Prevented by gout from reviewing Smith's papers; it was caused by his horse plunging into an unexpected hole whilst crossing a river at Old Windsor, Berkshire. Smith "deep in the willows": he thinks they should be described in the two states of fructification and leaf; agrees that 'Salix amygdalina' and 'S. triandra' are the same, having seen it in Bath and on Battersea fields with different leaves but the same bark; found 'Salix rubra fissa' Hoffmann in a holt on the north side of Ely, Cambridgeshire, and not on Prickwillow Bank; wanted to add the habitat of Walmer Castle and Deal, Kent, to 'S. arenaria' but not sure of Smith's plant; glad that Smith has thrown out 'S. hermaphroditica'. Does not follow Smith's 'Polypodium': thought they found 'P. thelypteris' near Bury but Smith has listed it as 'P. oreopteris'; asks how Smith has addressed 'P. aculeatum' and 'P. lobatum' on account of how different they appeared in [William] Sole's garden.

Spent the summer at his living of Cropredy, Oxfordshire, "one of the stillest places imaginable" but complains how all of the country "is in a state of cruel high cultivation, so that Nature's original designations are not to be discovered". Found 'Ulva compressa' on rocks in a rapidly running stream, an occurance never witnessed by him before; informed by [Dawson] Turner that 'Ulva compressa' and 'Ulva intestinalis' are the same plants. Hopes Smith's "Flora [Britannica]" is proceeding; its imperfect appearance "not relished" at Oxford. Did not see [George] Williams at Oxford but did visit the Botanic Garden, which was in very good form, and received 'Crocus officinalis' specimen which agreed with the description and figure in "English Botany". Received an old specimen of [Sir] T[homas] Frankland's 'Bromus secalinus' and now convinced he never saw it before; those sent under its name were 'Bromus mollis'. Presented Smith's gift of a plant to the Queen [Charlotte (1744-1818), wife of George III]. Knows nothing of political agitation or riots in the market town next to Cropredy.