Discusses inclusion of Miss Currer's [John] Ray's letters in ["A selection of the correspondence of Linnaeus" (1821)].

Offers Smith loan of correspondence of [Emanuel Mendez] da Costa [(1717-1791), naturalist].

Options for publication. Shall obtain Miss Currer's correspondence collection for Smith's consultation.

Thanks for brace of pheasants. Pleased to hear Smith's complaint has ceased but recommends continued temperance in his diet and to take 30 drops of laudanum a day for another year. No cause for concern in pulsation of artery in retina.

Thanks for the foregoing.

Sends 100 kinds of seeds; list of desiderata.

Pleased to see Macleay's handwriting "after so long an interval". Concerned to hear of the death of [Olof] Swartz, one of his "most constant correspondents", with death of [Carlo Antonio] Bellardi leaves 4 FMLS vacancies; nominates [Augustin] de Candolle and [José Antonio] Pavon, in spite of the latter's financial situation, Lamarck, and [Franz Karl] Mertens. Considered [Kurt] Sprengel. [Georg] Meyer dedicated his "pompous" "Flora Essequeboensis" to the Linnean Society and is ambitious of joining, but must not be chosen for FMLS yet.

Apologises for delay in remarking on plants sent by Swainson; finishing his part of Rees's "Cyclopedia". "Little hairy fern with simple fronds" found Rio Janeiro agrees in size and shape with 'Blechnum Lanceola' of Swartz in Stockholm Transns. for 1817. p. 71. t. 3. f. 2; observations. Grass marked 'Digitaria of Persoon?' is 'Paspalum conjugatum' Willd. Sp. M., also 'P. dissectum' of Linnaeus' Syst. Nat. ed. 12. v. 2. Dark-cold grass from "deep forests at Pernambuco" another 'Paspalum', species unknown. 'Cyperus', 'culm triangular, bogs at Pernambuco' unknown. "Very rare" grass, from "sandy table lands in the interior of Pernambuco", close to 'Agrostis radiata' of Linnaeus. 'Cassia' "in dry sandy tracts" unknown. A new 'Lythrum', near 'racemosum' but distinct. An 'Eriocaulon fasciculatum' of Lamarck & Willdenow, or very near it. Their plant appears to want the many awlshaped leaves of the common calyx, or involucrum. A 'Campanula' appears to be 'C. minor ['minima'] africana, erini facie &c', Hermann Leigd. Bot. 108. t. 111, erroneously cited by Linnaeus for his 'C. erinoides'; has this plant from Sierra Leone. Does not have his 'Hyptis' under that genus, does not seem to be any of Willdenow's.

Thanks for letters from Smith and William Smith regarding the sale of his picture collection; their purchase by the [Liverpool Royal] Institution is not yet settled but will take up William Smith's offer of assistance in selling them if they do not. Sending Smith a copy of his pamphlet and asks his opinion, which he implicitly relies on; defends himself against possible detractors.

Thanks for turkey. [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert unable to write as suffering from a toothache. A vote at the Linnean Society led by Lambert failed in removing the "tanners' and some other house", smell so offensive that [William George] Maton had to leave before dinner was over. A mild winter. Describes attractions of Boyton House, Wiltshire, including gardens. Praises Smith's "sublime hymns". Discusses poetry including "odditys [sic]"of Lord Byron and Lord [Thomas] Erskine's [1st Baron Erskine (1750-1823), lord chancellor] poem "The Farmer's Vision". Sir Joseph [Banks] ill, discussion of [Sarah Sophia] Banks' will [(1744-1818), sister of Banks and collector of antiquarian items, ]. Has seen Lady Banks and the Countess Bentinck, and Maton in connection with Banks' health.

His father [Franz Karl Mertens] suffering from a "tedious & painfull" indisposition of his eyes, so on his father's behalf thanks Smith for present of willow cuttings, but as only nine of the eighteen specimens have grown requests fresh replacements and asks that they to be sent via his brother-in-law Theodore Zimmermann. Lists those willows that grew at end of letter: 'Salix malifolia', 'Salix russelliana', 'Salix acuminata', 'Salix lanceolata', 'Salix hirta', 'Salix rubra', 'Salix purpurea', 'Salix decipiens', and 'Salix phylicifolia'.

