To William Spottiswoode   [8 April 1873]1

[16 Montague Street, London]

Spottiswoode—

Hooker & Tyndall proposed to lunch with me today, & Lubbock & Busk on hearing this said they wd to join them & we sent for Herbert Spencer.2 For They all thought that it wd be very advisable to act as soon as possible; but I greatly regretted, as did the others, that you were not present.— After a very long discussion our little meeting decided that only personal friends shd be allowed to subscribe (& this I think & so stated was your view), & that the affair shd be kept strictly secret. It was determined to collect the money as soon as possible & send it all to Sir J. Lubbock, who will pay it in a sum to Huxley’s account.—3 It was decided, after much doubt & deliberation, that it wd be best then to inform Huxley of the fact, but with no detail beyond this statement that the subscription was confined to his warm personal friends. Much against my will the others decided that I shd make the communication, & a most difficult work I shall find it.4 You will be glad to hear that we are sure of above 1000 & the total will possibly amt to 1600 or 1700.— As you wd have known, if present, what sums were subscribed, I think I had better mention them. Tyndall £200, Busk 200 (we others thought that the sum far too magnificent) H. Spencer 100—myself—300—my Brother5 100. Hooker 25£ Lubbock 100—Hirst6 has promised 50£

Let me thank you cordially for your great kindness, when I called on you7 & believe me | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin

ADraft

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to John Tyndall, 8 April [1873].
3
Lubbock was head of the bank Robarts, Lubbock & Co.
7
CD evidently called on Spottiswoode on 7 April 1873 (see letter to J. D. Hooker, [6 April 1873]).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

0.2 Spottiswoode—] blue crayon
1.1 to lunch] after del ‘to come’
1.1 Lubbock] after del ‘Busk’
1.2 said they] above del ‘proposed’
1.2 wd] above ‘to’
1.2 For] interl
1.3 greatly] after del ‘great’
1.5 (& … view) 1.6] interl
1.7 Sir J.] above illeg
1.8 sum] after del illeg
1.8 decided] above del ‘determined’
1.8 much] after del ‘by’
1.8 doubt and deliberation 1.9] above del ‘deliberation’
1.9 best then] ‘then’ interl
1.9 Huxley] above del ‘him’
1.11 the others] ‘the’ after del illeg
1.11 & a most] after del ‘after the money was paid in,’; ‘a’ above del ‘so’
1.11 difficult work 1.12] above del illeg
1.12 above 1000] ‘above 100’ above del ‘at least 120’
1.14 think] after del illeg
1.15 others] after del illeg
1.15 the sum] interl
2.1 great] interl
2.2 Darwin] before del ‘P.S. The [entirety was] to be paid to’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8851,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8851