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Darwin Correspondence Project

To ?   [after 2 November 1859]1

scoring many passages for future reflexion.—

My book on the Origin of species has been some time finished, & will be published, as I hear from Murray, on Nov. 22d.— I fear, if you ever read it, that the conclusions will be abominable ⁠⟨⁠several lines missing⁠⟩⁠ & I must stop, otherwise I shall be ruined.

My book in its present state is sadly too much condensed.—

Pray believe me | My dear Sir | Yours faithfully | Charles Darwin

Footnotes

Dated on the basis of CD’s remark that Origin was to be published on 22 November 1859. This information was received in the preceding letter. According to Freeman 1977, p. 75, the publishers' trade sale was on 22 November and the book was published on 24 November.

Bibliography

Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.

Summary

Origin will be published 22 Nov. Fears correspondent will find the conclusions "abominable".

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-2541
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Unidentified
Sent from
Ilkley
Source of text
Michael S. Hollander (dealer) (Catalogue 15)
Physical description
ALS 2pp inc

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2541,” accessed on 22 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2541.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7

letter