Ɛpsilon

To R. F. Cooke   17 December [1875]1

2, Bryanston St.

Dec. 17th

My dear Sir

I am glad the Italians have at last proved themselves not to be rogues.

It is clear they do not intend to bring out the Expression Book soon; I made it clear that 10£ was for wood-cuts alone, and they intend to have fresh Photographs made as they can get them cheaper than the charge from Heliotype Coy.2

No corrections for Voyage of Beagle: it has never been touched since first published by Mr. Murray.3

I go home early on Monday morning, and will write at once about Climbing Plants and Origin.4

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

Copy

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from R. F. Cooke, 14 December 1875.
2
CD had written to the Italian publisher who wished to publish a translation of Expression as well as Variation 2d ed. (see the letter to R. F. Cooke, 6 October [1875]); CD’s letter has not been found. John Murray charged an additional sum for supplying the heliotype illustrations in Expression (see Correspondence vol. 20, letter from R. F. Cooke, 1 August 1872). The illustrations had been made by the London Heliotype Company. The Italians were considered to be rogues because the publisher Nicola Zanichelli delayed the publication of the Italian translation of Variation, and the subsequent publisher Carlo Vincenzi failed to pay for stereotypes of the illustrations of Variation 2d ed. (letter from R. F. Cooke, 26 May 1875 and nn. 1 and 3).
3
The first edition of Journal of researches was published in 1839 by Henry Colburn; the second edition was published in 1845 by John Murray, who also issued all further UK reprints in CD’s lifetime. Although not called a third edition, the 1860 printing contained corrections by CD (Journal of researches (1860), p. vii).
4
CD returned to Down from London on Monday 20 December 1875 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). Cooke had asked for any corrections CD might want to make to Climbing plants 2d ed. and Origin 6th ed. (see letter from R. F. Cooke, 14 December 1875).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10304,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10304