skip to content
Home

Darwin Correspondence Project

From Ernst Krause1   14 November 1879

Berlin N.O. Friedenstrasse 10. II

den 14.11.79.

Hochverehrter Herr!

Zunächst sage ich Ihnen herzlichen Dank für Ihren freundlichen Brief vom 10t. c., sowie für das Exemplar der englischen Ausgabe, welches Sie die Güte hatten, mir zu senden.2 Das Buch macht einen so gewinnenden Eindruck und enthält soviel Interessantes aus dem intimen Leben Englands aus dem vorigen Jahrhundert, dass ich überzeugt bin, es wird vielen Beifall finden. Das Portrait ist sehr schön ausgefallen, und ich werde unter allen Umständen darauf dringen, dass es der deutschen Ausgabe nicht fehlen darf. Wie ich nachträglich erfahren habe, ist an der hässlichen Geschichte zunächst der Umstand, dass Mr. Murray nicht einen einzigen Brief des deutschen Verlegers beantwortet hat, woraus sich bei diesem eine Empfindlichkeit entwickelt hat, die ihn gewiss heute selbst am allermeisten schmerzt, nachdem ich ihm geschrieben habe, dass die Angelegenheit Sie unangenehm berührt habe.3 Ich werde nunmehr die Bestellung durch einen Londoner Commissionär in meinem Namen machen und die Vorausbezahlung, wenn verlangt, bewirken.

Leider muss ich Sie nun, hochverehrter Herr, nochmals in dieser Angelegenheit bemühen, nämlich mit der Bitte, über einige der in dem Buche erwähnten Persönlichkeiten und Vorkomnisse mir einige kurze Notizen geben zu wollen soweit sie Personen betreffen, die in unsern Nachschlagewerken nicht erwähnt werden. Natürlich würden für die Anmerkungen je 2–3 Zeilen genügen. Auch möchte ich Sie bitten, nur die jenigen Fragen, gütigst beantworten zu wollen, deren Beantwortung Ihnen keine Mühe und Umstände bereitet. Verzeihen Sie nur, wenn ich wieder wie ein Examinator frage, aber meine Lage ist weniger angenehm, denn ich muss Ihnen mit jeder Frage eine Lücke meines Wissens verrathen.

1. Ist der p. 4 erwähnte Mr. Stukeley derselbe, welcher über Stonehenge und Abury geschrieben hat?4

2 Was war der Spalding-Club (p. 4) für eine Gesellschaft, und wo hatte Sie ihren Sitz?5

3. War der p. 8 erwähnte “Scribelerus” eine Wochenschrift wie der “Tatler”, oder sonst ein Buch?6

4. War Dr. Okes7 (p. 14) ein Arzt, oder sonst eine allgemeinbekannte Persönlichkeit?

5. War Dr. Bentley (p. 16) ein Sohn des berühmten Kritikers und ein Vorfahr des berühmten Botanikers dieses Namens?8

6. War Sir Brooke Bothby9 als Naturforscher oder Dichter berühmt? (p. 36)

7. Ist Ihnen bekannt, was für Versuche Dr. Crawfords10 (p. 51) gemeint sind?

8. War der p. 53 erwähnte Lord Cavendish ein Bruder des berühmten Naturforschers?11

9. Prof. Duncan (p. 82) war wohl Mediciner? und ist der gleichzeitig erwähnte Sir H. Raeburn als Juwelier berühmt geworden?12

10. Wer war Mr. Cradock (p. 89)?13

11. Soll “Darwinian snowdrops” (p. 90) nur von Dr. Darwin gepflanzte Schneeglöckchen bedeuten, oder handelt es sich um eine nach ihm benannte Art?14

12. Wer war Foot (p 102)?15

13. Hatte der Lunar Club (p 121) seinen Sitz zu Lichfield?16

Es sind das leider eine grosse Anzahl von Fragen, mit denen ich Sie belästen muss, aber ich hoffe nun auch, dass dies die letzte Plage sein wird, die Sie mit diesem kleinen Buche haben. Die Anmerkungen über diese und manche andre Punkte zu machen, erscheint mir für den deutschen Leser unerlässlich; sie sollen sammt dem Original-Text der poetischen Citate in einen Appendix kommen, während der übrige Theil der englischen Ausgabe gänzlich entsprechen wird.

