Ɛpsilon

To G. J. Romanes   [after 25 December 1881]1

P.S. Since the above was written I have received your note of the 25th.— I was never more puzzled in my life. Dr Mc. Intosh applied to me before I heard of Mr Ewart; & I shd. feel it rather shabby after telling him that I could not give him a Testimonial (or rather not allow him to use one which I had formerly given him for Aberdeen) on account of having given one to Lankester, & now to give one to Mr Ewart.2 I really cannot judge between the two men.— Mr P. Geddes,3 also, has done excellent work, but I suppose he is a very young man.

Judging from Dr Dickson’s (Prof. of Botany) of Edinburg’s testimonial to Mr Geddes, it seems that Mr Young of Glasgow is also in the field.—4 I am very sorry not to do what you ask me, but I think that I had better not give any testimonial when I feel so doubtful.—5 If moreover, Dr Mc.Intosh were to apply again, I could not refuse to allow him to use again my former testimonial.— I can only say again that I am very sorry

C. D.

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to G. J. Romanes, 10 December [1881], and by the reference to a note written on the 25th.
2
Romanes’s note has not been found. CD had recommended Edwin Ray Lankester for the professorship in natural history at Edinburgh. William Carmichael McIntosh had asked for CD’s support for the position, and Romanes had recommended James Cossar Ewart (see letter to E. R. Lankester, 31 October 1881 and n. 1, letter to W. C. McIntosh, [after 21 November 1881], and letter to G. J. Romanes, 10 December [1881]). CD had previously supported McIntosh for the position of regius professor of natural history at Aberdeen (see Correspondence vol. 26, letter to C. W. Thomson, 22 June 1878).
5
In his missing note, Romanes evidently asked CD again to write a letter of reference for Ewart. In the event, Lankester was offered the post in March 1882 (Scotsman, 25 March 1882, p. 9); he initially accepted, but then resigned just two weeks later (see Nature, 27 April 1882, p. 607). The position was immediately filled by Ewart.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13578F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13578F