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From Ernst Krause1   16 January 1880

Berlin N.O. Friedenstrasse 10. II.

den 16.1.80.

Hochverehrter Herr!

Zunächst meinen ergebensten Dank für die freundliche Uebersendung der Blaetter aus der Popular-Science-Review abstattend,2 muss ich leider hinzufügen, dass ich mit meinen Plackereien immer noch nicht am Ende bin. Ich hoffe aber, es wird die letzte Auskunft sein, um die ich Sie, in Sachen des kleinen Buches bemühen muss, nämlich mit der Bitte, mir freundlichst sagen zu wollen, was das Amt des auf Seite 1 erwähnten yeoman of the armourÿ für Funktionen in sich schloss?3 Ich habe das Wort im Text unübersetzt gelassen, fühle mich aber verpflichtet, in den Anmerkungen ein Wort darüber zu sagen und kann in deutschen Lexicis keine passende Uebersetzung dazu finden. War es, was man jetzt Director oder Vorsteher nennen würde, oder mehr ein subalternes Amt, wie Aufseher, Schlieser und dergl.?

Ferner möchte ich Sie noch um gütige Auskunft bitten, ob der S. 34 erwähnte “alte Hooker”, mit Richard Hooker (X 16) identisch ist?4

Verzeihen Sie, diese wiederholten Attentate auf Ihre kostbare Zeit, hochverehrter Herr | Ihrem | Dankbar ergebenen | Ernst Krause

1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
A review of Erasmus Darwin was published in Popular Science Review 19 (1880): 69–71. See letter to Ernst Krause, 5 January 1880.
3
In Erasmus Darwin, p. 1, William Darwin (of Cleatham, 1573?–1644) is described as a ‘yeoman of the armoury of Greenwich to James I and Charles I’. A yeoman, in this sense, was a servant or attendant in a royal household, usually of a superior grade (OED).
4
‘X 16’ is a footnote marker; this was changed to n. 18 in Krause 1880, p. 20.

From Ernst Krause1   16 January 1880

Berlin N.O. Friedenstrasse 10. II.

16.1.80.

Highly esteemed Sir!

Thanking you first most humbly for kindly sending me the pages from the Popular Science Review,2 I unfortunately must add that my drudgery is not over yet. Still, I hope this will be the last query with which I must bother you in the matter of the little book, namely, could you kindly tell me what functions were comprised in the office of the yeoman of the armoury, which is mentioned on p. 1?3 I have left the word untranslated in the text, but I feel obliged to say something about it in the notes and cannot find a suitable translation in the German encyclopedias. Was it what one would now call a director or chairman, or was it a more subordinate office, such as supervisor, doorkeeper, or something similar?

Furthermore, could you kindly tell me whether the “old Hooker” mentioned on p. 34 is the same as Richard Hooker (X 16)?4

Begging your forgiveness for these repeated attempts on your precious time, most esteemed Sir | Yours | gratefully devoted | Ernst Krause

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see p. 36–7.
2
A review of Erasmus Darwin was published in Popular Science Review 19 (1880): 69–71. See letter to Ernst Krause, 5 January 1880.
3
In Erasmus Darwin, p. 1, William Darwin (of Cleatham, 1573?–1644) is described as a ‘yeoman of the armoury of Greenwich to James I and Charles I’. A yeoman, in this sense, was a servant or attendant in a royal household, usually of a superior grade (OED).
4
‘X 16’ is a footnote marker; this was changed to n. 18 in Krause 1880, p. 20.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12427,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12427