Sir.

I really cannot thank you as I would wish to do for your kind letter of the 9 ult.² It is most gratifying to me, to know that my little contributions have induced you to write me, in such a kindly manner.³ It is especially consolatory in my present circumstances; feeling as I do so chagrined with the cold, discouraging requitment of my services at the Bot. Gard.⁴ Indeed, it so perplexes me with respect to my future plans, that I am utterly unable to concentrate my mind as I would like to do in the working out of my experiments: though entirely disengaged from other duties, I have as yet merely completed the drawing up of my tables.⁵ I daresay you will can fancy—from the way in which I was engaged with experiments &c. formerly—that time hangs somewhat wearily in my hands. While in the Bot. Gard. I had a prospective pleasure of gradually acquiring positions which would enable me more and more to follow out and acquire a knowledge of science, and thus raise myself above the mere mechanical drudgery of gardening. The relinquishment of these hopes & the idea that I may yet have to betake myself to the latter greviously disquiets me: inducing indeed, an inward dread of life’s future.

I would have liked for reasons you assigne to have remained longer in the Bot. Gard. but from what I have previously mentioned & likewise from an incumbent necessity of being a burden on my few remaining relatives so long as I remained there, I was somewhat reluctantly compelled to leave. Having done so I am now at a loss what step to take next. My relatives naturally think—from what they have seen of other young men—that If I had exerted myself properly while in the Bot. Gard. I might have got a situation as Gard. to some of our nobility.⁶ For sometime back, however, I have wished to avoid entering into engagements as such; as I would rather be in a position where I would have greater facilities for following out my old pursuits

If my abilities had been at all sufficient, I should have liked to have supported myself for the present by contributing to some of our scientific journals; and I could thus have had more time to have seen whether or not anything likely to suit my tastes would turn up.

Such a plan as that which you have so kindly suggested—had your health been better—would above all others been that which I would have had most pleasure in following out;⁷ if my abilities had been at all sufficient for the work you had in view.

I can see perfectly the difficulties in the way to D^r Hooker’s recommending me.⁸ Two or three years ago M^r. Page (author of the Geological Text Books &c.)⁹ offered to do what he could to get me into Kew, but I did not care about leaving Edinburgh at the time. I do not now regret it however as it has afforded me the opportunity of following out experiments which I might never have had at Kew. In the event of any opening occuring now at Kew, do you think D^r. Hooker would give me an opportunity to work under him? Thanks for copy of Reader.¹⁰

Yours most respectfully & obliged | J. Scott