Writes on occasion of their wedding anniversary: her respect, affection, and happiness in Smith all superior to what they were then. Thanks for good news Smith sent from [Thomas] Platt [(d 1842), one of John Sibthorp's executors, supervised the publication of "Flora Graeca"] . Recommends for Smith's breakfast reading the anecdotes of Mr Emlyn, the "worthy dissenting minister" of Lowestoft, in the "History of Lowestoft"; relates some of them.

[Draft or copy]

Hopes Smith recovered from the indisposition he suffered when he "honoured our town [Liverpool] with [his] instructive visit". Forced to give up botanical part of his Brazilian collections so as to focus on the zoological side, which is his main interest anyway, but anxious that botany should benefit from his collecting in places where no one has been but himself; offers to present any able botanist with collection of his duplicates, on condition of results being presented to Linnean Society; asks Smith to propose it to any of his competent botanical friends.

Smith's candidature for Botany Professorship at Cambridge University. [James Henry] Monk's [(1784-1856) Regius Professor of Greek, Cambridge] attack on Smith in "Quarterly Review". Believes Smith will never carry the professorship or lectureship, due in part to changing circumstances in professorships at Sidney Sussex College. Observes he and Sir Joseph Banks were negligent in supporting James Donn [(1758-1813)] and [Arthur] Biggs [(1765-1848)] for curatorship of Botanic Garden without fully knowing their religious persuasions.

Happy to draw up a paper of "Plantae Brasilienses"; does not anticipate it being very difficult, having the Linnaean herbarium, all of Rublet's specimens, and Commerson's; impossible for anyone to do such a work without seeing those specimens. However, his next work must "absolutely be a British Flora in English long promised", so cannot undertake Swainson's work at present, and is also pressed by "Flora Graeca". Believes the 'Graminae' would be the most difficult part.

Encloses specimen of handwriting of Linnaeus. Cannot think of any other person, except [Robert] Brown, "who cannot do half he is engaged in", competent enough to do what Swainson wants, "as it ought to be done".

Introducing her son Henri.

Has returned from Paris. Comments on Lady Smith's "practical defense" of Smith's cause in the Cambridge dispute. Is sending part 10 of [Alexander von] Humboldt and [Aimé Bonpland's] "Nova genera". Wants introductions to [Thomas William] Coke for Mr Williams, an American friend, brother of Samuel Williams of Finsbury Square, "the greatest banker from America in Europe", and Mr Paine, a cousin of Williams. Elected FLS.

Criticism of [James Henry] Monk's [(1784-1856), bishop of Gloucester and Bristol and classical scholar] "Hippolytus" [(1811)]; criticism thereof.

Heard from [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert that Smith intends to reply to Professor Monck [it was thought Monck had written a critical piece on Smith regaring the Cambridge botany professorship in the "Quarterly Review"]. Glad that [Dawson] Turner has completed his "Fucus". Thanks for Mrs Turner's "beautiful" etching of Smith. Sir Joseph Banks' recovered considerably; no longer suffering constipation, no attack of gout for fifty days, and gaining strength, it is accredited to Sir Edward Hume's administering of sixty drops of Colchicum autumnale. Goodenough's daughter, Charlotte, in Coldbeck, Cumberland, ill with typhus fever, which is endemic in that town; she has been treated with an emetic, an opening medicine, and a blister. Fears the medical men adminstering too many lowering medicines, as in the south, when after the first evacuants the patient is kept up with port wine and brandy.

Originally intended to come to London after Easter but his "usual Spring disorder" delayed him; plans to leave on 30 April. Glad to hear "our valuable friend" Sir Joseph Banks "is rallying again". Sending this by Bishop of Carlisle [Samuel Goodenough], being unaware whether Macleay's "miraculous gift of franking has ceased".

Goodenough's daughter, Charlotte, recovered from her typhus fever.

Informed that it was someone at Oxford, and not [James Henry] Monk [(1784-1856), Cambridge regius professor of Greek], who wrote the critical article on Smith in the "Quarterly Review", but fears Monk's party against Smith is increasing [in his campaign for botany professorship]. [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert indignant that the Linnean Dining Club continues to be held at the inferior British Coffee House. Goodenough fears the Horticultural Society comes too close to the Linnean Society and may provoke jealousies [the Horticultural Society hired rooms at the Linnean Society for a time].