To J. D. Hooker   16 [March 1865]

Down

16th

My dear Hooker,

Thanks for your note, & very many thanks about Scott’s paper.1 Give Thomson my best thanks; you & he have relieved me from much doubt, & I have returned Scott his paper with proper advice & explanations.—2 I received a few days ago a letter from him, with a flourishing account of his prospects & full of gratitude. He sends messages to you & Thomson, which I enclose instead of copying.—3

On getting your note I wrote to Mr. Currey about woodcuts & told him I would pay for them.—4

I did so thoroughily enjoy your visit my dear old friend, & it did me no harm.— It was high luck being so well, for I have had no such brilliant days before or since.—5

My life is as uniform as that of a mill-horse; my sole work being the grinding & polishing of badly written sentences.—6 You did not take Heer’s pamphlet,7 & I do not suppose you care to have it sent.—

Farewell | Yours affectly. | C. Darwin

Endorsement: ‘March/65’

1
See letter from J. D. Hooker, [10 March 1865]. CD refers to John Scott and to the draft of Scott 1867.
2
CD refers to Thomas Thomson. See letter from J. D. Hooker, [10 March 1865], and letter from John Scott, 21 July 1865. CD’s letter to Scott has not been found.
3
The letter from John Scott has not been found.
4
See letter from J. D. Hooker, [10 March 1865] and nn. 2 and 3. CD’s letter to Frederick Currey has not been found.
5
Hooker had visited Down House between 4 and 6 March 1865 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). For CD’s health in early 1865, see letter to W. B. Tegetmeier, 27 February [1865] and n. 6.
6
CD was working on his manuscript of Variation (see CD’s ‘Journal’ (Correspondence vol. 13, Appendix II)).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.3 advice &] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-4788,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-4788