From John Murray 8 November [1869]1
50, Albemarle St. | W.
Novr 8th
My Dear Sir
I have no recollection of my having taken any part in the arrangement with Masson for the French Translation of the Origin, beyond that of securing for you the copyright in France & depositing a copy. Nor is any trace beyond this, to be found in my books—2
Unless you received money from Masson, & signed some Document it seems to me there is nothing to bind you.
As regards any transfer of your rights to Reinwald—in the Fifth Edition, I fear they have fallen through—because the three months prescribed for registry after publication of this Edn have lapsed, now some time3
Still this need not prevent Reinwald publishing, if you have not arranged with Masson as aforesaid: The lapse of time wd now allow Masson to translate even the additions to the 5th. Edn. I suspect—4
Chas Darwin Esqre
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Nowell-Smith, Simon. 1968. International copyright law and the publisher in the reign of Queen Victoria. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Summary
JM advises CD regarding his relations with Masson, the French publisher of the Origin [1866], and the possibility of Reinwald’s publishing a translation of the 5th edition.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6978
- From
- John Murray
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- London, Albemarle St, 50
- Source of text
- DAR 171: 373
- Physical description
- AL 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6978,” accessed on 29 September 2023, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6978.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17
