To Herbert Spencer 9 December [1867]1
Down | Bromley | Kent. S.E.
Dec 9th.
My dear Mr. Spencer
I thank you very sincerely for your kind present of your First Principles.2 I earnestly hope that before long I may have strength to study the work as it ought to be studied, for I am certain to find or refind much that is deeply interesting. In many parts of your Principles of Biology I was fairly astonished at the prodigality of your original views.3 Most of the chapters furnished suggestions for whole volumes of future researches. As I have heard that you have changed your residence I am forced to address this to Messrs. Williams & Norgate;4 and for the same reason I gave some time ago the same address to Mr. Murray for a copy of my book on Variation etc which is now finished but delayed by the index-maker.5
Pray believe me, with sincere thanks | Yours very truly | 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–.
Marginalia: Charles Darwin’s marginalia. Edited by Mario A. Di Gregorio with the assistance of Nicholas W. Gill. Vol. 1. New York and London: Garland Publishing. 1990.
Spencer, Herbert. 1860–2. First principles. London: George Manwaring; Williams & Norgate.
Spencer, Herbert. 1864–7. The principles of biology. 2 vols. London: Williams & Norgate.
Spencer, Herbert. 1867. First principles. 2d edition. London: Williams & Norgate.
Spencer, Herbert. 1904. An autobiography. 2 vols. London: Williams and Norgate.
Summary
Thanks for copy of HS’s First principles [? 2d ed. (1867)].
Comments on HS’s Principles of biology [1864, 1867].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5717
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Herbert Spencer
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 147: 485a
- Physical description
- C 1p
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5717,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5717.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 15