To Robert Francis Cooke   [22 February 1869]1

6 Queen Anne St

Monday,

My dear Sir

I have just been applied to for permission for a French translation of my Orchis book.2 As Mr Murray has never objected, I have assumed that he will not in this case. I write now to ask whether you will supply, if required, stereotypes of the woodcuts at prime cost, or only at a slight increase;3 for if there is any large charge, I feel nearly sure that the work will not appear, which I should regret. If in your power would you let me have an answer by tomorrow evening as we return home early on Wednesday morning.4

Dear Sir | yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin

LS

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Ernest Faivre, 18 February 1869. In 1869, the Monday following 18 February was 22 February.
3
John Murray had supplied woodcuts for the German translation of Orchids (Bronn trans. 1862; see Correspondence vol. 10, letter to H. G. Bronn 25 April [1862]). CD had also given approval for Murray to supply the woodcuts from Orchids to Mary Somerville for Somerville 1869 (see Correspondence vol. 14, letter to M. E. Lyell, [19 October 1866] and nn. 2 and 3).
4
CD was in London from 16 to 24 February 1869 (see CD’s ‘Journal’ (Correspondence vol. 17, Appendix II)).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6966,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6966