To John Murray   2 June 1879

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

June 2 | 1879

My dear Sir

I intend to publish a translation of a sketch of the life of Erasmus Darwin by Dr Krause; & I shall prefix to it a preliminary notice by myself, consisting of about 130 folio M.S. pages.1

I intend to have rather large type on thickish paper with cut gold edges—

There will be three wood-cuts & a photograph of Dr D.

The book therefore will be for its size rather expensive.2

I should guess that it wd be about 200 pages. I have endeavoured to make my notice interesting to the public, but whether I have succeeded is quite doubtful. Dr Krause’s part relates chiefly to my grandfather on evolution. I have written to Messrs Clowes to ask them whether they can oblige me by setting up the whole of my preliminary notice in slips.3 You can then if you please see a copy; & decide whether you will publish it on commission for me, or on our old terms of 23 profit.4

I am quite incapable of forming any judgement of the chance of the little book selling fairly well.

My dear Sir | yours very sincerely— | Ch. Darwin

LS(A)

1
CD had written a biographical sketch of his grandfather Erasmus Darwin to accompany an English translation of Ernst Krause’s essay (Krause 1879a).
2
In the event, the published book contained a portrait of Erasmus Darwin as the frontispiece and two woodcuts, one of Elston Hall, where Erasmus was born, and one of Breadsall Priory, where he died (Erasmus Darwin, pp. 3, 125); it was sold for 7s. 6d. (see letter from R. F. Cooke, 25 October 1879).
3
The letter to William Clowes & Sons, printers to John Murray, has not been found.
4
Murray usually published CD’s books at his own expense and paid CD a percentage of the profits on publication (an advance against royalties).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.1 thickish] ‘ish’ interl in CD’s hand

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12078,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12078