Ɛpsilon

To G. R. Jesse   23 April 1881

[Down.]

Ap. 23d. 1881

Private G. Jesse

My Dear Sir

I regret that I cannot comply with your request to permit the publication of my letter.1 Nor can I see that it wd do any good to either of our opposed sides.— I published the letter to Prof. Holmgren, as I thought it rightly or wrongly my duty; but I cannot stand, now that I am old the wear & tear of controversy—2 I have been glad to read the letter in the Lancet, which is creditable to all concerned in it.3 I assure you that the letters sent privately to several physiologists have been more atrocious publications, than I should think any human being was capable of writing; some being written by ladies.— As I said before we must each go on our own course, & hope & believe that the right will in the long run prevail—

I remain | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

ADraftS

1
CD had explained his views on vivisection in his letter to G. R. Jesse, 21 April 1881; Jesse had wanted to publish this letter (see letter from G. R. Jesse, 22 April 1881).
2
CD’s letter to Frithiof Holmgren, [14] April 1881, had been published in The Times, 18 April 1881, p. 10.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.6 sent privately] above del ‘written’
1.6 have] after del ‘one of whom had note from you’
1.6 more] above del ‘the most’
1.7 should] interl
1.7 was] interl
1.8 own] interl
2.1 faithfully] after del ‘very’
2.1 Darwin] before del blue crayon ‘Some years ago my wife & myself [‘but without’ del] spent much labour & time on trying [through short] paper about traps but as far [interl] we could judge without doing the least good’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13136,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13136