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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Auguste Houzeau de Lehaie1   4 November 1872

Hyon

4 novembre | 1872

Monsieur,

J’ai bien reçu hier un exemplaire de votre nouvel ouvrage “Expression of the Emotions”   Je l’adresserai à mon frère par la prochaine malle des Indes occidentales le 16 de ce mois.2 Je n’ai pu m’empecher d’en commencer immediatement la lecture. Mon opinion je le sais n’a que bien peu de valeur ce n’est donc qu’avec une extrème reserve que j’ose exprimer toute l’admiration que ces nouvelles recherches me font éprouver.

J’ai été absent pendant quelques semaines ce qui m’avait empeché de repondre à votre lettre du 14 Septembre3   Je suis vraiment honteux de toute la peine qu’une erreur d’employé vous donne. Si vous avez encore le dernier exemplaire des “Facultés des Animaux”, qui vous a été envoyé   Je vous prierais de vouloir bien le faire adresser à Sir John Lubbock; J’ai des raisons de croire que l’exemplaire qui lui était destiné vous a ete adressé par erreur.

En vous priant d’excuser la peine que je vous donne, veuillez agréer Monsieur l’assurance de ma respectueuse consideration | C A Houzeau de Lehaie

Footnotes

For a translation of this letter, see Correspondence vol. 20, Appendix I.
Jean-Charles Houzeau’s name appears on CD’s presentation list for Expression (see Correspondence vol. 20, Appendix V). He was Auguste’s brother, and lived on Jamaica at this time. CD had been sent a copy of Jean-Charles’s book on the mental faculties of animals (Houzeau 1872); see letter to Chauncey Wright, 6 September [1872]; see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 20 October [1872].
The letter has not been found. Evidently CD had been sent two copies of Houzeau 1872 (see n. 2, above).

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.

Houzeau, Jean-Charles. 1872. Études sur les facultés mentales des animaux comparées à celles de l’homme par un voyageur naturaliste. 2 vols. Brussels: Hector Manceaux. Paris: Hachette et Cie.

Translation

From Auguste Houzeau de Lehaie1   4 November 1872

Hyon

4 November | 1872

Sir,

Yesterday I received a copy of your new work “Expression of the Emotions”. I shall send it to my brother by the next mail-boat to the West Indies on 16th of this month.2 I have not been able to prevent myself from starting to read it straight away. My opinion I know has little value so it is only with extreme reserve that I dare express all the admiration I feel for this new research.

I was away for some weeks, which prevented me from replying to your letter of September 14.3 I am truly sorry for all the trouble caused you by a clerical error. If you still have the last copy of “Facultés des Animaux” that was sent to you, I would ask you to be so good as to direct it to Sir John Lubbock; I have reason to believe that the copy meant for him was directed to you by mistake.

With apologies for the trouble I am giving, please believe me yours respectfully | C A Houzeau de Lehaie

Footnotes

For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see p. 480.
Jean-Charles Houzeau’s name appears on CD’s presentation list for Expression (see Correspondence vol. 20, Appendix V). He was Auguste’s brother, and lived on Jamaica at this time. CD had been sent a copy of Jean-Charles’s book on the mental faculties of animals (Houzeau 1872); see letter to Chauncey Wright, 6 September [1872]; see also letter to A. R. Wallace, 20 October [1872].
The letter has not been found. Evidently CD had been sent two copies of Houzeau 1872 (see n. 2, above).

Bibliography

Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.

Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.

Houzeau, Jean-Charles. 1872. Études sur les facultés mentales des animaux comparées à celles de l’homme par un voyageur naturaliste. 2 vols. Brussels: Hector Manceaux. Paris: Hachette et Cie.

Summary

Has received Expression and will forward it to his brother [Jean-Charles Houzeau de Lehaie].

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-8599
From
Charles Auguste Benjamin Hippolyte (Auguste) Houzeau de Lehaie
To
Charles Robert Darwin
Sent from
Hyon
Source of text
DAR 166: 274
Physical description
ALS 3pp (French)

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8599,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8599.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 20

letter