[Copy or draft]

Thanks for copy of "Icones plantarum". Sending a "trifle" from his "youthful days".

Sends plants. Has news of his relations. News of others.

Concern for health of Smith and Smith's father's. [François] Borone's "melancholy and premature" death. Thanks Smith, Sir Joseph Banks, [Thomas] Marsham and Mr Forster for resupplying him following the French attack on Free Town.

Proposal by [Jonas] Dryander to procure for [Adam] Afzelius the late Richard Southgate's position at British Museum, but Afzelius unlikely to accept it, not least because of five other candidates being more skilled for the medal department.

Has directed the Mayor of Falmouth, Cornwall, to grant a passport to Joseph Porto [pseudonym of José Francisco Corrêa de Serra] so he can come to London. Has enclosed a letter from Corrêa.

Sends works for Smith and others; thanks for Australian plants; progress of his work on Cape plants.

Thanks Smith for opinion on his manuscript [Velley's 'Remarks on the Nature and Propagation of marine Plants' for "Linnean Transactions"]. Discusses origin and use of the word "seeds" and his initial reluctance to apply it to marine plants, references [Carl Friedrich von] Gaertner [(1772-1850)] and discusses his own observations of 'Fucus' and 'Confervae'. Wishes to forward to Smith parts of a collection of exotic duplicates he has lately received.

Recalls the botanical assistance he once received from Smith. Encloses copies of his pamphlet ["Account of the Management of the Poor in Hamburg since the year 1788", not extant, see RelatedMaterial below]. Hopes Smith found something worthwhile in the "Suriname 'Papillions'". Asks for introductions in towns on his route back to London.

Asks for Smith's assistance in verifying the truth of a report in the "Historical Magazine" May 1792, p.167, of a 16-year-old boy in Eye, Suffolk, being cured of hydrophobia [rabies] by a blood transfusion with two lambs, administered by a Mr Russel. [Casper von] Voght and M. Schmeisser send their regards.

On the reverse of this letter Smith has noted: "no ans[we]r yet from Eye".

Thanks for Smith's "Tour". Sends a silver medallion for his paper on 'Sprengelia'.

Apologises for absence from Linnean Society meeting. Received from [William] Markwick [(1739-1813), naturalist] a 'Loxia curvirostra' for Linnean Society and attention of [John] Latham. Puzzled whether [James] Dickson's 'Carex' is new or 'Carex rigida'. Quotes [Edmund] Burke that "the age of chivalry is gone" otherwise he would certainly have fallen in love with Miss Charlotte Aynscombe [artist]. Hopes Smith is not affected by the "dreadful sharp weather" and that Smith, Latham, and [Thomas] Marsham will be able to visit him.

Sympathies on death of Smith's father; writes on the support provided by harmonious families in difficult times.

His opinion on the French Revolution: his politics lie in "a small compass of Wiggism" and as to his religious ones "people have no right to practice disobedience & impiety towards God - it makes no part of a monarchial or republican cause". Believes the King of France was murdered and that nothing in him deserved death and that it was a "monstrous apostasy in the low people who got into power making it as a law that there was no God [...], vote the Bible a lie & kill those who believed it". Will have a copy of his sermon delivered to Smith [see RelatedMaterial below].

His fourth daughter, Charlotte, has been suffering from fits for the last six weeks. Encloses preface to his paper [with Thomas Woodward] 'Observations on the British Fucus', and [William] Markwick's paper 'Aves Sussexienses; or, A Catalogue of Birds found in the County of Sussex', for "Linnean Transactions".

Glad Smith liked his sermon; has received many compliments on it. Accepts Smith's change to wording in his paper '[Observations on the British] Fucus' and explains he decided to indefinitely express the notion that 'Fucus' are nourished solely by the surface. Does not agree with Smith over terminology used to describe capsules of '[Carex] pseudocyperus', refers to Linnaeus. Has sown the Rose of Jericho sent by Smith. Offers to have drawn the 'Dentaria bulbifera' which is about to flower in his garden. Sorry that Smith is leaving Great Marlborough Street, largely on account of its turning the Linnean Society adrift. Will enquire about a house on the Mall in Hammersmith. Remarks on formation of Greek words. Does not like [François] Borone's epitaph as there is "too much play on Flora" and fears the phrase "and art thou gone?" without proper cause for its introduction will be ridiculed by wits. Thinks Smith's family epitaph "beautiful" but points out several errors. Sorry that Smith's "Flora" is interrupted ["English Botany"?]. Copies out Smith's family epitaph and marks his alterations.

Sends specimens of 'Dentaria bulbifera' should Smith wish for [James] Sowerby to draw them. The parcel Smith sent on was from [William] Withering, not [Thomas] Woodward, concerned Woodward's parcel containing rare seaweeds may be lost. Charmed with Smith's "Syllabuys [of a course of lectures in botany]" but advises him not to expand on the contents at full length otherwise it would be "another "Phil[osophia] Botanica" in a fashionable dress". His sermon heavily criticised by in a review ["A sermon [on Psal xvii 13] preached before the Hon house of Commons Feb 25, 1795"]. Asks if Smith thinks he and Woodward are justified in thinking the root of 'Fucus' has something to do with its nourishment; conjectures that it may be where all the nerves of the plant meet.

