215 



From the same. 



My dear Friend, London, March 23, 1797. 



What have you thought of my silence ?— Be sure 

 it was not want of friendship or of gratitude. When 

 you are acquainted with what it was, you will laugh 

 perhaps. 



I have in my hand your diploma from the Lisbon 

 Academy, which I do not send to Norwich, because 

 you are to visit London in the next month. The 

 Academy sends to you a present of all its works, 

 and they are at Lisbon (ready to be embarked) in 

 Roster s hands, who has written to me to inquire 

 if you would think them worth paying the duties on 

 them, which he says are very high on books in 

 England. Sir Joseph Banks, to whom the Aca- 

 demy also made a present of its works, tells me 

 that he is very glad of having them all. I wish to 

 know what you intend to do. 



In your last letter to Lambert, I saw with the 

 greatest pleasure your division of genera of the 

 Protect family. It happened that I had just then 

 examined the Cape Proteas in Masson's collection, 

 which has occupied us in these last weeks, and will 

 occupy for some more ; the variety of seeds and seed- 

 vessels, and the different ways of aggregation in the 

 flowers had struck me. When your letter to Lam- 

 bert came to my hands, I was enchanted at the read- 

 ing of it, and must give the due praises to your 

 discriminating powers, which I always have told 

 you will constitute your proper character of a bo- 

 tanic writer. All your genera are, I suppose, taken 



