Reply to Goodenough's letter dated 25 September 1812; will pacify Mr Holme's botanical pride, should it become necessary. Cannot change his name for 'Carex rariflora' as it is already printed in a current book, as well as it being difficult to find new names for so large a genus; Goodenough's suggestion of 'nivalis' is suitable to many exotic ones. [Dawson] Turner busy "being all things to all men & women", and printing a "Lichenographia Britannica" with [William] Borrer.

Discussion of domestic and international affairs: the new Parliament will not find their business easy; fears Britain will have to give up Spain; Britain making America a maritime power; sees comfort in Russia [Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia]. Received account from [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert and Sir Joseph Banks: Lambert has found 'Carduus tuberosus', it is as obstinate a weed as '[Carduus] arvensis'. Smith intends to follow the the thirty-sixth, and final, volume of "English Botany" with the fourth volume of "Flora Britannica", and has finished the third part of "Florae Graecae Prodromus".

The Edinburgh regius botany professorship is in the gift of [James Graham, 3rd] Duke of Montrose [(1755–1836)] and was given to [Robert] Graham [(1786-1845), professor of botany at Glasgow; doubts that it was offered to [Robert] Brown. Discusses the relationship between the university, the city, and magistrates of Edinburgh, who had proposed Brown. Smith only applied as a curiosity following an invitation of some professors and others. Feeling more and more indifferent about the Cambridge professorship.

Thanks for barrel of oysters. Steadily working on his "English Flora" and hopes to get it to the press in May; expects it to be "quite an original Flora" as he has been revising the whole subject and correcting mistakes made by previous writers and compilers. Asks Goodenough's advice regarding accenting of names and whether to give derivation of generic names. The whole object of the book is "botanical determination". Asks Goodenough's opinion of the "green old age" of [Thomas William] Coke [on 26 February 1822 Coke married for the second time Lady Anne Amelia Keppel (1803-1844), fifty years his junior]. Smith hopes he has done some good with the grasses and triandria monogynia, with which [Robert] Brown is "very great" but refines too much.

Takes on advice in Goodenough's last letter on "English Flora": only explanations of generic names will be for those new to British readers; praises Goodenough's plan for accenting but decides to adopt a simpler system. Queries whether [Augustin] de Candolle's new term, "carpella", for the single grains of compound fruits should not be "carpiola". Adopting [Johann von] Schreber's [(1739-1810)] genus 'Spartina' for 'Dactylis stricta' but the French have called it 'Limnetis'. Fears [William] Swainson has not succeeded in his attempts for a British Museum post. Regrets that party politics should make men such as [Thomas William] Coke and Edmund Wodehouse [(1784-1855), politician] enemies; feels some alarm at difference in age between Coke and his new wife [fifty years his junior]. [William] Roscoe preparing a "very excellent distribution of the species of 'Canna'" for Linnean Society.