To John Tyndall   8 April [1873]1

16 Montague St | Montague Sq | W

Ap 8

Private

My dear Tyndall

After you left I thought of the extreme interest & kindness which Spottiswoode showed on our subject, & it appeared to me proper that I should write to him which I have done, and I mention it to you to save your taking the trouble.2 As he would have known if present what was done I gave him an outline of our decision & thought it fair to tell him what had been subscribed. I presume he will communicate directly with Lubbock.3 As you will naturally desire to know how the subscription stands I may mention that my brother4 will give £100 and that I have changed mine to £300   These will be despatched tomorrow.

I really think we have done a good days work and I remain, yours most cordially | Ch. Darwin

Our meeting this morning will give me a higher opinion of human nature for the rest of my life than I ever had before, though I am not one of those who think lowly of mankind.

LS(A)

1
The year is established by the reference to a meeting that took place on 8 April 1873 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242), letter to William Spottiswoode, [8 April 1873]).
2
See letter to William Spottiswoode, [8 April 1873]. CD had evidently met Spottiswoode on 7 April and discussed the plan of a subscription to raise money for Thomas Henry Huxley.
3
The money raised for the subscription was handled by John Lubbock’s bank, Robarts, Lubbock & Co. (see letter to T. H. Huxley, 23 April 1873).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.00 Ch.… mankind. 3.3] in CD’s hand

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8850,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8850