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him, and return the money in books. I have not as yet heard any thing from the Merchant at Leghorn, neither do I expect till they are shipped; but at their arrival I will be sure to let you know. If there is any thing particular that you desire of me, please to let me know, for indeed my memory grows very infirm. Dr. Dil lenius says the second volume of History of the Cape' is in the press; so soon as it is out, will advise you of it. We cannot finish our affair with the University; they will not now stand to their own agreements with us, except we will give up our right of nominating the future Professors. JAMES SHERARD." Eltham, Sept. 18, 1731.

"DEAR SIR, "I sent you word I expected Micheli's new work, which did not arrive till lately, and has been since stopped at the Custom house to have the books examined, so that I did not get them clear till about a fortnight since, when I was obliged to meet the Tuscan Envoy, to whom Micheli has recommended the care of this affair; as there have been charges attending them, he desires they may be sent to a Bookseller, and give public notice that the subscribers may have copies delivered, paying their proportion of the charges which attended the bringing them into England. Micheli has sent a list of only 17 subscribers, to whom he desires copies may be delivered, amongst whom my Brother is not so much as mentioned; and he desires that the rest of the copies may be sold, and the money returned to him in such books as he has sent a catalogue of. Now I find the name of 28 Subscribers in my Brother's book of memorandums, and that he sent him first 201. and afterwards 201. more, as subscriptions, and on the account of this work; but, my Brother being dead, he thinks nobody knows how matters stand betwixt them, and so would sink all the rest of the money he sent him. This gives some delay to the delivery of the book, for I am loth to break bulk till matters are settled; but so soon as we can get over these matters, I will be sure to send your copy, or deliver it to any person you shall ap point. I received lately a letter from Mr. Brewer, repeating a demand from me of some Plants he had formerly made me a present of, chiefly about the time that I got his son the favour of going Factor into the East Indies; but, upon his quarrel with Dr. Dillenius, he demanded them again, and desired that I would send them to the White-horse without Temple-gate; but still said, if I had a liking to any of them, I was free to keep them; and accordingly I sent my coachman to London on purpose with such of them as then remained alive, which were delivered at the abovesaid place, of which I send you now my coachman's certificate, who called at the same place about 9 or 10 days after, and found the Plants still remaining there; and may be there still for aught I know, for I never sent since to inquire after them. Some considerable time since, he sent me word, he had not received the Plants, and desired I would pay him what I thought they were worth. I sent him an account where they were left by his order, and how the case then stood; but now

lately

lately he has wrote me two other letters on the same subject, and desires again to pay him for them: but, if he sends 40 letters more, I will return them all, for at this rate there will be no end of quarreling. I have done already too much for the family; and when I reflect on the pains and charges I have been at, the obligations I have laid myself under in order to serve him, and how unhandsomely I have been since treated, I cannot bear it without some commotion; it is with reluctance I say this neither can he let my poor Brother rest, but must still have a fling at him. Your most obliged, &c. JAMES SHERARD." "SIR, Eltham, Feb. 24, 1731-2.

:

"I had wrote you sooner, but had some affairs which pretty much engaged my thoughts. The Oxford business was then upon the carpet. We have had several meetings about it with some Physicians of London. We have now sent the University our final determinations, to which we think they can no ways object, but hope in a little time to lay the whole before the Lord Chancellor, in order to have the sanction of that Court in form, as to the nomination of all future Professors, which the University have so strenuously endeavoured to have fixed in themselves. We have concluded all future nominations and visitorial power shall remain in the executors during their lives, and afterwards in the College of Physicians of London. We have also appointed a Committee, consisting of the Vice-chancellor, the Regius Professor of Physick, the two Proctors for the time being, with the six Seniors resident upon the physick line, who are to take care of all things relating to the Garden; subject nevertheless to an inspection of the Visitors. We have excluded the Parsons from holding the Professorship. These are the chief alterations. All other matters were pretty near concluded on before, so that I hope we shall have no farther delays about it. I am sorry you have had so much trouble with Mr. Brewer. You have been very kind, and I think myself very much obliged to you. I hope I shall hear no more from him. You are always very kind, and ready to assist your friends. I have lost some of my Northern Plants; when I come to look them over, I will take the freedom of letting you know how my stock stands. In the mean time, if I have any thing that will be acceptable, please to let me know. I am sadly plagued with Micheli, he has sent me fresh Proposals for subscribers to another work; but I will have nothing farther to do with him, I wish I was well cleared of him. I have had 5 or 6 letters from him within these two months. I am sorry to hear you are so often complaining. I bless God, I hold pretty well. J. SHERARD." Eltham, Dec. 5, 1732.

"SIR,

"Dr. Dillenius has now finished his 'Hortus Elthamensis;' and I would take the liberty to make you a present of one copy if I knew how to convey it to you: it is a large book, weighs 16 or 17 pound. At the same time Micheli's book may come, which I thought Dr. Dillenius had sent you long ago; which please to excuse, he having forgot to inquire of you whether it should be

bound

bound or not. Please to let him know your mind at Tower-hill, and by whom they may be sent, and he will take care of the whole. You will see that he has not studied either to adorn his Book, or my Garden; his chief care having been to improve and advance the knowledge of Botany. However, such as it is, please to accept of it as a token of friendship and gratitude, from, Sir, your most obliged and very humble servant, JAMES SHERARD."

"SIR,

"P. S. I cannot get clear of Micheli as yet. He now disputes the payment of the last 20 guineas, though I have the Merchant's letter by me which proves the payment at Leghorn. He also insists to have authentic copies of my Brother's books sent to him, which is trifling, for my Brother was no merchant, nor kept regular books of accounts. The letters do more than enough prove the debt; but he has all along acted like a knave. J. S." Eltham, Nov. 9, 1739. "I fear you will think me long in answering your obliging letter, which came to hand the day I set out from Eltham in order to go to Oxford; but I left your letter with Dr. Dillenius's maid, and desired her to fetch the box of Plants from the carrier on Thursday, and to send it after me the next morning by the Oxford coach; which accordingly was done, and I had the box on Saturday in good condition, and all the Plants were there planted before I left that place. I had then the pleasure of seeing your son; who said, he would be sure to let you know that I had received your kind present, for which I thank you. I now employ my thoughts chiefly in establishing that Garden. I have already sent some of almost all my Greenhouse Plants; and next Spring design to send Seeds and Roots of such as grow in the common ground. The University has already finished one Green-house and Stove; and are building another, which will be finished in the Spring. They have also promised to build two Bark Stoves in the Spring; so that then they will have conveniencies to receive my Stove Plants,which I propose to send next Summer. The Greenhouses are built after the model of my own, which answers very well to the obliquity of the place; but we were forced to make two of them, for uniformity sake; for the old Portal is indeed a very handsome building, and we therefore were loth to destroy it, but kept it for a middle object: but there has been a very great mistake, in placing these Greenhouses too far from the Portal, which scatters the work, and spoils the prospect; and is entirely contrary to what the Vice-chancellor and I had concluded and agreed upon at Eltham; where, for our better guidance, we had draughts of the whole in perspective; but it was not the Vice-chancellor's doing, and what is done cannot now be altered. I am glad they go on so cheerfully. I hope next year to see things entirely settled, and the Garden pretty well furnished, though I cannot possibly send all my Plants in less than 2 or 3 years. Dr. Dillenius went with me to Oxford. I expect he will settle there next Spring. "I am, Sir, your most obliged and very humble servant, "JAMES SHERARD."

DR.

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