My dear Sir!
There is a long time since I had no more the pleasure of reading Your letters, and I therefore felt twice satisfied myself by the account You were so kind as to give me by the letter brought by Mr Hopes.<1> I am happy to hear that You and Your must respectable family goes one allways in good health. Is there no hope that You will onces more give us the honour of a visite [illegible] Munich? I dare say, that You would find our town very much improved by the taste of our King, <2> who surrounds himself with all the artistical genius he can [illegible], and works very much for forming even the peoples taste for similar pursuits. Mr Hope a very amiable young man, whose acquaintance I am very thankful for to You will give You a pretty good idea of all that which is going on here. Even we received a University <3> here, which awakes very much the spirits and gives a kind of activity to our town even not hoped for before, because the love of comfort of the Munichians seemed not to answer to scientifical occupation. Nothwithstanding our University is very much frequented, there are quite allways 1800 students. I was appointed a professor likewise, for Botany, and I would be yet more gratified with that occupation if it was not in the same
I hear very seldom from England, and should feel very much gratified if You would give me the pleasure of some notices of Your most excellent family and of Your own pursuits which, I dare say, will be very interesting to other people if You
once would think them proper of being published.
Have You conserved your love for Botany? Are You collecting plants? Have You many correspondents spread over the whole brittish empire? I must tell You, that I am quite a fool with plants at present and that I am collecting with a kind of phrenzy. If You, therefore, have some things fit for communications I beg You, to think to your friend here.
Mr Zurcarini <9> is in good health, married and very happy. He begs requests me to commemorate him very friendly to You.
I hope to have the pleasure of receiving very soon some notice from You.
Beleave my me, dear Sir, Yours very faithfully
Dr v Martius.
Munich
18. Novbr. 1829
Munich 18. Novbr. 1829.
I offer to You the second volume of my personal narrative which Mr Hope is so kind to take with him. I am preparing the 3d and last, who describes the Amazon.H F. Talbot Esq.
31 Sackville Street
London.
Notes:
1. Letter not located.
2. Ludwig I or Louis I (1786–1868), king of Bavaria from 1825 until 1848.
3. The university was moved by Kurfürst Max IV Joseph in 1800 from Munich to Landshut, and in 1826 his son king Ludwig I moved it back to Munich.
4. Nova genera et species plantarum quas in itinere per Brasiliam annis MDCCCXVII–MDCCCXX (Monachii: 1824–1829, 4 vols.).
5. Historia Palmarum (1823–1850).
6. Robert Brown (1773–1858).
7. Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787–1826), optician, Munich.
8. Georg Merz (d. 1867).
9. Dr Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini (1797–1848), German botanist.