Franked Smith's letter for [John] Hawkins. Sorry to hear of the death of Smith's brother, reminds him of death of his only surviving brother when he became Bishop of Carlilse. Heard that Smith has lately had a considerable accession of fortune.

Linnean Society news: [Thomas] Marsham well again but has resigned as Treasurer of Linnean Society, replaced by [Joseph] Sabine; [Alexander] Macleay ill again; Lambert reports on Society struggles that the next volume of "Linnean Transactions" is ready but for someone to compile a list of donations for the year, and there were no papers for the last meeting nor the upcoming one. [Edward] Rudge sends compliments to Smith, reports that a Frenchman has been at Sir Joseph Banks' claiming to preserve dried meat and fish for any length of time. Goodenough has been suffering from gout since arriving in London three weeks ago.

Glad to hear of Smith's accession of fortune. Hears that [Thomas] Marsham is ill again with evident signs of dropsy. Comments on the "frightful" accounts of persecution of Protestants by Roman Catholics in south of France, the Duke and Duchess of Angoulême and Duke of Berri are "bigots of the first order".

In a postscript, upside down at top of recto of first folio, says that [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert has just returned from Whiteknights, [Reading, Berkshire], and by his account "nothing can equal the extravagance & folly of that poor Marquis" [George Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford, later 5th Duke of Marlborough].