Long rhapsody on Smith's friendship and difficulties of finding true friends. [Thomas] Marsham miffed that Smith wrote to Jones unpressed but not to Marsham or [Samuel] Goodenough who solicited "anxiously". Critiques the clergy, including [Samuel] Goodenough for being, "friends to persecution and [...] not [allowing] a liberty of conscience". Fears Goodenough and Marsham will "banish [Jones] to Coventry" if he does not unite in the [Linnean] Society, hopes to mollify them by offering a collection of 'Lepidoptera' he is gathering to Goodenough, and giving Marsham scientific information for his book ["Entomologia Britannica"]. [Johan Christian] Fabricius in London and correcting his [Jones'] drawings but will be gone by time Smith returns. Has heard nothing of [William] Younge.

Arrival of Dr Young. Gerard on 'Lathyrus amphicarpos'. Economic plants. 'Medicago arborea'. Advises Smith to visit the botanists at Strasbourg, France.

[Charles Louis] L'Héritier [de Brutelle] is still in England, amusement at his behaviour. Cautions Smith against showing Linnaeus's herbarium to L'Héritier as he will try to find, and publish, faults and lower its value, "which ought not to be as it must be the real standard to prove the meaning of Old Linnaeus's works". Thinking of bringing forward publication of William Aiton's catalogue of "the garden" [Kew] to preempt possibility of L'Héritier not acknowledging them in his own work. Queen Charlotte's botany lessons with Aiton. The ship being sent to bring the breadfruit to the West Indies will bring many plants from there. Comments on the gardens at St Vincent's and Bengal and hopes for another to be established soon in Madras. Remarks that [Olof] Swartz is the best botanist he has seen since Solander and hopes to have him supply König's place in India [Johann Gerhard Koenig (1728-1785) German botanist].

Separate note requesting Smith to bring seed of 'Racine de disette'.

Critices the Society for the Promotion of Natural History for "dron[ing] on in its usual course" and particularly for a shambolic lecture by Dr Pitcairn on a new arrangement of shells. [Emanuel Mendez] da Costa [(1717-1791), naturalist] was at the meeting and "enjoyed everything said against Linnaeus", he had a paper on the fossil and living 'Asteria' which he would not deliver to the Society as intends to publish it himself.

Found a 'Cicada aurita', said to be a German insect, 'Silpha germanica', and many previously undescribed insects, further activity hindered by multiple attacks of gout in the summer. Travelling to Hastings, Sussex, on Saturday to collect new insects. Filling his insect cabinet with [Thomas] Marsham and [William] Jones' assistance, latter acquiring 200 lepidoptera for him. Purchased [Carlo] Allioni's "Stirpes Piedmontana". Has set his writing-master to copy the defect in second volume of De Geer, a work he loves. Advises Smith to study closely [Joseph Pitton de] Tournefort's [(1656-1708)] herbarium and not to bother smuggling any French wine home as their is now an over-supply. Anxiety over the issue of affairs in Holland, many positive that there will be war, it is said [William] Pitt approves it but a "Great Personage" is against it, a few months ago they were of contrary opinions.

Envies Smith for the sights he has seen, and to have 'Orchis abortiva' and 'Orchis coriophora'. Has heard that the Oxford Botanical Garden is in a "terrible condition". Glad Smith left Pavia before publication of his translation of Linnaeus' "Dissertation on the sexes of plants" as [Lazzaro] Spallanzani [(1729-1799), physiologist] would "assassinate" him.