Reassures Smith her maid is capable of carrying his parcel from Surrey Street to Keswick, [near Norwich], and she will then be able to get to work on the letters. They have been in London, including visit to Samuel Hoare's at Hampstead, where she met Mr [John] Bowring [(1792-1872), politician], who is just returned from Spain.

Received call from Lady Mary Ann Gage, widow of Sir Thomas Gage, who said that Gage wished for his friends and Smith to have any duplicates from his considerable natural history collections. Invites Smith to visit so he can look over the collections at Hengrave, [Suffolk].

Thanks for turkey. Lady Banks recently called on him "as fat, as talkative, & as laughing as ever", concludes that ladies do not affect to mourn as long as they used to; recalls a young Carlisle widow who married a former sweetheart the day after lamenting the loss of her "dear mate". Bemoans the political jobbery being exhibited in Parliament, "who can deny but that all men have their price". Received a plant of 'Neottia speciosa' from the Bishop of Durham [Shute Barrington] but unsure if he can keep it alive. The Bishop has been advised to stop riding; Goodenough often sees him being driven in Regent's Park looking as young as he did thirty years ago. Their Linnean dining club now has between thirty and forty members. His granddaughter's bad back continues. [William] Bullock [(c 1780-1849), naturalist and antiquary] has brought to London two native Laplanders and a herd of reindeer which he hopes to naturalise; he says that Bagshot Heath has enough reindeer moss to support a herd of 100,000.

Thanks for turkey. Looked into the loss of Smith's letters, they may be in a parcel left at [Dawson] Turner's. Dulness of London.

Urges Smith to write to Archbishop of Canterbury [Charles Manners-Sutton (1755-1828)] at once in support of [William] Swainson as a candidate for British Museum. Political meetings beginning to be held in London, Goodenough thinks it time that party men unite for the benefit of the country and for all ranks of mankind to retrench and "live as they did sometime back" to allow prudence. The government busy curtailing and displacing the clerks in the office but doubts it will save anything.

Thanks for turkey. Nothing particular to say about Smith's complaint; approves use of aperient pills for regulation of bowels; recommends living chiefly on an "animal diet".

Solicits Smith to provide a testimonial for [William] Swainson for his candidature for the British Museum post lately occupied by [William Elford] Leach; details Swainson's considerable natural history accomplishments. Mrs Martin [Smith's sister] also recommends Swainson.

Returns papers, including: manuscript of [Pehr] Löfling's [(1729-1756), Swedish botanist] with note by [Daniel] Scheidenburg [(b 1720), Swedish clergyman]. Encloses list of her arrangement of [Carl Peter] Thunberg's letters; he has a "cramped & puzzling" hand

Recollections of his visit to Smith at Norwich and [Thomas William Coke at] Holkham, Norfolk. Gratified by the attentions he received from all on his travels, especially those of Smith's aquaintances "though in humbler stations of life, are the real ornaments of society". John Corrie obliged to leave Cambridge on account of a glandular illness but has now recovered and returned to Cambridge.

Thanks for barrel of oysters. Steadily working on his "English Flora" and hopes to get it to the press in May; expects it to be "quite an original Flora" as he has been revising the whole subject and correcting mistakes made by previous writers and compilers. Asks Goodenough's advice regarding accenting of names and whether to give derivation of generic names. The whole object of the book is "botanical determination". Asks Goodenough's opinion of the "green old age" of [Thomas William] Coke [on 26 February 1822 Coke married for the second time Lady Anne Amelia Keppel (1803-1844), fifty years his junior]. Smith hopes he has done some good with the grasses and triandria monogynia, with which [Robert] Brown is "very great" but refines too much.

Thinks Smith has a massive task with his "English Flora" if it encompasses all he proposes. As the object of the work is botanical determination advises accenting generic and specific names throughout and offers a system. Does not advise giving etymology of generic and specific names. Attended a rare daytime Linnean Society council meeting, believes that if it is always held in day attendance would be sufficient. Thinks there is "something undoubtedly very preposterous" in Thomas William Coke's marriage [to Lady Anne Amelia Keppel (1803-1844), fifty years his junior]; many people are talking about it. It is expected that Mrs Coutts will distribute Mr Coutts property as he intended after leaving everything to her to avoid legacy tax.

Takes on advice in Goodenough's last letter on "English Flora": only explanations of generic names will be for those new to British readers; praises Goodenough's plan for accenting but decides to adopt a simpler system. Queries whether [Augustin] de Candolle's new term, "carpella", for the single grains of compound fruits should not be "carpiola". Adopting [Johann von] Schreber's [(1739-1810)] genus 'Spartina' for 'Dactylis stricta' but the French have called it 'Limnetis'. Fears [William] Swainson has not succeeded in his attempts for a British Museum post. Regrets that party politics should make men such as [Thomas William] Coke and Edmund Wodehouse [(1784-1855), politician] enemies; feels some alarm at difference in age between Coke and his new wife [fifty years his junior]. [William] Roscoe preparing a "very excellent distribution of the species of 'Canna'" for Linnean Society.

