Smith's candidature for Botany Professorship at Cambridge University. [Richard] Relhan has enquired after a report that [Martyn] is resigning in Smith's favour. Smith right in gaining support from outside Cambridge. Discusses process of Cambridge elections and reiterates Dr [Richard] Walker's [(1679-1764) founder of Cambridge Botanic Garden] provision in his gift of the lectureship that a foreigner may be elected if sufficiently qualified.

Smith's candidature for Botany Professorship at Cambridge University. Approves of Smith's plan to only apply for Walkerian lecturership at present and await opportunity of applying for professorship. Equates Smith's situation to hostility his father [John Martyn (1699-1768) Cambridge professor of botany 1732-1762] faced when applying for professorship.

Brief account of his knighthood by the Prince Regent [later George IV (1762-1830)], which was entirely managed by Lord Sidmouth [Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth (1757-1844), statesman]. Encloses paragraph [extant] detailing this for insertion in the newspapers.

Note detailing Smith's knighthood.

Smith's candidature for Botany Professorship at Cambridge University. Had hoped Smith's letter would request his resignation as he is anxious about the governors of St John's and is too ill to go to Cambridge to vote.

Returns proof sheets. Macleay should never expect anything from him "by return of post" as their letters are not delivered in enough time. Uncertain whether his "Sir-ship" should appear in the title and headlines of his paper, as though the paper was written long before his knighthood he believes the author should have the designation belonging to him at the time the paper is published; leaves decision to Macleay. [Thomas William] Coke to send Macleay some game on his behalf. Hopes Macleay received paper he forwarded by [Constantine Rafinesque] Schmaltz.

Sorry to hear Macleay has been "attacked by my old enemy in the lungs", warns him to be careful in the severe weather, which is much like that which made him so ill in 1812. Will soon send a paper on "fishes from America" [by Samuel Latham Mitchill] for Linnean Society meeting. Requests Macleay's servant to deliver two letters to Fludyer Street, [London, home of George D'Oyly].

Smith's candidature for Botany Professorship at Cambridge University. Transcribes extract from letter received from Provost of King's College stating that he has decided not to promise his vote to anyone until a vacancy is actually open, so as to be able to compare the merits of the respective candidates.

Smith's candidature for Botany Professorship at Cambridge University. Is supporting "R" [Richard Relhan] instead of Smith for professorship in order not to compromise himself, despite believing Smith to be better qualified. Believes the vice-chancellor [George Thackeray] will do the best thing for the university. Glad to hear that the Master of Caius College [Martin Davy] is not as ill as reported. Suffering from ill health himself.

Sending Smith a new species of 'Sparganium', gathered in 1808 ago on Zetland [Shetland]; observations; believes it was referred to by Mr Neill in his "Tour to Orkney and Zetland", transcribes Neill's comments. Proposes name 'S. longifolium'.

Questions Smith's reference of [Fredric] Hasselquist [(1722-1752) Swedish naturalist] as the authority for his claim at Royal Institution lecture that the biblical "lily of the fields" of Matthew 6:28 is 'Amaryllis lutea'. The lily is also mentioned in the Song of Soloman and biblical commentators speak of the lily as common in Palestine. Wishes to determine whether the lily is a garden or wild flower [for the annotated Bible D'Oyly prepared with Richard Mant for publication by the Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge known as "D'Oyly and Mant's Bible" (1814 and later editions)].

A monograph on Saxifrages ready for publication; asks Smith to assist in procuring subscribers.

Congratulates Smith on his knighthood. Suffering from angina pectoris, believes that it is not always fatal and refers to two cases mentioned by Parry in which one patient died in a fall and the other took arsenic by mistake. Asks after his paper on ivy.

Following resumption of communications between Italy and England is sending copies of his works "Botanicon Etruscum" and "Observationes in varias Trifoliorum species", and [Georgio] Gallesio's "Traite du citrus".

Sends catalogue of plants [possibly "Catalogus Horti. Regii. Botanici. Landishuthi Bojurum 1810"], offers to send any plants Smith desires.

Sends 9 more drawings for "Flora Graeca" and 4 drawings to finish present volume of "English botany"; a "melancholy feeling" at finishing that work. Informed by David Booth George Don's death from putrid sore throat; his family left in poverty; has collected money for them; the family wish to sell the plants in his garden before they are dug up, asks for advice from [James] Dickson and the Andersons; Dawson Turner "very bountiful as usual, to this poor family". [William Jackson] Hooker to be married to Turner's eldest daughter [Maria Sarah (1797-1872)].

[Draft of letter in Sowerby's hand]: relates Don's death and plight of family and seeks recommendations for the family to sell the plants.

[Notes in pencil]: sums of money collected by Smith for Mrs Don.

Introduces Mrs [Agnes] Ibbetson, praises her work on vegetable physiology; she is desirous to submit her manuscript to Smith's perusal.

Encloses sheets of her work on vegetable physiology for Smith's opinion; explains her method and reasoning.

Thanks for Smith's letter. Asks Smith to hold his judgement of her work until she sends a further paper on vegetable physiology following based on her findings from leaf dissections; she despairs of ever presenting her findings to the world.

Asks if Smith received her second set of papers [on vegetable physionomy].

Encloses possible new species of 'Myosotis', found in this parish; suggests name 'M. sylvestris' [named 'M. intermedia' in Smith herbarium]. Lists new order for genus. Also sends a "flesh-coloured" 'Orchis mascula'. Following their recent enclosure they have lost 'Ophrys spiralis', 'O. fentunculus minimus', 'Veronica scutellata', 'Littorella', and 'Peplis'.