My dear Sir

I intend to publish a translation of a sketch of the life of Erasmus Darwin by D^r Krause; & I shall prefix to it a preliminary notice by myself, consisting of about 130 folio M.S. pages.¹

I intend to have rather large type on thickish paper with cut gold edges—

There will be three wood-cuts & a photograph of D^r D.

The book therefore will be for its size rather expensive.²

I should guess that it w^d be about 200 pages. I have endeavoured to make my notice interesting to the public, but whether I have succeeded is quite doubtful. D^r Krause’s part relates chiefly to my grandfather on evolution. I have written to Mess^rs Clowes to ask them whether they can oblige me by setting up the whole of my preliminary notice in slips.³ You can then if you please see a copy; & decide whether you will publish it on commission for me, or on our old terms of $\frac{2}{3}$ profit.⁴

I am quite incapable of forming any judgement of the chance of the little book selling fairly well.

My dear Sir | yours very sincerely— | Ch. Darwin