Ɛpsilon

From L. B. B. Dykes   1 September [1881]1

Hotel Windsor | Rue de Rivoli | Paris

September 1.

My dear Darwin

I saw yesterday with the deepest regret the death of your brother in the Times—2 Little did I think when I was with him some 5 or 6 weeks ago that I then saw him for the last time! he was in excellent spirits; & really seemed to be stronger & better in health than usual— true he had been long suffering— but so sudden a termination of his career greatly grieves & shocks me. A more thoroughly honorable & excellent a man never lived— possessing great abilities & great & varied information. I say no more— but I felt impelled to write you a brief but most sincere letter of condolence— it is many, many years since we met, but I retain a most vivid recollection of my old Schoolfellow, “Charles Darwin”—a name now known and respected throughout the Civilized world!3 No answer!— I was very glad to become acquainted with your youngest son some time ago at Cambridge thro’ our good mutual friend W. Thomson—4 I hope I may meet him there again—

Believe me | very truly yrs | L. B. B. Dykes

not knowing your address I direct this to Queen Anne St.5

1
The year is established by the reference to the death of Erasmus Alvey Darwin.
2
E. A. Darwin had died on 26 August 1881; the announcement of his death appeared in The Times, 30 August 1881, p. 1.
3
Dykes, E. A. Darwin, and CD had attended Shrewsbury School.
4
In November 1880, E. A. Darwin had given CD an account of the dinner in Cambridge at which Dykes had been introduced to Horace Darwin by William Thomson (see Correspondence vol. 28, letter from E. A. Darwin, 14 November [1880]). Dykes and Thomson were fellows of Peterhouse (Alum. Cantab.).
5
Queen Anne Street was Erasmus Alvey Darwin’s London address.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13310,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13310