Ɛpsilon

To G. H. Darwin   [8 August 1874]1

[Bassett, Southampton.]

Saturday

My dear George.—

Your letter seems to me very good & your present plan removes all my objections.—2 I thank you for your very nice letter to me.—3 It is very strange about your health; but I apprehend the reason is pretty clear that the kidneys are now removing poison from your blood.— I will alter the first sentence in my letter to to Murray & make my letter less imperious.4 It will be a dreadful evil to me, if, as is too likely, we come to a quarrel.—

Yours affect | C. Darwin

Write to Clowes for Proof to be sent here5

Mother, also, likes your letter much.— William has not yet read it.6

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from G. H. Darwin, 6 [August] 1874. In 1874, the Saturday after 6 August was 8 August.
2
See letter from G. H. Darwin, 6 [August] 1874. George had enclosed a letter to be forwarded to John Murray, the publisher of the Quarterly Review, defending himself against accusations made against him in an anonymous article ([Mivart] 1874; George’s defence appeared in the Quarterly Review 137 (1874): 587–9).
3
CD probably refers to a letter sent to him via Emma Darwin; see letter from G. H. Darwin, [6 or 7 August 1874].
4
George had suggested that CD avoid risking a break with Murray over his dispute; see letter from G. H. Darwin, [6 or 7 August 1874]. For CD’s original letter, with George’s amendments, see the enclosure to the letter from G. H. Darwin, 6 [August] 1874; for the letter as sent, see the letter to John Murray, 11 August 1874.
5
CD probably refers to the proof-sheets of Descent (see letter from G. H. Darwin, 29 July 1874).
6
CD and his wife, Emma, were staying with their son William Erasmus Darwin.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.4 in my letter to] interl
1.5 imperious] above del ‘imperious’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9596,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9596