DARWIN AND HIS PUBLISHER 539 



This book was the famous Origin of Species) but Darwin was 

 not satisfied with a mere blind acceptance, and on April 5 

 wrote : 



I send by this post the first 3 chapters. If you have patience 

 to read all chap. I., 1 honestly think that you will have a fair 

 notion of the whole book. It may be conceit, but I believe the 

 subject will interest the public, and I am sure that the views 

 are original. If you think otherwise, I must repeat my request 

 that you will freely reject my work. I shall be a little dis- 

 appointed : I shall be in no way injured. 



This note of modest confidence is struck in regard to all his 

 works up to the last, and I have often heard my father quote 

 it as an admirable contrast to the young author who " knows 

 that his book is bound to make a sensation" at once, and sell by 

 tens of thousands ; and I was reminded of it last week, when 

 a writer offered me a pamphlet on an historical subject " which 

 was sure to sell by millions very quickly." 



By June the revision of proofs was in full swing, and Darwin 

 wrote : 



I remember writing to you that I thought there would be 

 not much corrections. I honestly wrote what I thought, but 

 was most grievously mistaken. I find the style incredibly bad, 

 and most difficult to make clear and smooth. I am extremely 

 sorry to say, on account of expense and loss of time for me, that 

 the corrections are VERY heavy — as heavy as possible. . . . 

 How I can have written so badly is inconceivable. 



My father wrote some encouraging words, and asked to 

 be allowed to show the proofs to Sir Charles Lyell. The 

 reply was : 



I am quite delighted at all you say and propose. Pray send 

 the sheets to Lyell. Unfortunately, the part most likely to be 

 interesting to him is not ready. . . . With hearty thanks, etc. 



The cost of corrections certainly did prove unusually heavy, 

 and, on sending the author an early copy, my father reported the 

 matter, but expressed his intention of bearing the whole cost 

 and charging no part of it to the author. The reply came in 

 due course : 



I have received your kind note and the copy. I am infi- 

 nitely pleased and proud at the appearance of my child. You 

 are really too generous to me about the scandalously heavy 

 corrections. Are you not really acting unjustly towards yourself? 



