To J. D. Hooker [23 November 1858]1
[Down]
Tuesday
My dear Hooker
I write in haste to say that I was going to offer to write, though unwillingly on account of my health, Lyell’s eloge,2 but I have just recollected that Henslow comes on Thursday3 & on my honour I shall be utterly incapable of doing any earthly thing on Thursday, Friday & Saturday & you cannot imagine the anxiety I shd. feel to be well enough to do the work before post-time on Monday.4 Nor shd I much like sending in the eloge without your seeing it.— I know well how much bound I am to do anything for you, but without you lived with me you cannot form any conception how incapable I am of any exertion of mind or body. Daily after my work is done at 12 oclock my head swims so that I can hardly walk
Yours affectionately | C. Darwin
You shall hear in few days from me.—
I can do nothing after 12. That confounded Leguminous paper in G. Chronicle was done in afternoon & the consequence was I had to go to Moor Park for a week, & I am resolved I will not attempt mental work in afternoon:5 my head, I do assure you, will not stand it.
Footnotes
Summary
CD declines to write Lyell éloge [for Copley Medal] because of his ill health.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2369
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 114: 251
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2369,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2369.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7