To H. G. Bronn 14 July [1860]1
Down. | Bromley Kent. [Hartfield]2
July 14th.
Dear & Honoured Sir.
On my return home after an absence of some time I found the Translation of the third part of the Origin,3 and I have been delighted to see a final chapter of Criticisms by yourself.4 I have read the first few paragraphs & final paragraph and am perfectly contented, indeed more than contented, with the generous & candid spirit with which you have considered my views— You speak with too much praise of my work.— 5 I shall of course carefully read the whole chapter; but though I can read descriptive books like Gäertners pretty easily,6 when any reasoning comes in I find German excessively difficult to understand.7 At some future time I should very much like to hear how my book has been received in Germany & I most sincerely hope M. Schweizerbart will not lose money by the publication—8 Most of the Reviews have been bitterly opposed to me in England; yet I have made some converts & several naturalists who would not believe in a word of it, are now coming slightly round & admit that Natural Selection may have done something. This gives me hopes that more will ultimately come round to a certain extent to my views.
I shall ever consider myself deeply indebted to you for the immense service & honour which you have conferred on me in making the excellent translation of my book.
Pray believe me with most sincere respect | Dear Sir. | Yours gratefully.9 | Charles Darwin.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel: Börsenblatt für den Deutschen Buchhandel und für die mit ihm verwandten Geschäftszweige herausgegeben von den Deputirten des Vereins der Buchhändler zu Leipzig. Leipzig: Vereins der Buchhändler. 1834–80.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Gärtner, Karl Friedrich von. 1844. Versuche und Beobachtungen über die Befruchtungsorgane der vollkommeneren Gewächse und über die natürliche und künstliche Befruchtung durch den eigenen Pollen. Pt 1 of Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Befruchtung der vollkommeneren Gewächse. Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart.
LL: The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. Edited by Francis Darwin. 3 vols. London: John Murray. 1887–8.
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
Responds to HGB’s critique of Origin [appended to German translation of Origin]. Comments on English reviews.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2867
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Heinrich Georg Bronn
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 143
- Physical description
- C 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2867,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2867.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 8