36 PUBLICATION OF THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1859. 



that you have published in this form, for the three volumes, 

 unprefaced by this, would have choked any Naturalist of the 

 nineteenth century, and certainly have softened my brain in 

 the operation of assimilating their contents. I am perfectly 

 tired of marvelling at the wonderful amount of facts you have 

 brought to bear, and your skill in marshalling them and 

 throwing them on the enemy ; it is also extremely clear as 

 far as I have gone, but very hard to fully appreciate. Some- 

 how it reads very different from the MS., and I often fancy 

 I must have been very stupid not to have more fully followed 

 it in MS. Lyell told me of his criticisms. I did not appre- 

 ciate them all, and there are many little matters I hope one 

 day to talk over with you. I saw a highly flattering notice 

 in the ' English Churchman,' short and not at all entering 

 into discussion, but praising you and your book, and talking 

 patronizingly of the doctrine ! . . . Bentham and Henslow 

 will still shake their heads I fancy. . . . 



Ever yours affectionately, 



Jos. D. Hooker. 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



Down, Saturday [December 12th, 1859]. 



... I had very long interviews with , which perhaps 



you would like to hear about. ... I infer from several 

 expressions that, at bottom, he goes an immense way with 

 us 



He said to the effect that my explanation was the best 

 ever published of the manner of formation of species. I said 

 I was very glad to hear it. He took me up short : "You 

 must not at all suppose that I agree with you in all respects." 

 I said I thought it no more likely that I should be right in 

 nearly all points, than that I should toss up a penny and get 

 heads twenty times running. I asked him what he thought 

 the weakest part. He said he had no particular objection to 

 any part. He added : — 



" If I must criticise, I should say, * we do not want to know 

 what Darwin believes and is convinced of, but what he can 



