Ɛpsilon

From Louis Rérolle   15 June 1870

Lyon,

15 June 1870

Sir,

I am happy to inform you that the French translation of your book on the fertilisation of Orchids is published, and I have requested Mr Reinwald, the publisher, to send you immediately a copy, which I gratefully beg you to accept.1

I have not had the honour to write to you since a long time about this publication, which required a little time more than had been formerly supposed;2 it is now completed, and I feel highly gratified to have been the means of presenting your valuable work to the French public; I feel convinced that, if my translation is not too inferior, I have done a useful thing in making my countrymen acquainted with another of your works;3 your approbation alone is wanting to complete my satisfaction.

Should you desire to present a few copies to any friends of yours, I shall feel most happy to send you some.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obliged and respectful servant | Louis Rérolle

1
The French translation of Orchids was Rérolle trans. 1870. For earlier letters from Rérolle, see Correspondence vol. 17, letters from Louis Rérolle, 17 March 1869, 10 May 1869, and 30 July 1869. Rérolle also refers to Charles-Ferdinand Reinwald.
2
Rérolle had expected the book to be ready in February 1870 (Correspondence vol. 17, letter from Louis Rérolle, 30 July 1869).
3
Origin had been translated by Clémence Auguste Royer (Royer trans. 1862, 1866, 1870) and Variation by Jean Jacques Moulinié (Moulinié trans. 1868).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7234,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-7234