From Arthur Nicols   15 April 1871

Dear Sir.

I have to thank you for your kind communication relative to the editions (?) of “the Descent of Man”—¹

As one of the reading public I protest against the incompetent and dishonest criticism of your work which has appeared in almost every one of the Journals except the “Academy” “Nature” and “The Field”.² The two most notable examples of incompetency and dishonesty appeared in the Athenaeum and Times, to the shame of English Literature.³ Ignorance of the subject and total incompetency to deal with the facts may be pardoned; but when an author is deliberately misrepresented, his strongest cases put out of sight, and his text cut up to suit the critic’s case and jumbled with matter for which the author never was nor could be responsible; when whole columns are quoted without acknowledgment I cannot conceive any thing more disgraceful. Surely we are in want of sound independent criticism not based on mercantile considerations. As far as I can see, the Academy seems likely to fulfil this condition. I expected something better from the Saturday Review⁴ than a notice which was feeble at the best.

yours faithfully | Arthur Nicols.

To | Chas Darwin. Esq. F.R.S.