From Hugh Falconer 7 November [1864]1
21 Park Crescent | Portland Place N.W.
7th. Novr.
My Dear Darwin
Thanks f⟨or your⟩ kind and genial note2 ⟨If there⟩ is a spice of dull bante⟨r⟩ ⟨now⟩ and then in my missives to you, do not interpret them too seriously.
Quoad the Copley.—3 There is a double significance in the award. 1. as regards due appreciation of yourself. 2d. as a determined protest against the profession of religious against scientific faith—lately put forth by Stenhouse Brewster & Co.4 This last was clearly a Set. aimed at two subjects of research 1st. Your Doctrine. 2nd. The question of the antiquity of the human race in reference to the Biblical account
Taking therefore everything into ⟨accoun⟩t, & which will strike you ⟨one or two words missing⟩ my going into detail—⟨one or two words missing⟩ be of great service—and comfort and Solace to your friends, if you could nurse yourself up so as to be able to attend the anniversary meeting of the Royal Socy. on the 30 Novr.5—if only for an hour—to receive the award in person.
If this would emperil your health in the slightest degree, no one would for a moment think of it.
But bear the thing in mind as the time approaches
Yours Ever Sinly | H Falconer
Footnotes
Summary
Hopes CD will be able to receive the Copley Medal in person. HF sees it as doubly significant in recognising CD’s work and as a protest against the profession of religious as opposed to scientific faith.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4662
- From
- Hugh Falconer
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Park Crescent, 21
- Source of text
- DAR 164: 20
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp damaged
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4662,” accessed on 17 August 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4662.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 12