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Darwin Correspondence Project

To R. F. Cooke   9 September 1879

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.)

Sept. 9th 79

My dear Sir

I am very much obliged to you for all your information & kind attendance to my wishes. It pleases me that Mr Murray will allow me 23 profits, for I am very anxious that Dr Krause shd. receive some profit.1 I do hope that the little work will sell fairly; & as I suppose it will have a better chance in your hands than on Commission I gladly agree with the proposed usual terms.—

I have always intended that the book shd. match in size all my previous ones.—

I enclose copy of the Autotype, which was made by the Coy. under the instructions of my son, who understands photography & commands the Photographic Department at Chatham;2 & all that is required is to order copies to be struck off, as soon as estimate is given.— I must know price per 1000 for sake of foreign editors.—

I got estimate of the 2 wood-blocks from Mr. Cooper,3 but cannot this minute lay my hand on it.—

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

I hope that you will enjoy your holidays in Wales: we have just returned from the Lakes, where we had dreadful weather, but most glorious scenery.—4

P.S. 2d. My son & I are preparing a large Botanical book, which will be expensive for the number of Diagrams & which will be dry as dust; & this I must publish on Commission, & if I lose only about 100£ shall think myself very lucky.5

Footnotes

CD was negotiating the terms for Erasmus Darwin, which included a biographical sketch by CD and a translation of an article by Ernst Krause (Krause 1879a). See letter to John Murray, 4 September 1879, and letter from R. F. Cooke, 6 September 1879.
The Autotype Company produced the frontispiece of Erasmus Darwin from an engraving of a portrait by Joseph Wright of Derby (see letter to John Murray, 4 September 1879 and n. 6). Leonard Darwin was an instructor of chemistry and photography at the School of Military Engineering, Chatham (ODNB).
The Darwins had stayed in Coniston in the Lake District from 2 to 27 August 1879 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
CD was working with Francis Darwin on Movement in plants.

Bibliography

Erasmus Darwin. By Ernst Krause. Translated from the German by W. S. Dallas, with a preliminary notice by Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1879.

Krause, Ernst. 1879a. Erasmus Darwin, der Großvater und Vorkämpfer Charles Darwin’s: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Descendenz-Theorie. Kosmos 4 (1878–9): 397–424.

Movement in plants: The power of movement in plants. By Charles Darwin. Assisted by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray. 1880.

Summary

Pleased that JM will allow two-thirds profits [on Erasmus Darwin] for he wants Krause to receive some profit.

He and his son [Francis] are preparing a large botanical work [Movement in plants], dry as dust, which he must publish on commission. He will be lucky to lose only £100.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12222
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Robert Francis Cooke; John Murray
Sent from
Down
Source of text
National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms. 42152 ff. 360–1)
Physical description
ALS 4pp †

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12222,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12222.xml

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