Received Smith's letter of 17 [April 1822]; in spite of 12-month interruption of their corresondence his regard for Smith "unaltered and unalterable". The Linnean Society blackballed a man "because he had not treated their President with the respect which he so highly deserves". [Joseph] Sabine has sent Smith a paper of his. Printing of "Linnean Transactions" goes on "very slowly", which vexes him much as he knows the Society at large will blame him for delay.

Unable to go to London tomorrow as he is suffering from one of his "old inflammatory attacks on the lungs", but hopes to be well enough to attend Linnean Society anniversary meeting by staying at Mr [Thomas] Forster's in Hackney, [Middlesex], for a week beforehand. [Thomas] Brightwell [(1787-1868), entomologist] will attend Society on Tuesday to be admitted, will bring [Joseph] Sabine's paper.

All disappointed not to see Smith on 7 [May 1822], Linnean Society Council meeting adjourned until 21 May in the hope that Smith can attend. New FMLS elected.

Sending 9 plates and 2 patterns of "Flora Graeca". Asks how Smith goes on with the new "Flora Anglica" ["English Flora"], and if Smith provides a list will make up all deficiencies and a supplement to "English botany". Believes the Linnaean system "will gain ground again".

Frederick [Smith's brother] still in town. Account of his time in London: visited Westminster Abbey; dined with [William Fitt] Drake at [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert's; tiring Audit and Council meetings [at Linnean Society]; Linnean Society anniversary meeting; a wish expressed for a bust of Smith to be made by [Francis Leggatt] Chantrey [(1781-1841), sculptor], as companion to the one of Sir Joseph Banks; only 49 present at the dinner, compared to 70 last year, held in the Free Masons' tavern; Bishop [of Carlisle, Samuel Goodenough] and [Edward] Rudge informed him that the agricultural distress "is in a great measure imaginary"; visit to the British gallery with the Drake and Harriet [Drake's wife?]; went to Royal Institution, is not lecturing this year, but finds they are much called for, may lecture next year, London Institution have also asked him to lecture; visited the Miss Blackwells and assumed they were grave on account of [Thomas William] Coke's marriage but was in fact sudden death of Duchess of Grafton; visits to Lord Stanley, Lady Anson, Lady Scott wife of Sir Claude Scott, Duke of Norfolk, Lady Petre, and Lady Hervé and Miss Caton. Meeting with Coke and Lady Anne, his new wife; alterations at Holkham. Visits to R Kindersley [Smith's cousin]; Lord Stafford's pictures; Lady Banks; [James] Sowerby; the Munros; Major and Mrs Sandham. Plans to visit Sir Thomas Cullum in Bury, [Suffolk]. His feverish and pulmonary symptoms all gone. Harriet admitted a fellow of the Linnean Society in form. Saw [Dawson] Turner at anniversary meeting. Mr Crabbe received £3000 from Murray for copyright to his poems.

Puzzled to understand how Smith has made Harriet [Drake, William Drake's wife] FLS. Her aunt [with whom she is staying] looking well; changes to the garden; saw ruined church at Covehill and another at Southwould in good repair; bought china, description and small sketch; local prices for agricultural produce, the present state is "ruinous", other agricultural distresses; her findings from researching the Sidney family.

Renews their acquaintance, first made under "most academic roof" of Sir Joseph Banks. Invites Smith to Chelsea for Garden Committee of the Apothecaries Company, of which he is Warden, also invites Smith to the Apothecaries Hall. Received visit from [Thomas] Purton, author of the "Midland Flora"; forgot to asks him about a 'Byssus septica' that occasionally appears in his cellar and leaves everything covered in "very fine soft red particles". His son-in-law, [John] Bowyer Nichols [(1779-1863), painter and antiquary], requested a review of Purton's "Appendix to the Midland Flora" in next "Gentleman's Magazine"; asks Smith's opinion of the work.

Complains that Lawson's letter had no address or date, but informs him the Linnean Society "will always receive gratefully any communications relative to Nat[ura]l History", and assures Lawson that as long as there is "nothing unpleasantly controversial to Mr [Robert] Brown" all criticism is welcomed. Thanks Lawson for his good opinion of his performances [probably Smith's lectures].

