To John Murray   29 April [1859]

My dear Sir

In a very few days I could send you the 6 first chapters to go to press.

Unfortunately for me there has been a death in family of one my copyists, which has delayed the copying of two chapters.¹

I do not know how exactly you require to know the size of the M.S. before settling the size of type & Book.—will the enclosed memoranda suffice? the size of some of the chapters are definitely given; others pretty closely estimated.

Will you be so kind as to inform me?

If, as I hope, you can judge sufficiently by the enclosed data & when you have the 6 first chapters I would send in a few days the six first chapters, for you to send to your printer. Please to observe, that it is of real importance for my health sake to get the work printed as quickly as possible; for I must leave home soon & stay for months at some water-cure establishment.

And when I go to press I shall beg you to urge on the Printer to send me a proof-sheet per diem, until he gets fairly in advance of my powers of correcting.

I shall be anxious to hear what size you determine on: my beau ideal for type & size is Lyell’s Manual 1^st. Edit.—²

If you absolutely require to see all the M.S. before settling on size of type &c, it will cause me 10 or 14 days’ delay.—

My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin