Mem. sur les Crucifères; news.

Thanks for copy of Smith's "Grammar of Botany"; thinks all the "cultivators of the study of plants in this country [are] under obligations to [Smith] for treating in so clear, candid, and interesting a manner this very interesting view of the subject"; thinks Smith right in maintaining the importance Linnaean artificial system and to adhere to it until classification according to the natural orders is more matured. Also praises Smith's treatment of Linnaeus in supplement to "Encyclopedia Britannica".

Intends to visit Smith in the summer.

Thanks Lady Smith's brother for the barrel of 'Stratiotes' which are currently growing at "Naboth's vineyard". Anxious to procure 'Butomus' in the proper season. Improvements to his lower pond, has made room for aquatic and bog plants. Received another cargo of specimens from the New Holland [Australia] surveying ships, offers first choice of plants to Smith. Awaiting [Nathaniel] Wallich's promised bulbs but has received others from Trinidad and American seeds from Carr in Philadelphia. Believes he has grown three rhododendruns unknown to the traders from seeds imported by Fraser. Has shells from New Holland for Lady Smith. Hoping to acquire specimens from Madagascar via his brother-in-law, Colonel Macleod.

Addressed to her "dear cousin". She, her husband [Henry Lloyd Loring (c 1784-1822), first Archdeacon of Calcutta], and their baby are all "quite well". Received a "botanical wonder" from Nepal by [Nathaniel] Wallich, to be forwarded to Smith; transcribes extract from Wallich's letter to her husband describing specimen, 'Eriocoryna nidularis'; Wallich regrets Smith has already used name 'Eriocalia'. Sends compliments to her cousins Smiths, Westons, Martin, and Lloyd. Expects Nat [probably her brother, Nathaniel Kindersley] to arrive in Madras soon.

Twenty-fourth volume of transactions of the Academia Reale delle Scienze di Torino [Royal Academy of Sciences Turin], of which he is the secretary, is to be sent to Smith. The complete collection of transactions of the Academy was dispatched to [Alexander] Macleay earlier in the year. Reminds Smith of the exchange of publications between Turin Academy and Linnean Society agreed with Professor [Franco Andrea] Bonelli [(1784-1830), Italian zoologist] when he was assisting with Linnean Society meetings in November 1819.

On verso of second folio Smith has noted: "sent to the Acad. my Compend[iu]m [florae Britannicae] ed. 3d & Linn[aeus'] Orb[is] er[uditi] Judic[ium] [and] Obs[ervationes] in Regn[um] Lap[ideum]".

Thanks for copy of Smith's "Grammar of Botany". Her sisters have been "cultivating the taste" Smith's Birmingham lectures have excited. Asks after Smith's "English flora". Comments on large rainfall in Lancashire. Hopes Smith will visit Warwickshire soon.

Suspects [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert of dissimulation over the account he gave Smith of the Australian specimens received and in Lambert's care; more were in flower than stated, has set some aside for Smith. Received many Australian bulbs via his gardener in London; shall send Smith seed of 'Silene'. Anticipates Smith's intended visit next summer; will keep duplicates of Australian shells for Lady [Pleasance] Smith. Received 'Butonuis' from [Alexander] Macleay; requests cuttings of rarer willows. Pleased with his improvements at Nabotts, intends it to be a repository for bog and aquatic plants.

[Letter incomplete: two-thirds of second folio cropped, unclear if any text other than valediction and signature lost]

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.

Received Smith's letter of January 1818. Requests Smith's advice and determination on enclosed plants, since Smith is "unanimously considered the prince of botanists and the world's oracle on matters botanical"; has not added any cryptogamic plants, considering it impossible to add anything to Smith's already complete collection, but includes a catalogue of Germany's mosses.

Has sought Robert Brown's "Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae" in vain, and is told the author has suppressed it. Both he and Dr [Carl Bernhard von] Trinius [(1778-1844)], author of "Fundamenta Agrostopraphiae", think Smith's 'Alopecurus alpinus' is interesting; requests specimens.

