Has postponed his journey to Devonshire to attend Smith to Linnean Society meeting on 7 [May 1816], hopes Smith will join him for dinner at Hamilton Place, [London], beforehand.
Smith has annotated "not rec[eive]d till long after".
Received Smith's letter just before leaving Woburn Abbey, [Bedfordshire]; regrets cause of Smith's abscence from London and will will attend Smith to the Linnean Society in June instead.
All disappointed that Smith could not be at Linnean Society yesterday; [John Russell, 6th] Duke of Bedford did not attend nor has he paid his admission fee; [Thomas] Marsham sent another £100 and resigned his offices of Treasurer and vice-president and his place on the Council; lists members to leave Council and proposed replacements, [Richard] Taylor [(1781-1858), printer and naturalist] unable to be considered as it would be a bad precedent to have anyone on Council employed as a tradesman by the Society.
No summary available.
Heard from [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert that Smith is unwell, hopes he can still attend Linnean Society anniversary meeting. The royal couple [newly wed Princess Charlotte (1796-1817), daughter of George IV, and Prince Leopold (1790-1865), later Leopold I of Belgium] were meant to have moved into Camelford House on Thursday but it was not ready; Goodenough thinks it an unsuitable home for them and that Lord Grenville oversold it [William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (1759-1834), prime minister 1806-1807]. Sorry to hear of the death of [Thomas] Johnes. Informed by Lady and [Sarah Sophia] Banks [(1744-1818), collector of antiquarian items] that Sir Joseph is better, they talked about Prince Leopold's visit to Spring Grove [Banks' Middlesex country house]. [Thomas] Marsham has repaid another £100, and will have the remaining £200 for when a new Treasurer is appointed.
No summary available.
Asks after Smith following his recent visit to Hare Street. Wishes to reprint his "Linnean Transactions" paper on ivy in "Fragments of Landscape Gardening", asks if he can also add the sketch if still available. Asks if his daughter could attend any lectures Smith gives in the spring.
[Note in Smith's hand] did not receive this letter until September [1816].
Hopes [Thomas] Marsham will repay the remaining money he owes by Linnean Society anniversary to avoid setting a precedent regarding the duty and responsibility of members. Brief remarks on use of Latin. Goodenough thinks Camelford House is a "poor confined habitation for royalty to inhabit" [the house stood at junction of Oxford Street and Park Lane and was purchased for the newly married Princess Charlotte (1796-1817), daughter of George IV, and Prince Leopold (1790-1865)].
Regrets being unable to attend Linnean Society anniversary meeting this year as he has a paper on the larch insect to submit to the Society, and wished to announce a new edition of his "Nereis Britannica". Undertook new edition over the winter in order to present a thesis sent to the Moscow Society of Natural History some years ago, in return for being made a member; he has added 30 plates to the 17 in the thesis, comprising the whole of 'Fucus', and has printed a limited number, though it will be cheaper than any new printed book.
He has been busy arranging the animals in Aristotle, in preparation for new edition of Stephen's "Thesaurus". Hopes Smith has been well in the two years since they last saw each other.
Wishes some notice to be paid to [Richard] Taylor [(1781-1858), printer and naturalist] as a return for his "gratuitous assistance as Secretary". Has informed [John Russell, 6th] Duke of Bedford that he can be admitted to Linnean Society at his leisure after paying the fee. Happy to hear [Thomas] Marsham as taking the "best method to silence "curious tongues"".
Account of his improved health, though he is still weak; arranged for Bishop of Carlisle [Samuel Goodenough] to preside at anniversary meeting, impossible for him to attend for fear of journeys such as those in 1802 and 1812 which affected his health so much, his current illness also caused by journey from London. If Marsham pays all he owes by 24 [May 1816] "some civil notice of him should be taken", otherwise "silence will be most prudent".
Regrets hearing of Smith's continued illness but expects to find him perfectly recovered and in London next month. Thanks Smith for reminding him of the money he owes to Linnean Society, has written to rectify this at once.
No summary available.
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Unable to attend Linnean Society anniversary meeting as the situation of the country is such that it is "expedient for every person [...] to be at home to secure their own property"; reports of fires in vicinty of Bury, [Suffolk], "almost all malicious & wilful, from the discontent of the people". Poverty of the smaller farmers means that in every parish there are labourers out of employ and discontented, and rises in price of corn "only serves to irritate the poor". Describes a mob he saw in Norwich, but hopes recent falls in corn prices will quiet things.
[John] Stackhouse to republish his "Nereis Britannica" in which he will attack [Dawson] Turner for a "want of candour" in his own work ["Fucus sive plantarum fucorum"]. Criticises Turner for leaving his work in an unfinished state.
Encloses an address [extant]. He has sent his “critical observations on some errors of Pursh” by another conveyance. Death of Dr Bery Barton, a member of the Linnean Society. Collecting a new herbarium, currently has 3000 specimens of 150 species. Hopes to be an occasional correspondent with Smith.
“Circular address on Botany and Zoology; followed by the prospectus of two periodical works: Annals of Nature and Somiology of North America. By C S Rafinesque” [33 pp].
Confirms he is unable to come to London; hopes Bishop of Carlisle [Samuel Goodenough] will not treat [Thomas] Marsham , and if the remaining £200 be paid hopes nothing will be said of him. Asks Macleay to inform him how and when he appointed the vice-presidents in 1812. [Richard] Salisbury's paper "ought by no means to be printed" on grounds that the Linnean Society should not "sanction such changes" nor print "what may be only a trap for us, like his indecent paper".
Sorry Smith will not be at Linnean Society on Friday [for anniversary meeting]. Forwards letter from [Thomas] Marsham; surprised to find he still has a balance of £428, hopes he sends £100 on Friday and will then agree to a plan for paying the remainder. Smith should write to remind the Council he has the authority to appoint vice-presidents, and name his intended. [Richard] Salisbury's paper has not passed Council.
No summary available.
Informed by [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert that Smith agrees to increasing the number of FMLS to allow five new members; requests Smith's own opinion.