To Charles Layton   24 November [1869]1

Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.

Nov. 24th.

Dear Sir

I am much obliged by your note. You say that Messrs. Appleton “would also like to have a set of stereotyped plates of new edit of Origin of Species on same terms.” I am not sure that I understand this, for I have not permitted the Origin to be stereotyped in England. If it means that Messrs. Appleton will print a new edition in Stereotype Plates (or in common type which would be much preferable) I gladly agree to his terms for this edition & for my next book.

I have long earnestly wished for a new edition of the Origin in the United States, as it is 92 pages longer than the 2nd. edition, besides endless small though important corrections.2 I feel sure that the continued large sale of this book in England Germany & France has depended on my keeping up each edition to the existing standard of science.3 I hope I am right in supposing that Messrs. Appleton are willing to print in some form a new edition; for though unwilling to act in a disobliging manner towards them I had resolved soon to write to Professor Asa Gray to ask him to find some publisher who would print the new edition of the Origin, on condition of my supplying him with the sheets of my new book as they were printed & which book will probably have a large sale.4 Will you be so kind as to let me hear soon how the case stands; & I should like in case the answer is favourable to send in M.S. half a dozen small corrections for the Origin.5 I must inform you that although Mr. Murray has inserted a notice of my new book, I do not suppose it will be printed for nearly a year, although a considerable portion is ready for the press.6

Dear Sir, | Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin

You will understand that I cannot agree with Mr Appleton about my new book, unless he is willing to print a new Edit of Origin.7 The price of the latter might fairly be raised a little; as Mr Murray has by 1s. & it shd be advertised as largely added to & corrected.

LS(A)

1
Parts of this letter were published in Correspondence vol. 17, and vol. 24, Supplement. Images of the complete letter were published online in 2022. The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Charles Layton, 22 November 1869 (Correspondence vol. 17).
2
See Correspondence vol. 17, letter from Charles Layton, 22 November 1869. The first US edition of Origin was published from stereotypes of the second English edition by D. Appleton & Co. in 1860.
3
On foreign language translations of Origin, see Freeman 1977.
4
CD had asked Orange Judd & Co., the American publishers of Variation, about the possibility of publishing a new American edition of Origin; see Correspondence vol. 17, letter from Orange Judd & Co., 21 April 1869. CD did not favour use of stereotype plates as suggested in the letter from Charles Layton, 22 November 1869 (Correspondence vol. 17); see ibid, letter to Asa Gray, 1 June [1869] and n. 9.
5
CD had recently sent a few corrections to the fifth English edition of Origin (1869) for its publication in French and German (see Correspondence vol. 17, letter to J. V. Carus, 20 November 1869, and letter to J. J. Moulinié, 20 November 1869).
6
An advance notice of the publication of Descent had been published by John Murray in the Academy, 9 October 1869, pp. 15–16. Descent was published on 24 February 1871 (Freeman 1977).
7
Origin 2d US ed. was based on the fifth English edition with additions and corrections and published by D. Appleton in 1870.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.11 in case … favourable] interl in CD’s hand
4.1 You … corrected. 4.4] in CD’s hand
4.3 raised] after del ‘in’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7007,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7007