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Darwin Correspondence Project

To J. D. Hooker   13 [May 1860]1

Down

13th

My dear Hooker

I return Henslow, which I was very glad to see. How good of him to defend me.—2 I will write & thank him.—3 As you said you were curious to hear Thomson’s opinion, I send his kind letter.4 He is evidently a strong opposer to us; but his arguments rather remind me of an old Lady who defended Christianity to my Father, saying “Doctor Doctor, I know that sugar is sweet, & I know that my Redeemer liveth.”—5

Your affect | C. D.

Footnotes

The endorsement is confirmed by the reference to the letter from J. S. Henslow to J. D. Hooker, 10 May 1860.
See following letter.
Thomas Thomson’s letter has not been found. Thomson had collaborated with Hooker on the Flora Indica (Hooker and Thomson 1855). He was superintendent of the botanic garden in Calcutta.
This anecdote is given in Autobiography, p. 96.

Bibliography

Autobiography: The autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809–1882. With original omissions restored. Edited with appendix and notes by Nora Barlow. London: Collins. 1958.

Summary

J. S. Henslow’s defence of CD;

[Thomas?] Thomson’s opposition to Origin.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2798
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 115: 54
Physical description
ALS 1p

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2798,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2798.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 8

letter