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Darwin Correspondence Project

From G. G. Bianconi1   22 February 1875

Signore!

Io vi debbo ringraziare per la gentile vostra letta. 8. corrente e per l’accoglienza con cui avete onorato il libro che vi diressi.2 Dallo studio delle vostre Opere io aveva già ben conosciuto quanto voi foste persuaso del principio di evoluzione, e quindi non mi ha sorpreso la vostra fede in esso, della quale mi dà conferme la stessa vostra lettera. Ma voi avrete senza dubbio avvertito che le molte prove enumerate nel mio libro mi rendono persuaso della creazione indipendente. Così abbiamo entrambi cercate sinceramente la verità, e solo gli studi futuri potranno dire a quale dei due lati essa si trovi. Io spero tuttavia che questa divergenza non verrà punto a turbare la buona relazione che per mio onore è nata fra noi.

Apprendo con pena che la vostra salute sia debilitata; in causa senza dubbio delle soverchie fatiche da voi sostenute. Desidero, e vi auguro che possiate ricuperarla interamente: perchè se la Scienza vi deve molto pel passato, attende anche molto da voi per l’avvenire.

Conservatemi la vostra grazia, e credetemi con sentimenti di stima e di ossequio | vostro dev.mo servitore | G. Giuseppe Bianconi.

Bologna 22. Febbo. 1875

Footnotes

For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
CD’s letter has not been found, but see the letter from G. G. Bianconi,1 February 1875 and n. 2. Bianconi had sent his book La teoria Darwiniana e la creazione detta indipendente (The Darwinian theory and the independent creation; Bianconi 1874).

Bibliography

Bianconi, Giovanni Giuseppe. 1874. La théorie darwinienne et la création dite indépendante. Lettre à Ch. Darwin. Bologna: Zanichelli.

Translation

From G. G. Bianconi1   22 February 1875

Sir!

I must thank you for your kind letter of the 8th of the month and for honouring the book I sent you with such a welcome.2 From your works I already knew well how convinced you are of the principle of evolution, and accordingly I was not surprised by the trust in it that your letter confirmed. Still, doubtless you are aware that all the evidence listed in my book convinced me of the truth of independent creation. Thus we have both sincerely sought the truth, and only future studies will decide on which of the two sides it lies. I hope nevertheless that this disagreement will not affect the good relations which, to my honour, have developed between us.

I regret to hear that your health is weakened, no doubt owing to the extreme exertions you sustained. I hope and wish for you to recover entirely: for if science has owed you much in the past, it will anticipate all the more from you in the future.

Continue to think well of me, and believe me with sentiments of esteem and regard

Your most devoted servant | G Giuseppe Bianconi

Bologna 22 Feby. 1875

Footnotes

For a transcription of this letter in its original Italian, see p. 73.
CD’s letter has not been found, but see the letter from G. G. Bianconi,1 February 1875 and n. 2. Bianconi had sent his book La teoria Darwiniana e la creazione detta indipendente (The Darwinian theory and the independent creation; Bianconi 1874).

Bibliography

Bianconi, Giovanni Giuseppe. 1874. La théorie darwinienne et la création dite indépendante. Lettre à Ch. Darwin. Bologna: Zanichelli.

Summary

Thanks for CD’s reception of his book. The evidence GGB has assembled has convinced him of independent creation. The future will say whether he or CD is correct.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-9865
From
Giovanni Giuseppe Bianconi
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Bologna
Source of text
DAR 160: 182
Physical description
ALS 3pp (Italian)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 9865,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-9865.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 23

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