WCP1916

Letter (WCP1916.1806)

[1]

Down.

Bromley.

Kent. S.E.

March 5 [1859]1

My dear Wallace

I was delighted at receiving your Book2 this morning. Its whole appearance & the illustrations, with which it so profusely ornamented, are quite beautiful. Blessings on you & your publisher3 for having the pages cut & gilded.— [2] As for the Dedication, putting quite aside how far I deserve what you say, it seems to me decidedly the best expressed dedication, which I have ever met.4

The reading will probably last me a month, for I dare not have it [3] read aloud, as I know that it will set me thinking. I see that many points will interest me greatly.— When I have finished, if I have anything particular to say, I will write again. Accept my cordial thanks. The dedication is a thing for my children's children to be proud of.—

Yours most sincerely | Ch. Darwin [signature]

1
An annotation at the top right-hand corner of page 1 adds '(1869)'. The dating of 1869 has been confirmed by the Darwin Correspondence Project see DCP-LETT-6642.
2
Wallace, A. R. 1869. The Malay Archipelago; the Land of the Orang-utan and the Bird of Paradise, 2 vols. London, UK: Macmillan.
3
Macmillan, Alexander (1818-1896). British publisher and co-founder with his brother Daniel of Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
4
ARW's dedication reads 'To Charles Darwin, author of "the Origin of Species," I dedicate this book, not only as a token of personal esteem and friendship but also to express my deep admiration for his genius and his works.' (Wallace, A. R. 1869. The Malay Archipelago; the Land of the Orang-utan and the Bird of Paradise, 2 vols. London, UK: Macmillan. Vol 1. p.v.).

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP1916.1806)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Darwin Correspondence Project [2012-11-19] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2019-12-20]

Published letter (WCP1916.6003)

[1] [p. 235]

Down, Bromley, Kent, S.E. March 5, 1869.

My dear Wallace, — I was delighted at receiving your book1 this morning. The whole appearance and the illustrations with which it [is] so profusely ornamented are quite beautiful. Blessings on you and your publisher for having the pages cut and gilded.

As for the dedication, putting quite aside how far I deserve what you say, it seems to me decidedly the best expressed dedication which I have ever met.

The reading will probably last me a month, for I dare not have it read aloud, as I know that it will set me thinking.

I see that many points will interest me greatly. When I have finished, if I have anything particular to say, I will write again. Accept my cordial thanks. The dedication is a thing for my children's children to be proud of. — Yours most sincerely, CH. DARWIN.

1
A footnote here reads: "Malay Archipelago."

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP1916.6003)]

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 “WCP1916,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 3 May 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1916