From C.-F. Reinwald¹ 16 June 1880

Paris

16 Juin 1880

Cher Monsieur

Ma dernière lettre était de 17 Avril 1879. J’ai été favorise depuis de vos honorées lettres de 20 et 27 Avril 1879.²

Nos réimpressions de vos ouvrages ont été retardées par une grave maladie de Mr. E. Barbier, votre traducteur; mais qui heureusement n’a pas eu des suites plus graves pour lui qu’une suspension de son travail de plusieurs mois. Malgré cela nous avons enfin pu terminer la nouvelle édition de lOrigine des Espèces et la nouvelle Traduction des Variations des Animaux et des Plantes. Je vous envoie aujourdhui deux exemplaires de chacun de ces deux ouvrages, en un paquet que je remets aux Messageries franc de port.³ Il va sans dire que je suis a votre disposition pour d’autres exemplaires dont vous pourrez avoir besoin pour des amis en France ou ailleurs.

La Descendance de lHomme est encore sous presse; la moitié en est imprimée et l’autre moitié se terminera tout doucement, vu l’état de santé de M Barbier d’ici au mois dOctobre. C’est réellement une toute nouvelle traduction d’après votre dernière édition anglaise et elle se formera comme celle-ci qu’un seul volume, dont le prix sera moindre que celui des deux premières éditions.⁴

Nos traductions de vos divers traités botaniques ne peuvent se vendre aussi régulièrement que les volumes susdits. Je regrette donc que je ne puisse pas dès aujourdhui vous annoncer la réalisation d’un bénéfice, dont je vous devrais le percentage. Cependant les nouvelles éditions de lOrigine des Espèces et de Variation des Animaux et des Plantes m’engagent a vous remettre ci inclus un chèque de quarante livres Sterling pour la part des bénéfices à venir et possibles dans ces deux entreprises.⁵

La nouvelle édition de Variation a été assez couteuse pour l’éditeur et la vente de cette nouvelle traduction ne pourra probablement s’effectuer avec plus de promptitude que celle de la première édition que nous avons publiée, comme vous le savez en 1868.⁶ Je pense donc que le percentage que je vous remets avec la présente répondra à la situation presente de léditeur et de lédition.

Depuis l’année dernière j’ai eu la malheur de perdre mon neveu, jeune homme de 38 ans qui était associé a mes affaires.⁷ Je vous prie d’excuser le retard de la présente lettre en consideration des troubles et des travaux supplémentaires qui étaient la suite de cette perte déplorable. Aussitôt que la nouvelle traduction de la Descendence sera achevée j’aurai lhonneur de vous envoyer quelques exemplaires. Quant a le Vie de votre aïeul Erasme Darwin, je n’en ai plus entendu parler pas M. Barbier à cause de sa récente maladie.⁸

Veuillez bon agréer, cher Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments les plus distingués de reconnaissance et de dévouement avec lesquels je suis | yours truely | C Reinwald

A Charles Darwin E^sq Down

Footnotes

1

For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.

2

See Correspondence vol. 27, letter from C.-F. Reinwald, 17 April 1879. CD’s letters to Reinwald of 20 and 27 April have not been found; his last known letter to Reinwald is that of 29 October 1879 (ibid.).

3

The third edition of the French translation of Origin by Edmond Barbier was published in 1880 (Barbier trans. 1880). The first volume of Barbier’s French translation of Variation was published in 1879, the second in 1880 (Barbier trans. 1879–80); the translation was from Variation 2d ed.

4

A third French edition of Descent, translated by Barbier from Murray’s 1879 issue of the revised second English edition, was published in 1881 (Barbier trans. 1881).

5

The following of CD’s books dealing with botanical topics had been translated into French and published by Reinwald: Orchids (Rérolle trans. 1870), Climbing plants 2d ed. (Gordon trans. 1877), Insectivorous plants (Barbier trans. 1877), Cross and self fertilisation (Heckel trans. 1877), and Forms of flowers (Heckel trans. 1878). CD recorded the receipt of £40 under the heading ‘Reinwald profits on French translation’ on 22 June 1880 (CD’s Account books–banking account (Down House MS)).

6

The first French translation of Variation was Moulinié trans. 1868.

7

Reinwald’s nephew Frédéric Buhlmeyer died in June 1879 (Bulletins et mémoires de la Société d’anthropologie de Paris 3d ser. 2 (1879): 430).

8

CD had sent the sheets of Erasmus Darwin to Reinwald for Barbier to consider translating; see Correspondence vol. 27, letter to C.-F. Reinwald, 11 September 1879. CD also wrote about a French translation in his letter to Reinwald of 29 October 1879 (Correspondence vol. 27), but no French edition was published.