Explains further his remarks on accenting plant names. [Augustin] de Candolle's term "carpella" should be "carpelli". Cannot work out term "sepala" but thinks Smith need not use it. Prefers older name of 'Spartina' for 'Dactylis stricta' rather than newer 'Limnetis'. Franked Smith's letter to [William] Roscoe. Attended Sir Humphry Davy's conversazione but did not hear anything about [William] Swainson's application to British Museum. In reference to fifty year age difference between Thomas William Coke and his new wife [Lady Anne Amelia Keppel (1803-1844)] states that an age difference in marriage of three to ten years is "disparity enough" but as the love was from her side Coke may be excused.

Sends two copies of his book ["Beitrage zur chorographischen Kenntniss des Flussgebiets" (1822)]. He is commissioned by the King to produce a "Flora Hannoverana"; intends to arrange it on example of "Flora Danica". Requests exchange of "interesting and rare plants of England" in return for "several rare and new species of African plants"; he has a large collection from last 17 years.

Apologises for being unable to send Smith Essequebo plants as he had already given his duplicates to [Joseph Franz] Jacquin. Proposes a German edition of "English botany", regarding which he has already written to [James] Sowerby requesting the plates; few copies of the original in Germany owing to its high price; if Smith agrees requests critical notes on the species.

Thanks for Yates' letter, pleased he enjoyed his time at Norwich. Heard great things of Yates at Holkham [Hall, Norfolk, home of Thomas William Coke] and his skill with Coke's manuscripts. Asks Yates' opinion of Coke's marriage [in 1822 Coke married Lady Anne Amelia Keppel (1803-1844), 50 years his junior]; "Tories and bigots [...] hate Mr Coke for his virtues, but still more for his happiness".

Sorry to hear reports of Yates' father's [John Yates (1755-1826), Unitarian minister] ill health, "his loss will ill be supplied whenever he is taken away"; receives supports from his sister Martin, who is attached to Yates' family. Engaged with his "English Flora" and has little time for letter writing. Hopes to see Yates in London, he intends to be there from 5 May to till after 4 June.

Pleased to hear of Smith's new work, "for to promote any study the greatest facilities should be given", believes that Valpy's and Jones' modern English-Greek Grammars would have saved him much time in his youth. His opinion on sexing of woodcocks changed, having considered opinions of Irish sportsmen and dissections made by Duke of Gordon.

Unconvinced by Horticultural Society's proposal for 33 acre experimental garden near Chiswick, [Middlesex], as the institution at present is already expensive, keeping up the garden could only be done through repeated calls for funds from members, and it will only be useful for publishing, for if the produce is sold then the nursery gardeners will be injured. Smith has not noticed his hedgehog anecdote.

Postscript on "Charms of fox-hunting", large portion of text missing from removal of address label on opposing side.

He has never regarded [Thomas William] Coke's marriage "in any other light than as a subject of congratulation" [in 1822 Coke married Lady Anne Amelia Keppel (1803-1844), 50 years his junior]; Coke's warm character. Observations on derivation of 'Nerium'. Expects to visit Dr [John] Bostock in London about 27 May [1822], hopes to also see Smith. Just returned from trip to Liverpool, where he left his father [John Yates (1755-1826), Unitarian minister] and the Martin family [Smith's sister] in good health.

Glad to hear Smith will visit them in May, hopes he will being Lady [Pleasance] Smith; will take him to botanise at Binfield and Virginia Water, [Berkshire]. Found many more specimens of his new 'Silene', which if not 'S. lusitanica' is a decumbent plant. Planning to publish a Flora of Berkshire with [James] Bicheno.

His daughter-in-law, Mrs Cullum, dangerously ill with a rheumatic complaint, and having been treated with lancets and blisters she is now to take the waters at Barèges, [France], for a year. Attended Linnean Society meeting and dinner in February at the Thatched House Tavern with Bishop of Carlisle [Samuel Goodenough] and [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert; Mrs [Catherine] Lambert still ill and restless. Presumes Smith has heard of Horticultural Society's plans to establish a garden; they intend to fund it by increasing by a guinea the admission fee for new member, wishes the Linnean Society would adopt a similar plan. Sorry that Smith could not visit to view Sir Thomas Gage's collections, thinks the cryptogamia curious and valuable and encloses list of the 'Orchis' and 'Ophrys' [not extant]. Hopes to see Smith in London in May.

Returns Smith the curious Nepalese plant as he does not preserve exotics. Smith and he agree on use of "shall" and "will" and encloses copy of home instruction for use [not extant]. Encloses copy of letter he sent to [Thomas] Rackett [extant] describing his childhood sighting of red viper near Newbury, [Berkshire], and suggests name 'Coluber chersea', to be read as response to Rackett's "Linnean Transactions" paper.

Received seeds of Bergamont mint from Peru from his son. They have great prospect of fruit; used oiled paper frames to save from cold on open wall. Attempting to have green melons for 4 June anniversary but fears will be too late. Gave away cucumbers yesterday.

[On separate folio] "On the Red Viper - in a letter &c Feb. 1822", response to Rackett's paper on the red viper [2 pp]