From Henry Holland   27 January [1868]1

Brook Street

Jany 27th

My dear Charles

One line, to congratulate you, which I do sincerely & warmly, on the success of your Son at Cambridge.2 May it be an augury of future success & eminence in his life!— Pray offer my congratulations also to your wife,—whose satisfaction in the event will I know equal your own.

I conclude, from Murray’s information that I shall very soon receive your two volumes.3 I thank you for them now by anticipation; I shall not further write regarding them, until I have well mastered their contents

Ever your’s affy | H Holland

PS. I learn that the author of the “Darwinian Theory Examined”, is a solitary recluse man, & singular in some of his antecedents; but the person telling me this, will not give the name.4 The volume, as far as I can see, is not known much beyond those to whom copies were sent— I was one of these

1
The year is established by the reference to George Howard Darwin’s examination success (see n. 2, below).
2
George was second in the final examination for the mathematical tripos at Cambridge (Cambridge University calendar 1868).
3
Variation was published by John Murray on 30 January 1868 (see CD’s ‘Journal’ (Correspondence vol. 16, Appendix II)). Holland’s name appears on the presentation list for the book (see Correspondence vol. 16, Appendix IV).
4
Holland refers to The Darwinian theory of transmutation of species examined by a graduate of the University of Cambridge ([Beverley] 1867). The author was Robert Mackenzie Beverley.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5805,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5805