From J. V. Carus   5 April 1867

My dear Sir,

You will have heard from Schweizerbart that I am willing to translate your new work, the more so, as it is my full conviction, that the progress of biology depends on the firm proving of your theory.¹ I am so very much occupied just now and within the next twelve months, that I should feel exceedingly obliged if you would kindly tell me, at what rate your work will be published. I have to complete my handbook of Zoology, then the historical Commission of the Munic Academy asked me to write the History of Zoology, which is to be finished Easter 1868.² The way in which Schweizerbart will publish the translation will partly depend on the form of the publication of the original. Now can you tell me, if the two volumes will come out at the same time, or one after the other. How long will they be? When will the print begin? The simplest way would be, I think, to send me directly the sheets. I shall do then what I can to keep pace with the English edition   I trust you will kindly allow me to ask you directly on doubtful cases

You will have seen Haeckel’s book on general Morphology.³ I am very sorry that he has not been more moderate. So, as it is, it will do great mischief. There is of course no doubt that it is exceedingly well meant, and it contains capital observations on morphological questions. But by the many personal and quite unnecessary remarks, by the immoderate sharpness of many of his criticisms he weakens the effect. If he had written twenty sheets instead of two big volumes he would have done more and really good. His personal friends, especially Gegenbaur⁴ and myself, tried in vain to mitigate his fury; and for what I know the critics and reviews he will laugh at, if they don’t agree entirely with him   One cannot even say, that this ought to be the way to promote a new theory or to further any new point of view. Instead of a true philosophy (I am sure he doesn’t know Kant,⁵ and I can prove it) he introduces a way of reasoning which is almost worse than the so called natural philosophy of yore. There is only one man, to whose judgement he would subdue; that is yours. He would not only mind very much what you tell him about his book, but your opinion will be no doubt the only one which will make some impression on him. He likes to consider himself as martyr of the new monistic theory of the world.⁶ If you were to tell him that he did you a bad service I dare say he would be cured. I like him so very much that I am sorry for him. He is such an enthusiastic man that even his best friends have no influence over him. The last day, I stayed with Gegenbaur in Jena⁷ and we both were convinced that one word of you would do more than long disputations with us.

Believe me | My dear Sir | Yours very faithfully, | J. Victor Carus

P.S. | Schweizerbart tells me that he has written to Mr Murray about the clichés.⁸