Apologises for not having written since they departed at Mont Cenis, Savoy. [Carlo Antonio Ludovico] Bellardi has been informed of Smith's new Lichen and intends to look into it next year. Shall also give Bellardi the information Smith gave on 'Epilobium gelidum'.
Two notes: one dated 2 January making an appointment to call on Smith in the morning to go together to see the "Bocconi's" herbarium; the other dated 6 January accompanying "country plants" and asking Smith to look after them until they can study them together.
Forwards letter [unspecified] as requested. His father died in February. Has not heard anything from [Pierre Marie Auguste] Broussonet in the last month. Sends good wishes.
Received Smith's letter of 23 May. Thanks for condolences on death of his father. Recently and apparently suddenly married. Invites Smith to Genoa. Has despaired of hearing from [Pierre Marie Auguste] Broussonet and will seek out a new scientific correspondent in Paris. Smith has noted on the second page his reply, informing Durazzo when he expected to be in Genoa.
Reminds Smith to obtain seeds for him from [André] Thouin and others and to send via the Marquis of Spinola. Thanks in advance for [unspecified] book being brought by Mr Zimmermann [Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann?] and Mr Harbord. Asks Smith to recommend him any good books on physics or natural science he may come across in France. His 'Phaseolus caracalla' is flowering, promises to send specimens in the future.
Received Smith's Rome letter of 19 February. Was worried Smith was offended with him for not embracing his "scheme" [formation of Linnean Society] with same ardour as Smith and others. Confesses he feels too much ignorance when with the "ingenious and scientific" to be a part of it. Repeats remark by [Conyers Middleton (1683-1750) Church of England clergyman] that the journey to Italy is like the "the common stages and journey of life". Mentions a traveller in Sciliy who though the large 'Aloes' there were indiginous, recalls Smith's remarks and his own observations of plants on the coast being able to survive severe weather. Request from [John] Latham for Smith to acquire a good description of the "Courier" bird, described by several but seen only by Aldrovandus [Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522-1605) Italian naturalist]. Looking forward to Smith and [William] Younge's return to London, [Samuel] Goodenough and [Thomas] Marsham are well.
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.
Sends letter for Banks and list of desiderata; offers exchange.
Praises Smith's thesis ["Disputatio Inauguralis quaedam de Generatione complectens"]. Discusses the subject further including apparent suggestions for experiments with chickens and speculation on hereditary traits. Asks Smith to use all his energies in acquiring the "hidden treasures" of [Charles] Plumier's [(1646-1704) French botanist] collections in Paris. Asks Smith to buy any works by [Lorenzo] Bellini [(1643-1704) Italian physician and anatomist] Smith comes across. Possible incorrect classification of 'Clypeola maritima L' into 'Alyssum siculum' and 'Alyssum maritimum'. Asks for second part of [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli's "Entomology"; [Louis] Gerard's "Flora Gallo-provincialis" and new edition of [Antoine-Joseph Dezallier] D'argenville's "Conchologie". Relates various upcoming periodicals with warning they all precede Smith's. Believes Smith will correct Linnaeus with more temperance than [Lazzaro] Spallanzani or Barrington, criticises Spallanzani's "wretched unnecessary trash". Pleased with books received from Smith but wishes [Sébastien] Vaillant had more figures in ["Botanicon Parisiense"]. Sir Thomas Cullum, Laurence and Priest have abandoned study of botany. Cullum and others in Suffolk want to establish a society to support wives and orphans of physicans, apothecaries and surgeons, Gwyn dismisses it as "relieving the parishes [of] their charges & taking away every spur to frugality and industry". Reports a favourable winter.
Thanks Smith for introducing him to [Jacques Philippe Martin] Cels. Asks Smith when he is in Paris to find out the titles of contributors to his "Delicia Florae et Faunae" so he can dedicate plates to them in the third volume.
Smith elected Correspondent Member of Société Royale d'Agriculture. Cavanilles' work on 'Malvaceoe'. A beaver in the Rhone. [Charles Louis] L'Héritier [de Brutelle] in London. [Sir Joseph] Banks and [Olof] Swartz. List of economic plants acquired.
Arrival of Dr Young. Gerard on 'Lathyrus amphicarpos'. Economic plants. 'Medicago arborea'. Advises Smith to visit the botanists at Strasbourg, France.
Hopes Smith will visit this country when he travels in Europe; received his letters of 22 June 1785 and 11 November 1785. Details of back numbers of "Proceedings of the Royal Society of Uppsala" and order by [Thomas] Pennant; contents of new volume; other new European publications. Requests anatomical writings of [William Cumberland] Cruikshank [(1745-1800), anatomist] and handbooks of [John] Hunter [(1728-1793), surgeon and anatomist]. Condemns rumours started by [Carl] Thunberg regarding sale price of Linnaean collections.
