Confirms that her health has been bad since Smith's last visit but implores him and his three friends to still visit. Grieg, her gardener, has been confined for five weeks after injuring his leg climbing over a gate but has escaped fever and mortification. Her botanical zeal low recently. Prefers eating 'Convolvulus batatas' [sweet potato] to potatoes.

Apologises but will be too ill to receive Smith and his two friends on Saturday, though they should still visit on their way to Bulstrode [Park, Buckinghamshire, home of Duke of Portland]. Warns Smith that her garden is not currently looking its best.

Acknowledges Smith's postponement of his visit on account of her ill-health and hopes the next time he visits the [Harvey] Spraggs will be of the party. Grieg, her gardener, disappointed Smith did not come as he had got the plants in best order possible. Will send seeds.

Her "very uncomfortable state of health" has caused her to neglect her friends but hopes to see Smith soon. Asked [John] White [(1757-1832), surgeon in New South Wales] to convey her regret at Smith's intention to move to Norwich, [Norfolk], and invites him to visit before he does so, though also accidently invited White when she would prefer Smith's conversation "without the company of a stranger". Belatedly congratulates Smith on his marriage.

Disappointed not to see Smith before he left, especially as was in Windsor, [Berkshire]. Thanks Mrs Smith for Norfolk cakes and requests the recipe. Returns copies of Smith's "Spicilegium [botanicum]" and "[Icones] pictae [plantarum rarorium]" and requests others, and sends a Sierra Leone 'Amarylis' to be drawn by [James] Sowerby, requests the name. An exchange of fasciculi with set of late [Harvey] Spragg's.

Enquires after [John] White [(1757-1832), surgeon in New South Wales], Mrs [Elizabeth] Weddell reports that he "had got what he wished" although not sure what that is other than it being "ten shillings a day". Imagines White saw a lamentable scene at Portsmouth, [Hampshire]; she fears "all things are growing worse & worse". Wishes to subscribe to the work Smith mentioned.

Thanks for Smith's "rich cargo" of Norwich biscuits; uses them medicinally when she has a dry mouth and throat in the night. Smith's visit to Wales must have been "truly gratifying" on account of "being the means of restoring health to a beloved Daughter of a beloved Friend" [Mariamne Johnes, daughter of Thomas Johnes]. Invites Smith to visit on his return journey and details of the roads from Bath, [Somerset].

Apologises for not being able to send recipe for "those little cream cheeses". Her health better recently and freer from "those billious pains & sensations that are so tormenting both to the body & the mind".

Asks Smith's opinion of [Nikolaus von] Jacquin's new book ["Plantarum rariorum Horti Caesarei Schoenbrunnensis"] as whilst she is tempted by "so many beautiful lillys [sic]", price of 30 guineas for two volumes is "enormous" and whether he thinks it will be Jacquin's last work, in which case she would purchase it. Requests fresh supply of Smith's Norfolk buns as they check the spasmodic wind in her chest. Suffering from the extreme hot weather but her eyelids and incessant tear in her eye are better after Mr Phipps' application.

[Smith annotation: "I have only seen some plates of Jacquin's work, but I think you sh'd have it"]

Hopes Smith's health is as good as the last time she saw him. Sends gift of two Mortlock china tea-cups with Vatican borders, similar to those he admired of hers. Thanks for packet of seeds and box of biscuits. Her health varying but stomach complaints less severe.

Congratulates Smith that Admiral [Horatio] Nelson [(1758-1805)] is his countryman. Requests another box of biscuits.

Pleased by Smith's intention to visit her on his way to Oxford. She has been so ill with a painful arm that she recently cancelled a visit from [William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl] Fitzwilliam [(1748-1833)] and Lady Fitzwilliam.

Sent sprig of 'Myrtus tomentosa' via [William] Weddell to be drawn by [James] Sowerby, she and Grieg, her gardener, are unclear on it having previously only seen the specimen [Harvey] Spragg gave Smith last year.

Greig is in London to buy corn and would like to hear Smith's lecture; will stand behind a door if necessary. Grieg has had cough again for three weeks and though appetite strong his voice has altered and his face drawn, she believes these are constant indicators of consumption and asks Smith to examine him. Unless the 'Strelitzia' stays out in flower doubts whether she can come to see it.

Smith and his friend should visit on any day acceptable to them but warns neither her plants nor her buffaloes are looking their best; she lost two young bulls so diseased that they were not safe for dissection. Wishes Smith could have seen how Grieg, her gardener, divided 'Helicornia'. 'Ixora coccinca' coming into flower. [James] Lee says the 'Pancratium' [James] Sowerby sketched is the 'P. littorale' in [Nikolaus von] Jacquin and [Georg Dionysius] Ehret [(1708-1770)]. Pleased her 'Justicia' "comes to so much honour in its old age", never saw it flower before and did not know it was unusual.

