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Darwin Correspondence Project

To W. E. Darwin   4 August [1881]1

6. Q. Anne St

Augt 4th

My dear William.—

I enclose Bacon’s letter.2 The case seems simpler about the guarantee as the money is wanted for works in progress. Let me hear when you hear from Langton,3 & then if you keep of the same opinion I will take the shares & pay first call, & afterwards sell out, if calls are too frequent—

My luncheon was a failure, as there was an immense crowd of all the greatest scientific swells & much delay & I was half dead before luncheon began—4 I sat close opposite to the Prince, & between Virchow & Donders,5 who both spoke bad English incessantly & this completed my killing.— I was a fool to go, but I could hardly have declined.— The Prince spoke only a few civil words to me.

The Crown Prince of Germany was there, to whom I was presented, & he looks a very nice & sensible & fine man.6 Huxley7 was standing near when I was introduced to half a dozen high & mighty savants, & he then said to Paget, “pray introduce me to Mr Darwin”. & bowed to me like a foreigner until his back was horizontal.

Good Bye | my dear old William | C. Darwin

I hope Sara may be able to come to us on the Sunday.8 Order her!!

Footnotes

The year is established by the reference to the luncheon on 3 August 1881 (see n. 4, below).
The letter has not been found. It was probably from Booth Bacon; CD owned shares in the Penarth Harbour Dock and Railway Company, of which Bacon was the secretary (see Correspondence vol. 11, letter from Booth Bacon, 10 June 1863). CD had bought more shares in the company in July 1881; he made payments (calls) on the shares in August (CD’s Investment book (Down House MS)).
CD attended a luncheon on 3 August 1881 for the opening of the seventh International Medical Congress in London; he had been invited by James Paget to meet the prince of Wales, Albert Edward (later Edward VII; see letter from James Paget, 1 June 1881).
The crown prince was Frederick William.
Sara Darwin; no visit by her to Down at this time was recorded.

Summary

Reports on a luncheon of scientific savants at which the Crown Prince of Germany [and Prince of Wales?] were present.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-13274
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
William Erasmus Darwin
Sent from
London, Queen Anne St, 6
Source of text
DAR 210.6: 181
Physical description
ALS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13274,” accessed on 5 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13274.xml

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