My dear Hooker

It was real pleasure to me to see once again your well-known hand-writing on the outside of your note. I do not know how long you have returned from Italy, but I am very sorry that you are so bothered already with work & visits.—¹ I cannot but think that you are too kind & civil to visitors, & too conscientious about your official work. But a man cannot cure his virtues anymore than his vices, after early youth, so you must bear your burthen. It is, however, a great misfortune for science that you have so very little spare time for the Genera.— I can well believe what an awful job the Palms must be.² Even their size must be very inconvenient. You & Bentham must hate the monocotyledons, for what work the orchideæ must have been & Gramineæ & Cyperaceæ will be.—³ I am rather despondent about myself, & my troubles are of an exactly opposite nature to yours, for idleness is downright misery to me, as I find here, as I cannot forget my discomfort for an hour. I have not the heart or strength at my age to begin any investigation, lasting years, which is the only thing, which I enjoy, & I have no little jobs which I can do.— So I must look forward to Down grave-yard, as the sweetest place on this earth.—

This place is magnificently beautiful & I enjoy the scenery, thoug weary of it; & the weather has been very cold & almost always hazy. I am so glad that your tour has answered for Lady Hooker. I doubt whether Knockholt w^d. be a pleasant place; it is about 800 ft high & much exposed to all the winds of Heaven.⁴ We return home in the first week of July & sh^d be truly glad to aid Lady Hooker in any possible manner which she will suggest.—

I have written to my gardener to send you plants, of Oxalis corniculata (& seeds if possible): I sh^d think so common a weed was never asked for before, & what a poor return for the hundreds of plants which I have received from Kew!—⁵ I hope that I have not bothered you by writing so long a note; & I did not intend to do so. If. Asa Gray has returned with you, please give him my kindest remembrances.—⁶

Frank is working under De Bary, whom he likes very much, at Strasburg & seems pretty happy.⁷

Your old friend | Charles Darwin