To Raphael Meldola   26 November [1878]

My dear Sir

I am very sorry to say that I cannot agree to your suggestion.— An author is never a fit judge of his own work, & I should dislike extremely pointing out when & how Weismann’s conclusions & work, agreed with my own.—¹ I feel sure that I ought not to do this, & it would be to me an intolerable task. Nor does it seem to me the proper office of the Preface, which is to show what the book contains & that the contents appear to me valuable. But I can see no objection for you, if you think fit, to write an introduction with remarks or criticisms of any kind. Of course I w^d. be glad to advise you on any point as far as lay in my power, but as a whole I could have nothing to do with it, on the grounds above specified that an author cannot & ought not to attempt to judge his own works or compare them with others. I am sorry to refuse to do anything which you wish.—

We return home early tomorrow morning— Your green silk seems to me a splendid colour, whatever the æsthetics may say—²

My dear Sir | yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin