From John Tyndall 9 October 1868
Royal Institution of Great Britain
9th. Oct. 1868
My dear Darwin.
Hinrichs is also a correspondent of mine.1 Had he trusted more to the natural weight of his views if they have any and less to the policy of making a noise about them he would in my opinion have acted more wisely than he has done.
He has published an attack upon Dana which I should not like to circulate as he shows a temper not to be trusted where cool judgement is required.2 But you can ease your conscience by sending his papers to me, and I will place almost the whole of them on the table of the Royal Institution.3 You can tell him that you have sent them to me.
I was rejoiced to hear from dear old Hooker on Thursday week that were able to have a little party of your friends about you, and then again, Bates dashed my happiness by saying that you were not so well as you ought to be.4 I hardly think that even your naturalists care more about hearing of your improved health than I do.
That charming man Asa Gray, and his still more charming wife are staying with Hooker.5 I dined there on Wednesday and endeavoured to make it clear to Mrs. Gray that your ill health was a benefit to you inasmuch as it compelled you to ponder a great deal,6 and this accounted for the extraordinary proportion of thought which your works display.
Goodbye: I hope you will continue to flourish.
Ever Yours | John Tyndall
Footnotes
Summary
Gustavus Hinrichs is also a [not highly regarded] correspondent of JT’s; he will put GH’s papers on the table at Royal Institution to ease CD’s conscience.
Dined with the Asa Grays at Hooker’s. Told Mrs Gray that CD’s ill health was a benefit because it caused him to ponder a great deal.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6414
- From
- John Tyndall
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Royal Institution
- Source of text
- DAR 106: C1–2
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6414,” accessed on 25 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6414.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16