From William Whewell   2 January 1860

Trin. Lodge

Jan. 2. 1860

My dear Mr Darwin

I have to thank you for a copy of your book on the ‘Origin of Species’.1 You will easily believe that it has interested me very much, and probably you will not be surprized to be told that I cannot, yet at least, become a convert to your doctrines. But there is so much of thought and of fact in what you have written that it is not to be contradicted without careful selection of the ground and manner of the dissent, which I have not now time for. I must therefore content myself with thanking you for your kindness2

believe me | Yours very truly | W Whewell

C. Darwin Esqe

1
CD had sent Whewell a copy of the first edition of Origin (see Correspondence vol.8, Appendix III).
2
CD had known Whewell since he was an undergraduate at Cambridge University. See Autobiography, p. 66, and Correspondence vol. 2.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2634,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2634