Has sent a box of plants from the Italian Alps. Will shortly print the "Auctarium ad floram Pedem". Asks Smith to forward a business commission.
Business matters and sale of books in London.
Confusion over Stelarzani business, following letters from [Giovanni Antonio] Scopoli and Seraphin Volta. [Charles Louis] L'Héritier [de Brutelle] is in England being difficult with specimens. Value of [Olof] Swartz's herbarium, "the best botanist [Banks] has seen since dear Solander's death". Appointments at the British Museum and comments on Richard Penneck, Keeper of the Reading Room. Proceedings at the Royal Society; an account from [Sir Frederick William] Herschel of volcanoes burning on the moon.
[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'.
Intended to send a catalogue of seeds from from botanic garden of Santa Maria Nuova hospital, of which he is the head, as thanks for coming to see the herbarium of [Pier Antonio] Micheli [(1679-1737)] but it has been delayed. Will send any seeds Smith requests. Requests seeds of 'Lathyrus cicera'.
Desiderata in Smith's hand, second folio, comprising: 'Amethystea coerulea'; 'Avena nuda'; 'Catananche lutea'; 'Cerastium alpinum'; 'Cardamine resedifolia'; 'Dianthus diminutus'; 'Dolichos sesquipedalis'; 'Hasselquistia aegyptiaca'; 'Hieracium auricula'; 'Lagoecia cuminoides'; 'Silene atocion'; and 'Xeranthemum annuum'.
Detailed account of journey from Milan to Geneva via Lago Maggiore, Valois, Simpelen, Bryg, Syon, Martigny, Villeneuve, Vevay, and Lausanne. Found on the banks of the lake Margozza a possible 'Lobelia', and 'Ros solis', its irritability proven by the flies trapped in the leaves. Alpine plants found on Mount Simpelen: 'Alchemilla alpina', a 'Pinguicula' (an 'alpina'?), a 'Pedicularis', 'Geranium pyrenaicum', a 'Gnaphalium', two 'Gentian', 'Primula', 'Pinguicula' in abundance, and profusion of probable 'Rhododendron ferrugineum'. Remarks on the large size of and frequency of goitres amongst the female inhabitants of Syon and to a lesser extent the men, believes it is a swelling of the parotid and submaxillary glands. Recommends the bookseller Potts in Lausanne where it is possible to procure the "Introduction ad Hist. Nat." printed in Prague and "Anni V" of Scopoli. Warns that there are no botanical books in Geneva.
His experiences in Basle, his first business being to inquire after the mansuscripts and paintings of [Desiderius] Erasmus [(1466-1532), humanist scholar and reformer] and [Hans] Holbein [the younger (1498-1543), artist] held in the Library there. Under the supervision of Professor Falkner saw there Holbein's portrait of Sir Thomas More's family; his "Passion of the Christ" in eight separate panels, praising Holbein's faces for not having "that great stiffness observable in most paintings of the year 1520"; his "Last Supper", Younge's favourite; and two "capital" minitures of Erasmus by Holbein. Another room contained Erasmus' manuscripts including a copy of "Stultitiae Laus" ["In Praise of Folly" (1511)] with drawings by Holbein in the margins; Erasmus' will in his own hand; a manuscript of the Coucil of Basel's suspension of the pope's authority; and a copy of [Fabio] Colonna's [(1567-1650)] "Phytobasnos".
His second visit was to see [Caspar] Bauhin's [(1560-1624), Swiss botanist] herbarium, owned by Mr de la Chenal. Chenal assisted [Albrecht von] Haller in his "great botanical work" and has the greatest private botanical library he has ever seen, including: Dillenius' "Hist. Muscorum", Columnae's "Le Phrasis" and "Phytobasnos", [John] Ray's "Synopsis Plant." (1724), [Sir Hans] Sloane's "Jamaica", Gerard, Jacquin, Linnaeus' "Flor. Lapp.", "Hist. Botan." etc. Jacquin has named 'Lachenalia tricolor' after Chenal, Younge has received a coloured plate of it. Chenal has offered Smith any assistance needed with Bauhin's plants, including those Linnaeus was mistaken about. Jacquin considering publication of a "Systema vegetabilium". Informs Smith that Chenal has two copies of "Phytobasnos", hints that Smith might be able to procure one for himself [Smith did acquire one of these copies].
Recommends Smith visit the house of M Mechel, engraver, for a very fine collection of English, French, and German prints, and a churchyard for a dance of death in in the style of Holbein. No old books in Basel, particularly botanical. Planning on travelling to Paris via Strasbourg.