My dear Falconer

Your remark on the relation of the award of the medal and the present outburst of bigotry had not occurred to me.² It seems very true, and makes me the more gratified to receive it: General Sabine wrote to me and asked me to attend at the anniversary;³ but I told him it was really impossible.⁴ I have never been able to conjecture the cause; but I find that on my good days, when I can write for a couple of hours, that anything which stirs me up like talking for half or even quarter of an hour, generally quite prostrates me, sometimes even for a long time afterwards. I believe attending the anniversary would possibly make me seriously ill. I should enjoy attending and shaking you and a few of my other friends by the hand, but it would be folly even if I did not break down at the time. I told Sabine that I did not know who had proposed and seconded me for the medal,⁵ but that I presumed it was you, or Hooker⁶ or Busk, and that I felt sure, if you attended, you would receive the medal for me;⁷ and that if none of you attended that Lyell or Huxley⁸ would receive it for me. Will you receive it and it could be left at my Brothers.⁹

Again accept my cordial and enduring thanks for all your kindness and sympathy and believe me my good friend | Yours most truly | Ch. Darwin

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