My dear Sir

I herewith close this correspondence & will say nothing even in this letter calculated to annoy you in the least.

Perhaps it would be better taste not to reply at all but as you let me know you will not read my reply to M^r. C. Wright I feel I ought to inform you of two facts.¹

One is that in charging me with ignoring physical causation when I use the word “accidental” both M^r Wright & P. Huxley misrepresent me grotesquely.²

Secondly M^r Wright takes the liberty to speak of my “theological education”—³ as a fact my education was quite the other way. I was a thorough going disciple of the school of Mill, Bain & H. Spencer⁴ & I am so strongly persuaded of the intellectual error & moral mischief of their views only because they were once so completely mine— As to “Natural Selection” I accepted it completely and in fact my doubts & difficulties were first excited by attending Prof. Huxley’s lectures at the school of Mines.⁵

Thirdly— I have a relation who has I think an excellent literary taste— He is no Christian & in speculative matters sympathizes much more with you than with me.⁶ It has been his task to look over my proofs & to strike out every expression which might seem to him to be calculated to wound your feelings & I have always deferred to his opinions in the matter.

I shall not, of course, trouble you with anything of mine unless perfectly free from controversial remarks. If however, as I hope, I may resume my purely anatomical work I shall then take the liberty of sending you my papers— If you think proper to accept & acknowledge them it will give me great pleasure to see once more your hand writing but if not I shall hope that in another world, with misunderstandings removed, we may have pleasant intercourse as to our diverse modes of solving the enigma of nature

I am exceedingly sorry to have caused you mortification & I protest, in spite of all you may think, I have, do and shall feel more than “friendly” towards you & that it is not in mere formality that I subscribe myself

Yours very sincerely | S^t Geo Mivart

To | C. Darwin Esq