JIJ2 CAMBRIDGE. ^TAT. 19-22. [1820. 



C. Darwin to W. D. Fox. 



Christ's College [Cambridge], April I [1829]. 



MY DEAR Fox, 



In your letter to Holden you are pleased to observe " that 

 of all the blackguards you ever met with I am the greatest." 

 Upon this observation I shall make no remarks, excepting 

 that I must give you all due credit for acting on it most rig- 

 idly. And now I should like to know in what one particular 

 are you less of a blackguard than I am ? You idle old wretch, 

 why have you not answered my last letter, which I am sure 

 I forwarded to Clifton nearly three weeks ago ? If I was not 

 really very anxious to hear what you are doing, I should have 

 allowed you to remain till you thought it worth while to treat 

 me like a gentleman. And now having vented my spleen in 

 scolding you, and having told you, what you must know, how 

 very much and how anxiously I want to hear how you and 

 your family are getting on at Clifton, the purport of this letter 

 is finished. If you did but know how often I think of you, 

 and how often I regret your absence, I am sure I should have 

 heard from you long enough ago. 



I find Cambridge rather stupid, and as I know scarcely any 

 one that walks, and this joined with my lips not being quite 

 so well, has reduced me to a sort of hybernation. ... I have 



caught Mr. Harbour letting have the first pick of the 



beetles ; accordingly we have made our final adieus, my part 

 in the affecting scene consisted in telling him he was a d d 

 rascal, and signifying I should kick him down the stairs if 

 ever he appeared in my rooms again. It seemed altogether 

 mightily to surprise the young gentleman. I have no news 

 to tell you ; indeed, when a correspondence has been broken 

 off like ours has been, it is difficult to make the first start 

 again. Last night there was a terrible fire at Linton, eleven 

 miles from Cambridge. Seeing the reflection so plainly in 

 the sky, Hall, Woodyeare, Turner, and myself thought we 

 would ride and see it. We set out at half-past nine, and rode 

 like incarnate devils there, and did not return till two in the 



