Sir James Edward Smith, Saxmundham, [Suffolk], to William Roscoe, Toxteth Park, [near Liverpool, Lancashire]

Summary

Staying with Lady [Pleasance] Smith's aunt, whose house and garden is a "specimen of what one reads about in English novels of the best age, before the history of manners & character gave way to the picturesque or the frightful", although the journey caused his fever to return, which was treated with bleeding and James's powder.

Printing new editions of his "Compendium florae Britannicae" and "Introduction [to Botany]", and anticipates the continuation of "English Flora" to be "merely a pleasure & amusement". Resolved to limit his letter writing, "especially in reply to foolish schemes & questions about botany"; he is now being solicited about a Norwich Botanic Garden, certain it will not amount to anything. Criticises missing date in Roscoe's last letter.

Received from Paris "Annales de las Societe Linneenne de Paris", containing an eulogy of Broussonet. Corrêa has died at Lisbon; he had been a "little perverted by French botanists" and developed a "jealous twist" against Englishmen, especially Sir Joseph Banks.

Letter details

Record number

LINNEAN1297

From

Sir James Edward Smith

To

William Roscoe

Date

13 Jul 1824

Sent from

Saxmundham, Suffolk

Sent to

Liverpool, Lancashire

Source of text

GB-110/JES/COR/17/135, The Linnean Society of London

Language

English

Contributor

The Linnean Society of London[View Ɛpsilon collection]

Also published in The Correspondence of Sir James Edward Smith, The Linnean Society's Archive Catalogue.

• Sir James Edward Smith
• William Roscoe