WCP5649

[1]

Down.¹

26^th [June 1858]²

My dear Lyell

Forgive me for adding P.S.³ to make the case as strong as possible against myself.

Wallace might say "you did not intend publishing an abstract of your views till you received my communication⁴, is it fair to take advantage of my having freely, though unasked, communicated to you my ideas, & thus prevent me forestalling you?" The advantage which I should take being that I am induced to publish from privately knowing [2] that Wallace is in the field. It seems hard on me that I should be thus compelled to lose my priority of many years standing, but I cannot feel at all sure that this alters the justice of the case. First impressions are generally right & I at first thought it w[oul]^d be dishonourable in me now to publish. —

Yours most truly | C. Darwin

I have always thought you would have made a first-rate Lord Chancellor; & I now appeal to you as a Lord Chancellor[.]

over

[3] Emma⁵ desires her affectionate thanks, in which I heartily join, to Lady L.⁶ for her most kind note. — Etty⁷ is very weak but progressing well. The Baby⁸ has much fever but we hope not S[carlet]. Fever. — What has frightened us so much is, that 3 children have died in village from Scarlet Fever, & others have been at death's door, with terrible suffering.