Pleased by the visit of Smith's relation, Frederick Smith. [Thomas] Lister Parker [(1779-1858), antiquary] visited and mentioned the "great pine", believes branches and cones have been sent to [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert. Wishes her husband [Sir James Edward Smith] and himself had been young and well enough to attend first meetings of the season of the Horticultural, Linnean, and Royal Societies. His son and family are to winter at Nice but concerned that from [Thomas] Martyn's report of the weather in Nice in his "Tour through Italy" (1787) it will not help the ill Mrs Cullum. Returns basket with young pheasant.

Thanks for Smith's hospitality in England; sending specimens. Encloses sheet of queries, Smith has inserted his answers to these.

Appoints Robert Brown to be a Vice-President in place of the late Bishop of Carlisle [Samuel Goodenough].

Complaint in both his eyes has obliged him to be "quite idle for some days".

His brother[-in-law] Mr Martin has not succeeded. Pleased to hear Roscoe so close to end of his ["Monandrian Plants"], which is "one of the few really original, valuable & learned works in Botany that this age has seen"; wishes he could review it in Taylor's "Philosophical Magazine". "English Flora" nearly printed and about to start work on "Flora Graeca".

Debilitated by a low catarrhous complaint which ended in a serious and painful ophthalmia. Sorry Roscoe could not visit this year; he himself could not go to Holkham, [Norfolk, home of Thomas William Coke]. Glad Roscoe accedes to 'Renealmia', as Reneaulme "deserved a good genus"; has his "very curious" book which the [Bauhins] never quote, which is commented on by Linnaeus, should Roscoe also wish to.