From C.-F. Reinwald¹ 17 January 1874

Paris

le 17 Janvier 1874.

A Charles Darwin E^sq | Down Beckenham Kent

Cher Monsieur

Nous vous envoyons aujourdhui par la Poste sous bande un exemplaire de la traduction des Emotions, qui a enfin pu voir le jour. Vous jugerez vous-même de l’exécution de cette traduction qui se met parfaitement à la suite de vos autres ouvrages que nous avons eu l’honneur de publier.²

Pour engager des traducteurs capables et habiles nous avons été obligés de nous soumettre à des exigeances plus ou moins grandes et subir des retards considérables dans l’achèvement du livre.³

Nous publierons également la semaine prochaine la 2^e édition de la Descendance de l’Homme, revue et corrigée par M E. Barbier. Nous vous envoy⁠⟨⁠ons⁠⟩⁠ un exemplaire des 2 volumes par un de nos correspondants et nous vous ferons alors le paiement convenu entre nous pour le droit d’auteur sur cette deuxième édition.⁴ Il va sans dire que nous nous mettons a votre disposition pour les exemplaires des deux ouvrages que vous voudrez bien recevoir vous même, ou faire déposer ou envoyer en votre nom à quelques personnes en France ou à l’étranger

Veuillez bien agréer en attendant, cher Monsieur, l’expression de notre reconnaissance et de tous | nos sentiments de dévouement | C Reinwald & C

Footnotes

1

For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.

2

CD’s copy of the French translation of Expression (Pozzi and Benoît trans. 1874) is in the Darwin Library–Down. Reinwald had also published French editions of Origin (Moulinié trans. 1873), Variation (Moulinié trans. 1868), and Descent (Moulinié trans. 1872).

3

Samuel Jean Pozzi had been hired by Reinwald to take over translating Expression when ill health forced Jean Jacques Moulinié to give up the job. In order to meet the deadline set by Reinwald for the publication, Pozzi was assisted by René Benoît from around May 1873 (see Correspondence vol. 21, letter from Samuel Jean Pozzi, 11 May 1873).

4

Edmond Barbier was employed by Reinwald in March 1873, after Moulinié’s death, in order to correct defects in the translation of Descent made by Moulinié (Moulinié trans. 1872). Reinwald had offered £40 for the author’s rights for the second French edition (Moulinié trans. 1873–4). See Correspondence vol. 21, letter from C. F. Reinwald, 4 March 1873. CD’s copy of Moulinié trans. 1872 has not been found.

Bibliography

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

Descent: The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1871.

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

Moulinié, Jean Jacques, trans. 1872. La descendance de l’homme et la sélection sexuelle. By Charles Darwin. Preface by Carl Vogt. Paris: C. Reinwald & Cie.

Moulinié, Jean Jacques, trans. 1873–4. La descendance de l’homme et la sélection sexuelle. By Charles Darwin. 2d French edition, revised by Edmond Barbier. Preface by Carl Vogt. 2 vols. Paris: C. Reinwald & Cie.

Moulinié, Jean Jacques, trans. 1873. L’origine des espèces au moyen de la sélection naturelle, ou, la lutte pour l’existence dans la nature. By Charles Darwin. Paris: C. Reinwald.

Moulinié, Jean-Jacques, trans. 1868. De la variation des animaux et des plantes sous l’action de la domestication. By Charles Darwin. Preface by Carl Vogt. Paris: C. Reinwald.

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.

Pozzi, Samuel and Benoît, René, trans. 1874. L’expression des émotions chez l’homme et les animaux. By Charles Darwin. (French translation of Expression.) Paris: C. Reinwald et C^ie.

Variation: The variation of animals and plants under domestication. By Charles Darwin. 2 vols. London: John Murray. 1868.

Translation

From C.-F. Reinwald¹ 17 January 1874

Paris

17 January 1874.

Charles Darwin E^sq | Down Beckenham Kent

Dear Sir

We are today sending by Book Post a copy of the translation of Emotions, which has finally seen the light of day.² You will judge for yourself concerning the execution of this translation which is a perfect successor to the other works of yours which we have had the honour of publishing.

In order to engage capable and skilled translators, we were obliged to submit to greater or lesser demands and to undergo considerable delays in completing the book.³

Next week, we shall also be publishing the 2^nd edition of the Descent of Man, revised and corrected by Mr E. Barbier. We shall send you a copy of the 2 volumes via one of our correspondents and shall then make the payment agreed between ourselves for the author’s rights over this second edition.⁴ It goes without saying that we are at your disposal for copies of both works that you would like to receive yourself, or to have given or sent in your name to various people in France or abroad

Meanwhile we remain, Dear Sir, | yours most obediently | C Reinwald & C

Footnotes

1

For a transcription of this letter in its original French, see Transcript.