Indem ich Ihnen, hochverehrter Herr, meinen innigsten Dank sage, dass Sie meine kleine Arbeit mit Ihrer Einleitung in die Oeffentlichkeit bringen, zeichne ich | Mit herzlichster Verehrung | Ihr | treulich ergebener | Ernst Krause

Footnotes

1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
See letter to Ernst Krause, 10 November 1879. Krause’s name is on CD’s presentation list for Erasmus Darwin (Appendix IV).
3
CD had paid John Murray (1808–92) in advance for photographs of the frontispiece of Erasmus Darwin for the German edition; he had been upset when the German publisher Karl Alberts cancelled the order (see letter to Ernst Krause, 4 November 1879).
4
William Stukeley was the author of medical and antiquarian works, including Stonehenge: a temple restor’d to the British druids (Stukeley 1740) and Abury: a temple of the British druids (Stukeley 1743). Abury is Avebury in Wiltshire.
5
In Erasmus Darwin, p. 4, CD mentions that Erasmus Darwin’s father, Robert Darwin (1682–1754), was a member of the ‘Spalding Club’; this was the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society (see Leveritt and Elsden 1986).
6
‘Turned over a few pages in Scribelerus’ (Erasmus Darwin, p. 8): probably a misspelling of ‘Scriblerus’, a common pseudonym, most famously used by Alexander Pope in The Dunciad (Pope 1729).
8
Thomas Bentley. Krause probably refers to the classical scholar Richard Bentley and to the botanist Robert Bentley.
9
Brooke Boothby (1744–1824) was a poet and translator.
12
Andrew Duncan was a professor of medicine at Edinburgh University (ODNB). Henry Raeburn was a Scottish portrait painter who had been apprenticed to a goldsmith as a young man (ODNB).
14
The snowdrops were planted by Erasmus Darwin in his garden near Lichfield (see Erasmus Darwin, p. 90).
15
‘Every John Hunter must expect a Jessy Foot to pursue him, as a fly bites a horse’ (Erasmus Darwin, p. 102): the passage alludes to Jesse Foot’s hostile biography of the surgeon and anatomist John Hunter (see ODNB s.v. Foot, Jesse).
16
The Lunar Society of Birmingham met for dinner and discussion at a member’s home each month (Schofield 1963, pp. 3–4; see letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 and n. 3).

Bibliography

Leveritt, Norman and Elsden, Michael J. 1986. Aspects of Spalding, 1790–1930. Spalding: Chameleon.

Pope, Alexander. 1729. The Dunciad, variorum: with the prolegomena of Scriblerus. London: A. Dob.

Schofield, Robert E. 1963. The Lunar Society of Birmingham. A social history of provincial science and industry in eighteenth-century England. Oxford: Clarendon Press of Oxford University.

Stukeley, William. 1740. Stonehenge: a temple restor’d to the British druids. London: W. Innys and R. Manby.

Stukeley, William. 1743. Abury: a temple restor’d to the British druids. London: the author.

Translation

From Ernst Krause1   14 November 1879

Berlin N.O. Friedenstrasse 10. II

14.11.79.

Highly esteemed Sir!

First let me thank you cordially for your kind letter of 10th of this month, as well as for the copy of the English edition, which you kindly sent me.2 The book makes such an engaging impression and contains so many interesting details about the private life of England in the previous century that I am convinced it will be greeted with much acclaim. The portrait turned out very well and I shall press for it not to be missing from the German edition under any circumstances. As I found out subsequently, the ugly story was initially caused by the circumstance that Mr Murray did not reply to a single letter from the German publisher, as a result of which he developed an oversensitivity, which surely now pains him himself most all of, for I wrote to him that the matter was distasteful to you.3 I will now place the order through a London agent in my name and arrange for advance payment, if required.

Unfortunately, highly esteemed Sir, I must now trouble you again on this matter, namely with the request to supply me with a few notes regarding characters and events that are mentioned in the book, insofar as they concern persons who are not mentioned in our reference works. Of course 2–3 lines each would suffice for the notes. Also, I would ask you to kindly answer only those queries that will not cause you trouble and inconvenience. Please forgive me if I ask like an examiner, but my position is less pleasant, for with every question I must betray to you a gap in my knowledge.