[Unclear if this letter reached its destination]

Uncertain whether received his letter on red viper or whether the extract he sent Smith has been read at Linnean Society. Recently read of subscription for statue of Sir Joseph Banks by [Francis Leggatt] Chantrey [(1781-1841)] but ignorant whether the statue he subscribed the maximum £10 for in August 1820 has been executed yet, and does not think a second should be undertaken till the first is completed. Expresses disapprobation at Horticultural Society's "gigantic scheme" for a 33 acre experimental garden.

He had applied to [Robert] Maughan [(1769-1844)] for specimens of his 'Salix livida' but found that his herbarium was about to be auctioned for a debt; intends to compare [Georg] Wahlenberg's [(1780-1851)] description to Maughan's herbarium on discovering the purchaser. Asks if Smith has seen [Nicolaus Tomas] Host's [(1761-1834)] "great work" on willows, published at Vienna.

Reiterates that if a new edition of "Flora Scotia" is published, as he expects, offensive references to Smith will be removed. Smith's progress on "English flora". Comments on worth of [Robert Kaye] Greville's work on fungi. Difficulties finding a publisher for his "Exotic flora". Visited [Francis] Hamilton at his home at Lenny; his ill-health and beauties of his lands. [Dawson] Turner averse to his proposed "Species Plantarum" in English.

[John] Denson [(fl 1820s-1870s, curator of Bury botanic garden] sent him thirty specimens to examine and a copy of his catalogue [of plants in Bury botanic garden]. Found 'Aurum dracunculus' "flowering & stinking" in his garden though not as tall as Cullum's. Cullum's parakeet is 'Gingi psittacus' as figured in the "Planches Enluminées". Experiencing an improvement in health and walked to Mrs Crowe's; the willows all growing well. Placed all of Lady Gage's insects in his cabinet. Sends Cullum copies of Linnaeus' "Orbis eruditi judicium" and "Observationes in Regnum Lapideum". Resuming work on his "English Flora", Edward Forster approves of that already done.

Sending a species of 'Hyoscyamus' for Smith to examine. Makes observations of his own, believing it may be variety of 'Hyoscyamus niger' found by [John] Martyn [(1699-1768) botanist] in 1729 and not noticed since by any English writer. Comments on it being found outside Paris by Tournefort, abortive attempts to grow it in gardens, and location the specimen was collected from.

Sending fifth and sixth volumes of his "Systema vegetabilium" for Smith. Smith will become the "British botanical Socrates" with his "English Flora", extravagantly compliments Smith. His son has translated Smith's "Grammar of Botany" into German. Horror at the "deplorable confusion of philosophical & theological systems hovering now on the continent". [Franz Wilhelm] Sieber's travels and antiquarian and botanical collections. Count Sternberg has received remainder of [Thaddäus] Haenke's herbarium. [Carl Friedrich Philipp von] Martius publishing descriptions of species he collected in Brazil, starting with the palms. Forthcoming botanical publications by Lehman, Reichenbach, and [Augustin Pyramus] Decandolle's "Prodromus".

Error in his recently published third volume of "Midland Flora"; found that his 'Trichia rubiformis' is not the 'T. rubiformis' of Persoon's "Synopsis methodica fungorum"; difficulty of making correct references from descriptions alone, for which reason he has preserved every specimen he could; observations on Persoon's species, confirmed in another Persoon work ["Tentamen Disp. Meth. Fungorum"]. Wishes he had seen [Robert Kaye] Greville's "Monograph of the Genus 'Erineum'" before publishing his third volume.

Asks Smith's opinion of [Samuel Frederick] Gray's work ["A natural arrangement of British plants" (1821)].

