To John Murray 24 November [1859]
⇒ Ilkley Wells House | Otley, Yorkshire
Nov. 24
My dear Sir
I am astounded at your news of sale.1 I cannot cut up my one copy, for I am incessantly receiving letters with references. Will you send me another copy if possible in sheets, & I will immediately send off half a dozen sheets to Mess rs Clowes, after I have looked them over. Sir C. Lyell & others suggest expansion in many places, but I cannot possibly without books or M.S do this. I have heard of only one blunder & that not my fault.—2
I shd. think the best way would be to let me try, & correct & if I am too slow the Printers must print off a Verbatim copy.
I am infinitely obliged about French Edition.3
About your “note of hand” please do whatever is usual: you can either deduct for my presentation copies (& I thank you sincerely for all the trouble, which you have taken) or I will pay you at once.4
I will begin this evening looking over my copy for corrections. In Haste with hearty thanks.
I do rejoice that you will not have cause to repent of publishing; at one time I was extremely fearful & annoyed at thought that you might repent
In Haste. Yours sincerely & obliged | C. Darwin
Perhaps you had better tell me how soon you want new Edition I am up to very little work.—
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
DNB: Dictionary of national biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. 63 vols. and 2 supplements (6 vols.). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1912. Dictionary of national biography 1912–90. Edited by H. W. C. Davis et al. 9 vols. London: Oxford University Press. 1927–96.
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
CD is astonished at sale of Origin [to booksellers].
Arranges to start new edition immediately. Cannot change much [while at Ilkley Wells], nor work rapidly because of health. Relieved that JM has no cause to repent of publishing Origin.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2549
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- John Murray
- Sent from
- Ilkley
- Source of text
- National Library of Scotland (John Murray Archive) (Ms.42152 ff.70–71)
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2549,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2549.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7
