To J. D. Hooker [20 November 1859]1
Wells Terrace | Ilkley, Otley, | Yorkshire
Sunday
My dear Hooker
I have just read a review on my book in Athenæum & it excites my curiosity much, who is author.2 If you shd. hear who writes in Athenæum, I wish you would tell me.— It seems to me well done, but the Reviewer gives no new objections, & being hostile passes over every single argument in favour of the doctrine, instead of creation. I fear from tone of review that I have written in a conceited & cock-sure style, which shames me a little.— There is another Review, of which I shd like to know the author, viz of H. C. Watsons in G. Chronicle.3 some of the remarks are like yours, & he does deserve punishment, but surely the review is too severe: don’t you think so?—
I hope you got the 3 copies for foreign Botanists in time for your parcel, & your own copy.4 I have heard from Carpenter who I think is likely to be a convert.5 Also from Quatrefages, who is inclined to go a long way with us: he says that he exhibited in his Lectures a diagram closely like mine!6
I shall stay here one fortnight more & then go to Down staying on road at Shrewsbury a week.7 I have been very unfortunate, out of seven weeks, I have been confined for five to the House.— This has been bad for me, as I have not been able to help thinking to foolish extent about my Book. If some 4 or 5 good men come round nearly to our view, I shall not fear ultimate success. I long to hear what Huxley thinks. Is your Introduction published? I suppose that you will sell it separately: please answer this for I want extra copy to send away to Wallace.
I am very bothersome: farewell | Yours affect | C. Darwin
I was very glad to see Royal Medal for Mr Bentham.8
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Marchand, Leslie A. 1941. The Athenæum: a mirror of Victorian culture. North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. Reprint edition. New York: Octagon Books. 1971. [vols. 7,8]
NUC: The national union catalog. Pre-1956 imprints. 685 vols. and supplement (69 vols.). London and Chicago: Mansell. 1968–81.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Watson, Hewett Cottrell. 1847–59. Cybele Britannica; or British plants and their geographical relations. 4 vols. London: Longman.
Summary
Curious about author of review of Origin in Athenæum.
W. B. Carpenter has written and sounds converted, as has Quatrefages [de Bréau], who will "go a long way with" CD.
Has been ill and thus had time to brood about reception of book.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2537
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Sent from
- Ilkley
- Source of text
- DAR 115: 27
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2537,” accessed on 17 August 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2537.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7