Disappointed in receiving visits from Smith and Bishop of Norwich [Henry Bathurst (1744-1837)]; latter's attendence at House of Lords did not produce the peace in Ireland anticipated. Received a box of Australian specimens, now with [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert; half are for Smith. Asks Smith not to trouble himself about the aquatics. His new pit proficient at raising seeds; expects to show Smith new things from Australia, Nepal, and Brazil.

Suspects [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert of dissimulation over the account he gave Smith of the Australian specimens received and in Lambert's care; more were in flower than stated, has set some aside for Smith. Received many Australian bulbs via his gardener in London; shall send Smith seed of 'Silene'. Anticipates Smith's intended visit next summer; will keep duplicates of Australian shells for Lady [Pleasance] Smith. Received 'Butonuis' from [Alexander] Macleay; requests cuttings of rarer willows. Pleased with his improvements at Nabotts, intends it to be a repository for bog and aquatic plants.

[Letter incomplete: two-thirds of second folio cropped, unclear if any text other than valediction and signature lost]

Requests directions for his New Holland plants for Smith. Visiting his cousin, Sir George Cockburn.

Too busy to visit Smith in Norwich, [Norfolk], as intended. Sending Australian plants specimens; expects another cargo with the next ships. Would be delighted to meet [William] Roscoe.

Thanks for turkey. Pleased Smith's health improved but recommends continuing daily dose of laundanum for a year. Surprised by failure of plan for monument to Sir Joseph [Banks]; he "certainly judged ill in not leaving a legacy to the Royal Society". Naming of Scottish judges.

Sends concluding numbers of his "Medical Botany"; apologises for the quality of the engravings, a consequence of the "low state of the arts" in USA; engraved in aquatint and printed in colours. Thanks for naming a genus in his honour ['Bigelowia']; unknown to him until supplement of Rees' "Cyclopedia" was reprinted here; recently obtained specimen of a new 'B. pubescens' from Mr Nuttall of Louisiana; [Jean Louis Marie] Poiret [(1755-1834), botanist] has named the genus 'Forrestiera'.

Returned from Scotland. Happy to hear Smith will be at next Linnean Society meeting, hopes Smith can attend upcoming Council meeting. The Society to take late Sir Joseph Banks' house as its rooms, with the drawing room to become the meeting room. A subscription being raised for marble bust of Banks, limited to £1; £100 of £120 cost already raised. New "Linnean Transactions" volume ready for publication before 24 [May 1821], "it will be a very splendid one", the plates for [Robert] Brown's paper cost £240. Necessary for the Society to recruit in order to continue, asks Smith to interest [Thomas] Brightwell [(1787-1868)], "one of the most intelligent entomologists in this kingdom".

Encloses letters for Smith detailing a disagreement concerning Smith's niece [apparently concerning a situation for her as a governess].

Acknowledges that the agreement between his niece and the Brandreths was as complete as possible [apparently for a situation as governess] but was unaware of recent developments; he had been commissioned to find a situation for her and was dissatisfied by "the Paris scheme". Upset by attack on his moral principles [crossed out].

Acknowledges that Miss Smith [Smith's niece] "wholly responsible" for "unhandsome conduct" used towards them; apologises to Smith for letter he sent [disagreement over finding her a situation as a governess].

Thanks for book ["A grammar of botany" (1821)]; likes it the more because of its dedication to her mother [Susan Corrie]. Account of flowers showing in their garden: snow drops, Christmas roses, Dutch tulips, Scotch crocus, and double crimson hepaticas. Believes her tiger moth chrysalis is dead. Sends drawings of moths [extant].

Four drawings of moths and an insect, pencil on card: '[Phalaena] batis', '[Phalaena] dives', '[Phalaena] lichenaria', 'Tenthredo lutea' [dated 22 February].

Thanks for "A selection from the correspondence of Linnaeus"; hopes to have Smith to dinner next year when she has a house in London. Sending catalogue of her library at Eshton Hall, [Yorkshire]; found great part of the natural history books and classics at Bierly, and collected the rest herself.

Sending dried specimens of local plants; intends to make a complete collection of the flora of Mauritius, Madagascar, and the surrounding archipelago, two botanists already engaged on it.

