My dear Cousin.

⁠⟨⁠7 lines excised⁠⟩⁠ to M^r. Burroughs. and the “College exercises”—written at 17. & 18 y^rs. old— Pray keep the books as long as is quite convenient— the larger one is in my father’s writing—and I think there are some in it that are not in the parchment book—¹

I must copy out a few lines from a poem (an imitation of Horace) addressed to D^r. D. by his friend Sir Brooke Boothby because they are an eloquent testimony to his kindness of heart.²

⁠⟨⁠7 lines excised⁠⟩⁠

This is printed in Boothby’s “Sorrows”— also the following Sonnet

This kindness is exemplified also in Wright’s great picture of the “Air Pump”, now in the S. Kensington Mus:. The wise men are intent on their experiments, M^r. Whitehurst is exhausting the receiver, a child hides her face from the pigeon’s distressing fate—& it is D^r. Darwin who reaches a kind hand across the table to pat her shoulder, & points to the bird as if to say it will recover—⁴

It is curious that Miss Sewards sh^d. be the only biography we have.⁵ I know nothing more wonderful than the variety of his genius. Many would have been bewildered by such a compound gift, and in trying everything, w^d. have done nothing, but he made his mark in all that he undertook, and his great closely printed Quartos show an almost superhuman energy, written as they were during such a medical career—& he combined with all this learning & labour an uncommon fund of wit—and a great fondness and aptitude for society.⁶

I shall post this today, but shall not be able to forward the books till tomorrow, for it is a pouring day, and I live some distance from the R^y. Office.⁷ The view of the Priory is compressed into the size you sent me—and will be very nice when finished & printed.⁸

Believe me | yours very truly | Violetta H Darwin.

I think that in the Sonnet, where Sir B. B refers to D^r. D’s own experience of sorrow, he must be alluding to the death of his son Charles— the dates bear this out. and we know of no other great sorrow of his—⁹