Expecting [Harvey] Spragg tomorrow, he wanted Smith to come too but Smith prefers a Saturday. Grieg has not got rid of his cough. She has been ill; blistered her stomach and is now better. Would like to see Linnaeus' manuscript.

Invites Smith to come to Hillingdon, [Middlesex], tomorrow to meet a Polish Princess who would like to see her plants. Has a Jamaican plant grown from seed in flower that Grieg, her gardener, knows nothing of.

Glad Smith has returned from Norfolk in good health. The leaves of her two 'Portlandia' differ from sketch in Smith's letter, being perfectly equal at the base, and cannot be certain about 'Hedera'.

Smith mistaken about Mr Wallen's sending of 'Euphorbia' and 'Hedera'; 'E. wallenia' came living from him in 1778, but in memoranda of other Jamaican plants at the same time there is no mention of 'Hedera', although there are several without names. Dr King transcribing her opinions on it and asks Smith to postpone printing his article about the plant till next week. If Smith visits next Sunday he could see 'Lagerstroemia' and Botany Bay plant in flower, the first to do so since they came over.

Memorandum, in different hand [probably Dr King], on the introduction of 'Hedera' to England, from the recollections of gardener at Wentworth, [Yorkshire], who had been at Wimbledon on its arrival, a few years before 1780.

Apologises for any trouble Smith had with her style and titles in dedicating his book to her ["Icones pictae plantarum rariorum.."]. Dr Pictairn and [James] Lee visited yesterday. Asks if [Richard] Salisbury remembers seeing blue lily in flower on visit of five years ago and what sort of leaves and bulb it had.

Urges Smith to come early in order to see her large 'Portlandia', which now has twelve flowers in flower, and to bring [Jonas] Dryander and [Adam Afzelius].

Sent [James] Sowerby flower of 'Myrtus tomentosa', which he is painting life sized for her "in its full dignity of royal purple", it flowers "for ever" but they turn white after a few days in sun. Astonished by how much the 'Passiflora' in her hothouse has flowered, called "the Bats wing" by herself and 'P. vespertilio' by [Samuel] Goodenough, resembles the one in Smith's ["Icones pictae plantarum rariorum...", 'Passiflora lunata']; will send pressed flower, fresh flower and leaves for comparison, notes her own observations. Loddiges sent it as true 'Passiflora vespertilio' with two 'Cinnamomum', one which Loddiges insists is the true and the other the same as Mr Hastings', a mango, and white flower variety of 'Rhododendron mexicana'.

Jokes that she will soon be King's Bench Prison [debtors' prison in Southwark, London] where she "shall look for relief to some of my botanical friends".

Will let Smith decided whether her gift of ["Icones pictae plantarum rariorum.."] for [Edmund] Davall should be the large or small copy. Her 'Portlandia', in addition to the 17 flowers Smith saw on it at once, keeps flowering without signs of exhaustion and has two fruits swelling on it, though most are not, asks in what state he would like to inspect them. Asks after [James] Sowerby's drawings of 'Portlandia' and 'Myrtus tomentosa' for her.

Requests copy of lesser sized ["Icones pictae plantarum rariorum.."] for herself with both English and Latin, and Duchess of Portland [Dorothy Bentinck], Mrs [Elizabeth] Weddell, and [William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl] Fitzwilliam [(1748-1833)] will also want copies.

Declined Mr Bromfield's drawings as Smith's information on 'Coralline' was decisive and is out of her area of interest. Much more inclined to send [Edmund] Davall the larger copy of Smith's ["Icones pictae plantarum rariorum.."].

Offers her hothouse 'Gordonia pubescens' to be drawn by [James] Sowerby; notices that Linnaeus and Kew place 'Gordonia' under different classes, hers seems 'Monogynia' but inside of flower resembles 'Camelia'. Lightning and distant thunder yesterday evening.

'Gordonia pubescens' dropped off this morning and was examined, sends principle part of flower. The new 'Geranium' in her stove which Smith pointed out is coming into flower, suggests that [James] Sowerby sketch it. Requests copies of Sowerby's "Florist" to circulate in Yorkshire.

Requests introduction to [John] Fairbairn for her gardener, Grieg, to see Chelsea [Physic Garden] plants and the 'Heleconia' coming into flower, and for him to view Smith's Linnaean collections. Hopes [Joseph von] Jacquin will stay in England this winter "for I should think the troubles at Paris must interrupt all science, as well as pleasure", and if he stays till summer will arrange for him to visit her, Bulstrode [Park, Buckinghamshire, home of Duke of Portland], and Mrs North's and [Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of] Tankerville's [(1743-1822)] collections.

'Myrtus tomentosa' about to flower, will tell Smith for his book as it has never been figured ["Icones pictae plantarum rariorum..."]. Would like to see painting of 'Aralia' before given to Jacquin for his father [Nikolaus von Jacquin]; it is very tall and flowered on three branches this year compared to last year's five.