i860.] dr. carpenter. 299 



In a review in the December number of ' Macmillan's 

 Magazine,' i860, Fawcett vigorously defended my father 

 from the charge of employing a false method of reasoning ; a 

 charge which occurs in Sedgwick's review, and was made at 

 the time ad nauseam, in such phrases as : " This is not the 

 true Baconian method." Fawcett repeated his defence at the 

 meeting of the British Association in 1861.*] 



C. Darwin to W. B. Carpenter. 



Down, April 6th [i860]. 



My DEAR CARPENTER, I have this minute finished your 

 review in the ' Med. Chirurg. Review.' f You must let me 

 express my admiration at this most able essay, and I hope to 

 God it will be largely read, for it must produce a great effect: 

 I ought not, however, to express such warm admiration, for 

 you give my book, I fear, far too much praise. But you have 

 gratified me extremely ; and though I hope I do not care 

 very much for the approbation of the non-scientific readers, I 

 cannot say that this is at all so with respect to such few men 

 as yourself. I have not a criticism to make, for I object to 

 not a word ; and I admire all, so that I cannot pick out one 

 part as better than the rest. It is all so well balanced. But 

 it is impossible not to be struck with your extent of knowledge 

 in geology, botany, and zoology. The extracts which you 

 give from Hooker seem to me excellently chosen, and most 

 forcible. I am so much pleased in what you say also about 

 Lyell. In fact I am in a fit of enthusiasm, and had better 

 write no more. With cordial thanks, 



Yours very sincerely, 



C. Darwin. 



* See an interesting letter from Henry Fawcett/ 1886, p. 101. 

 any father in Mr. Stephen's 'Life of \ April i860. 



