196 SPREAD OF EVOLUTION. [1863. 



forced into a war by you, when you were triumphant. But I 

 do most truly think it dreadful that the South, with its 

 accursed slavery, should triumph, and spread the evil. I think 

 if I had power, which thank God, I have not, I would let you 

 conquer the border States, and all west of the Mississippi, and 

 then force you to acknowledge the cotton States. For do 

 you not now begin to doubt whether you can conquer and 

 hold them ? I have inflicted a long tirade on you. 



The Times is getting more detestable (but that is too weak 

 a word) than ever. My good wife wishes to give it up, but I 

 tell her that is a pitch of heroism to which only a woman is 

 equal. To give up the "Bloody Old Times" as Cobbctt 

 used to call it, would be to give up meat, drink and air. 

 Farewell, my dear Gray, 



Yours most truly, 



C. DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



Down, March 6, [1863]. 



... I have been of course deeply interested by your book.* 

 I have hardly any remarks worth sending, but will scribble a 

 little on what most interested me. But I will first get out 

 what I hate saying, viz., that I have been greatly disappointed 

 that you have not given judgment and spoken fairly out what 

 you think about the derivation of species. I should have 

 been contented if you had boldly said that species have not 

 been separately created, and had thrown as much doubt as 

 you like on how far variation and natural selection suffices. 

 I hope to Heaven I am wrong (and from what you say about 

 Whewell it seems so), but I cannot see how your chapters can 

 do more good than an extraordinary able review. I think 

 the Parthenon is right, that you will leave the public in a fog. 

 No doubt they may infer that as you give more space to 

 myself, Wallace, and Hooker, than to Lamarck, you think 

 more of us. But I had always thought that your judgment 



* ' Antiquity of Man.' 



