To J. D. Hooker 26 November [1868]1
Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.
Nov. 26
Look first to p. 42
My dear Hooker
I did receive Watsons book & said to myself that Hooker is so busy that perhaps he will never see those odious passages, so I will keep silent.3 I can only call the article, as far as you are concerned, beastly. Of all the men I ever knew you least of all deserve to be called dictatorial or arrogant.—
As for his criticisms on me, they are not new or important (but I declare I cannot remember what they exactly were) & he was so complimentary to me & fair in his criticisms that I could honestly write & thank him cordially.4 But I could not help adding that I deeply regretted his expressions about you.— I fully expected to get a devil of an answer; but quite a mild one came, justifying his criticism on you, as if, supposing him to be botanically right, this is the least excuse for his tone & contemptuous epithets.—5
I shd. have written long ago, but I have been pestered with stupid letters, & am undergoing the purgatory of sitting for hours to Woolner, who, however, is wonderfully pleasant & lightens, as much as man can, the penance.— As far as I can judge he will make a fine Bust, & I tell my wife she will be proud of her old husband.—6
I wish you cd be tempted to come here next Sunday; for we shall have pleasant party the Vernon Lushingtons & Effie Wedgwood & Woolner & perhaps my son William.—7
The carriage will be on Saturday (28th.) at Orpington (for the party) about 4o. 50’, if you do not fear to come on the Box.— The train starts from Charing X at 4o. 18’.—
I was very glad to hear from Lizzie that your poor Boy went off as well as could be hoped: you must have had a cruel amount of anxiety in making up your mind for this step.— God grant it may turn out well, & anyhow you have acted advisedly for the best.8
I fear it will be a dreadful disappointment to the Lubbocks, this accursed Election; but he is plucky for he went out with Harrier next morning at 7 after the poll.9
I have heard of, but know nothing about, the antarctic cold current in Indian Ocean.—10 I have read Croll: he is a wonderful man: he has almost convinced me that the even the level parts of U. States must have been covered with sheet of glacier ice.—11
I have just written to him about the alternation of glacial & warmer period, in N. & S. If this be admitted, then nearly all your objections to cool period extending to equator, will, I think, be removed, by temporary migration of equatorial flora southward.—12
I thought myself compelled to assume that whole world was simultaneously cooler. It will be an immense relief.— A new edition of Origin must be prepared soon for at last sale Murray sold some hundreds more than he possesses Owen!! & so I must attend to this point.—13
God Help you in reading this letter.
I did so enjoy yours & the Grays visit here.—14
Farewell | Yours affectionately | C. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Croll, James. 1868. On geological time, and the probable date of the Glacial and the Upper Miocene Period. Philosophical Magazine 4th ser. 35: 363–84; 36: 141–54, 362–86.
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: 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. 1868–70. Compendium of the Cybele Britannica; or, British plants in their geographical relations. 3 vols. Thames Ditton: printed for private distribution.
Woolner, Amy. 1917. Thomas Woolner, R.A., sculptor and poet: his life in letters. London: Chapman and Hall.
Summary
CD thought Watson’s article beastly in its criticisms of JDH. Watson’s criticism of CD was not new or important, but fair, so CD could honestly thank him, adding his regret at what was said about JDH.
Is sitting for Woolner bust.
Has read James Croll on alternation of glacial and warmer periods in north and south, which would remove JDH’s objections to cool period extending to equator.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6476
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 94: 98–101
- Physical description
- ALS 8pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6476,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6476.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16