218 PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. [Ch. XII. 



friend of yours : I am better, far better, than I was last year. 

 I have been lecturing three days a week (formerly I gave six 

 a week) without much fatigue, but I find by the loss of activity 

 and memory, and of all productive powers, that my bodily 

 frame is sinking slowly towards the earth. But I have visions 

 of the future. They are as much a part of myself as my 

 stomach and my heart, and these visions are to have their anti- 

 type in solid fruition of what is best and greatest. But on one 

 condition only — that I humbly accept God's revelation of Him- 

 self both in His works and in His word, and do my best to act 

 in conformity with that knowledge which He only can give me, 

 and He only can sustain me in doing. If you and I do all this, 

 we shall meet in heaven. 



I have written in a hurry, and in a spirit of brotherly love, 

 therefore forgive any sentence you happen to dislike ; and 

 believe me, spite of any disagreement in some points of the 

 deepest moral interest, your true-hearted old friend, 



A. Sedgwick. 



The following extract from a note to Lyell (Nov. 24) 

 gives an idea of the conditions under which the second 

 edition was prepared : " This morning I heard from Murray 

 that he sold the whole edition * the first day to the trade. 

 He wants a new edition instantly, and this utterly confounds 

 me. Now, under water-cure, with all nervous power directed 

 to the skin, I cannot possibly do head-work, and I must 

 make only actually necessary corrections. But I will, as 

 far as I can without my manuscript, take advantage of your 

 suggestions: I must not attempt much. Will you send 

 mo one line to say whether I must strike out about the 

 secondary whale, f it goes to my heart. About the rattle-snake, 

 look to my Journal, under Trigonocephaly, and you will see 

 the probable origin of the rattle, and generally in transitions 

 it is the premier pas qui coute. 



Here follows a hint of the coming storm (from a letter to 

 Lyell, Dec. 2) :— 



"Do what I could, I fear I shall be greatly abused. In 

 answer to Sedgwick's remark that my book would be 

 * mischievous,' I asked him whether truth can be known except 

 by being victorious over all attacks. But it is no use. H. C. 

 Watson tells me that one zoologist says he will read my book, 

 1 but I will never believe it.' What a spirit to read any book 



* First edition, 1250 copies. 



f The passage was omitted in the second edition. 



