From Ernest Faivre1   15 March 1869

le 15 Mars 1869

Monsieur,

Je Veux faire une courte Réponse a votre lettre du 21 Fevrier dernier, en laissant a mon élève, Mr Rérolle, le soin de la completer et d’Entrer ainsi en rapports directs avec vous2

La traduction de votre important travail sur les orchidées est décídée en Principe: elle aura certainement de l’importance, grâce aux notes que vous voulez bien promettre de faire Parvenir.

La question est maintenant de trouver un Éditeur, et j’espère qu’elle sera résolue vers le Quinze du Mois Prochain.

Aussitôt le traité fait et conclu, nous aurons l’honneur de vous en informer immediatement; et il est a partir de ce moment qu’il conviendra de se mettre en rapport avec votre Éditeur de Londres au sujet du Stereotypes et de vous parler des notes que vous avez bien voulu promettre.3

Je me réjouis d’avance, de pouvoir Contribuer, même d’une manière indirecte, a faire connaître en France une de vos productions les plus originales et les plus dignes d’Interêt, et je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments de Respecteuse admiration. | Ernest Faivre

1
For a translation of this letter, see Correspondence vol. 17, Appendix I.
2
CD’s letter has not been found, but see the letter to R. F. Cooke, [22 February 1869]. Faivre had asked whether CD would agree to a translation of Orchids by Louis Rérolle (see letter from Ernest Faivre, 18 February 1869). See also the letter from Louis Rérolle, 17 March 1869, which was written on the second leaf of the same folio as this letter.
3
CD had already written to his publisher, John Murray, about providing stereotypes (see letter to R. F. Cooke, [22 February 1869]). For more on CD’s notes to the French translation of Orchids, see letter to J. D. Hooker, 8 March [1869] and n. 5.

From Ernest Faivre1   15 March 1869

15 March 1869

Dear Sir,

I want to make a brief response to your letter of 21 February last, in order to leave my student, Mr Rérolle, the task of finishing it and thus entering into direct communication with you2

The translation of your important work on the orchids is agreed in principle: it will certainly have significance, thanks to the notes that you have been so kind as to promise to send.

The question now is to find a publisher, and I hope that this will be resolved by around the fifteenth of next month.

We shall have the honour of informing you directly the agreement has been made and settled; and at that point it will be appropriate to make contact with your London publisher on the matter of stereotypes and to discuss the notes you so kindly promised.3

I look forward in advance to being able to contribute, even in an indirect way, to making one of your most original and interesting works known in France, | and I beg you to accept, Sir, my respectful admiration | Ernest Faivre

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see p. 134.
2
CD’s letter has not been found, but see the letter to R. F. Cooke, [22 February 1869]. Faivre had asked whether CD would agree to a translation of Orchids by Louis Rérolle (see letter from Ernest Faivre, 18 February 1869). See also the letter from Louis Rérolle, 17 March 1869, which was written on the second leaf of the same folio as this letter.
3
CD had already written to his publisher, John Murray, about providing stereotypes (see letter to R. F. Cooke, [22 February 1869]). For more on CD’s notes to the French translation of Orchids, see letter to J. D. Hooker, 8 March [1869] and n. 5.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6663,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6663