Requests directions for his New Holland plants for Smith. Visiting his cousin, Sir George Cockburn.

Has been reading Smith's "Selection of the correspondence of Linnaeus", which shows "how dead Botany was in England to the middle of the last century". Believes the Linnaean system was not publicly known in England until 1762, when Hope taught it at Edinburgh and himself at Cambridge, and [William] Hudson published "Flora Anglica".

Informs Smith he has repeated his offer of resigning the Walkerian Lectureship, without having anyone in view, but assuming that Smith has now finished with Cambridge.

Too busy to visit Smith in Norwich, [Norfolk], as intended. Sending Australian plants specimens; expects another cargo with the next ships. Would be delighted to meet [William] Roscoe.

Taking up Smith's proposal of his going direct from London to Holkham, [Norfolk, home of Thomas William Coke], and visiting his friends at Norwich [Smith] and Yarmouth [Dawson Turner]. Publishing a vindication of himself. Failed to see Lord Mountnorris [George Annesley] at Sir George Cockburn's [10th baronet (1772-1853), naval commander]. Eager to finish his "wearisome task" in London; hopes it will answer purpose of showing [Jean Charles Léonard] de Sismondi [(1773-1842), historian and economist] in his "true light". Intends to finish his catalogue [of Holkham manuscripts] whilst there.

Delaying his visit to Smith in Norwich depending on whether [Dawson] Turner comes to visit him at Holkham [home of Thomas William Coke]. Lord and Lady Nugent [George Nugent-Grenville, 2nd Baron Nugent (1788-1850)] and Lord and Lady William Bentinck [Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (1774–1839), army officer and diplomatist] are leaving, and death of Mrs Anson, mother of late Lord Anson, will curtail further invitations for time being. May have his catalogue of the Holkham manuscripts finished before he leaves. His happiness at time he spent at Holkham with Smith and Lady Smith.

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.

Read [Thomas] Rackett's "Linnean Transactions" paper on red viper ['Observations on a Viper found in Cranborne Chace, Dorsetshire' (1819)] and recalls a memorandum he gave Sir Joseph Banks 30 years ago on how as a boy, five miles from Newbury, [Berkshire], he saw "a small serpent with a red belly" the length of slow worm bite a greyhound, which survived but had an extremely swollen neck in morning. Considered it to be a sort of slow worm and suggested the name 'Coluber chersea', the memorandum will be in Banks' loose notices.

Difficulties in communicating with Smith. Concerned to find that expressions of his in "Flora Scotia" have been misconstrued as attacks on Smith; will ensure offensive passages are expunged from second edition; apologises for and explains his wording of pages 132 and 279; praises Smith's botanical skills. Discusses differences in leaf shape of 'Salix purpurea', 'S. helix', and 'S. amygdalina'. Disagrees that economical merit should give place to scientific character in reference to 'S. caerulea', discusses authors on 'Salix' including Candolle and Sprengel.

Criticises [Samuel Frederick] Gray's "Natural Arrangements of British Plants", which seems "calculated to give the death blow to the study of natural orders, if not to botany altogether", remarks on plant names and attack on Linnaeus in preface, thinks [Richard] Salisbury has assisted with the natural orders. Refutes Salisbury's article on [Jonas] Dryander in October "Monthly Review".

Hopes Smith's work on "English Flora" in earnest; if Smith had declined it would have undertaking it himself. Return from his professorship not enough to support his family; supplementing by publishing books; proposes a "Species plantarum" in English, though concedes it would largely be a translation of Candolle, asks Smith's opinion. His intended "Exotic botany" work delayed by lack of able Scottish artists; difficulties with publisher. Thanks for duplicate specimens.

Sending dried specimens of local plants; intends to make a complete collection of the flora of Mauritius, Madagascar, and the surrounding archipelago, two botanists already engaged on it.