Samuel Goodenough to James Edward Smith, Great Marlborough Street, [London]

Has just returned from Oxford. Already has a copy of second edition of [Johann Daniel] Leers [(1727-1774)] but asks Smith to look out for a first edition. Arrangements for purchasing L'Heritier's "Sertum Anglicum". Asks if Smith has a spare copy of [Johann Christian Daniel von] Schreber's "Grasses" [ "Beschreibung der Graesser"?]. Asks after progress of Smith's next fasciculus and for Smith to send it him as soon as ready. Argues the value of giving a preface to every fasiculus for saying something upon the nature of work; additional remarks on previously published plants; and prepatory annotations on forthcoming plants. Saw at Oxford Smith's friend Dr [William] Thomson [(c 1760-1806), mineralogist and physician]; persuaded him to give him the plants Smith provided for his abandoned "Materia Medica". Also saw [John] Sibthorp who gave him Cyrpus wine and Hymettian honey and gave him a tour of the rarities of the Sherardian library and garden. Next time Sibthorp is in London intends to compare all the Sherardian collection with Sir Joseph [Banks'] or Smith's collections. Sibthorp's thousand drawings "very excellent" and he has added Linnean names to the Sherardian and Morrisonian collections in his keeping; the garden is superior to the one at Cambridge