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'.

Thanks for turkey. Sir Abraham Hume has arrived in London from Brighton, following the King [George III (1738-1820)]. Much talk of [Robert] Sweet, [(1783-1835) botanist, was accused of receiving batch of plants stolen from Kew], trial is on the 18th [he was acquitted], [James] Colvill [(1777-1832) nurseryman who employed Sweet] very distressed. Mr Webb is considering taking [Mariano] Lagasca [y Segura] as an assistant. Pleased with progress of Smith's "Flora". Linnean Society membership growing fast. Last sheet of "Description of the genus Pinus" almost ready. [Charles Henry Bellenden] Ker [(c 1785-1871)] working in the Linnean Society library every day.

Thanks for turkey. Compliments Smith on new part of "Flora Graeca" especially 'Dianthi' ['Dianthus'?]. [Samuel Goodenough] and himself agree with Smith on [Robert] Brown, who is making up his mind on an unspecified subject. Asks after Smith's "intersting "Flora"". Received letter from [Alexander von] Humboldt who is working on his "Geography of Plants" and complains of [Aimé] Bonpland having taken specimens. Has just obtained first part of a "Flora of Brazil".

Invites Smith to visit Boyton, Captain King, [Robert] Brown, and the two Dons are also to visit. Has appointment for assistant to Dr [Nathaniel] Wallich, a salary of £530 per annum. Offers to show Miss [Etheldred] Benett's [(1775-1845), fossil collector and geologist, Lambert's sister was married to her brother John] collection of fossils, the most scientfically arranged in the country, to Mr Reeve. Has acquired [James] Bruce's [(1730-1794) Scottish traveller] collection of 300 natural history drawings from Abyssinia direct from Kinnaird, Scotland, describes dealings with the family. In postscript tells Smith he has been raising plants from Egypt. Sir Richard Hoare has been staying. Believes that the whole of Regent's Park is to be turned into a "national botanical garden", has been asked to take an active part in it.

Introduces [William Henry Fox] Talbot of Lacock Abbey, [Wiltshire], nephew of [Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd] Marquess of Lansdowne [(1780-1863)]. Asks Smith's progress on third volume of the "Flora". Mentions again his acquisition of natural history drawings of [James] Bruce [(1730-1794) Scottish traveller], which "prove him to be a very different person than the world has thought him".

[Smith has annotated] "expect to reach Boyton Oct. 5 in the even.".

Thanks for turkey and specimens of 'Dianthus'. [Samuel Goodenough] ill. Fonthill Abbey and grounds purchased by [John] Benett [(1773-1852), his brother-in-law], the walks and drives to kept in good order. The abbey itself is in ruins, mentions the tower falling with a "tremendous crash" and the previous owner, [John] Farquhar [(1751-1826)], having a narrow escape. Acquired work on Brazilian ferns.

Death of the Bishop [Samuel Goodenough]. His niece Ethel[red Catherine] Benett to be married to Lord Charles [Spencer-]Churchill [(1794-1840)], second son of the Duke of Marlborough [George Spencer-Churchill], details of a wedding visit by Murrays and Selways.

In postscript Lambert anxious to mention something that occured just before he left London [there are no details but his reference to old sayings "no good can come out of Israel" and "you cannot wash the blackamoor white" imply this may relate to Richard Salisbury]. Last sheets of "Description of the genus Pinus" are to be printed.