To T. H. Huxley 4 May [1856]1
Down Bromley Kent
May 4th
My dear Huxley
I have been thinking over the Ray Soc. business,2 & it seems to me so improper that my advances of £117, during the last 2–3 years to pay Mr. Sowerby should never have been mentioned to the Council, that I hope that you will bring forward the case, & you can say very truly that I asked you when I was going to be paid & was surprised to find that you knew nothing about it.—3
Moreover it strikes me that it rather deeply concerns you personally, for if you were to get Royal Soc. money & the Ray Soc became bankrupt it wd. be an awkward affair for you.—4 There may be other debts besides mine.—
As I feel under great obligations to the Ray Soc, which I beg you to express on my part, I would not for the world do anything troublesome or unfair towards the Society.—
I enjoyed your visit here extremely, & I much hope that Mrs. Huxley did not suffer.
Yours most truly | Ch. Darwin
P.S. I have this minute received your note in regard to the Chinese Pots; & very much obliged I am to you for so kindly remembering the subject: I am very sorry to hear about Mrs. Huxley.5
C. D.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Living Cirripedia (1851): A monograph of the sub-class Cirripedia, with figures of all the species. The Lepadidæ; or, pedunculated cirripedes. By Charles Darwin. London: Ray Society. 1851.
Summary
It seems improper that his advances to G. B. Sowerby Jr for payment of engravings should not have been mentioned to Council of Ray Society. His appreciation of the Society.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1868
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Thomas Henry Huxley
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 35)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1868,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1868.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 6