Ɛpsilon

To Karl Alberts   [after 9 February 1879]1

Dear Sir

I beg leave to return to you & to the Editors of Kosmos my most sincere th. for the unprecedented honour, which they have done me by publishing a [Geden....] in commemoration of my Birthday.—2 I hope also that you will express to Herr A. Fitger my acknowledgement for the remarkable poem which the ghost of Faust has addressed to me.3 I see that there is much in the number, which will naturally interest me greatly.— It is no small honour, that so distinguished a person as Prof Prey. shd have published a sketch of my life, & in casting my eye over the list of what I have published I am astonished at its completeness, & I could not myself without much labour & reflection have compiled so complete a list.4

With my repeated thanks for the honour conferred on me | I remain Dear Sir | Yours faithfully | C. D.

ADraftS

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Karl Alberts, 9 February 1879.
2
Alberts had sent CD a special issue of Kosmos with essays on CD’s life and work commemorating CD’s 70th birthday on 12 February 1879; see letter from Karl Alberts, 9 February 1879.
3
Arthur Fitger’s poem ‘Faust’s Schatten an Charles Darwin’ (Faust’s shade to Charles Darwin) appeared in Kosmos 4 (1878–9): 335–8.
4
William Preyer’s biographical sketch of CD included an extensive list of CD’s publications from 1837 to 1877 (Preyer 1879, pp. 346–9).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.4 the ghost] after del ‘he has written’
1.7 in casting] after del ‘I’
1.8 I am astonished] above del ‘it is wonderfully’
1.8 at its] added
1.8 completeness] altered from ‘complete’
1.8 could not] after del ‘do not’ over del ‘do n’
1.9 have compiled] above del ‘have compiled’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11867,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-11867