WCP1860

Letter (WCP1860.1750)

[1]

Down.

Bromley.

Kent. S.E.

June 15 [1864]1

Dear Wallace

You must not suppose from my delay that I have not been much interested by your long letter. I write now merely to thank you & just to say that probably you are right on all the points you touch on except as I think about sexual selection which I will not give up.

My belief in it, however, [2] is contingent on my general belief in sexual selection. It is an awful stretcher to believe that a Peacock’s tail was thus formed, but believing it, I believe in the same principle somewhat modified applied to man.

I doubt whether my notes w[oul]d be of any use to you, & as far as I remember they are chiefly on sexual selection.

I am very glad to hear that you are on your Travels. I believe you [3] will find it a very convenient vehicle for miscellaneous discussion. With your admirable powers of writing I cannot doubt that you will make an excellent book—

Believe me dear Wallace | yours sincerely | Ch. Darwin [signature]

P.S. A great gun Flourens2 has written a little dull book3 against me; which pleases me much for it is plain that our good work is spreading in France. He speaks of the "engouement"4 about [4] this book "so full of empty & presumptuous thoughts."

1
A later annotation adds "1869?" in red pencil at the top right-hand corner of page 1. The correct date of 1864 has been established by the Darwin Correspodence Project See DCP-LETT-4535.
2
Flourens, Marie-Jean-Pierre (1794-1867). French physiologist and pioneer in anesthesia.
3
Flourens, M. J. P. 1864. Examen du livre de M. Darwin sur l’origine des espèces. Paris: Garnier Frères.
4
French term for an infatuation or craze.

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP1860.1750)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Darwin Correspondence Project [2012-06-29] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2019-12-20]

Published letter (WCP1860.5943)

[1] [p. 159]

Down, Bromley, Kent, S.E. June 15, 1864.

Dear Wallace,— You must not suppose from my delay that I have not been much interested by your long letter. I write now merely to thank you, and just to say that probably you are right on all the points you touch on except, as I think, about sexual selection, which I will not give up. My belief in it, however, is contingent on my general beliefs in sexual selection. It is an awful stretcher to believe that a peacock's tail was thus formed; but believing it, I believe in the same principle somewhat modified applied to man. I doubt whether my notes would be of any use to you, and as far as I remember they are chiefly on sexual selection. I am very glad to hear that you are on your Travels. I believe you will find it a very convenient vehicle for miscellaneous discussion. With your admirable powers of [2] writing, I cannot doubt that you will make an excellent book.— Be1ieve me, dear Wallace, yours sincerely, CH. DARWIN.

P.S.— A great gun, Flourens, has written a little dull book against me; which pleases me much, for it is plain that our good work is spreading in France. He speaks of the engouement [French: craze] about this book, "so full of empty and presumptuous thoughts."

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP1860.5943)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Congerton, John [2019-12-17]

Please cite as “WCP1860,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 7 June 2023, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1860