To Emma Gärtner 9 June [1860]1
Down Bromley Kent
June 9th
Madam
I thank you sincerely for your most kind note & for your presents,2 which I shall value much & shall no doubt receive in due time. I have long venerated your Father & estimated his two great works most highly.3 I can perfectly well believe that the “search after truth was the leading principle of his life & labours”; I was thoroughily impressed with this, after reading them; & strict conscientiousness seemed to me their noble & prevailing character.— I shall be very glad to read something of his life; for I remember some few years ago enquiring on the subject, as I had got to feel so much interest in his great labours; but did not then hear of his life.—
Your Father’s name is pretty well known in this country, but not so universally as it ought to be, & not nearly well enough known in France, judging from such French Books as I read. If I can in ever so little degree make it more generally known I shall be pleased; & in my larger work I shall have to quote him far oftener. But your Father’s works have enduring merit, & will certainly be of high service to science many years after I am dead & gone.—
With sincere thanks for your letter, which has given me much satisfaction, & with my gratitude for your most kind presents, believe me Madam, with much respect, | Yours sincerely & obliged | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Gärtner, Karl Friedrich von. 1844. Versuche und Beobachtungen über die Befruchtungsorgane der vollkommeneren Gewächse und über die natürliche und künstliche Befruchtung durch den eigenen Pollen. Pt 1 of Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Befruchtung der vollkommeneren Gewächse. Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart.
Jäger, Gustav. 1851. Zum Andenken an den den 1. Mai 1772 geborenen den 1. September 1850 zu Calw gestorbenen Botaniker Dr Carl Friedrich von Gärtner. Stuttgart.
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.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Has long venerated her father [Carl F. von Gärtner]. Looks forward to reading his life. CD will do everything he can to make Gärtner’s name more generally known.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2827
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Emma Gärtner
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Duke University, Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RL.10387)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2827,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2827.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 8