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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Ernst Krause1   16 February 1880

Berlin N.O. Friedenstrase 10. II.

den 16.2.1880.

Hochverehrter Herr!

Ich schreibe heut nur ein Paar Zeilen, um Ihnen für Ihre freundlichen Mittheilungen herzlichst zu danken und Ihnen zu sagen, dass ich Ihrem Rathe folgen und auf jegliche Antwort an Herrn Butler verzichten werde.2 Es ist gewiss das Richtigste, Angreifern, die eine solche mala fides3 verrathen, wie die Benutzung Ihres Briefes, und seine verschiedenen Verdächtigungen enthalten, gar nicht zu antworten. Ihm selbst ist das gewiss viel unangenehmer, als wenn er irgend eine Antwort erh⁠⟨⁠iel⁠⟩⁠te, die ihm erlaubte, den Streit fortzuspinnen.

In herzlicher Ergebenheit, hochgeehrter Herr, | Ihr | dankbarer | Ernst Krause

Footnotes

For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
See letters to Ernst Krause, 9 February 1880 and 13 February 1880. Krause had considered responding to Samuel Butler’s letter to the Athenæum (see letter from Ernst Krause, 6 February 1880; for Butler’s letter, see the letter to H. E. Litchfield, 1 February [1880], enclosure 1).
Mala fides: bad faith (Latin).

Translation

From Ernst Krause1   16 February 1880

Berlin N.O. Friedenstrase 10. II.

16.2.1880.

Most esteemed Sir!

I am writing you only a few lines today to thank you most cordially for your kind communications and to tell you that I shall follow your advice and refrain from responding to Mr Butler in any form.2 Surely it is best not to reply at all to aggressors who betray such mala fides3 as to use your letter and who hold various suspicions. For him this very likely is much more unpleasant than if he received some reply that would allow him to carry on this dispute.

In cordial devotion, most esteemed Sir, | Yours | gratefully | Ernst Krause

Footnotes

For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see p. 93–4.
See letters to Ernst Krause, 9 February 1880 and 13 February 1880. Krause had considered responding to Samuel Butler’s letter to the Athenæum (see letter from Ernst Krause, 6 February 1880; for Butler’s letter, see the letter to H. E. Litchfield, 1 February [1880], enclosure 1).
Mala fides: bad faith (Latin).

Summary

Agrees not to reply to Butler.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-12484
From
Ernst Ludwig (Ernst) Krause
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Berlin
Source of text
DAR 92: B56
Physical description
ALS 1p (German)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 12484,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-12484.xml

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