From Clémence Auguste Royer1 [April–June 1865]2
L’Election naturelle3 est contenue pratiquement dans tout l’ensemble de ces lois,4 et surtout dans tout ce qui concerne le régime des castes où l’on doit reconnaître des races probablement différentes et très inégales dans leur développement humain, du moins à l’origine.
Ce même principe de choix ressort des prescriptions et des conseils donnés par les legislateurs aux hommes des castes nobles dans le choix de leurs femmes.5 Il leur est enjoint d’éviter de s’allier avec des femmes qui portent les signes néfastes tels que d’avoir les yeux chassieux ou autres difformités ou infirmités6 Ce sont peut-etre les préceptes de ces lois qui ont transformé les instincts, les habitudes et les caractères physiques de la race indo-germanique.
Si tel est l’esprit général de ces lois, esprit qu’on retrouve dans tout leur ensemble, les paragraphes où il est plus explicitement exprimé sont les suivants.
liv. III. par. 6 et suiv. 10–14–19.7
liv. IX. par. 72–73 et 1788
liv X. par. 5 jusqu’à 49 – 66 à 73.9
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Grand Larousse de la langue française. 7 vols. Paris: Librairie Larousse. 1971–8.
Lucas, Prosper. 1847–50. Traité philosophique et physiologique de l’hérédité naturelle dans les états de santé et de maladie du système nerveux: avec l’application méthodique des lois de la procréation au traitement général des affections dont elle est le principe. 2 vols. Paris: J. B. Baillière.
Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.
Origin 3d ed.: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. 3d edition, with additions and corrections. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1861.
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.
Tort, Patrick. 1996. Dictionnaire du Darwinisme et de l’evolution. 3 vols. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
Translation
From Clémence Auguste Royer1 [April–June 1865]2
– – ‘Election naturelle’3 is virtually contained in the whole of these laws,4 and especially in all that relates to the caste system, within which one must recognise races that are probably different and very unequal in their human development, at least at their origin.
This same principle of choice is the result of the prescriptions and recommendations given by the law makers to men of noble castes concerning the choice of their wives.5 They are enjoined to avoid marrying women who show signs of ill-omen such as rheumy eyes or other deformities or infirmities.6 Perhaps these are the precepts of a law that has modified the instincts, habits and physical characteristics of the Indo-Germanic race.
If such is the general spirit of these laws, a spirit that recurs throughout them all, the paragraphs in which it is most explicitly expressed are the following.
book III. par. 6 and following 10–14–19.7
book IX. par. 72–73 and 1788
book X. par. 5 up to 49 – 66 to 73.9
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.
Grand Larousse de la langue française. 7 vols. Paris: Librairie Larousse. 1971–8.
Lucas, Prosper. 1847–50. Traité philosophique et physiologique de l’hérédité naturelle dans les états de santé et de maladie du système nerveux: avec l’application méthodique des lois de la procréation au traitement général des affections dont elle est le principe. 2 vols. Paris: J. B. Baillière.
Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.
Origin 3d ed.: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. 3d edition, with additions and corrections. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1861.
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.
Tort, Patrick. 1996. Dictionnaire du Darwinisme et de l’evolution. 3 vols. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
Summary
Notes on the caste system of India; its influences on form and habit.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5339
- From
- Clémence Auguste Royer
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 80: B44
- Physical description
- Amem 3pp †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5339,” accessed on 31 August 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5339.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 13