Ɛpsilon

To Cassell, Petter, & Galpin   24 August [1867]

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

Aug 24.

Dear Sir

I have had much correspondence with M. Kovalevsky, & he has visited me here. I have formed a very high opinion of him, as his knowledge is extraordinarily great. He is brother of a distinguished naturalist—1 He is preparing a translation of a book which I shall soon publish & has translated & published some very expensive German works into Russian.2 He has made me very liberal offers for the translation of my book.3 I should certainly on my own part trust M. Kovalevsky to almost any extent, but you will see that it is obviously impossible for me to answer for his pecuniary circumstances. As far as I can judge his circumstances appear to be good.

Dear Sir | yours faithfully | Charles Darwin

LS

Endorsement: ‘C. Darwin | 24th. August 1867.’

1
Vladimir Onufrievich Kovalevsky’s brother was Alexander Onufrievich Kovalevsky.
2
V. O. Kovalevsky was translating Variation into Russian. He had also translated part of Alfred Edmund Brehm’s Thierleben ([Kovalevsky] trans. 1866–70; see letter from V. O. Kovalevsky, 15 May 1867).
3
Kovalevsky left the financial arrangements for his translation to CD, and CD decided not to demand payment (see letter from V. O. Kovalevsky, 15 March 1867, and letter to V. O. Kovalevsky, 16 May [1867]).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5615,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5615