Volume I Part 51 (1/2)

CHARLES DARWIN TO C LYELL Down, September 25th [1859]

My dear Lyell,

I send by this post four corrected sheets I have altered the sentence about the Eocene fauna being beaten by recent, thanks to your reined that it would have been clear that I supposed the cliine, that the climate of the eocene and recent periods in DIFFERENT parts of the world could be matched Not that I think climate nearly so important as most naturalists seem to think In my opinion no error is lad to find that Hooker, who read over, in MS, reater ianic relations I should like you to consider page 77 and reflect on the case of any organise

I shall be curious hereafter to hear what you think of distribution during the glacial and preceding warlad you do not think the Chapter on the Ierated; I was more fearful about this chapter than about any part

Eest points I think But Ion My mind is so wearisoy at Aberdeen I have been so wearied and exhausted of late that I have foraway ti But now I care not what the universal world says; I have always found you right, and certainly on this occasion I ao far, or but a very short ith me and others who believe as I do, I ah if you kne often I have read your paragraph, and it has acted like a little dram

Farewell, C DARWIN

CHARLES DARWIN TO C LYELL Down, September 30th [1859]

My dear Lyell,

I sent off thisthe last sheets, but without index, which is not in type I look at you as h Chancellor in Natural Science, and therefore I request you, after you have finished, just to RERUN over the heads in the Recapitulation-part of last chapter I shall be deeply anxious to hear what you decide (if you are able to decide) on the balance of the pros and contras given in my volume, and of such other pros and contras as iven the difficulties fairly I feel an entire conviction that if you are now staggered to any moderate extent, that you will coer you keep the subject at all before youryears it was before I could look into the faces of some of the difficulties and not feel quite abashed I fairly struck my colours before the case of neuter insects

I suppose that I am a very slow thinker, for you would be surprised at the number of years it took me to see clearly what some of the problems hich had to be solved, such as the necessity of the principle of divergence of character, the extinction of interraduated conditions; the double problem of sterile first crosses and sterile hybrids, etc, etc

Looking back, I think it was more difficult to see what the problems were than to solve the, and this seeood or bad, my work, thank God, is over; and hard work, I can assure you, I have had, and much hich has never borne fruit You can see, by the way I a, that I have an idle and rainy afternoon I was not able to start for Ilkley yesterday as I was too unwell; but I hope to get there on Tuesday or Wednesday Do, I beg you, when you have finished ht a little over it, let me hear from you Never mind and pitch into me, if you think it requisite; soive me a few criticisms in detail, that is, if you have scribbled any rein, for the chance of a second edition

Murray has printed 1250 copies, which seee an edition, but I hope he will not lose

I ive me, and believe me, my dear Lyell,

Yours most sincerely, C DARWIN

CHARLES DARWIN TO JD HOOKER Ilkley, Yorkshi+re, October 15th [1859]

My dear Hooker,

Be a good h to write s, and belongings

Is your Introduction fairly finished? I know you will abuse it, and I knoell how ht, and it has done h I sprainedAll my family come here on Monday to stop three or four weeks, and then I shall go back to the great establishht; so that if I can keep ive hydropathy a fair chance Before starting here I was in an awful state of stoth, temper, and spirits My book has been completely finished some little time; as soon as copies are ready, of course one will be sent you I hope you will mark your copy with scores, so that I eneral impression Froered by the lengths to which I go But if you go any considerable length in the admission ofthe line, and saying here youto reread my book, and I yet entertain hopes that he will be converted, or perverted, as he calls it Lyell has been EXTREMELY kind in writingabout dispersal during the glacial period

I should like to knohat he thinks on this head I have one question to ask: Would it be any good to send a copy of my book to Decaisne?

and do you know any philosophical botanists on the Continent, who read English and care for such subjects? if so, give their addresses How about Andersson in Sweden? You cannot think how refreshi+ng it is to idle away the whole day, and hardly ever think in the least about my confounded book which half-killeda real rest I kno very strong you are,as you have worked of late with iht Farewell, ood, and kind, and dear friend,

Yours affectionately, C DARWIN