Ɛpsilon

To John Fiske   5 August [1879]1

Waterhead Hotel | Coniston, Ambleside

Augt. 5th

My dear Mr Fiske

I received two days ago the kind present of your essays.—2 I had intended to write after I had read them; but I wish to remain in an idiotic state of idleness, as long as I possibly can, & after reading half of the first essay, I can plainly see that they will set me thinking. So I shall defer reading them until my present golden state of vacuity becomes quite intolerable, & then they will be a real pleasure to me.—

So pray believe me with many thanks | Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin

1
The year is established by the address; the Darwins stayed at Coniston in the Lake District from 2 to 27 August 1879 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).
2
Fiske had sent Darwinism, and other essays (Fiske 1879); the first essay in the collection was ‘Darwinism verified’. CD’s copy is in the Darwin Library–Down.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 Ambleside] above del ‘Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12183,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12183