WCP1921

[1]¹

To C.Darwin.) 9, St.Mark's Crescent N.W. April 18th.²

Dear Darwin I was very glad you think I have done justice to Lyell, and have also well "exposed" (as a frenchman would say) Natural Selection. There is nothing I like better than writing a little account of it, & trying to make it clear to the meanest capacity.

The "Croll" question is awfully difficult. I had gone into it more fully, but the Editor made me cut out 8 pages!

I am very sorry indeed to hear of your accident, but trust you will soon recover & that it will leave no bad effects.

I can quite comprehend your feelings with regard to my "unscientific" opinions as to man, because a few years back I should myself have looked at them as equally wild & uncalled for. I shall look with extreme interest for what you are writing on Man, & shall give full weight to any explanations you can give of his probable origin. My opinions on the subject have been modified solely by the consideration of a series of remarkable phenomena, physical & mental, which I have now had every opportunity of fully testing, & which demonstrated the existence of forces & influences not yet recognised by science. This will I know seem to you like some mental hallucination, but as I can assure you from personal communication with them, that Robert Chambers, Dr. Norris of Birmingham the well known Physiologist, and C.F.Varley³ the well known electrician, who have all investigated the subject for years, agree with me as both as to the facts and as to the main inferences to be drawn from them, I am in hope that you will suspend you judgment [sic] for a time till we exhibit some corroborative symptoms of insanity.

In the mean time I can console you by the assurance that I dont agree with the Q.J. of Science about Bamboo, & that I see no cause to modify any of my opinions expressed in my Article on the "Reign of Law". Believe me Yours very faithfully Alfred R. Wallace.

To C.Darwin.) 9,St.Mark’s Crescent N.W. April 18th. 1869¹

Dear Darwin

I am very glad you think I have done justice to Lyell, and have also well "exposed" (as a frenchman would say) Natural Selection. There is nothing I like better than writing a little account of it, & trying to make it clear to the meanest capacity.

The "Croll"² question is awfully difficult. I had gone into it more fully, but the Editor made me cut out 8 pages!

I am very sorry indeed to hear of your accident, but trust you will soon recover & that it will leave no bad effects.

I can quite comprehend your feelings with regard to my "unscientific" opinions as to man, because a few years back I should myself have looked at them as equally wild & uncalled for. I shall look with extreme interest for what you are writing on Man, & shall give full weight to any explanations you can give of his probable origin. My opinions on the subject have been modified solely by the consideration of a series of remarkable phenomena, physical & mental, which I have no[w?] had every opportunity of fully testing, & which demonstrated the existence of forces & influences not yet recognised by science. This will I know seem to you like some mental hallucination, but as I can assure you from personal communication with them, that Robert Chambers³, Dr Norris of Birmingham⁴ the well known Physiologist, and C.F.Varley⁵ the well known Electrician, who have all investigated the subject for years agree with me both as to the facts and as to the main inferences to be drawn from them, I am in hopes that you will suspend your judgment for a time till we exhibit some corroborative symptoms of insanity.

In the mean time I can console you by the assurance that I dont[sic] agree with the Q.J.of Science about Bamboo, & that I see no cause to modify any of my opinions expressed in my Article⁶ on the "Reign of Law"

Believe me | Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace. [signature]

[1] [p. 243]

9 St. Mark's Crescent, N.W. April 18, 1869.

Dear Darwin, — I am very glad you think I have done justice to Lyell, and have also well "exposed" (as a Frenchman would say) Natural Selection. There is nothing I like better than writing a little account of it, and trying to make it clear to the meanest capacity.

The "Croll" question is awfully difficult. I had gone into it more fully, but the Editor made me cut out eight pages.

I am very sorry indeed to hear of your accident, but trust you will soon recover and that it will leave no bad effects.

I can quite comprehend your feelings with regard to my "unscientific" opinions as to Man, because a few years back [2] I should myself have looked at them as equally wild and uncalled for. I shall look with extreme interest for what you are writing on Man, and shall give full weight to any explanations you can give of his probable origin. My opinions on the subject have been modified solely by the consideration of a series of remarkable phenomena, physical and mental, which I have now had every opportunity of fully testing, and which demonstrate the existence of forces and influences not yet recognised by science. This will, I know, seem to you like some mental hallucination, but as I can assure you from personal communication with them, that Robert Chambers, Dr. Norris of Birmingham, the well-known physiologist, and C. F. Varley, the well-known electrician, who have all investigated the subject, for years, agree with me both as to the facts and as to the main inferences to be drawn from them, I am in hopes that you will suspend your judgment for a time till we exhibit some corroborative symptoms of insanity.

In the meantime I can console you by the assurance that I don't agree with the Q. J. of Science about bamboo, and that I see no cause to modify any of my opinions expressed in my article on the "Reign of law." — Believe me yours very faithfully, ALFRED R. WALLACE.