To A. R. Wallace 3 August [1872]1
Down. | Beckenham, Kent.
Aug 3. 1872
My dear Wallace
I hate controversy, chiefly perhaps because I do it badly; but as Dr Bree accuses you of “blundering”, I have thought myself bound to send the enclosed letter to Nature; that is if you in the least desire it. In this case please post it.—2 If you do not at all wish it, I shd rather prefer not sending it, & in this case please to tear it up—
And I beg you to do the same, if you intend answering Dr Bree yourself, as you will do it incomparably better than I shd—
Also please to tear it up if you don’t like the letter.
My dear Wallace | yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Bree, Charles Robert. 1872. An exposition of fallacies in the hypothesis of Mr. Darwin. London: Longmans, Green, and Co.
Summary
Encloses a letter to Nature [see 8448] correcting Dr Bree, who has accused ARW of "blundering". ARW should tear up CD’s letter if he does not like it or plans to reply himself.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8447
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Alfred Russel Wallace
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Waddington Auction (dealers) (July 1998)
- Physical description
- LS(A) 2pp & ADraft 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8447,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8447.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 20