Received Smith's letter of 19 [April]; sorry to hear the indifferent accounts of Smith's sister. Determined not to quit this house though this winter has been severe: lost many sheep and has already sold 330 skins, thinks corn will be scarce and bad, and has not sown his oats due to the wet. His daughter [Mariamne Johnes] sending in another letter Conchium flower that Smith requested some time ago. Asks Smith to acquire for him from Bristol "this famous oxygenated muriatic acid that gives such a powerful stimulus to seeds".

Sees that Dr [Robert John] Thornton [(c 1768-1837), physician and writer on botany] has "done wonders" with Dr [Thomas] Beddoes' [(1760-1808), chemist and physician] airs [Beddoes founded the Pneumatic Institute, which advocated the inhalation of "factitious airs" as a medical treatment]; "they will make a new & grand epocha in medicine" and "surely he deserves more thanks than this ungrateful nation will give him". Wonders if they would do any good for his daughter in reducing the tumours she has near the chin and on some of her glands; her back is now almost flat.

Davies still wants Croft though he is "a poor devil & not deserving of it" but has a proposal for another estate which if it succeeds will make him comfortable.

Gladly accepts Smith's proposal to have [Thomas] Beddoes' [(1760-1808), chemist and physician] call on him, as since hearing of Beddoes giving himself a dangerous disorder to try the effect of medicine "for the benefit of mankind" would be proud to know him. Read Beddoes' "[History of] Isaac Jenkins" [story exhibiting the evils of drunkeness] with great pleasure and requests copies for distribution amongst English readers here, and with Beddoes' permission will ask his parson to try and translate it into Welsh as he believes it will do much good.

Mrs Johnes thanks Smith for ordering plants. Hoping for this year to put an end to his "money distresses". Mrs Johnes very unwell and they cannot get a change of air on account of their "little invalid" [his daughter, Mariamne Johnes]. Mr Williams thinks Mariamne's back is well and that one of the lower vertebrae is prominent, and she has outgrown her machine; describes her other symptoms, which alarm him. He is unwell, too, and asks if Beddoes could be compelled to hasten his tour and visit early for the good of his house. Sorry Smith's sister-in-law continues "so ill".

Sorry for the loss Smith had at Clifton, though her disorder was such that Smith must have been prepared. Sold Croft for £10,000 less than he expected so must make large sacrifices at Hafod; determined to be free from uncertainty and is to make a "sinking fund" in larch plantations, about which he is "even more wild" than [James] Anderson and intends to plant a million annually for as long as he has room. Todd [his gardener] has been very fortunate year in raising them from seed.

His daughter's [Mariamne Johnes] health improved since Jones came with an improved machine and she can now walk without crutches. She drinks three half pints of the Llanwated waters every day, which are sulpherous and have "done miracles" in several cases, and Jones is confident of her perferct recovery as long as she keeps away from surgeons. Weather uncommonly hot; hawthorns and crabs in "high beauty" and woods are like flower gardens.

Received Smith's Bristol letter. Repeats from his last letter his financial losses in sale of Croft, but now finds that he cannot get the money coming to him as a neglected fine has been found. Wrote to his solicitor about Smith's draft but cannot as yet get the money unlocked.

His daughter [Mariamne Johnes] "going on well" and now walks without crutches. Mr Abernethy advises for her, via Dr [David] Davies, seabathing and an enlargement of the tissues, but Johnes attributes the swelling in her thigh to sea bathing two years ago; "they seem all in the dark".

Lists previous members of Parliament for Radnorshire, from Sir Henry Howarth to the present day. Curious to hear anything of Sir George Chad, who is either "an extraordinary friendly man, or a consunmate charlatan", after he assisted Hanbury Williams [possibly Johnes' brother-in-law, married to his sister Eliza] with debt-planning and relieved him of his troubles.

Afraid a letter to Smith lost, in which he informed Smith of Rose's [?] "friendly and handsome conduct" relative to the auditorship, which is to be placed on same footing with the English auditors and will be abolished after their deaths [Johnes was audior of the land revenues in Wales], and also informed him of receiving grant of a large tract of waste land full of minerals.

His daughter [Mariamne Johnes] doing "vastly well" and sang for the first time in two years. Recent visitors at home.

Lost letters. Thinks the "Augustan flattery" of Malta and Sciliy superior to the "bombasty" of Spain. His daughter [Mariamne Johnes] thanks Smith for the seeds he sent; she is now translating and if he does not finish Froissart [(c 1337-c 1405), French chronicler] himself thinks she will be a "worthy successor". His growing enthusiasm for farming; building a "feeding house" to his own plan and wants a good weighing machine for live beasts, asks for recommendation from one of Smith's "great farmers".

Thanks for Smith's last two letters and the seeds. Thanks Smith's brother for the fearnoughts [thick woolen overcoats] which are "very acceptable for our poor"'; requests annual supply. All improving with him and his family: his daughter's [Mariamne Johnes] health better daily, as well as her wisdom, status and beauty; his wife recovering quickly from a very severe cold; his own health the best for ages, which he attributes to the wines from Smith's friend, Voght; his farm "answering amazingly"; all his sales have been successful; and if he gets his asking price for an estate he is selling he will be "clear", after which he can concentrate on translating Froissart [(c 1337-c 1405), French chronicler].

Believes that Lloyd, a "dirty dog of a parson" with a curacy in Norfolk, started the rumour that he was to sell Hafod to Mr Crowe.