My Dear Sir,—

I have been thinking a good deal lately about your plans. For the sake of science, in which alone I can judge, I regret extremely that you have left the botanic gardens.¹ I hope you will let me hear as soon as you have decided at all what to do. I think it best to tell you, though I do so with sincere regret, that I have lately had some correspondence with Dr Hooker, and I can plainly see, though he wishes you well, that he will not be able to get you any foreign appointment.² I can see that one great difficulty is, that as you have not worked under him he cannot personally say anything about you, and then he has men of his own to recommend. I fear it would be prudent in you not to trust at all to him, though if by any extraordinary chance he could aid you, he would do so.³ If my health had been better I would have proposed to you to have come here and have worked for a couple of years on scientific subjects, but at present, and probably for ever, this is impossible.⁴ And I doubt very much, even if you were inclined, whether this plan would have answered for you, as you would have got out of the usual routine.⁵ Permit me to say that if you require at present any pecuniary assistance I shall be happy to assist you, and you need have no scruple in accepting it, as I make this small offer on the grounds of science.

With every good wish for your future success in life, I remain, Dear Sir, | Yours faithfully, | Charles Darwin.

P.S.—I sent a spare copy of the “Reader” to you, as I thought you might like to see it.⁶ It need not be returned.