To T. H. Huxley   24 [November 1859]

Ilkley Wells House | Otley, Yorkshire

24th

My dear Huxley

I have heard from Murray today that he sold whole Edition of my Book on first day, & he wants another instantly, which confounds me, as I can make hardly any corrections.1 But a friend writes to me that it ought to be Geoffroy DE St. Hilaire: my memory says no.2 Will you turn to a title-page & tell me soon & forgive me asking this trouble.

Remember how deeply I wish to know your general impression of the truth of the theory of Natural Selection.—only a short note— at some future time if you have any lengthy criticisms, I shd be infinitely grateful for them. You must know well how highly I value your opinion.—3

In Haste, for I am bothered to death by this new Edition | Ever yours | C. Darwin

1
Orders for copies of Origin from book-dealers at John Murray’s trade sale on 22 November ex-ceeded by more than 250 the number available (1192) from the printing of 1250 copies (Athenæum,26 November 1859, p. 706). Instead of printing more copies, Murray called for CD to prepare a second edition immediately. See Freeman 1977, p. 77.
2
CD cited both Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and his son Isidore in Origin.
3
CD had not yet received Huxley’s letter of 23 November. It had been addressed to him at Down and then forwarded to Ilkley. See letter from T. H. Huxley, 23 November 1859, and letter to T. H. Huxley, 25 November [1859].

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2550,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2550