Summary

Urges EK to do as he thinks best about German edition of Erasmus Darwin. CD sends original of EK’s essay and translation of parts he has not used.

Summary

German edition of Erasmus Darwin will not appear until next year.

Summary

Will wait for CD’s preliminary essay before proceeding with German edition [of Erasmus Darwin]. Regards CD’s essay as the principal attraction. Would like to finish German edition by end of July.

Summary

Birthday greetings.

Regrets Butler’s malicious attack.

Summary

Thanks for sketch of Erasmus Darwin by John Dowson [see Erasmus Darwin, p. iv]; would like to incorporate this information into MS. Previous biographers of Erasmus Darwin had insufficient knowledge of what appeared in his works.

Summary

Sends copy of a lecture [by John Dowson, see 11949] published in 1861.

Has not yet found a copy of Anna Seward’s biography for EK. It is a wretched, inaccurate book. To contradict Anna Seward’s version, CD intends to write a short preface to the translation of EK’s essay. Doubts that it will be worth translating into German.

Summary

Has returned corrected sheets [of Erasmus Darwin] to Dallas. [CD’s note forwards this letter to a third person, presumably W. S. Dallas.]

Summary

Answers EK’s questions. Sorry to report Erasmus Darwin sold only 600 copies at advance sale.

Summary

Relieved to hear that EK approves of his notice [preface for Erasmus Darwin]. Is reflecting on idea that it might appear after EK’s article as "an additional or supplementary notice".

Grieved to hear that Grant Allen has been accused of plagiarism.

Summary

Glad to receive the German edition of Erasmus Darwin. Hopes sales will be good. Favourable review has appeared in the United States, in the Nation.

Summary

Insists that EK take the profits from the English edition of Erasmus Darwin. EK’s essay is the valuable part of the book; CD’s is mainly gossip.

Summary

Thanks EK for kind letter.

CD’s date on epitaph is a dreadful mistake. CD often overlooks errata.

Summary

CD agrees entirely with EK’s proposal. Has collected a good deal of material. Useless to hunt for correspondence between Dr Darwin and Samuel Johnson. They met only once and hated one another. Dr Darwin is said to have taken Henry Brooke, who published a poem entitled "Universal beauty", as a model.

Summary

Thanks for printed sheets and MS. Intends that German version should follow the English, but will add notes to clarify unfamiliar material for German readers.

Thanks for list of plant names.

Summary

Responds to CD’s offer to pay for subscription to Kosmos.

Comments on his own honorarium for English edition of Erasmus Darwin. Success of German edition.

Summary

All his advisers agree that CD ought not to take notice of Butler’s attack.

F. M. Balfour has offered to translate EK’s reply to Butler and to send it to Nature. [The letter was published in Nature 23 (1881): 288.]

Summary

Answers EK’s queries about Erasmus Darwin’s friends and relations. Will rectify Anna Seward’s false account of Dr Darwin’s conduct. Advises EK to leave to him the account of the Darwin family. Declines EK’s offer to allow CD to alter his MS. Fears repetition in the two essays. They can judge how best to present the material when they have seen each other’s manuscripts.

Summary

Assures EK that he will not change his mind about publishing a translation of EK’s article on Erasmus Darwin. It is unfortunate that Samuel Butler should have published [Evolution, old and new] just then, but that does not change CD’s determination.

Butler is clever, but knows no science. His views that cells have memory and the power of wishing – even if correct – cannot explain how they could change themselves chemically or structurally.

EK can do anything he likes with CD’s preface [to Erasmus Darwin].

Summary

Pleased by favourable English newspaper reviews of Erasmus Darwin. Charles Reinwald has not yet said whether he wants to use annotations intended for German readers.

Summary

Hopes to send last part of his work soon. CD may lay it aside or print only parts of it. Wants to add account of evolutionists before Erasmus Darwin. Superficial account by Samuel Butler makes this necessary.