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To Patrick Matthew   13 June [1862]1

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

June 13th

Dear Sir

I presume that I have the pleasure of addressing the Author of the work on Naval Architecture & the first enunciator of the theory of Natural Selection.2 Few things would give me greater pleasure than to see you; but my health is feeble & I have at present a son ill & can receive no one here, nor leave home at present.—3

I wish to come up to London as soon as I can; if, therefore you are going to stay for more than a week, would you be so kind as to let me hear, & if able to come up to London, I would endeavour to arrange an interview with you, which afford me high satisfaction;

with much respect, I remain Dear Sir | Yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin

Footnotes

1
The year is established by the relationship to the letter from Patrick Matthew, 3 December 1862, and by reference to Leonard Darwin’s illness (see n. 3, below).
2
In a letter to the Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 7 April 1860, Matthew claimed to have formulated a principle of natural selection in his book On naval timber and arboriculture (Matthew 1831). CD conceded the claim in a letter published in the Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 21 April 1860, pp. 362–3 (see Correspondence vol. 8, letter to Gardeners’ Chronicle, [13 April 1860]). Matthew was mentioned in the ‘Historical sketch’ published in the third edition of Origin as one of those who had, prior to the publication of Origin, enunciated ideas on species change (Origin 3d ed., pp. xiv–xv).
3
Leonard Darwin had been sent home from school on 12 June 1862 suffering from scarlet fever (see letter to W. E. Darwin, 13 [June 1862]). Matthew’s letter suggesting a meeting with CD has not been found; however, see the letter from Patrick Matthew, 3 December 1862.

Bibliography

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

Matthew, Patrick. 1831. On naval timber and arboriculture; with critical notes on authors who have recently treated the subject of planting. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, & Green. Edinburgh: Adam Black.

Origin 3d ed.: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. 3d edition, with additions and corrections. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1861.

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

It would be a pleasure to see "the first enunciator of the theory of Natural Selection" but his health makes it impossible. Hopes to come to London soon and would like to arrange an interview with PM if he is staying more than a week.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-3600
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Patrick Matthew
Sent from
Down
Source of text
National Library of Scotland (Acc.10963)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3600,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3600.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10

letter

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