From George Bentham 4 December 1852

My dear Sir

I have directed the Vice Chancellor's letter to Frederick LeMann Esq 15 Threadneedle Street who is D^r LeMann's eldest brother & sent it. I saw him on Wednesday and he showed me a small collection of useful books - especially [illeg.] as connected with the herbarium which he has commissioned me to offer to the University through you. If you write to him to accept them he will have them packed up and sent off as you may direct. The University will only have the carriage to pay. The collection contains Wight's Icones 4 vols bound - Deleport's Icones 5 vols - Humboldt's Montes Equinoctialis 2 vols folio - De Candolle Prodromus - Wolper's Repertorium - Hooker's Journal of Botany - and several other useful works of that description although it be of course but a portion of the late D^r Lemann's library the remainder having been given to friends.

I return your letter to the V. C. I am afraid you overrate the part I have taken - and I am not at all particular about thanks, for I have only done what it was [illeg.] in the manner I thought would make it most useful to science.

With regard to the money I should feel much obliged if I could have £50 by Christmas £50 in the course of March next and the remainder when the work is done - paid to my account at Mess^rs Martin Stones and Martin.

I am just returned from Kew and only found your letter just now - it had been forwarded from Hereford - you will have understood the reason of my delay in replying as M^rs Hooker was writing to you yesterday and I asked [illeg.]

The laying in the Herbarium is in full operation. I found three reams of paper to begin with and I hope that 30 reams are by this time at Pontrilas. In de Candolles order I have prepared to the end of Violaceae and I suppose by the time I get down all will be glued and finished to that extent. I find the proportion in numbers to my own is about 3 to 5% and I have very near 40,000 counted up to the end of Monopetalae I think I have full 15,000 Monochlamydeae Monocotyledons and Ferns which would make 55,000 for my collection and 30,000 from LeMann's.

I shall be in town til Friday - I go on Tuesday night out to Kew again with Jos. Hooker to stay there till the following evening.

With many thanks for all your kind expressions I remain dear Sir

Yrs very sincerely

George Bentham