To Alfred Newton 9 February [1870]1
Down. | Beckenham | Kent. S.E.
Feb. 9th
Dear Newton
I suppose it wd be universally held extremely wrong for a defendant to write to a Judge to express his satisfaction at a judgment in his favour; & yet I am going thus to act.— I have just read what you have said in the Record about my Pigeon chapters, & it has gratified me beyond measure.2 I have sometimes felt a little disappointed that the labour of so many years seemed to be almost thrown away, for you are the first man, capable of forming a judgment (excepting partly Quatrefages), who seems to have thought anything of this part of my work.3
The amount of labour, correspondence, & care, which the subject cost me, is more than you could well suppose.— I thought the article in the Athenæum, written I have no doubt by Owen, was very unjust;4 but now I feel amply repaid, & I cordially thank you for your sympathy & too warm praise.— What labour you have bestowed on your part of the Record! I ought to be ashamed to speak of my amount of work.—
I thoroughily enjoyed the Sunday which you & the others spent here,5 &
I remain | Dear Newton | Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
LL: The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. Edited by Francis Darwin. 3 vols. London: John Murray. 1887–8.
Quatrefages, Armand de. 1868–9a. Origines des espèces animales et végétales. Revue des deux mondes 2d ser. 78 (1868): 832–60; 79 (1869): 208–40; 80 (1869): 64–95, 397–432, 638–72.
Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.
Summary
Was gratified "beyond measure" by AN’s comments on his pigeon chapter [in Variation] in the [Zoological] Record [5 (1868): 94–6]. AN is the first man capable of forming a judgment who seems to have thought anything of this part.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7100
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Alfred Newton
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 185: 90
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7100,” accessed on 29 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7100.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 18