Frustrated by the shortsightedness of his servants who do not consider the seven mile journey to Carlisle necessary to procure anything. Interested by all details of the birth and extreme suddeness of deaths of Dr [Edward] Rigby's [(1747-1821)] quadruplets; would like there to be a postmortem carried out on the last to die. Typhus fever endemic in the unclean parts of Carlisle, although it was only noticed after one of the physicians died of it; Goodenough thinks he might have recovered had he been allowed enough wine.
Seeing the pods of 'Thlaspi arvense' reminded him of his father's Oxfordshire home and the plant being mentioned in [William] Curtis' "Flora Londinensis", which he now reads for the comfort it brings in reminding him of old friends. Recently received as "rarities" 'Erysimum barbarea' and 'Agrostemma coronaria' but has not yet received 'Potentilla rupestris'. Remarks on a theory of Dr Clarke's regaring the tomb of Joseph and the Pyramids. Cumberland hills covered in snow, some "lazy" farmers still have cut corn in the fields.