Informs Smith of a house available in Kensington Square. Asks Smith to enquire after a missing parcel of his sent by [Thomas] Woodward to Norwich for Smith to take care of. Received letter from [William] Withering containing specimens and asking about 'Carices', one specimen was labelled as "definitely 'Carex caespitosa'" and the other as Goodenough's 'Carex stricta'; thinks them both 'Carex recurva'. Withering also sent specimen of 'Carex pauicea' with an account of its habitat in Cornwall and asked whether it is [Nikolaus Joseph von] Jacquin's 'Carex praecox'; he "always thought his blunders with 'Carices' inexplicable". Fears that if Smith does leave London it will interrupt his presidency of the Linnean Society "to the sickness if not the death of it"; asks Smith to think how to secure the Society.

[It is probable that this letter was never sent as it bears no date, valediction, signature or address, appears unfinished, and from references in other letters to a long letter started in January but not sent.]

Currently suffering poor physical and mental health after discovering that a large part of his herbarium has been spoiled by damp though his recent acquisitions escaped, including wild specimen of 'Daphne alpina' Haller "Historia stirpium" no.1026. Reminiscences at length on his life, including his first introduction to botany move to Switzerland following father's death, introduction to Smith and increasing passion for the subject, limitations imposed by decreased patrimony, becoming a recluse, and marrying despite intending to remain single; has been unable to botanise in Alps since that time due to becoming a father, also preventing him from publishing his work and legal troubles with his wife's brother. Describes his son and daughter and fears for their future as they are strangers in both the country of their birth and native land of their father and "the desolation of the times in which we live is fit also to inspire melancholy", thinks England is "running headlong into ruin". Disastrous wars have doubled the price of everything and a famine was only narrowly avoided by an abundant potato crop and Turin rice; the armies on the Rhine and a collusion founded on private interest on part of Balsois to supply neighbouring French with grain disrupted the Swiss' usual provision from Suabia.

Responds to Smith's letter of 26 September 1794: would like to know his opinion of the 'Carex' he sent; sent seed of 'Digitalis' and 'Verbascum nigrum'; the 'Biscutella' specimen and seed he sent Smith originally came from seed from Moscow Hort. Demidof.; 'Saxifraga mutata'; plunging temperatures made him fear for his 'Morina'; Rhine armies and cold weather have pushed wolves into areas of human habitation; account of his discovery of 'Cyathea montana' on Mount Suchet for first time in the Jura, hopes this mountain and Davall's stock of books will tempt Smith to visit as well as plants 'Saxifragus hirculus' and 'Carex leporina' Linnaeus, 'Orchis abortiva', and 'Orchis coriophora'.

Reports death of [Jean Baptiste François] Bulliard [(1752-1793)] who did "so much in the Fungi"; an error in his plate 333 'Crataegus oxyacantha' fig A should be 'Prunus spinosa' fig B 'Crataegus monogyna' Jacquin. Still unable to forward Smith's parcel to [Jacques] Dorthes in Montpellier due to total annihilation of commerce at Geneva. Received [James] Dickson's outline for a greenhouse but needs fully detailed plans, there being no similar structures in Switzerland. Enjoying Smith's "Tour" though confesses he has never read any Rousseau, his eyes being weak from the smallpox and having lived in such seclusion has focused on visiting Nature rather than reading; remarks and opinions on page references Smith gave him from "Tour".

Condolences on death of Smith's father and François Borone. [Adam] Afzelius' great strength of mind in bearing loss of his collections in French attack on Sierra Leone. Hoped the Queen would have more good sense to read the entirety of a work before passing judgement [Smith's "Tour"]. Mandrot not coming to England for first time in twenty years as he does not have time to go via the altered route through Hamburg. Recounts letters and packets most recently sent to Smith.

Forgetting his native language. His gardening work: destroyed a vineyard to make a garden, building walls, and levelling ground, had to closely supervise workmen to control costs. Large part of new ground will be for a kitchen garden to feed his family and hopes to add a greenhouse but needs plans more specific than [James] Dickson's sent as the few greenhouses in Switzerland are "hardly better than cellars". Misses Smith and reminded of him daily. Requests Dickson to reserve "Hortus Siccus Britannicus" for him. Impatient for "English Botany" and "New Holland Botany", suggests sending them via a perfumers on Haymarket.

Last letter received from Smith dated 16 March 1795; recounts most recent letters sent and received between them, his parcel of November 1794 with seeds of 'Digitlalis' and 'Verbascum nigrum' lost on ship seized by French privateer. The war having severe impact on communications with and from Switzerland. Mandrot dead from an apoplexy. Anxious to receive continuations of "English Botany" and [James] Dickson's "Hortus Siccus Britannicus". Conscious that Smith lives "in the very centre of science" and has many correspondents and interesting observations to take up his time. Death of [Jakob] Ehrhart, one of his few Swiss connections since his poor health has made him a recluse. Named his son born 12 September Charles Edward after Linnaeus and Smith. Summarises his long unsent letter of January detailing his despair at damp which destroyed much of his herbarium.