To Charles Lyell 20 July [1861]1
2. Hesketh Crescent | Torquay
July 20th
My dear Lyell
I sent you two or three days ago a duplicate of a good Review of the Origin by a Mr. Maw,2 evidently a thoughtful man; as I thought you might like to have it, as you have so many.— By the way I was pleased, considering how many have attacked me on “Induction” &c, to hear the other day from the blind H. Fawcett, that he had spent an evening with J. Stuart Mill “who considers that your reasoning througout is in the most exact accordance with the strict principles of logic. He also says the method of investigation followed is the only one proper to such a subject.” Considering how high an authority he is, this pleases me much, & I think you will be pleased.—3
Lady Lyell4 & you will be glad to hear that Etty improves a little.5 This is a quite charming place & I have actually walked I believe good two miles out & back, which is a grand feat.— I saw Mr Pengelly the other day & was pleased at his enthusiasm.6
I do not in the least know whether you are in London. Your illness must have lost you much time, but I hope you have nearly got your great job of the new Edition finished.7 You must be very busy, if in London, so I will be generous & on honour bright do not expect any answer to this dull little note.— I am doing nothing, except drawing up a long paper on the fertilisation of Orchids, which will, I think, be curious;8 but I almost wish I could have been completely idle here. When I shall ever complete my book on “Variation under Domestication” Heaven only knows, for I do not.—9
Farewell my dear Lyell; I heartily hope that all things go well with Lady Lyell & you.— | Yours most truly | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
DNB: Dictionary of national biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. 63 vols. and 2 supplements (6 vols.). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1912. Dictionary of national biography 1912–90. Edited by H. W. C. Davis et al. 9 vols. London: Oxford University Press. 1927–96.
Maw, George. 1861. The pavements of Uriconium. Journal of the British Archaeological Association 17: 100–10.
Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Mentions George Maw’s "good review" of Origin [Zoologist 19 (1861): 7577–611].
Relates remark by J. S. Mill concerning soundness of logic and method of Origin.
Is at work [on Orchids and Variation].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3215
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Charles Lyell, 1st baronet
- Sent from
- Torquay
- Source of text
- American Philosophical Society (Mss.B.D25.258)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3215,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3215.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 9