From J. V. Carus 3 June 1869
Leipzig,
June 3. 1869.
My dear Sir,
I must beg your pardon for answering your kind letter so late.1 But as there there is no hurry for the new german edition, there was no necessity for troubling you again. Now, as the time of the publication of the new English edition is coming on, I answer first your question about this. If you would be kind enough to send me a bound copy I should be very obliged. There is no occasion to send me the corrected sheets, as I shall of course go through the whole new edition line by line.2
I don’t know if the late Mr Bronn has ever written to you about the german title of the “Origin”. His translation of this word by “Entstehung” is not so correct as “Ursprung” would be.3 I used the last word in the few introductory lines I added to the first edition I published after Bronn.4 The publisher has no objection to alter the word in the title.5 I am rather doubtful if it would be well done; for the book is now known in Germany as “Entstehung”. Of course there is plenty of time to think of this, yet I thought it better to mention it to you. Perhaps you will be so good as to tell me some time what you think best.
I see from your letter that you changed your residence. As I don’t know if it is only a temporary change I direct these lines to Beckenham, hoping that they will reach you.6
Believe me | My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | J. Victor Carus
Footnotes
Bibliography
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Summary
Will use new English edition [5th, of Origin] in preparing for [4th] German edition. Bronn’s translation of Origin in the title as "Entstehung" is not so precise as "Ursprung" would be. The publisher does not object to changing the title, but JVC is doubtful, because the Origin is so well known in Germany as Entstehung. Asks CD’s opinion.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6774
- From
- Julius Victor Carus
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Leipzig
- Source of text
- DAR 161: 71
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6774,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6774.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17