Dear Mr. Belt,

I am sure that you would wish me to write quite frankly to you. It seems to me that you would make a most serious mistake to give up your profession, unless you have sufficient means to work at science without temporary aid from the Royal Soc.¹ I have talked with two very leading men belonging to the Society, about the grant, and it is clear to me that there is at present much divergence of opinion, and no one knows how affairs will be managed.² I gave it as my opinion that a sum of money would be well spent for two purposes, one of which was that a fitting man (if one could be found) should visit the Ceara mountains to examine Agassiz’s glacial deposits.³ Now one of the men above alluded to objected strongly to this and to my other proposal, saying that there would be no check in such cases on the money being wasted. The other doubtfully agreed with me. I do not know whether you have heard how the grants will be at first managed. There is to be a parliament of science, largely independent of the R. Soc., in which the branches of science will be represented by Committees; and every application, for instance yours, will first go before the proper Committee which will report to the parliament. If the latter agrees, the recommendation will pass on to the council of the R. Soc., which as I understand will act almost exclusively by agreeing to or vetoing the proposal. Under these circumstances you will see that it would be of no use my writing to D^r. Hooker, who would think my doing so foolish, as I know how the applications are to be managed. From what I have heard you say, and from what I have myself gathered, I cannot think that there is any good chance at present of a Committee of Geologists recommending a grant to you to work out views which are commonly held to be much too theoretical.⁴ If I were in the parliament myself I should very much doubt the wisdom, on account of public opinion, of granting at first money for working out highly theoretical views. I earnestly hope that you will reflect long and carefully before you apply to the R. Soc. for aid, especially before it is known what sort of work will be supported. I hear that already above 40 applications have been made, some of them most wild and absurd. I am very sorry to be obliged to write so discouraging a letter; but I think it would mortify you to have your application refused.

I remain, | dear Mr. Belt | Yours sincerely | Charles Darwin.