Death of his sister after a "long & very painful illness". Thanks for partridges, sorry to hear Smith is unwell. [Adam] Afzelius publishing a "Life of Linnaeus"; details of the work; wishes to know value of an English translation. Ambassador from Peru and some Spaniards are coming to dine with him today; they are doing "great good" there and have liberated all the children of slaves. Correction of plants names in 'Linum' and 'Limosella aquatica'.

Sending two dozen "Russia Tongues". Would like Smith's opinion of [Adam] Afzelius' "Life of Linnaeus" before writing back to him.

He had applied to [Robert] Maughan [(1769-1844)] for specimens of his 'Salix livida' but found that his herbarium was about to be auctioned for a debt; intends to compare [Georg] Wahlenberg's [(1780-1851)] description to Maughan's herbarium on discovering the purchaser. Asks if Smith has seen [Nicolaus Tomas] Host's [(1761-1834)] "great work" on willows, published at Vienna.

Reiterates that if a new edition of "Flora Scotia" is published, as he expects, offensive references to Smith will be removed. Smith's progress on "English flora". Comments on worth of [Robert Kaye] Greville's work on fungi. Difficulties finding a publisher for his "Exotic flora". Visited [Francis] Hamilton at his home at Lenny; his ill-health and beauties of his lands. [Dawson] Turner averse to his proposed "Species Plantarum" in English.

Thanks for turkey. Looked into the loss of Smith's letters, they may be in a parcel left at [Dawson] Turner's. Dulness of London.

Asks Smith to compose an epitath for [James] Dickson.

Smith's epitath for [James] Dickson much appreciated by the family, who request permission for slight changes to be made to the wording.

Received letter from [Georg Heinrich] Noehden proposing Dr [Christian Fridericus] Schwaegrichen [(1775-1853)] as FMLS; forwards nomination certificate for Smith to sign and suggests also forwarding it to [Dawson] Turner.

[Smith has annotated on recto of folio]: "sent certificate to Mr D Turner, Dec. 30 1822".

Sending 9 plates and 2 patterns of "Flora Graeca". Asks how Smith goes on with the new "Flora Anglica" ["English Flora"], and if Smith provides a list will make up all deficiencies and a supplement to "English botany". Believes the Linnaean system "will gain ground again".

Solicits Smith to provide a testimonial for [William] Swainson for his candidature for the British Museum post lately occupied by [William Elford] Leach; details Swainson's considerable natural history accomplishments. Mrs Martin [Smith's sister] also recommends Swainson.

He has never regarded [Thomas William] Coke's marriage "in any other light than as a subject of congratulation" [in 1822 Coke married Lady Anne Amelia Keppel (1803-1844), 50 years his junior]; Coke's warm character. Observations on derivation of 'Nerium'. Expects to visit Dr [John] Bostock in London about 27 May [1822], hopes to also see Smith. Just returned from trip to Liverpool, where he left his father [John Yates (1755-1826), Unitarian minister] and the Martin family [Smith's sister] in good health.

Sending a species of 'Hyoscyamus' for Smith to examine. Makes observations of his own, believing it may be variety of 'Hyoscyamus niger' found by [John] Martyn [(1699-1768) botanist] in 1729 and not noticed since by any English writer. Comments on it being found outside Paris by Tournefort, abortive attempts to grow it in gardens, and location the specimen was collected from.

Up to four hundred visitors from England and the continent a day visiting Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire, [home of William Beckford (1760-1844)]. When he visited Fonthill with Sir Richard Hoare and [Daniel] Lysons [(1762-1834)] there were four hundred carriages and horses. Duke of Wellington [Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852)], Sir Abraham Hume and Mr Cust have also visited Fonthill. Received plants from [William] Jack [(1795-1822)] described in his "Malay[an] Miscellanies" including three new species of 'Nepenthes'. Received Brazilian plants Dr [John] Sims [(1749-1831)]. Received a 'Arbutus laurifolia' from Mexico. Purchased [Franz Wilhelm] Sieber's [(1789-1844)] Cretan, Egyptian, and Holy Land plants, requests Smith to send specimen of each species of "'Arb.'" for comparison. Also asks Smith to send [Franciscus] Cupani's [(1657-1710) Italian botanist] works.

