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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Charles Layton   23 December 1869

16 Little Britain (City)

Decbr 23/69

Charles Darwin Esq

Dear Sir

I have just received letter from Messrs Appletons, in which they say, your proposal is accepted by them, and they will reprint from last Editn Origin of Species, making the corrections you sent,1 and receiving from you when ready early sheets of New Work on Man, with Electros of Illustrs and paying on that work 10[per cent] copyright—2

Messrs Appletons also mention that they had already an agreement with Profr Gray to remit you 5[per cent] on previous Sales of Origin of Species, and next Month you will receive a Small remittance on that a/c—3

Yours Respectfully | Charles Layton | Agent D. Appleton & Co

Footnotes

Layton evidently refers to CD’s proposal in his letter to Layton of 24 November [1869]; Layton was the London agent for D. Appleton & Co. in New York City. D. Appleton & Co. published the fifth English edition of Origin ‘with additions and corrections’ in 1870 (Origin 2d US ed.).
On the agreement with Asa Gray regarding the remittance and previous sales of Origin, see Correspondence vol. 14, letter from Asa Gray, 7 May 1866 and n. 3. For D. Appleton & Co.’s statement on sales of Origin by February 1870, see Correspondence vol. 18, letter from D. Appleton & Co. to Asa Gray, 1 February 1870. On 12 October 1870, CD recorded receiving a cheque from Layton for the ‘sale of Origin in the United States 1866–71’; the amount was £62 5s. 2d. (CD’s Account books–banking account (Down House MS)).

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.

Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.

Origin 2d US ed.: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. From the fifth London edition, with additions and corrections. New York: D. Appleton. 1870.

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

Has received letter from Appleton’s that they agree to reprint from the latest edition of the Origin [5th English] and will add corrections sent by CD.

They wish also to receive early sheets of new book [Descent] on which they will pay £10.

Will send cheque for sales of Origin, based on older agreement between Appleton’s and Asa Gray to pay CD 5%.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-7033
From
Charles James (Charles) Layton; D. Appleton & Co
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
London, Little Britain, 16
Source of text
DAR 159: 85
Physical description
ALS 2pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7033,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7033.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17

letter