Obliged to the Smiths for their condolences following the death of his daughter, Mrs Charlotte Lynn. She had nearly recovered from her long troubles with chest disorders and dangerous inflammations by taking extract of hemlock but was taken ill after drinking a glass of cold water following an exerting walk and never recovered. She has left twelve children between ages of sixteen years and six months. Two months ago he received and ignored a letter from Smith's sister, Mrs Lloyd, complaining of her husband's, Dr Lloyd, and Smith's confinement of her. Relieved that the King [George IV (1762-1830)] did not come via Carlisle on his way to or from Scotland. Thinks the current session of Parliament has gone on long enough and does not approve of the new principle of bringing every complaint, well or ill-founded, before it.

Thanks Smith for Hull Botanic Garden account, which he shall bind with [William] Roscoe's Liverpool and [William] Curtis' 1778 proposal for a subscription for a London botanic garden at Lambeth Marsh. His sister's health very precarious but he intends to tour Suffolk and Norfolk before end of summer. His daughter-in-law recovered a little from taking the waters at Barèges, [France], they intend to winter in Italy. Reports that Mr Grigby of Drinkston, Suffolk, was seized with a paralytic affection of his lower extremities whilst walking.

He has been at home since middle of June and had recovered his health and strength until contracting a severe case of cholera, "very prevalent here"; hoping to recover his strength at Lowestoft, [Suffolk], before going onto Birmingham, [Warwickshire], to give another course of lectures at the Institution, beginning 16 September [1822]. Following this will visit Holkham [Hall, Norfolk, home of Thomas William Coke]. Suggests Macleay come to Norfolk in late autumn.

"There is no end of strange & awful events in the history of our times", comments on deaths of Lord Londonderry [Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry (1769-1822), statesman, committed suicide], and Mrs [Charlotte] Lynn [daughter of Samuel Goodenough, died suddenly].

Thanks for Smith's letter of 20 [August 1822], happy to hear of his recovery from cholera attack. His summer plans disrupted, hopes to see Smith in London before he can go to Norwich. Sent Smith's letter for "Linnean Transactions" to the printer but uncertain what title to give it.

Fate of Lord Londonderry [Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry (1769-1822), statesman, committed suicide] "has indeed been a sad one", feels he has lost a friend. Did not realise Mrs [Charlotte] Lynn's [daughter of Samuel Goodenough] death was sudden, Mrs Macleay's sister also died suddenly.

Up to four hundred visitors from England and the continent a day visiting Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire, [home of William Beckford (1760-1844)]. When he visited Fonthill with Sir Richard Hoare and [Daniel] Lysons [(1762-1834)] there were four hundred carriages and horses. Duke of Wellington [Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852)], Sir Abraham Hume and Mr Cust have also visited Fonthill. Received plants from [William] Jack [(1795-1822)] described in his "Malay[an] Miscellanies" including three new species of 'Nepenthes'. Received Brazilian plants Dr [John] Sims [(1749-1831)]. Received a 'Arbutus laurifolia' from Mexico. Purchased [Franz Wilhelm] Sieber's [(1789-1844)] Cretan, Egyptian, and Holy Land plants, requests Smith to send specimen of each species of "'Arb.'" for comparison. Also asks Smith to send [Franciscus] Cupani's [(1657-1710) Italian botanist] works.

Since the death his daughter, Mrs Charlotte Lynn, Mr Lynn has not tried for pupils nor attempted to find a matron to superintend the management and education of his children. Praises character of the King [George IV (1762-1830)], who "has only to shew himself & everyone must admire him", and blames his previous foolish practices on his tutors the Bishop of Worcester and Dr Arnold. Dislikes the "idle rumours" about the attempt or design to assassinate the Duke of Wellington [Arthur Wellesley (1769-1852), soldier and statesman]. Wonders the true reason for [Thomas William] Coke giving up his agicultural meetings; [John Christian] Curwen [(1756-1828)], a great agiculturist in Cumberland, has given up his political agricultural meetings after being elected for the county, his chief aim.

Goodenough's observations on insects and birds: there have been no wasps this year compared to the multitudes last year which ate all their fruit; the last swifts left at the beginning of August, and last week during violent storms no swallows or martins were seen but with calmer skies they have returned, in fewer numbers, having already arrived late and less numerous than usual.