what is to be said now ! for thus far I had wrote, 

 before this day brought me another very pleasing 

 mild letter from Dr. Smith, who might justly reprove 

 me sharply: — but I will still trust my cause to him- 

 self, who knows how journaliere my health has long 

 been. You had congratulated me upon the blessing 

 of peace ; and I thought when I received your first 

 letter, how soon I would answer it in the same sen- 

 timent, and say a great deal, the loss of which you 

 have no cause to lament. I believe nobody's mind 

 composes more epistles than mine, for it is always 

 full of thouohts that I wish to utter to my particu- 

 lar friends ; but they generally have the good luck 

 to escape them. As you are coming to London, 

 might I hope that you will let me see you before 

 you leave it again? 



I do not know in what manner you celebrate your 

 Linnaean anniversary ; nor did I know the day of 

 the month till your letter mentioned it. How much 

 it would gratify me, if a certain name could be with- 

 out impropriety mentioned at that meeting ! He 

 might truly be called a rising botanist of great pro- 

 mise; for his mind had the happiness of taking a 

 most comprehensive view of a subject at one glance, 

 which seemed to require ages of investigation. He 

 was a most attached disciple of Linnaeus : his col- 

 lection of plants and books was valuable and ele- 

 gant, as far as it had gone; and the 24/A of May was 

 his birthday. I do think that my friend Dr. Smith 

 and (perhaps) Sir Joseph Banks would find a mo- 

 ment at their feast to drink a small bumper to the 



