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From Michele Lessona1   28 December 1879

R. Università | degli studi | Di Torino | Torino,

addì 28 Xbre. 1879

Monsieur

J’ecris très mal l’anglais. Je n’écris guère mieux le français, mais enfin un peu moins mal— Veuillez donc me permettre que je vous écrire en français.

L’Académie des sciences de Turin avait a décerner un prix de 12000 francs (prix Bressa, medecin de [Pavia] qui en a eté le fondateur) a l’ouvrage plus digne paru dans les quatre années qui viennent de finir.2

L’Academie vous a decerné ce prix pour vos publications scientifiques sur la physiologie vegetale, Insectivorous plants et autres, qui ont paru justement dans ces quatre dernières années.3

Vous en recevrez l’ecris officiel, en attendant mes collègues ici ont fait l’honneur de me charger de vous donner tout de suite communication du fait.4

Mais collegues5 savent que je suis depuis longtemps un de vos plus ardents admirateurs.

Veuillez, Monsieur, agréer tous mes meilleurs souhaits | Votre | Michele Lessona

Mr. Charles Darwin | Down—

Footnotes

1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
Cesare Alessandro Bressa founded the Bressa prize. CD recorded the receipt of £418 18s. 10d. under the heading ‘Bressa prize’ on 17 January 1880 (CD’s Account books–banking account (Down House MS)).
3
Insectivorous plants (1875), Cross and self fertilisation (1876), Forms of flowers (1877).
5
Mais collegues (But colleagues): Lessona probably meant to write ’Mes collègues’ (My colleagues).

Translation

From Michele Lessona1   28 December 1879

R. Università | degli studi | Di Torino | Torino,

28 Xber. 1879

Sir

I write English very badly. I write French scarcely any better, but at least a little less badly— So please allow me to write to you in French.

The Academy of sciences of Turin has a prize to award of 12000 francs (the Bressa prize, a doctor of [Pavia] who was the founder of it) for the most worthy work to have been published in the four years which have just finished.2

The Academy has awarded this prize to you for your scientific publications on plant physiology, Insectivorous plants and others, which have appeared just in the last four years.3

You will receive official notification of it, but meanwhile my colleagues here have given me the honour to be responsible for giving you immediate communication of the fact.4

But colleagues5 know that I have been for a long time one of your most ardent admirers.

Please, Sir, accept all my best wishes | Yours | Michele Lessona

Mr. Charles Darwin | Down—

Footnotes

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see p. 540.
2
Cesare Alessandro Bressa founded the Bressa prize. CD recorded the receipt of £418 18s. 10d. under the heading ‘Bressa prize’ on 17 January 1880 (CD’s Account books–banking account (Down House MS)).
3
Insectivorous plants (1875), Cross and self fertilisation (1876), Forms of flowers (1877).
5
Mais collegues (But colleagues): Lessona probably meant to write ’Mes collègues’ (My colleagues).

Summary

The Academy of Sciences of Turin has awarded CD a 12000 franc prize for his work during the past four years.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12373
From
Michele Lessona
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
R. Università Degli Studi di Torino
Source of text
DAR 170: 2
Physical description
ALS 3pp (French)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12373,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12373.xml

letter

Darwin Correspondence Project
darwin@lib.cam.ac.uk

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