Sorry to hear Smith disappointed of the oysters he sent, and does not recall the Charles Smyth who remembers him from Oxford. Has attended only one Linnean dinner on account of his gout, they are very well attended and of a high quality. Sir Humphry Davy acquits himself well in Royal Society chair. Not anticipating Parliament having to decide what to do with the Queen [Caroline (1768-1821), wife of George IV], hopes she will not be permitted to "vent her spleen" further. Thanks for turkey.

Compliments Smith's "Grammar of Botany"; believes Smith, Corrêa, and [Robert] Brown only botanists skilled enough to tackle the subject and and Smith the only one to successfully tackle it. [Francisco Antonio] Zea and General Cortes attended the most recent Linnean dinner, "both rather mean looking men". Attended Sir Humphry Davy's conversazione, Captain [William] Parry [(1790-1855), Arctic explorer] also attended, he is writing his book in the country ["Journal of a Voyage to Discover the Northwest Passage" (1821)]. Attended Royal Society dinner and beginning of Antiquarian Society meeting; there was "a ponderous dull paper upon weights and measures" by Captain Kater. Davy a clearer orator than the Antiquarians' president, Lord Aberdeen [George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784-1860)], whose election Goodenough thinks was an error of judgement.

Hopes the mistletoe berries he forwarded for Smith will succeed. Sorry to hear of Smith's troubles with his "near connections". Linnean Society disappointed by Smith's absence on 16 April. Has taken the chair at the Society a few times after [Alexander] Macleay's report of "poor [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert having forgot himself one night most strangely". Reports an accident at Westminster School, of which his son Edmund is the headmaster, involving a pupil and a glazier who "saw too much". Edmund to marry Miss Fanny Cockerell, youngest daughter of [Samuel Pepys] Cockerell [(1753-1827)] the architect and niece of Sir Charles Cockerell [1st baronet (1755-1837), banker].

Numerous accidents and illnesses having befallen his servants, including typhus fever, has thrown his household into confusion. Received a pot of 'Gloxinia speciosa' from Lady [Anne] Melville [(d 1841), wife of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville]; at first sight the flower is similar to 'Digitalis'. Experienced a very favourable summer but their "greedy" farmers have been working on Sundays as if it were a perilous time. Goodenough reports that on the death of the Queen [Caroline (1768-1821), wife of George IV, died 7 August 1821] some initially put on deep mourning but stopped after finding the many did not; believes the Queen's trial was just used for party politics. Visited by family of the wife of his son, Edmund [the Cockerells]. Goodenough thinks the King [George IV (1762-1830)] is "enjoying himself finely" and that "the Irish were half out of their wits" [the King paid a state visit to Ireland in 1821]. Does not agree with the treatment prescribed for his granddaughter's bad back.

Sends his son's thanks for Smith's opinion on his daughter's bad back, she is being treated by Sir Henry Halford [1st baronet (1766-1844), physician] and [Thomas] Copeland [(1781-1855), surgeon]. A proposal to unite the two Linnean dining clubs is being debated after a suggested first condition the rules of the club held at the British Coffee House take precedence was rejected. Relates observations made by his son, Robert, that keeping freshly caught trout with worms causes it to putrefy, and subsequent observations made by a gentleman applying trout to the stomachs of children with and without worms, recording the same results. Has sent Smith a barrel of oysters.