From Samuel Butler 2 January 1880
The transcript of this letter is not yet available online.
Summary
Asks CD for reference to the edition of Kosmos that contains the original of Ernst Krause’s article on Dr Erasmus Darwin. There are serious differences between the translation by W. S. Dallas and the Feb [1879] article by Krause on which CD, in the preface to Erasmus Darwin, says it was based. SB notes in particular that the concluding sentence of the translation, which is clearly aimed at [SB’s] Evolution, old and new, is not in the original. Since readers will assume the text of Erasmus Darwin was written before his book appeared, SB asks for an explanation.
Summary
Asks CD for reference to the edition of Kosmos that contains the original of Ernst Krause’s article on Dr Erasmus Darwin. There are serious differences between the translation by W. S. Dallas and the Feb [1879] article by Krause on which CD, in the preface to Erasmus Darwin, says it was based. SB notes in particular that the concluding sentence of the translation, which is clearly aimed at [SB’s] Evolution, old and new, is not in the original. Since readers will assume the text of Erasmus Darwin was written before his book appeared, SB asks for an explanation.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-12393
- From
- Samuel Butler
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Clifford’s Inn, 15
- Source of text
- DAR 92: B65–6
- Physical description
- 4pp & ACCS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12393,” accessed on 18 April 2021, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCP-LETT-12393.xml