Bibliography

Barbier, Edmond, trans. 1877. Les plantes insectivores. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Insectivorous plants.) With introduction and notes by Charles Martin. Paris: Reinwald.

Barbier, Edmond, trans. 1879–80. De la variation des animaux et des plantes à l’état domestique. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Variation 2d ed.) 2d French edition. Preface by Carl Vogt. 2 vols. Paris: C. Reinwald et Cie.

Barbier, Edmond, trans. 1880. L’origine des espèces au moyen de la sélection naturelle ou la lutte pour l’existence dans la nature. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Origin 6th edition, 1876.) Paris: C. Reinwald.

Barbier, Edmond, trans. 1881. La descendance de l’homme et la sélection sexuelle. By Charles Darwin. 3d French edition, from the 2d English edition of Descent, revised and augmented by the author. Preface by Carl Vogt. Paris: C. Reinwald, Libraire-Éditeur.

Climbing plants 2d ed.: The movements and habits of climbing plants. 2d edition. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1875.

Cross and self fertilisation: The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1876.

Erasmus Darwin. By Ernst Krause. Translated from the German by W. S. Dallas, with a preliminary notice by Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1879.

Forms of flowers: The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1877.

Gordon, Richard, trans. 1877. Les mouvements et les habitudes des plantes grimpantes. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Climbing plants.) Paris: C. Reinwald.

Heckel, Édouard, trans. 1877. Des effets de la fécondation croisée et de la fécondation directe dans le règne végétal. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Cross and self fertilisation.) Paris: C. Reinwald.

Heckel, Édouard, trans. 1878. Des différentes formes de fleurs dans les plantes de la même espèce. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Forms of flowers.) Paris: C. Reinwald et Cie.

Insectivorous plants. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1875.

Moulinié, Jean-Jacques, trans. 1868. De la variation des animaux et des plantes sous l’action de la domestication. By Charles Darwin. Preface by Carl Vogt. Paris: C. Reinwald.

Orchids: On the various contrivances by which British and foreign orchids are fertilised by insects, and on the good effects of intercrossing. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1862.

Rérolle, Louis, trans. 1870. De la fécondation des orchidées par les insectes et des bons résultats du croisement. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Orchids.) Paris: C. Reinwald.

Variation 2d ed.: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1875.

Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.

Translation

From C.-F. Reinwald¹ 16 June 1880

Paris

16 June 1880

Dear Sir

My last letter was 17 April 1879. I have since been favoured by your honoured letters of 20 and 27 April 1879.²

Our reprints of your works were delayed by a grave illness of Mr. E. Barbier, your translator; but which happily has had no worse consequences for him than the suspension of his work for several months. Despite this we have finally been able to finish the new edition of the Origin of Species and the new Translation of Variation of Animals and Plants. I am sending you today two copies of each of these two works, in a parcel that I send by the parcel post carriage paid.³ It goes without saying that I am your disposal for other copies which you may need for friends in France or elsewhere.

The Descent of man is still at the press; half is printed, and the other half will be finished easily enough, owing to the state of M Barbier’s health, between now and October. It is actually a completely new translation from your last English edition and like it will be a single volume, of which the price will be less than that of the two first editions.⁴

Our translations of your various botanical treatises have not been able to be sold as regularly as the above-mentioned volumes. Therefore I regret that until today I have not been able to notify you of the realisation of a profit, of which I owe you a percentage. Nevertheless the new editions of the Origin of Species and Variation of Animals and Plants induce me to send you the enclosed cheque for forty pounds Sterling for future projected profits in these two enterprises.⁵

The new edition of Variation was quite expensive for the publisher and the sale of this new translation will probably not take place with more promptness than that of the first edition that we published, as you know in 1868.⁶ Thus I think that the percentage that I am sending with this letter will answer to the present situation of the publisher and the edition.

Since last year I have had the misfortune to lose my nephew, a young man of 38 years who was associated with my business.⁷ Please excuse the delay of the present letter in view of the troubles and the additional tasks which are the consequence of this grievous loss. As soon as the new translation of Descent is finished I will have the honour to send you some copies. As for the Life of your grandfather Erasmus Darwin, I have not heard any more of M Barbier because of his recent illness.⁸

Please, dear Sir, accept the expression of my most distinguished sentiments of gratitude and dedication with which I am | yours truely | C Reinwald

To Charles Darwin E^sq Down

Footnotes

1

For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see pp. 230—1.