| Ref No | GB-110/JES/COR/17/107 |
| Title | William Roscoe, Liverpool, [Lancashire], to Sir James Edward Smith, Norwich, [Norfolk] |
| Description | Pleased by addition Smith has made to the [Liverpool Botanic Garden] herbarium. A Botanic Garden in Glasgow is on the verge of being established, with a public subscription of £4000 to be raised, to which the College has given £2000; delighted by spread of botanic gardens to large towns and considers possibility of same in Norwich. Thanks for gift of Smith's "Compendium [florae Britannicae]"; keen to see his "historical & critical" article in [Rees'] "Encyclopedia".
[Robert] Southey [(1774-1843), poet and reviewer] is a "miserable figure" and unsure whether his letter to [William] Smith "excites more pity or disgust" [after Smith made critical remarks on Southey's youthful play "Wat Tyler", which had just been published against his will]; the world "too indulgent" of "these converts who play tricks with their personal identity"; praises Smith's rebuke. His daughter Jane fully recovered. |
| Date | 7 May 1817 |
| Level | Item |
| Extent | 4 pp |
| Language | English |
| Related Material | Smith, J E, and Hoffmann, G F, (1816). "Compendium florae Britannicae." Londinum: Longman, 2nd ed.
Southey, R, (1817). "A Letter to William Smith, Esq., M.P. from Robert Southey [on occasion of certain strictures made by W. Smith in the House of Commons on the writings of Southey." London; please note not available from Linnean Society Library but available in British Library. |
| Notes | Smith replied 14 [May 1817] |
| PrevRefNo | 17.227 |
| Finding_Aids | Dawson, W R (1934). "Catalogue of the manuscripts in the Library of The Linnean Society - Part I. The Smith papers: The correspondence and miscellaneous papers of Sir James Edward Smith", London: Linnean Society. |
| Creator Name | Roscoe, William (1753-1831) |
| Access_Status | Open |