222 PUBLICATION OF THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1859. 



swollen whole leg and face, much rash, and a frightful succes- 

 sion of boils four or five at once. I have felt quite ill, and 

 have little faith in this " unique crisis," as the doctor calls it, 



doing me much good You will probably have 



received, or will very soon receive, my weariful book on 

 species. I naturally believe it mainly includes the truth, but 

 you will not at all agree with me. Dr. Hooker, whom I con- 

 sider one of the best judges in Europe, is a complete convert, 

 and he thinks Lyell is likewise; certainly, judging from Lyell's 

 letters to me on the subject, he is deeply staggered. Farewell. 

 If the spirit moves you, let me have a line. . . . 



C. Darwin to W. B. Carpenter. 



Ilkley, Yorkshire, 



November 18th [1859]. 



My dear Carpenter, I must thank you for your letter 

 on my own account, and, if I know myself, still more warmly 

 for the subject's sake. As you seem to have understood my 

 last chapter without reading the previous chapters, you must 

 have maturely and most profoundly self-thought out the sub- 

 ject; for I have found the most extraordinary difficulty in 

 making even able men understand at what I was driving. 

 There will be strong opposition to my views. If I am in the 

 main right (of course including partial errors unseen by me), 

 the admission of my views will depend far more on men, like 

 yourself, with well-established reputations, than on my own 

 writings. Therefore, on the supposition that when you have 

 read my volume you think the view in the main true, I thank 

 and honour you for being willing to run the chance of unpopu- 

 larity by advocating the view. I know not in the least 

 whether any one will review me in any of the Reviews. I do 

 not see how an author could enquire or interfere ; but if you 

 are willing to review me anywhere, I am sure from the admira- 

 tion which I have long felt and expressed for your ' Compara- 



