My dear Lyell

Every note which you have sent me, has interested me much.— Pray thank Lady Lyell for her remark. In the chapters she refers to, I was unable to modify passage in accordance to your suggestion; but in the final Chapt. I have modified three or four. Kingsley in a note to me had capital paragraph, on such notions as mine being not opposed to a high conception of the Deity. I have inserted it as an extract from a letter to me from a celebrated author & divine.¹ I have put in about nascent organs.²

I had greatest difficulty in partially making out Sedgwicks letter, & I daresay I did greatly underrate its clearness.³ Do what I could, I fear I shall be greatly abused. In answer to Sedgwicks remark that my book would be “mischievous”: I asked him whether truth can be known, except by being victorious over all attacks.⁴ But it is no use.— H. C. Watson tells me that one Zoologist says he will read my book., “but I will never believe it”. What a spirit to read any book in!—

Crawfurd writes to me that his notice will be hostile, but that “he will not calumniate the author”: he says he has read my book “at least such parts as he could understand”.⁵ He sent me some notes & suggestions (quite unimportant) & they show me that I have unavoidably done harm to subject by publishing abstract; I see he does not even give me credit for knowing anything about the wild Columbidæ allied to the Rock-pigeon! He is a real Pallasian: nearly all our domestic races descended from a multitude of wild species now commingled.—⁶

I expected Murchison to be outrageous. How little he can ever have really grappled with the subject of denudation.— How singular so great a geologist should have so unphilosophical a mind.—⁷ I have had second note from Phillips very civil & less decided—says he shall not pronounce against me without much reflexion—perhaps will say nothing on subject.—⁸ Can he be staggered & have the fear of Oxford before his eyes.— Huxley says Phillips will go to that part of Hell which Dante tells us is appointed for those who are neither on God’s side nor on that of the Devil’s.—

I fully believe that I owe the comfort of the next few years of my life to your generous support & that of a very few others: I do not think I am brave enough to have stood being odious without support. Now I feel as bold as a Lion. But there is one thing I can see I must learn, viz. to think less of myself & my book.

Farewell with cordial thanks | Yours most truly | C. Darwin

I return home on the 7^th & shall sleep at Erasmus’es. I will call on you about 10 oclock on Thursday 8^th & sit with you, as I have so often sat, during your breakfast.

I wish there was any chance of Prestwich being shaken; but I fear he is too much of a catastrophist.—⁹