369 



Sir J. E. Smith to Mr. Roscoe. 



Henbury Hill, near Bristol, August 6, 182 J. 

 Yes, my good friend, Henbury Hill, near Bristol ! 

 The latter place I know you have heard of, for I 

 find your name inscribed on the roll of a Society, 

 to which mine has also been added ; but of the little 

 village of Henbury, however worthy of celebration 

 by your classical pen, you perchance may not have 

 heard. Perhaps, nevertheless, you may reply, 



" The place itself is neither new nor rare ; 

 I wonder how the devil you came there : " — 



so I will proceed with my narrative. I left my own 

 home April 30th, and passed a fortnight with my 

 worthy friend T. Forster, at Walthamstow, and as 

 much with his brother Edward at Hale End. I then 

 passed two weeks in Chapel Place, near Cavendish 

 Square. Meanwhile I gave a course of ten bota- 

 nical lectures at the London Institution, attended 

 to much business of the Linnaean Society, visited 

 several friends, and enjoyed myself sufficiently, " be- 

 ing in sound health of mind and body." I passed 

 a morning at Paddington with Mr. Coke, Lady 

 Anne, and their two fine boys, — Dr. Davy of Caius 

 accompanying me. There could not be a more de- 

 lightful sight. I dined one day with our friend 

 Lady Anson, — Mr. Coke, Mr. W. Coke, and Lord 

 Suffolk being of the party. I never was better in 

 my life than during this visit to London : but on 

 coming to Bristol by a day coach, June 12th, in 

 great heat, and after giving my first lecture next 

 vol. n. 2 b 



