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Darwin Correspondence Project

From László Dapsy   12 June 1871

Pest| 17. Josef utsza.

1871. June 12.

Dear Sir!

Being convinced of the good effect of your heighly precious inquiries for the whole society: as Professor of natural history, since many years I have done my best to spread your doctrines between my countrymen.— I published already besides many articles on this matter, in the last March your biography, and portrait in our “Vasarnassi Ussag.”—1 Now reading the Descent of Man, I am very pleasantly touched to see the fulfilling of my whish, that at length you have applied your doctrines for the man.

I am sorry to say that as yet, here such a tendencies are received with a good deal of aversion, but I believe that by-and-by they will accept it,—and it would be a great advancement for our political life too.

I beg therefore for your kindeness to authorize me to the translation of the “Descent of Man”; for hungarian language;2—and to assure you that if in any matter I can to serve you, I am to your disposition.

With my highest respect I remain Sir! | Your obedient servant | Ladislaus Dapsy

My address: | Prof. L. Dapsy. | Hungary Pest | 17. Josef utza

CD annotations

Top of letter: ‘I feel much honour & gratified by your very kind letter & [illeg] to you.’ pencil

Footnotes

Dapsy refers to Vasárnapi újság (Sunday news). His article appeared in the 26 March 1871 issue (pp. 153–4).
Dapsy did not publish a translation of Descent. He was later commissioned to translate Origin into Hungarian (letter from László Dapsy, 1 June 1873 (Calendar no. 8931)).

Bibliography

Calendar: A calendar of the correspondence of Charles Darwin, 1821–1882. With supplement. 2d edition. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1994.

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

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

As a professor of natural history, LD has spread CD’s doctrines in Hungary. Now wishes permission to translate Descent.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-7817
From
Laszlo Dapsy
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Pest
Source of text
DAR 162: 40
Physical description
ALS 3pp †

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7817,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-7817.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 19

letter