WCP3550

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne.

Nov.[embe]^r 29th. 1903

Rob[er]t Brown Esq.

Dear Sir

Many thanks for your kind appreciation of my book. With regard to the passage about pure air, which to you & many other readers will appear quite uncalled for & almost rabid in its exaggerated language, I may say that it came to me as it were, without premediation, and as I am a thorough socialist I think it a duty to say a word for human progress at every opportunity.

I see from the list of your [2] numerous books, that you have written a pamphlet on the Origin of Language. That is a subject which has a fascination for me, and I shall be obliged if you can spare me a copy.

I am myself a dreadfully poor linguist, it being a great pain to me to learn a language, and then after some years of disuse I almost totally forget it. Nevertheless, I have written an Essay dealing with the origin of Language on the same lines as Wedgwood¹ or Farrar, — but, I believe, I have discovered a new idea or principle, which carries the [3] imitative principle far beyond what <they> have suggested, and it seems to me renders the whole progress of speech development ^{or rather of speech origination —} simple & intelligible.

I have seen no reference to this idea in any English book but you will know whether it occurs in any German author or elsewhere. My article² was published originally in the "Fortnightly Rev[iew]", & attracted the attention of Gladstone³ who wrote me an interesting, but in parts quite unintelligible letter about it, & its illustration in Homer. I have reprinted [4] the article, with a few corrections, in my "Essays Scientific & Social" — Its title is — "T<he> Expressiveness of Speech." It has been entirely unnoticed except by one or two ignorant critics, who, of course sneered at it, as utterly worthless. When I have read your paper & seen whether there is any reference to the principle, I will, if you cannot get the book to look at, lend you my only copy of the original article.

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

[5] P.S. I meant to say that I have looked through, & read portions of your book on the Constellations, parts of which I find very interesting though too technical for a linguistic ignoramus like myself. What was especially interesting to me is your reprint of a translation of the Star Catalogue of Hipparchus, as I had never understood before how he defined the several stars. Your account of the origin & development of some of the Constellation figures is also very interesting.

A.R.W. [signature]