News from Linnean Society including new members, [Samuel Goodenough] incapacitated by gout, delay of publication of volume. Lord Grenville [William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (1759-1834) politician and prime minister, 1806-1807] invites him to Dropmore House, [Buckinghamshire], he is very keen about plants and has allocated twenty acres for cultivating pines, Lambert sent him two species from Boyton, [Wiltshire]. A dinner attended by Barrow of the Admiralty and Captain Bowles, information on a trip to Peru. An account of the Island of Crete by [Franz Wilhelm] Sieber [(1789-1844)], reminds Smith that he has purchased Sieber's collections. Requests to borrow book by Cupani and specimens of woody 'Dianthus' and Thunberg's 'Thuja dolabrata'. Captain Franklin and John Richardson's "account of the northern land expedition" to be printed soon, Richardson is comparing his plants with Lambert's. Smith has noted that he replied "with Cupani ed. 2, imperfect, & Lehmann's "Asperifoliae" part 1. Sent a bit of 'Thuja dolabrata'.

Desires Smith's consent to [Christian Friedrich] Schwägrichen [(1775-1853)] being proposed as FMLS. Lists Schwägrichen's achievements: professor of botany and professor of natural history at Leipzig, formerly held by Hedwig and Leske.

Thanks Smith for assent to [Christian Friedrich] Schwägrichen [(1775-1853)] being proposed as a FMLS. Passes on message from Earl Fitzwilliam [William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam (1748-1833)] that he remembers meeting Smith at Lady Rockingham's.

Thanks for Smith's letter, received via [Georg] Panzer. Shortly sending 'Aconite' and 'Delphinium' specimens for Smith's opinion, with one set intended for Smith's herbarium and the other to be returned. Introduces Dr Pradius, bearer of this letter.

Sending fifth and sixth volumes of his "Systema vegetabilium" for Smith. Smith will become the "British botanical Socrates" with his "English Flora", extravagantly compliments Smith. His son has translated Smith's "Grammar of Botany" into German. Horror at the "deplorable confusion of philosophical & theological systems hovering now on the continent". [Franz Wilhelm] Sieber's travels and antiquarian and botanical collections. Count Sternberg has received remainder of [Thaddäus] Haenke's herbarium. [Carl Friedrich Philipp von] Martius publishing descriptions of species he collected in Brazil, starting with the palms. Forthcoming botanical publications by Lehman, Reichenbach, and [Augustin Pyramus] Decandolle's "Prodromus".

Recollections of his visit to Smith at Norwich and [Thomas William Coke at] Holkham, Norfolk. Gratified by the attentions he received from all on his travels, especially those of Smith's aquaintances "though in humbler stations of life, are the real ornaments of society". John Corrie obliged to leave Cambridge on account of a glandular illness but has now recovered and returned to Cambridge.

Thanks for turkey. Lady Banks recently called on him "as fat, as talkative, & as laughing as ever", concludes that ladies do not affect to mourn as long as they used to; recalls a young Carlisle widow who married a former sweetheart the day after lamenting the loss of her "dear mate". Bemoans the political jobbery being exhibited in Parliament, "who can deny but that all men have their price". Received a plant of 'Neottia speciosa' from the Bishop of Durham [Shute Barrington] but unsure if he can keep it alive. The Bishop has been advised to stop riding; Goodenough often sees him being driven in Regent's Park looking as young as he did thirty years ago. Their Linnean dining club now has between thirty and forty members. His granddaughter's bad back continues. [William] Bullock [(c 1780-1849), naturalist and antiquary] has brought to London two native Laplanders and a herd of reindeer which he hopes to naturalise; he says that Bagshot Heath has enough reindeer moss to support a herd of 100,000.

Urges Smith to write to Archbishop of Canterbury [Charles Manners-Sutton (1755-1828)] at once in support of [William] Swainson as a candidate for British Museum. Political meetings beginning to be held in London, Goodenough thinks it time that party men unite for the benefit of the country and for all ranks of mankind to retrench and "live as they did sometime back" to allow prudence. The government busy curtailing and displacing the clerks in the office but doubts it will save anything.