fixed on some papers for printing: Dryander has given us a most excellent one on Begonias. When will you send us something out of the abundance of your discoveries? I could wish to see your name in the first volume.

We had a very comfortable day at Lady Rockingham's, and came back late on Thursday. She is to give Jacquin a fine drawing of her Aralia, (which is really an Hedera,) by Sowerby.

The blunder of making your Gentiana a variety of campestris is Linnæus's, in Mant. 2. All Murray's are manual blunders; there is no idea in the case. I will write to François your kind invitation : his return is at present uncertain. I always flatter myself with the hopes of seeing you and Switzerland again.

Dickson has brought many things from Scotland. We have got seeds from the East Indies of Smithia, and when they grow you shall have some.

Bring out your work, that I may publish a Davallia. Adieu, my dear friend: do not forget Your ever affectionate

J. E. SMITH.

Mr. Davall to J. E. Smith.

Orbe, Nov. 24, 1789.

I hope, my good friend, that you have long ere this received the first part of this letter, sent to the post on the 27th of October. I have an Arenaria; -shall send you several of my best specimens, as it is within my reach on the nearest mountain, Suchet,

mentioned often by Haller, ex, gr. under Stachys alpina, Festuca decumbens, &c.

I have Sonchus canadensis on the same mountain, which I call my mountain: a Ribes which I think petræum, Jacq.;-but you shall become acquainted personally with my good friend Suchet, where I have also found Hypericum dubium, Leers, in profusion. I could send you a thousand specimens, and will send.

I fear that among Banksias, Fuchsias, Proteas, and such heavenly plants, the poor Potentillas will hardly find a place; yet you will not neglect even an Adoxa, if you could attend to the Chenopodium which I wrote to you about. This is certainly an handsome Potentilla. I shall say nothing of the Arenarias, otherwise than that such a plant of Haller is such a plant of Linn. Herb. All my discriminating notes are for my private information: the rest is yours by every reason, and by our agreement:-moreover, my dear friend, no one is equal to the task but you. Have you received the Arenarias of Piedmont? &c. I long to know how go on in that charming genus.

you

God bless you for your charming and precious specimen of Diapensia lapponica, gathered by Linnæus. A piece of the Cross is less precious to a bigot Catholic: it shall soon be framed and glazed. Aristolochia Pistolochia gave me great pleasure. Lichens will be treasures; and Grasses,-Oh! how I long to understand them well; -the Agrostis tribe, &c.

My paper is full, and I have not done; but I cannot say on paper all I would say; I must not

take up too much of your time, nor write too often, although my heart will, I fear, oblige me to recommence ere long. What will you say, when I tell you I am married!—but it is to a person of the best merit. She has so often heard me speak to her of you, she has remarked the extreme pleasure your letters give me, the readiness with which I sit down to write to you rather than to any other person, that she longs to see you as my best friend. She desires her compliments, and invites you here as cordially as myself.

I wish to send you some few trifles. I wish to offer you some Chamouny honey. Pray did you receive the chamois horns? I do not ask for thanks, for I shall always be indebted to you. with the most affectionate and

grate

Believe me,

ful remembrance,

Your devoted Friend,

E. DAVALL.

From the same.

My dear Friend,

Orbe, Jan. 25-29, 1790. I hope you received the continuation of my letter of the 27th of October, dated 24th of November. On the 7th of December I had the happiness of receiving your delightful letter of November 17-24. It is quite impossible to express the effect of your letters on me ;-yet there is a passage in your last that thoroughly dejected me, where (as you well might say) after expressing your friendship, and thanking me for mine, you add "but how is it that

you

you tell me not one word of your marriage?" This but has been to me as an accusation to the most conscience-wounded criminal. I shall all my life regret that you learnt this event from any other than myself; yet I might have assured that the person was no enemy to Flora. I was so dissatisfied with my position, in a house with two good old aunts (for one died since my return here), who have no other ideas than those of that herd of silly beings called gens du monde, eternal players of quadrille, in a place where I find no reasonable creature to converse with, that I yielded to the idea of uniting myself to a young lady whose conversation I had always found more agreeable than any other here, and whose way of thinking agrees so well with mine. She is a year older than myself; only daughter of one of the best families in this country. Her name was De Cottens. Her eldest brother, who is about twenty-three, and not of age here till twenty-five, is C. Lieut. in the Swiss Guards at the Hague :-the other, Ensign and Aide Major in a Swiss regiment in the King of Sardinia's service. But as the world goes, I would rather have a wife of her disposition and way of thinking, with little fortune, than a worldly-minded girl with a great one. My wife is so much attached to you from my speaking of you to her as my best friend, and the person of all others I most esteem and love, that she insists on learning to dry plants to send to you, and often says, "Presses le devenir; faites lui mes complimens en l'assurant que nous ferons tout ce qui est possible pour rendre ce séjour agréable; nous en aurons si grand

soin que je suis sûre qu'il se trouvera bien avec nous.” I answer, that must and shall be some time or other; and if he will not come, I shall never die contented.

You make me very happy in what you say of Lady Rockingham. I had wished she might have. the good thought of placing so judiciously her duplicate Hort. Mal. Pray, present my compliments when you see her. I have so many things to say that I hardly know where to begin, and shall be obliged to scrawl a second sheet.

If young Jacquin is still in England, pray. give him my compliments, and tell him I expect he will not forget me in his journey through this part of the world. What a wretched figure his father has given of Arenaria liniflora in his second volume of Collectanea!

I can send you a most charming specimen in fine preservation of one of the rarissima plants of Switzerland, gathered by me this last season on Great St. Bernard, Sisymbrium tanacetifolium; but I ought not to have asked you whether you want it. -Pray tell me frankly as you should, and I know you will, whether I may copy in the course of my work, your text concerning Sonchus alpinus and Stellaria dichotoma. If you do not wish it, you will give me a new proof of friendship in saying No. -Although I must now look to close œconomy, I long most irresistibly to ornament my study with the plates of Limodorum Tankervillia, and Strelitzia, in colours; and if Lee would permit Sowerby to copy Miss Lee's drawing of Protea mellifera, and you direct the choice of some fourth rare and spe