1870.] MR. WALLACE'S 'NATURAL SELECTION.' 301 



book,* and can not resist telling ycu how the whole has much 

 interested me. No doubt, as you say, there must be much 

 speculation on such a subject, and certain results can not be 

 reached ; but all your views are highly suggestive, and to my 

 mind that is high praise. I have been all the more interested 

 as I am now writing on closely allied though not quite identi- 

 cal points. I was pleased to see you refer to my much 

 despised child, ' Pangenesis,' who I think will some day, under 

 some better nurse, turn out a fine stripling. It has also 

 pleased me to see how thoroughly you appreciate (and I do 

 not think that this is general with the men of science) 

 H. Spencer ; I suspect that hereafter he will be looked at as 

 by far the greatest living philosopher in England ; perhaps 

 equal to any that have lived. But I have no business to 

 trouble you with my notions. With sincere thanks for the 

 interest which your work has given me, 



I remain, yours very faithfully, 



Ch. Darwin, 



[The next letter refers to Mr. Wallace's ' Natural Selec- 

 tion ' (1870), a collection of essays reprinted with certain al- 

 terations of which a list is given in the volume :] 



C. Darwin to A. R. Wallace. 



Down, April 20 [1870]. 

 My dear Wallace, — I have just received your book, 

 and read the preface. There never has been passed on me, 

 or indeed on any one, a higher eulogium than yours. I wish 

 that I fully deserved it. Your modesty and candour are very 

 far from new to me. I hope it is a satisfaction to you to 

 reflect — and very few things in my life have been more satis- 

 factory to me — that we have never felt any jealousy towards 

 each other, though in one sense rivals. I believe that I can 

 say this of myself with truth, and I am absolutely sure that 

 it is true of you. 



* ' Comparative Longevity.' 



