To Edward Bulwer Lytton   24 November 1864

Botanic Garden [...]1

Melbourne, 24/11/[...]

Sir Edward.

Almost since the daw[n] of my childhood you[r] celebrated name was known to me as that of one of those preeminent men of genius, b[y] whose examples others have been drawn to a path, on which they advanced to greatness. During the youthful years of my education I saw reflected in your admirable writings the sentiments of a noble and lofty mind and the profoundness and learning of a scholar. When called on subsequently to aid in the elucidation of the wonderful empire of nature, and when it fell to my share to participate in the exploration of the great Aus[tra]lian continent, you in the dignified position of her Majestys Minister for the colonies conceded to me in gracefulness and urbanity the permission, to avail myself for issue in this country of the literary material thus accumulated under your auspices, and this concession gave rise to a work, of which the fourth volume is well-nigh completed.2 But only within this year I saw displayed before me the magnificence of your translation of Schiller’s poems;3 and if the admiration I ever entertained for you could have been hightened, it would have been by my full appreciation of the elegant philographic thoughtful and feeling language, you bestowed on the noblest poet that ever lived, a poet for whom my youthful mind imbibed in fascination a veneration ever unalterable, a veneration which early led me into the path of an ideal life and which later the stern realities of a professional career never could lessen.

Accept then, Sir Edward, for this brilliant gem, you added to poetical literature, the candid and grateful tribute of a stranger, who always will retain a pure appreciation of all that is noble and elevated; and let me simultaneously enjoy the privilege of a public recognition of your generosity towards me by recording in one of my works, which owes to you its origin, under your illustrious name permanently one of the most gorgeous trees, which it ever fell to my shar[e] to draw into the light of science.4

With profound reverence,

Ferd Mueller,

Ph. D., M. D., F. R. S.

Knight of the Order of Danebrog, of the

Legion of honour, of the Francis Joseph

Order.5

 

The Right Honorable

Sir Edw. Bulwer Lytton, Bart, P. C.,

M. A., D. C. L., M. P., &c &c &c

1
Manuscript torn: [ ] has this meaning throughout this transcription. Dated 1864 by the holding archive; this is consistent with a reference in M to W. Hooker, 25 March 1865 to a reply received ‘by last mail’ from Bulwer Lytton.
2
See M to E. Bulwer Lytton, 16 August 1858; O. Timins to M, 14 February 1859. M refers to his Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae.
3
M had inscribed and given a copy of the edition of R. D. Boylan’s translation of The works of Frederick Schillerto Euphemia Henderson (M to E. Henderson, 12 September 1864) now in the Library of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. It is not know whether M owned Schiller (1844) or Schiller (1852).
4
M erected the genus Bulweria(B. nobilissima) in B64.11.01, p. 147. ‘Bulwer’ did not remain permanently attached to the species: M recognised that the genus was not new (M to G. Bentham, 23 February 1867) and transferred the eponym to Deplanchea bulweri in B65.10.04, p. 72. It is now seen as a synonym of D. tetraphylla(Australian Plant Census, http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apclist, accessed 8 September 2012).
5
See ‘Orders, offices, affliiations and sundry honours of Ferdinand Mueller’, Appendix B, Regardfully yours , volume 3, pp. 828–858.

Please cite as “FVM-64-11-24e,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/64-11-24e