I859-] H - c - WATSON. 21 



trary, so sincerely value all that you have written. It is an 

 old and firm conviction of mine, that the Naturalists who 

 accumulate facts and make many partial generalisations are 

 the real benefactors of science. Those who merely accumu- 

 late facts I cannot very much respect. 



I had hoped to have come up for the Club to-morrow, but 

 very much doubt whether I shall be able. Ilkley seems to 

 have done me no essential good. I attended the Bench on 

 Monday, and was detained in adjudicating some troublesome 

 cases i J hours longer than usual, and came home utterly 

 knocked up, and cannot rally. I am not worth an old but- 

 ton Many thanks for your pleasant note. 



Ever yours, 



C. Darwin. 



P. S. — I feel confident that for the future progress of the 

 subject of the origin and manner of formation of species, the 

 assent and arguments and facts of working naturalists, like 

 yourself, are far more important than my own book ; so for 

 God's sake do not abuse your Introduction. 



H. C. Watson to C. Darwin. 



Thames Ditton, November 21st [1859]. 



My dear Sir, — Once commenced to read the ' Origin,' 

 I could not rest till I had galloped through the whole. I shall 

 now begin to re-read it more deliberately. Meantime I am 

 tempted to write you the first impressions, not doubting that 

 they will, in the main, be the permanent impressions : — 



1 st. Your leading idea will assuredly become recognised as 

 an established truth in science, i. e. " Natural Selection." It 

 has the characteristics of all great natural truths, clarifying 

 what was obscure, simplifying what was intricate, adding 

 greatly to previous knowledge. You are the greatest revo- 

 lutionist in natural history of this century, if not of all cen- 

 turies. 



2nd. You will perhaps need, in some degree, tc limit or 