1. Is Mr Stukely who is mentioned on p. 4 the same as the one who wrote about Stonehenge and Abury?4

2. What kind of society was the Spalding Club (p. 4) and where were its premises?5

3. Was the “Scriblerus” mentioned on p. 8 a weekly like the “Tatler” or a book?6

4. Was Dr Okes7 (p. 14) a physician, or some generally known personality?

5. Was Dr Bentley (p. 16) a son of the famous critic and an ancestor of the famous botanist of this name?8

6. Was Sir Brooke Bothby9 famous as a naturalist or as a poet? (p. 36)

7. Do you know what kind of experiments by Dr Crawford10 (p. 51) are referred to?

8. Was Lord Cavendish who is mentioned on p. 53 a brother of the famous naturalist?11

9. Prof. Duncan (p. 82) was no doubt a medical man? and did Sir H. Raeburn who is mentioned at the same time become famous as a jeweller?12

10. Who was Mr Cradock (p. 89)?13

11. Does “Darwinian snowdrops” (p. 90) just mean snowdrops that were planted by Dr. Darwin, or are they a species named after him?14

12. Who was Foot (p. 102)?15

13. Were the premises of the Lunar Club (p. 121) at Lichfield?16

Unfortunately there are a large number of questions that I need to burden you with, but I do hope that this is the last bother you will have with this little book. It seems essential to me to supply the German reader with notes about these and a few other points; together with the original text of poetical quotations, they will form an appendix, while the remainder will conform to the English edition in every respect.

Offering my most heartfelt thanks to you, most esteemed Sir, for bringing my little labour to the attention of the public with your introduction, I remain | With most cordial respects | Yours | truly devoted | Ernst Krause

Footnotes

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see Transcript.
2
See letter to Ernst Krause, 10 November 1879. Krause’s name is on CD’s presentation list for Erasmus Darwin (Appendix IV).
3
CD had paid John Murray (1808–92) in advance for photographs of the frontispiece of Erasmus Darwin for the German edition; he had been upset when the German publisher Karl Alberts cancelled the order (see letter to Ernst Krause, 4 November 1879).
4
William Stukeley was the author of medical and antiquarian works, including Stonehenge: a temple restor’d to the British druids (Stukeley 1740) and Abury: a temple of the British druids (Stukeley 1743). Abury is Avebury in Wiltshire.
5
In Erasmus Darwin, p. 4, CD mentions that Erasmus Darwin’s father, Robert Darwin (1682–1754), was a member of the ‘Spalding Club’; this was the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society (see Leveritt and Elsden 1986).
6
‘Turned over a few pages in Scribelerus’ (Erasmus Darwin, p. 8): probably a misspelling of ‘Scriblerus’, a common pseudonym, most famously used by Alexander Pope in The Dunciad (Pope 1729).
8
Thomas Bentley. Krause probably refers to the classical scholar Richard Bentley and to the botanist Robert Bentley.
9
Brooke Boothby (1744–1824) was a poet and translator.
12
Andrew Duncan was a professor of medicine at Edinburgh University (ODNB). Henry Raeburn was a Scottish portrait painter who had been apprenticed to a goldsmith as a young man (ODNB).
14
The snowdrops were planted by Erasmus Darwin in his garden near Lichfield (see Erasmus Darwin, p. 90).
15
‘Every John Hunter must expect a Jessy Foot to pursue him, as a fly bites a horse’ (Erasmus Darwin, p. 102): the passage alludes to Jesse Foot’s hostile biography of the surgeon and anatomist John Hunter (see ODNB s.v. Foot, Jesse).
16
The Lunar Society of Birmingham met for dinner and discussion at a member’s home each month (Schofield 1963, pp. 3–4; see letter from E. A. Wheler, 25 March 1879 and n. 3).

Bibliography

Leveritt, Norman and Elsden, Michael J. 1986. Aspects of Spalding, 1790–1930. Spalding: Chameleon.

Pope, Alexander. 1729. The Dunciad, variorum: with the prolegomena of Scriblerus. London: A. Dob.

Schofield, Robert E. 1963. The Lunar Society of Birmingham. A social history of provincial science and industry in eighteenth-century England. Oxford: Clarendon Press of Oxford University.

Stukeley, William. 1740. Stonehenge: a temple restor’d to the British druids. London: W. Innys and R. Manby.

Stukeley, William. 1743. Abury: a temple restor’d to the British druids. London: the author.

Summary

Thanks for English edition [of Erasmus Darwin]. John Murray has not answered letters of German publisher. Questions CD about persons mentioned in book, in order to annotate German edition.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12316
From
Ernst Ludwig (Ernst) Krause
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Berlin
Source of text
DAR 92: B49–50
Physical description
ALS 3pp (German)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12316,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12316.xml

letter

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

© University of Cambridge 2022

Copyright declaration

Privacy policy

Website by Surface Impression

 

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge