To John Murray 30 April [1861]
[Down]
Ap. 30th
My dear Sir
The enclosed was written before receiving yours this morning, for which I am much obliged & for your Bill for £480, for which I return you my thanks & send the Receipt.—1
The nine months’ time seems to me perfectly reasonable. In the Receipt you speak of 2000 copies; in your note you say 2500; I shd. like to know which is correct; I presume 2000.—2
I am not surprised at the sale slackening, & I formerly thought the number which you printed rather bold, but I now find so many persons deeply interested in subject that I believe whole Edition will sell sooner or later.— Pray remember to advertise with “additions & Corrections”, for I find that several persons have read the Book twice & thrice, & it is not unlikely that some would buy the new Edition.— When next in London I will call on you to consult about illustrations on my Book on “Variation under Domestication” which slowly but surely progresses.—
With many thanks for your uniform kindness | Believe me | My dear Sir | Yours sincerely | C. Darwin
[Enclosure]3
London. April 29/61 Received of John Murray Esqre the Sum of Four and eighty pounds4 (by his promissery note) for the third Edition (2000 copies) of my Work on the Origin of Species
£4805 Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
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.
Summary
Thanks JM for bill for £480 and sends receipt. Number of copies differs in note and in receipt (2500 and 2000, respectively). Not surprised sale is slackening; number printed was bold. Reminds JM to advertise "with additions and corrections".
Will consult JM on illustrations for Variation.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3129
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Murray
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms.42153 f. 27)
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp encl
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3129,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3129.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 9