185&] MR. WALLACE'S MANUSCRIPT. II7 



if it will ever have any value, will not be deteriorated ; as all 

 the labour consists in the application of the theory. 



I hope you will approve of Wallace's sketch, that I may 

 tell him what you say. 



My dear Lyell, yours most truly, 



C. Darwin. 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



Down, Friday [June 25, 1858]. 



My DEAR LYELL, I am very sorry to trouble you, busy 

 as you are, in so merely personal an affair ; but if you will 

 give me your deliberate opinion, you will do me as great a 

 service as ever man did, for I have entire confidence in your 

 judgment and honour. . . . 



There is nothing in Wallace's sketch which is not written 

 out much fuller in my sketch, copied out in 1844, an d read by 

 Hooker some dozen years ago. About a year ago I sent a 

 short sketch, of which I have a copy, of my views (owing to 

 correspondence on several points) to Asa Gray, so that I could 

 most truly say and prove that I take nothing from Wallace. 

 I should be extremely glad now to publish a sketch of my 

 general views in about a dozen pages or so ; but I cannot 

 persuade myself that I can do so honourably. Wallace says 

 nothing about publication, and I enclose his letter. But as I 

 had not intended to publish any sketch, can I do so honourably, 

 because Wallace has sent me an outline of his doctrine ? I 

 would far rather burn my whole book, than that he or any 

 other man should think that I had behaved in a paltry spirit. 

 Do you not think his having sent me this sketch ties my 

 hands ? .... If I could honourably publish, I would state 

 that I was induced now to publish a sketch (and I should be 

 very glad to be permitted to say, to follow your advice long 

 ago given) from Wallace having sent me an outline of my 

 general conclusions. We differ only, [in] that I was led to my 



