To John Murray   25 February [1868]

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

Feb. 25th

My dear Sir

I am very much obliged for your generosity about the dozen Copies.—1

(I am sorry the copy has not been already despatched to Mr Swinhoe.—2 You can send it by Book Post viâ Southampton at 4d under each 4 oz.— (see Postal Guide p. 72.) & please weigh carefully.)3

I enclose list of 8 copies: please retain 4 others, in case I receive aid & have to make some return as a compliment.—4

I am positively told that Berthold Seeman wrote Review in Athenæum: if so I know the cause, as I was forced once to refuse him a Testimonial, since which he has exhibited enmity to me, & before was too friendly.5 Dr Gray would strike me in the face, but not behind my back.—6 On the whole the Reviews have been very good; especially, for selling in Gard. Chronicle.7

My dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin

Endorsement: ‘1868. Feb 25.’

1
CD refers to author’s copies of the second printing of Variation. See letter from John Murray, 24 February [1868].
3
CD refers to the British postal guide.
4
CD’s presentation list for the second printing of Variation indicates that Murray gave him twelve copies; however sixteen names appear on his list for the book (see Correspondence vol. 16, Appendix IV).
5
CD refers to Berthold Carl Seemann. CD mentioned Seemann’s request for a testimonial in a letter to J. D. Hooker, 22 and 28 [October 1865] (Correspondence vol. 13); no further correspondence on the matter has been found. The review of Variation in the Athenæum was by John Robertson ([Robertson] 1868a).
6
Murray had thought the Athenæum review was by John Edward Gray (see letter from John Murray, 24 February [1868] and n. 4).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.1 (I am … carefully.) 2.3] opening and closing square brackets in MS
2.2 (see] after del ‘Ple’
3.1 8] interl
4.1 positively] interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-5931,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-5931