1856.] THE UNFINISHED BOOK. fl 



P.S. What you say (for I have just re-read your letter) 

 that the Essay might supersede and take away all novelty 

 and value from any future larger Book, is very true ; and 

 that would grieve me beyond everything. On the other 

 hand (again from Lyell's urgent advice), I published a pre- 

 liminary sketch of the Coral Theory, and this did neither good 

 nor harm. I begin most heartily to wish that Lyell had never 

 put this idea of an Essay into my head. 



From a Letter to Sir C. Lyell [July, 1856]. 



" I am delighted that I may say (with absolute truth) that 

 my essay is published at your suggestion, but I hope it will 

 not need so much apology as I at first thought ; for I have 

 resolved to make it nearly as complete as my present 

 materials allow. I cannot put in all which you suggest, for 

 it would appear too conceited." 



From a Letter to W. D. Fox. 



Down, June 14th [1856]. 

 "... What you say about my Essay, I dare say is very true ; 

 and it gave me another fit of the wibber-gibbers : I hope that 

 I shall succeed in making it modest. One great motive is 

 to get information on the many points on which I want it. 

 But I tremble about it, which I should not do, if I allowed 

 some three or four more years to elapse before publishing 

 anything. . . ." 



[The following extracts from letters to Mr. Fox are worth 

 giving, as showing how great was the accumulation of material 

 which now had to be dealt with. 



June 14th [1856]. 

 " Very many thanks for the capital information on cats ; I 

 see I had blundered greatly, but I know I have somewhere 

 your original notes ; but my notes are so numerous during 



