My dear Hooker

Pray give my thanks to M^rs. Hooker for her extremely kind note, which has pleased me much.—² We are very sorry she cannot come here, but shall be delighted to see you & Willy ³ (our Boys will be at home) here in 2^d. week of January or any other time.— I shall much enjoy discussing any points in my Book with you.—

I think the copy of your Introduction for Wallace had better go to Stephens’.—⁴ Will you send me a copy? I hate to hear you abuse your own work. I on the contrary so sincerely value all that you have written. It is an old & firm conviction of mine, that the naturalists who accumulate facts & make many partial generalisations are the real benefactors of science. Those who merely accumulate facts, I cannnot very much respect.

I had hoped to have come up for the Club tomorrow, but very much doubt whether I shall be able.⁵ Ilkley seems to have done me no essential good. I attended the Bench on Monday & was detained in adjudicating some troublesome cases 1$\frac{1}{2}$ hour longer than usual, & came home utterly knocked up & cannot rally.—⁶ I am not worth an old button.

It is curious about Revue Horticole.⁷

Many thanks for your pleasant note. | Ever yours | C. Darwin

I feel confident that for the future progress of the subject of the origin & manner of formation of species, the assent & arguments & facts of working naturalists like yourself are far more important than my own Book: so for Gods sake do not abuse your Introduction.

P.S | I have this minute received another most interesting letter from you with Asa Gray’s—but I am feeling so sick that I cannot read Gray’s—⁸

Yours remarks are excellent—specially about explaining too much, yet I cannot yet see my error.—