Letter 0987

[fol.13] Dear Sr I writ to you ye 2d Decr by ye Brittannia Galley, wch I hope ia come safe to hand since I am honr’d wth yrs under ye 5th Septr & thank you for it & ye acct you are pleas’d to send me of ye state of learning. The book I bought at vienna were cheifly to accompany ye Lambecius for Mr Bridges, wch I’me sorry is imperfect & wish it be not in one of ye volumes wch are not to be met wth I desird you in my last to send me word what was wanting yt I might write for it. I order’d my Brother to keep for me ye Loselius wth ye figures wch I see you have taken, so have writ to him to return you ye 15 shill paid him for it. ‘twas a present from Dr Rivini & is not to be bought, tho I hope Dr Breynuis will procure you one at his return. I have noted to my Br. some few of ye others to be kept for me, & ye rest to be sold. I shoud be glad to hear My Ray has finish’d his history of insects, wch I desire may be sent me, as also spanheim’s book of coins; ye Description of Formosa, & what you think proper for me besides. I have pick’d up some Medalls, but have not yet met wth one of my Ld Pembrokes [fol. 13v] Catalogue, tho have sonm copies of it to Constantinople Aleppo & Larissa, from whence daily expect some. As’to his Grace ye Duke of Buckinghams comission, I have small hopes of rendring him yt service I coud wish. there has been but 3 statues (or rather Busts) bought here this 20 years past. some few there are now in o’r nations hands, but so deformed yr I wou’d not pay ye freight home to have them. they are rarely found in these parts, & as surely defac’d as dug up. As to naturall History this country affords diversion in all ye parts of it, somethings I find are to be met wth wch have escap’d Dr Tourneforts diligent search, tho had he been here in ye proper season, probably he wou’d have met with them. By ye Delawar (wch will sail in 3 weeks) I shall send you some plants in a box directed to Mr. Petiver. Pray dispose of some of My Rays supplements for me if you find occasion; one was for ye Dutchesse of Beaufort, who probably may have it before this. I lately recd letters from Dr. Lavaterus of zurich, desiring me to send him some Letters of recommendation for his 2 sons lately gone for England; they will doubtlessly wait on you, & I beg of you to shew them yr accustom’d civility, & to recommend them to oxford. [fol. 14] I have settled a corrispondence wth Dr Pickerus at Aleppo, & Dr. Giulio Medici at Cairo, both Physitians of very good repute, in order to be inform’d about severall things of ye Material Medica, & ye plants of those places mention’d by Rauwolf & Alpinus. if I can hear any thing of ye succes Cyraniacus, it shall be sent you, wth what else comes to hand, worth communicating. I wish at yr leisure you wou’d please to lay me by what duplicates you have of Jamaica, Mariland & other plants, wch wou’d assist me very much in ye Pinax, wch I shall set deligently to again, assoon as o’r ships are departed. I’me heartily sorry for ye loss of yr Brother & hope ye years taken from him will be added to yrs my humble service to yr Lady & family; to all friends at ye Club & else where I am Dear Sr yr most obliged & most humble servt WSherard Smirna March 5th 1704/5