i86o.l DR. CARPENTER. 



C. Darwin to W. B. Carpenter. 



Down, April 6th [1860]. 



MY DEAR CARPENTER, I have this minute finished your 

 review in the ' Med. Chirurg. Review.' * 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 knowl- 

 edge 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. 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



Down, April loth [1860]. 



MY DEAR LYELL, Thank you much for your note of the 

 4th ; I am very glad to hear that you are at Torquay. I 

 should have amused myself earlier by writing to you, but I 

 have had Hooker and Huxley staying here, and they have 

 fully occupied my time, as a little of anything is a full dose 

 for me. . . . There has been a plethora of reviews, and I am 

 really quite sick of myself. There is a very long review by 

 Carpenter in the ' Medical and Chirurg. Review,' very good 



* April 1860. 



