From John Murray   12 February [1868]1

50A, Albemarle St. | W.

Feby 12

My Dear Sir

Your letter of Feby 9 encourages me to push on the new Edition of the Variation—2 You shall, as a matter of course, have some presentation copies.3

In answer to your enquiry, I may tell you that the corrections on the 1st Edition amounted to £176.—4

I have written to Mr Dallas assuring him of your approval of the Index & enclosing him a cheque for 30 Guineas, wch as Indices go, is handsome pay—5

You will have seen, I dare say the first notice of you in the Pall Mall Gaz. of Monday—6 it is written in no unfriendly spirit   As an opening criticism it may be taken as a good augury of the probable reception of the work. Meanwhile the public are very eager for it

I remain My Dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | John Murray

Chas Darwin Esq

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to John Murray, 9 February [1868].
3
For CD’s presentation list for the second printing of Variation, see Correspondence vol. 16, Appendix IV.
6
The first part of a three-part review of Variation appeared in the Pall Mall Gazette for 10 February 1868 ([Lewes] 1868a). See letter to J. D. Hooker, 10 February [1868] and n. 3.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5869,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5869