Ɛpsilon

To Armand de Quatrefages   30 March [1860]1

Down. Bromley Kent.

March 30th

My dear Sir

I have taken a long time to thank you for your extremely kind present on the “Maladies” of the Silkworm.2 But I was not able to read it until lately—and I did not wish to thank you until I had. I have found now quite a large number of facts very interesting to me with respect to my notions on Species.—3 I have been astonished at the variety of diseases to which the unfortunate caterpillars are subject—

The Gentleman who wished to translate my “Origin of Species” has failed in getting a publisher:—Bailliere, Masson & Hachette all rejected it with contempt4    It was foolish & presumptious in me, hoping to appear in a French dress; but the idea would not have entered my head had it not been suggested to me. It is a great loss— I must console myself with the German Edition which Prof. Bronn is bringing out.

I sincerely hope that your health is quite reestablished, and with my sincere thanks for all your kindness. I remain with much respect, | Yours sincerely, | C. Darwin.

Copy

1
Dated by the reference to the German translation of Origin.
2
Quatrefages de Bréau 1859. There is an annotated copy in the Darwin Library–CUL. CD also owned a copy of the second edition, Quatrefages de Bréau 1860.
3
CD cited Quatrefages de Bréau 1859 and 1860 on several occasions in Variation.
4
CD refers to Pierre Theodore Alfred Talandier (see letter to Edward Cresy, 15 January [1860]). CD had previously written to Quatrefages de Bréau concerning a possible French translation of Origin. See Correspondence vol. 7, letter to J. L. A. de Quatrefages de Bréau, 5 December [1859]; and this volume, letter to J. L. A. de Quatrefages de Bréau, 21 January [1860]). J. B. Baillière et fils, Masson, and L. Hachette et cie, were prominent Parisian publishing houses.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-2736,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-2736