My dear M^r Butler

I have delayed thanking you for your present until I had read it through, which I have now done. It has interested me greatly & is extremely curious.— If I had not known that you had written it, I sh^d. not even have suspected that the author was not orthodox within the wide stated limits.² I sh^d. have thought that he was a conscientious man like Blanco White whose autobiography you no doubt know.³

It will be a curious problem whether the orthodox will have so good a scent as to detect your heresy.— I have just seen G. R. Greg⁴ & told him of the book, (but not of course who wrote it.⁠⟨⁠)⁠⟩⁠ & he will read it.

He ⁠⟨⁠re⁠⟩⁠marked that the orthodox will read almost anything if not purposely made offensive to them; & no one can say that you have done this. But you will soon be universally know: Leslie Stephen, a regular reviewer, who was lunching here, knew you were the author.— What has struck me much in your book, is your dramatic power,—that is the way in which you earnestly & thoroughily assume the character, & think the thoughts, of the man you pretend to be. Hence I conclude that you c^d write a really good novel.— I have been surprised at the strength of the case which you make for Jesus not having died on the cross;⁵ but I do not know whether to be convinced in the way of small criticisms—there seems too much reiteration in about the middle of the book. It would, I think, be well, when long & many passages are in inverted commas to repeat who is speaking,—I got sometimes confused. Your book must have cost you much labour; & I heartily hope it will be widely distributed; but it is not light reading.

I have been very sorry to hear of your strain: if you c^d have come here, we sh^d. have been very glad to have seen you at luncheon or dinner.—

Yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin