Ɛpsilon

WCP3601

Letter (WCP3601.3501)

[1]

[11 May 1885]1

Dr. Sir2

The article on "Modern Spiritualism"3 is mine but I headed it "The Relation of Modern Sp. to Science." I shall be glad if you can send me by post 2 copies. I am LL.D of Dublin University. It is the only Hon. title I now use. I did not refer at all to any direct evidence, scientific or otherwise, for Life in other Worlds, but merely that, if my argument were sound, it was necessarily so, there being no other conceivable purpose in the physical universe. I have expressed my reasons for the belief in the article, if it is printed as I sent it, and I have neither time nor inclination to go into the matter further. I have no spare copies of my "Nat. Selection."4 Mr. Sinnetts5 "Esoteric Buddhism"6 gives the Theosophical view of life-development through the universe.

Are you interested in Botany? If so can you send me some of your native bulbs or seeds of ornamental perennial plants, as I am very fond of gardening.

Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1
The date was derived from???
2
Marseilles, Charles (1846-1920). Editor of the Kingston (New York) Journal and the Kingston (New York) Daily Freeman. Sole proprietor of the Exeter News-Letter.
3
Wallace, A. R. 1896. Miracles and modern spiritualism. Revised edition, with chapters on apparitions and phantasms. London: George Redway.
4
Wallace, A. R. 1871. Contributions to the theory of natural selection. A series of essays. Second edition, with corrections and additions. London: Macmillan & Co.
5
Sinnett, Alfred Percy (1840-1921). British author and theosophist.
6
Sinnett, Alfred Percy. 1884. Esoteric Buddhism. Cambridge: The Riverside Press.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3601.3501)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Smith, Sam [2013-08-19] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-08-19] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2026-04-18]

Please cite as “WCP3601,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3601