i86i.] HENSLOW'S DEATH. ^ 



low's death, " I fully believe a better man never walked this 

 earth." 



He gave his impressions of Henslow's character in Mr. 

 Blomefield's * Memoir.' In reference to these recollections 

 he wrote to Sir J. D. Hooker (May 30, 1861) : 



" This morning I wrote my recollections and impressions 

 of character of poor dear Henslow about the year 1830. I 

 liked the job, and so have written four or five pages, now 

 being copied. I do not suppose you will use all, of course 

 you can chop and change as much as you like. If more than 

 a sentence is used, I should like to see a proof-page, as I 

 never can write decently till I see it in print. Very likely 

 some of my remarks may appear too trifling, but I thought it 

 best to give my thoughts as they arose, for you or Jenyns to 

 use as you think fit. 



" You will see that I have exceeded your request, but, as 

 I said when I began, I took pleasure in writing my impres- 

 sion of his admirable character."] 



C. Darwin to Asa Gray. 



Down, June 5 [1861]. 



MY DEAR GRAY, I have been rather extra busy, so have 

 been slack in answering your note of May 6th. I hope you 

 have received long ago the third edition of the ' Origin." .... 

 I have heard nothing from Trubner of the sale of your Essay, 

 hence fear it has not been great ; I wrote to say you could 

 supply more. I sent a copy to Sir J. Herschel, and in his 

 new edition of his ' Physical Geography ' he has a note on 

 the 'Origin of Species,' and agrees, to a certain limited extent, 

 but puts in a caution on design much like yours. .... 

 I have been led to think more on this subject of late, and 

 grieve to say that I come to differ more from you. It is not 

 that designed variation makes, as it seems to me, my deity 

 " Natural Selection " superfluous, but rather from studying, 

 lately, domestic variation, and seeing what an enormous 

 field of undesigned variability there is ready for natural 



