l8;i.] 'EXPRESSION OF THE EMOTIONS.' 133 



he describes a visit to my father "early in 1871,"* shortly 

 after the publication of the ' Descent of Man.' Mr. Hague 

 represents my father as " much impressed by the general 

 assent with which his views had been received," and as 

 remarking that " everybody is talking about it without being 

 shocked" 



Later in the year the reception of the book is described in 

 different language in the ' Edinburgh Review ' : f "On every 

 side it is raising a storm of mingled wrath, wonder and 

 admiration." 



With regard to the subsequent reception of the ' Descent of 

 Man,' my father wrote to Dr. Dohrn, February 3, 1872 : 



" I did not know until reading your article,! that my 

 ' Descent of Man ' had excited so much furore in Germany. 

 It has had an immense circulation in this country and in 

 America, but has met the approval of hardly any naturalists 

 as far as I know. Therefore I suppose it was a mistake on 

 my part to publish it ; but, anyhow, it will pave the way for 

 some better work." 



The book on the ' Expression of the Emotions ' was begun 

 on January I7th, 1871, the last proof of the ' Descent of Man ' 

 having been finished on January 1 5th. The rough copy was 

 finished by April 27th, and shortly after this (in June) the 

 work was interrupted by the preparation of a sixth edition of 

 the * Origin.' In November and December the proofs of the 

 * Expression ' book were taken in hand, and occupied him 

 until the following year, when the book was published. 



Some references to the work on Expression have occurred 

 in letters already given, showing that the foundation of the 

 book was, to some extent, laid down for some years before he 



* It must have been at the end the history of philosophy have 



of February, within a week after the such wide generalisations been 



publication of the book. derived from such a small basis of 



f July 1871. An adverse criti- fact." 



cism. The reviewer sums up by J In 'Das Ausland.' 

 saying that : " Never perhaps in 



