Has just returned from a month long visit to Hastings, Sussex, where he saw the India, Jamaica, and Oporto fleets and collected marine plants. Fishermen brought a blue shark, 'Squalus glaucus', to shore, and as [Thomas] Pennant had only briefly spoken of the species decided to make a full description of it, and had an outline drawing of it made; proposes it for a paper [published as 'A Description of the Porbeagle Shark']. Has a specimen of 'Asplenium marinum' for Linnean Society herbarium. Found two new 'Ulvae' at Hastings. Asks the progress of printing of his paper on 'Carex'; wishes [John] Sibthorp could see it before he finishes his "Flora Oxoniensis". Baroness [Henriette Charlotte von] Itzenplitz has giving birth to a son at Kew.

On reverse of letter note "do get my vol. of Phil. Transactions" and a column of amounts of money.

'Rottoellia compressa' from Botany Bay, [Australia], is in flower at Kew; would like Smith to see it as it is one of the badly described plants in the younger Linnaeus' "Supplementum" and believes it may actually be new. Proposes an errata for his paper on 'Carex'. Unsure if his paper on 'Squalus glaucus' will be ready for first volume of "Linnean Transactions" and whether it was male or female.

Asks Smith to tell the Queen [Charlotte (1744-1818), wife of George III] how he is filled with honour on being admitted to see her "Lightfootian 'Carices'" and should also want to see the 'Fucus' and 'Confervae'.

Has drawn up a list of errata in his paper ['Observations on the British Species of Carex'], begs that Smith print it at the end of the volume as it is essential for understanding his Latin. His daughter is recovering but his two youngest children now suffering from bowel complaints. Requests the plates.

Apologises for the trouble he has caused in trying to preempt the punctuation corrections of the typesetters [for his paper 'Observations on the British Species of Carex']. Thanks Smith for naming the genus 'Goodenia' in his honour; asks for as many specimens of species as possible. Has no "violent objection" to Smith's use of the term "Tetrathica" aside from Linnaeus' own condemnation of it; believes it and Jussieu's 'Myriothica' are innocent uses but suggests the alternatives 'Excavaria', 'Cellularia', or 'Valvaria'.

Discussion of the "defect of Louis XVI" [an apparent infertility, from his marriage to Marie Antoinette in 1770 till their first child was born in 1778, presumably for inclusion in Smith's "Sketch of a Tour on the Continent"]. Goodenough believes it was caused by an "incurvation of the penis [...] owing to an uncommon shortness & rigidity of the fraenum" according to a commonly believed report from his brother-in-law who was in Paris at the time. Suggests wording for Smith's opinion of the defect, in Latin. The tooth-ache which left him "half dead" has been cured.