Relates "melancholy news" of a girl who has been the "victim of too much sensibility and inexperience" who became acquainted with "an imprudent young man, now shut up in the Tower". Has not yet looked into "Flora Britannica", believes it is generally a "dull period for botany". Regrets that "Flora Graeca" is not to proceed as intended in Bauer's essay. Delayed replying to a Linnean Society letter regarding obtaining a charter.

Asks Smith whether he should be silent and look over the mistakes he finds in other authors, or publish them; points out several errors in [William] Withering's last publication ["An arrangement of British plants" (1796)], including 'Sphagnum alpinum' and 'Phascum repens'.

Sends list of subscriptions [extant] to cost of a charter for Linnean Society; little doubt of their raising the required £300, though some Fellows, including [Erasmus] Darwin, Dr Thomas Young, Lord William Seymour, [Thomas] Rackett, and [George] Shaw have refused to contribute in various manners. Concerns that [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert has changed his opinion on the matter, though [Thomas] Marsham has listed him for £20 according to earlier understanding. Asks Smith to encourage his friends to contribute. Main reason for acquiring the charter is for it to act as a Deed of Trust for every Fellow, and thus authenticate the bonds for membership dues.

List of subscribers and amount pledged.

Adiantum nigrum pinnulis cicutarviae divisurâ' as rare as 'Polypodium arvonicum', describes having once found it with [William] Hudson on Snowdon, Wales, and described in "Hist. Ok. III", sending specimen for Smith's opinion. Also sending specimens of 'Filix montana' and Bolton's 'rhaeticam' via [James] Sowerby. Remembers seeing 'Filix pumila-saxatilis-altora' 30 years ago on a tour of Snowdon with [William] Sheffield [(c 1732-1795) Keeper of Ashmolean Museum, Oxford] where ['Polypodium] oreopteris' was pointed out as 'Thelypteris', refers Smith to [Johann Jacob] Dillenius' description of it as an accurate description of '[Polypodium] oreopteris'; believes 'Filix pumila' to be the true 'Thelypteris' and should be '[Thelypteris] saxatilis' and that 'oreopteris' should be '[Polypodium] querna'. 'Polypodium ilvense' one of the numerous different appearances of 'Polypodium fragile'. 'Tremella vagans' did not resume its form after an undisclosed experiment but believes Sowerby could still make a drawing of it. Pleased that Smith has reversed [Samuel] Goodenough's classification of 'Carex fulva' as a variety only. Wishes Smith well with the "Flora Graeca". Believes habitat for [William] Withering 's 'Ulva lanceolata' should be Anglesea rather than Isle of Man. Queries Withering's 'Polytrichum hercynicum' referring to Hudson's, which is a 'Bryum'. Remdinder for Sowerby that 'Hydnum daviesii' is a pure white, [Smith has marked this with a tick].

Believes Smith is right to include an index of the genera for "Flora Britannica" but that the English index should be at the end and approves of the title. [John] Sibthorp's plants have now been laid out in the herbarium.

Sorry to hear of Smith's late illness. Still awaiting further funds for Linnean Society's charter application, which now stands at £276 11s; list of further subscribers. Forwarded parcel for Persoon.

Introduces Schreibers.

Introducing Baron de Vincke.

Smith's paper read at Linnean Society meeting on 7 [October], where he also got additional subscribers to Linnean Society charter, bringing the total to £284 19s, and there is no doubt of the full sum being made. He and [Jonas] Dryander think it necessary for Smith to be in London about 15 November in order to consult about the Rules of the Society. Asks if Smith has any part of Persoon's "long lost paper on fungi". Time for another volume of "Linnean Transactions" to be published.

List of additional subscribers.

Requests two specimens of 'Papilio machaon', as he hears it is common about Norwich.

Sends his Inaugural Dissertation as requested when they saw each other in Norwich. Receives much satisfation from the specimens Smith gifted him. Sends specimen of 'Mentha gratissima' Ehrhart, believes it may be 'Mentha sylvestris' even though [Georg Franz] Hoffmann received it into his "Flora Germanicus". Publications: Smith's "Flora Britannica"; [Olof] Swartz' "Dispositio muscorum", notes that Swartz has adopted Hedwig's method "with some alterations"; and [Erik] Acharius' "Lichen descriptio".

Charged to revive the correspondence between Picot la Peyrouse [Philippe Picot Lapeyrouse] and Smith.

Communications from [Philippe Picot] Lapeyrouse who is unsure if Smith received the numerous letters he sent, including: informing him of publication of his "Flore des Pyrenees" which he would like Smith to sell copies of, intends to publish another five volumes; how to purchase "Flora Lapponica", "Flora Londinensis", and "Plantae Cryptogam"; and sending dried of plants to Smith via Mertens. Requests British specimens of 'Ulva' and 'Conferva', has been botanising with [Albrecht Wilhelm] Roth [(1757-1834)]; requests specimens of the "Dicksonian discoveries"; and asks for introduction to [Dawson] Turner on strength of his collection of "algae aquaticae".

Has been imprisoned and condemned to death; fate of his colleagues; Cuvier.

Sends copy of second part of his "Mycological observations" ["Icones et descriptiones fungorum minus cognitorum.."?], it is dedicated to Smith. Thanks for species of 'Persoonia', received via Dr Noehden. Hopes Smith or Sir Joseph Banks have received his edition of [Carl Peter] Thunberg's "Dissertations".

Requests to renew his old acquaintance with Smith after reading the "Monthly Review" of August 1794 which included an account of one of Smith's works. Recalls their early friendship including the occassion Smith found 'Helvella acaulis' in a storm. Invites Smith to Hare Street near Romford, Essex. [Samuel] Goodenough sends greetings.

Thanks for determinations; plants for Smith and Dawson Turner; sends diploma of Physical Society of Göttingen; lists of desiderata; thanks for portrait. On reverse of letter Smith has noted that he returned the specimens.

Encloses a letter from Jacquin, apologises for not being able to visit Smith in Norwich before commencing his tour through England and Scotland. Complains that his cousin's poor correspondence skills have lost him his chance of joining the Linnean Society when it was offered by Smith, consequently asks for introductions to learned men of natural history.

Thanks for Smith's hospitality at Norwich. Discusses the 'Byssus barbata' figured in "English Botany": after viewing Lady Elizabeth Noel's specimen believes that [James] Sowerby's and [William] Withering's are different species. Believes that there is a oversight in the literature stating that 'Byssus fulva' is a 'B. barabata', compounded by Dillenius, [William] Hudson, [John] Ray, and [William] Withering all repeating this. Sends a drawing of 'Byssus fulva' [not extant] and makes general observations taken from "Flora Anglica" on the genus 'Byssus' and species 'B. fulva' and 'B. barbata'. Spent an evening with Hanbury Williams who remains cheerful but has given up parties.

[Short note only, written on scrap of paper]

Requests Sowerby to draw 'Alsine media' to figure with 'Cerastium aquaticum'. Wishes Sowerby to acquire wild specimens of 'Lychnis viscaria' from [John] Mackay [(1772-1802), employed at Dickson nursery, Edinburgh] of Edinburgh, for which he is postponing 'Lychnis flos cuculi'.

Sending four specimens of 'Trifolium', which he thinks misunderstood by English botanists; presumes they are 'T. procumbens', 'T. filiforme', 'T. agarium', and 'T. spadiceum', discusses each in detail.