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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Adolphe de Stillfried   [1877?]1

Honoured Sir!

How many men of intellect and genius have won themselves also laurels, yes even the glory of immortality by their discoveries and invastigations, not one of them has to my idea easily anything so astonished the world, and given it so much sustenance for thought, and wonder, as the man, who from the day when my whole mind and energy were devoted to his books acquired my whole and greatest interest; how inspired I felt by all the incredulous marvels, by the productions of such an enormous power of thought and purpose!

How grandly such a man stands who can provide and devise such things, opposite to the whole, immense mass of community, which can only gaze mutely with admiration.— My greatest wish is and has been for sometime, to have something in remembrance of you, who so completely fill my thoughts, be it some times written by your hand, or a photograph with your signature which I can name as my property, when one has from the object, to which one has learned his whole interest, such an agreeable remembrance, than one would like best to apotheosize him.— I beg you not to deny me this proof of your favour, and fulfilment of my wish.

I remain, dear Sir, | yours admiringly | med: cand: Adolphe baron de Stillfried

Prag, Brenntegasse No. 35, 2ten Stolz

Footnotes

The year is conjectured from a pencil annotation at the top of the letter, probably made by Francis Darwin.

Summary

Writes of his admiration for CD and requests an autograph or photo.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-10744
From
Adolphe de Stillfried
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Prague
Source of text
DAR 177: 257
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10744,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10744.xml

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