[Thomas] Hare wishes to dedicate a medical work to Smith. Recently hosted a party attended by Gray, Bennett, Edward Hartford, William Smith, Taylor, and Gibson. Believes the 'Silene' he found at Binfield, [Berkshire], is not 'S. lusitanica'; observations, including small ink sketch of petals; requests specimens to compare it against. [William Jackson] Hooker's "Flora Scotia" to be published soon.

[Note attached to verso of second folio] Title of Hare's book is "Considerations on the Structure, Functions, and Disorders of the Stomach and Alimentary Organs of the Human Body..." [(1821)].

Expects Smith on 30 April. Suffering from insomnia, which he treats with laudanum, and is never well. Approves of [Thomas] Hare's dedication to Smith ["Considerations on the Structure, Functions, and Disorders of the Stomach and Alimentary Organs of the Human Body..." (1821)]; his opinion of Hare. Though he has not seen Correa for a while does not believe he has left.

Sends specimen of 'Tulipa sylvestris'; the bulbs were taken from an island in the Derwent, near Derby; cultivation details. Sorry to miss opportunity of meeting Lady [Pleasance] Smith.

Thanks for plants; had previously received some of the species from Nepal through [Nathaniel] Wallich, but unnamed. Comments on inconveniences of this "place of banishment", particularly there being no botanical library but his own, nor any botanical friends to consult with. Asks Smith to remember him should he receive interesting specimens; in return sending copy of his "Musci Exotici". Asks if he sent 'Lyellia crispa', and if Smith has seen 'Primula scotia', to be figured in "Flora Londinensis". Blackwood of Edinburgh keen for him to publish a periodical on exotic botany ["Exotic flora"]; requests access to [Francis] Buchanan's East India drawings.

His students have increased by 18 compared to last year, a total of 75 though only 52 were paying students. Expects [Robert] Graham [(1786-1845)] at Edinburgh to make over £1200 from his [botany] professorship, besides his practice as physician; they have formed a new garden of 14 acres, with stoves and greenhouses. Death of Dr Stuart.

Difficulties in communicating with Smith. Concerned to find that expressions of his in "Flora Scotia" have been misconstrued as attacks on Smith; will ensure offensive passages are expunged from second edition; apologises for and explains his wording of pages 132 and 279; praises Smith's botanical skills. Discusses differences in leaf shape of 'Salix purpurea', 'S. helix', and 'S. amygdalina'. Disagrees that economical merit should give place to scientific character in reference to 'S. caerulea', discusses authors on 'Salix' including Candolle and Sprengel.

Criticises [Samuel Frederick] Gray's "Natural Arrangements of British Plants", which seems "calculated to give the death blow to the study of natural orders, if not to botany altogether", remarks on plant names and attack on Linnaeus in preface, thinks [Richard] Salisbury has assisted with the natural orders. Refutes Salisbury's article on [Jonas] Dryander in October "Monthly Review".

Hopes Smith's work on "English Flora" in earnest; if Smith had declined it would have undertaking it himself. Return from his professorship not enough to support his family; supplementing by publishing books; proposes a "Species plantarum" in English, though concedes it would largely be a translation of Candolle, asks Smith's opinion. His intended "Exotic botany" work delayed by lack of able Scottish artists; difficulties with publisher. Thanks for duplicate specimens.

Encloses latest list of subscribers [extant] to his "History of Birds". Examined [Coenraad Jacob] Temminck's [(1778-1858), zoologist] "Manuel [d'ornithologie]" for the work, notes on new genera added to Linnaeus'. Printing expected to commence imminently. Unable to determine whether there will be any ornithology in next "Linnean Transactions", in spite of seeing a list of New Holland parrots when last in London. Asks if Smith knows whether Dr Horrfield will be publishing any of the specimens he brought from Java and Ceylon. Still awaiting news of European subscribers.

Written on printed prospectus and list of subscribers for "Latham's History of Birds".

Thanks for copy of Smith's "Grammar of Botany". Her sisters have been "cultivating the taste" Smith's Birmingham lectures have excited. Asks after Smith's "English flora". Comments on large rainfall in Lancashire. Hopes Smith will visit Warwickshire soon.