look't dark & gloomy in the midst of it.

Feb. 25. June 1.

Dec. 27.

June 29.
Oct. 29. Sent my copy for next years Almanack to Fleet for 20.
got half a gross Almanacks of Fleet.

Sam. Sterns of Boston wants to know how to make Almanacks.
Began Calculations for 1769. Make slow progress. Called off.
Totally eclipsed according to this Almanack.

1769.

June 3.

Nov. I.

Observd the Transit of Venus happen according to this Almanack.
Went Boston agreed about Almanacks.

Nov. 16. Thadds. Stowel who has been in York Govt brought a line to me from Wm. Coye requesting yt I would insert in my Almanack two Courts held in ye County of Cumberland, in New York, one the first Tuesday in June, ye other the first Tuesday in

Dec. 5.

November, but whether Superior or Inferior Courts does not say, yet says that Chester in the Shire Town.

Went Boston brought 1 groce Alman. fr. Fleets.

1771

Oct. 24.

Nov. 7.

Ezek'l Russel offer'd 40 Dollars for my copy (of) Almanack.
Russel came again about the Copy.

Dec. 8.

Ezekl Russell came here about Almanack.

1772.

Nov 28. Went to Boston dd copy Almanack.

1773.

May 9. Old Dick Woodward1 struck me withis (sic) saw.

May 12. Dick Woodward fined for striking me & bound to good Behavior. Nov 25. Annual Thanksgiving which I celebrated with much Thankfulness in a little boiled Rice at home alone, then came in my Brother William who had good provisions sent him from his Mother & dind here at my House upon it, of which I could not so much as taste. Mrs. Whiting my Housekeeper prevented my having Provisions of my own cooked & went among her Relations to dine leaving me to cook for my Self.

Jan

1774.

8. Went (to) Boston got 30 (of my) new Almanacks.

[7]. Title Page Verse for next years Almk composed as I lay in Bed

this Morning Jany 7, 1774.

Let Tyrant Princes distant Climes explore
For wealth & power drench in human gore!
Let fleets & armies make their subjects pine
And cannon's mouths assert their rights devine
Let Spaniel Courtiers lick their masters feet

And conscious meanness make them feel they're Great.2

1 Richard Woodward married the Widow Ames, the mother of Dr. Nathaniel 2d.

"This is a little different from the verses on the title page of Almanack 1775, which see.

Oct

12. The Fair Stranger here at my House said to be a german Princess in disguise.

[fly leaf] Old Richard Woodward has declared that he will fleece our Estate as much as possible & accordingly Oct. 12 carried off several Loads of unthrashed Rye & carried off all the last years Corn & threatens to carry away the Hay out of the Barn I (in) defiance of Law & Equity threatens to strip & waste as much as possible.

1775.

April 19. The regular forces sent by the British Government to Boston march out to Lexington & fired on a Company of men & killd six then immediately marchd off to Concord to seize our Province Military Stores destroyd some Flour 2 Cannon & then upon being attack'd by our People began to retreat & continued fighting all the way to Charlestown 30 men lost on our side many more on theirs. I went & dressed the wounded.

The following extract from the cook book of Dr. Ames will serve to illustrate his political bias, as well as to indicate his predilection for all the comforts of a home.

Yeast I glass or half or half a jill sot rising over night-and next morning work the sugar & butter together half an hour at least, it will make your cake lighter and whiter.

After it has puff'd up light work in the rest except the Raisins, which add at seting into Oven.

FUDDERAL1 PANCAKE.

Mix boulted Rye flour, boulted Indian meal, each a quart with salt into three pints milk. Fry in lard.

Good enough for the Junto.-too good!

His part in the events which led up to the final separation of the Colonies from the mother country, is condensed as follows from "The 250th anniversary of the settlement of Dedham."

Foremost among the friends of America in the English Parliament who had been constantly laboring for the repeal of the Stamp Act, was William Pitt, afterwards the Earl of Chatham. It was he who maintained that "America being neither really nor virtually represented in Westminster, cannot be held legally or constitutionally or reasonably subject to obedience to any money bill of the kingdom." The Stamp Act was repealed March 18, 1766, and the news was received in Boston on the 16th of the following May. The repeal was hailed with the greatest demonstrations of joy.

Dr. Ames writes Feb. 15, 1767, that he "went to Boston with Mr. Haven and Battle. Spoke Pitt's bust of Mr. Skilling."

Finally, February 26, Dr. Ames again went to Boston, and "brought the bust of Pitt for the Pillar of Liberty."

The original inscriptions in Latin and English were undoubtediy composed by Dr. Ames. He was accustomed to make entries in Latin in his diary, and the style of the English is characteristic. He writes: "Aug. 6. Howard altered erepsit into evulsit," traces of which alteration are now discernible.

It strikes one strangely, perhaps, to find on this stone, erected by the Sons of Liberty, an expression of satisfaction that their loyalty to King George III. had been confirmed by the repeal of the Stamp Act. But it must not be forgotten that it was then ten years before the Declaration of Independence, and if any

1 Dr. Ames always spelled Federal in this manner, and always spoke of the Federalists as the Junto."