To John Murray   14 November [1859]

Wells Terrace | Ilkley, Otley | Yorkshire

Nov. 14th

My dear Sir

I have this morning received a message from Mrs. Butler, (who was a Miss Edgeworth)1 that Madame Belloc Rue Ecole de Medicine (5.) Paris wishes to translate my Book on Species into French.—2 She translated some of Miss Edgeworths novels very well, & some of Sismondi’s works.3 She writes in Revue des deux mondes.4 All this sounds very well; my only doubt is whether she is scientific enough. I am, also, excessively puzzled to think how she could have heard of my Book.— I presume that she wd. require to read it before agreeing to translate. I am extremely anxious for the subject sake (& God knows not for mere fame) to have my Book translated; & indirectly its being known abroad will do good to English Sale.— If it depended on me I shd. agree without payment & instantly send copy & only beg that she would get some scientific man to look over the Translation. But I suppose the affair rests in your hands. If you think favourably, will you at once communicate with her (for she begs for immediate answer) & let me hear result. It will save much time if you will write direct. But please apologise for my not writing direct & you may truly say I am much out of health. You might say that though I am a very poor French scholar, I could detect any scientific mistake, & would read over French proofs. Please act as you think fit, remembering how earnestly I wish my views to be known & discussed.

I trust you will excuse this trouble, as I could not possibly write to her, not knowing what power I have.

My dear Sir | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

I have heard that you have distributed copies in the country; & I hope to Foreigners & especially the 4 copies to Dr. Hooker.— Admiral FitzRoy writes that he has not received his copy, so I suppose for some reason you have not distributed the London copies as yet.—5 I hope you will soon.—

I wish there was any chance of German Translation when you see Sir C. Lyell will you kindly consult him. My Journal was translated: but Translator is dead.—6

1
Harriet Butler, née Edgeworth, was the sister-in-law of Mary Butler, whom CD had met at Moor Park and who had been at Ilkley Wells until the end of October 1859. See letter to Mary Butler,20 February [1859].
2
Louise Swanton Belloc was an Irish-born French writer who translated a large number of works into French. She was a close friend of Harriet Butler and Maria Edgeworth (see Edgeworth ed. 1867,3: 259, 262). In the end, she did not translate Origin (see letter to J. L. A. de Quatrefages de Bréau,5 December [1859]).
3
Louise Belloc translated into French and edited several of Maria Edgeworth’s educational works; her translations of Jean Charles Léonard Simonde de Sismondi’s works into English were unattributed.
4
Revue des deux mondes was the leading French literary and critical journal.
5
Robert FitzRoy, former captain of the Beagle, had been promoted to the rank of rear-admiral in 1857. He was chief of the meteorological department of the Board of Trade in 1859.
6
Ernst Dieffenbach had died in 1855. He translated CD’s Journal of researches into German in 1843 (see Supplement, letter to Ernst Dieffenbach, 4 July [1843], and Correspondence vol. 2.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 was a] ‘a’ interl
1.10 I presume … translate. 1.11] added
1.11 extremely] after del ‘very’
1.13 without payment] interl
1.15 your] altered from ‘you’
1.15 hands] ‘s’ added
1.16 (for … answer) 1.17] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2531,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2531