From Leonard Jenyns   28 May 1862

My dear Darwin,

It was a great pleasure to get your letter yesterday, & to have your testimony in favour of my memoir of our departed friend.—¹ You are thoroughly qualified to judge of its faithfulness as a correct portrait, as well as of any value it may possess in a scientific & literary point of view,—from your intimate acquaintance with Henslow, & with the subjects to which he devoted so much of his attention.—² I had previously received letters from Berkeley & others equally satisfactory in respect of their judgment,—³so I am inclined to hope the book will not be altogether a failure, as I was afraid it might turn out.— Some might wish for a longer biography,—but there scarce materials for it,—were it desirable.

I may take this opportunity of stating that I made many inquiries after Hope in Bath some time back, from what you stated in a former letter,—but I could hear nothing of him.⁴ None of the letter carriers at the Post Office knew any one of that name in the town, at least a clergyman.— I think it must have been a mistake of yours—supposing he was here. I know him very well, & should have been glad to see him: I think also he would have found me out, had he been in the place.—

I am sorry to hear you are still in indifferent health.— I thank you for your inquiries after myself,⁵ & am thankful to report myself quite well at this present time,—though not quite so strong as formerly, nor equal to taking the same long Nat. Hist. rambles, in which I delighted.—

With best wishes, believe me, | My dear Darwin, | Very Sincerely Yours | L. Jenyns.