Melbourne,
12/5/78.
Mit tiefster Trauer habe ich vernommen, edler Herr, dass der grosse Elias Fries nun auch dahin geschieden ist. Erst vor wenigen Monaten betrauerten wir den Abruf von irdischen Leben unserer Freunde Al. Braun u Ad Brogniart, und nun ist uns auch Ihr verehrter Vater entrissen.
Es war mit Bewunderung, wie ich erst von 2 Jahren das neue Werk über die Hymenomyceten Europas durchblickte, und dann meiner Knabenjähre gedachte, während welcher mir die Werke Ihres Vaters schon leiteten in meinen Untersuchungen von Pflanzen des Herzogthums Schleswig.
Es muss für den grossen dahingescheidenen Mycologen ein Triumpf gewesen sein das Bewusstsein, dass über jede Quadratmeile der bewohnten Erde Pilze für immer (oder so lange als diese Schöpfung dauert) von dem Begründer der Mycologie sprechen werden; und daran schloss sich sein Bewusstsein, den berühmten Namen auf einen würdigen Sohn vererbt zu sehen.
Mit tiefster Condolenz der Ihre
Ferd von Mueller.
Melbourne,
12/5/78
I have learned with deepest regret, noble Sir, that the great Elias Fries has now also passed away. Only a few months ago we mourned the calling away from earthly life of our friends Al. Braun and Ad. Brogniart,1 and now your honoured father is also snatched from us.
As I looked through the new work on the Hymenomycetes of Europe2 only two years ago, and then thought of my youthful years during which the works of your father really guided me in my investigations of plants of the Duchy of Schleswig,3 it was with admiration.
It must have been a triumph for the great departed mycologist, the awareness that over every square mile of the inhabited earth fungi will speak of the founder of mycology for ever (or as long as this creation lasts);4 and followed by his awareness of seeing the famous name bequeathed to a worthy son.
With deepest condolence your
Ferd von Mueller
Hymenomycetes
i.e. Brongniart.
Fries (1874). There is a copy of this work in the library at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
M quotes from Fries (1846-49) in his Diary–Notebook 1844-47 (included in the 'manuscripts' section of this website). The library at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne includes several other works by Elias Fries that were published before M went to Australia, to which he could be referring here: (1) Fries (1821-9) (each of the three volumes is inscribed 'Ferd. Mueller'; (2) Fries (1828); (3) Fries (1831).
For discussion of nineteenth-century concepts of multiple creations, see J. Browne (1983), especially pp. 139-44, and, for Darwin's reaction to it, pp. 199-201.
Please cite as “FVM-78-05-12b,” 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