Ɛpsilon

To W. E. Gladstone   [4 January 1881]1

[Down.]

Private—Gladstone.

My Dear Sir

The scientific men who have signed the enclosed memorial,2 are aware how much your time is occupied; otherwise they would have asked your permission to present the memorial through a small Deputation.—3 Should you require any further information, I shall be glad to answer any questions which your Secretary may address me may send to me

Those who have signed their names are all capable of judging of the worth for their own special studies, or as as Pres of Scientific Soc on Mr Wallaces scientific work; the D. of A. permits me to say that he would gladly have signed the memorial as [illeg] scientific worker.—4

Hoping that you may be led to take a favourable view of our mem, in which I feel a very deep interest, | I have the honour to remain with great respect | etc

ADraft

1
The date is established by the relationship between this draft letter and the letter to A. B. Buckley, 4 January 1881.
2
CD had circulated a memorial for a civil list pension for Alfred Russel Wallace. It was signed by William Spottiswoode, George James Allman, Henry Walter Bates, Henry Austin Bruce (first Baron Aberdare), William Henry Flower, Albert Günther, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Thomas Henry Huxley, John Lubbock, Andrew Crombie Ramsay, Philip Lutley Sclater, and CD. The enclosed memorial has not been found; for a transcription of a draft of it, see Correspondence vol. 28, Appendix VI. See also Colp 1992.
3
CD had doubted whether it would be wise to send ‘a small Deputation’ to deliver the memorial; Huxley had agreed it would be better to send the memorial with a private note (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter to T. H. Huxley, 27 December 1880, and letter from T. H. Huxley, 28 December 1880).
4
CD had asked George Douglas Campbell, eighth duke of Argyll, to write a separate letter to Gladstone (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter to G. D. Campbell, [before 27 December 1880] and n. 4).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.1 Private— … etc 3.2] blue ink unless otherwise stated
0.3 My] added black ink
1.1 scientific] mended black ink
1.2 asked] after added and del black ink ‘you’; above del ‘asked’
1.2 your] added black ink
1.4 shall] ‘all’ added black ink
1.4 any] after interl and del black ink ‘as far as I can’ transposed black ink from after ‘questions’
1.4 which] black ink above del black ink ‘which I may receive through’
1.5 may address … to me] interl pencil, except 1st ‘me’ added black ink; ‘send to’ above del ‘address’
2.1 Those … work; 2.3] added black ink after del ‘in relation to the memor. in which I take the deepest interest.’
2.1 their names] interl black ink
2.1 of judging … worth] interl black ink
2.1 for their 2.2] after added and del black ink ‘with’
2.2 own] interl black ink
2.2 as as] 1st ‘as’ black ink above black ink del black ink ‘from their positions’
2.2 on] black ink after black ink del black ink ‘to form a sound judgement’
2.3 the D.] after del black ink ‘I beg permission to add that’
2.3 the D. … worker.— 2.4] transposed black ink from before ‘Those who have signed’; ‘D. of Argyll letter dated Dec 20’ added and del margin black ink
2.3 that] after interl ink & del black ink ‘(as you will see by the enclosed note)’
2.3 gladly] added black ink
2.4 [illeg]] black ink added above del black ink ‘a simple’; after added & del black ink illeg
3.1 feel] after interl & del black ink ‘& oth’
3.2 a very deep] black ink above del black ink ‘the deepest’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12975,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12975