To A. C. Ramsay 22 November [1854]
Down Farnborough | Kent
Nov. 22d
Dear Ramsay
I am extremely much obliged to you for writing, but I had heard the news from Lyell, in a letter full of grief, the day before.1 It is really under every point of view dreadful. What a loss to his singularly numerous friends & to Natural Science! The gaps left by the dead are generally soon, too soon, filled up; but this assuredly will not be the case with poor Forbes. His loss will be felt for long years. What attainments he united; & what a career cut short; I had forgotten till today how young he was.2 As for his poor wife I pity her from my soul; I have lost a child, & I can, therefore, in some degree realise what death in its worst form is.
Once again I thank you much for writing.— I heard, also, from Hooker in a letter full of deep grief.3
Yours very truly | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
Grief at the death of Edward Forbes.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1606
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Andrew Crombie Ramsay
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine Archives
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1606,” accessed on 19 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1606.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 5