Feb 17 1812: Aaron Burr

For On February 17, 1812, Aaron Burr in London wrote the following entry in his private journal: 

17.  The reformation is accomplished. Counce at 1. Lay vigil 4 till 3. Slept perfectly sound till 7; then  rose, and was proceeding to make my fire when my hotesse 1 came in and relieved me from that labor. Shaved, dressed, and breakfasted, and was out before 9. You see the cure was effectual. To Graves's, where found a note from A.; rather a cold, forced thing- Then on to the Captain's. Found him in the act of packing up, and in 1/2 hour he would have been off, and I should have missed him altogether. Have resolved to go with him. Took of him 5 pounds. He is gone to Yarmouth, but will not sail these ten days. He related to me that Mr. Beaseley, who acts as consul of the United States here, charged him by no means to take Colonel Burr to New Orleans. "Take him anywhere else you please, but by no means to New Orleans; if you do, you will incur the utmost displeasure of the government, and may be made to suffer for it." The Captain says that he replied that he did not care a damn about the government of the United States; that he would take whom he pleased; and that if Colonel Burr wished to go, he would be very glad to have him. I suspect that the greater part of this is true. To the Virginia coffee-house to see when Hipkins would go,and found he would go at 6 this evening; so hastened home to close your letter and put it into his hands. Got home at 1, and had then walked about eight miles. Mist, rain, and a tempest of wind. Felt a sort of inanition, which my good hotesse cured by a bowl of excellent soup. Having added a postscript of this date to your letter, to let you see that I was living on this day, enclosed it to Graves. Called at Godwin's, and sent his shop-boy with it. Sat y 2 hour at G.'s, and then on to hunt Bonnell, the enameller, but could not find the house; the direction given me must be wrong. I want him to repair an injury which one of Fonzi's works has sustained. Then to Dumont's, Haymarket, whom I had not yet seen. He was at home, and I sat an hour. He is to try to sell my Moreri and Bayle; yet how precious they would be at New Orleans. On to J. Bentham's, and dined at 6 with good appetite, non obstante  the soup. Immediately after dinner he always, when I dine there, sends off Koe and Walter that we may tete-a-tete. Had a very pleasant chat till 8. Took my coffee and came off sooner than intended, on account of a note received while there from D. M. R., begging to see me this night. His quarters being not far out of my way, called there ; handed him the letter I had drawn for him, and came off at 9. He had nothing new to relate.