324 'DESCENT OF MAN '—EXPRESSION. [1871. 



against Natural Selection, and more especially against me. 

 Therefore if you think the article even somewhat good I will 

 write and get permission to publish it as a shilling pamphlet, 

 together with the MS. additions (enclosed), for which there 

 was not room at the end of the review. . . . 



I am now at work at a new and cheap edition of the 

 'Origin,' and shall answer several points in Mivart's book, 

 and introduce a new chapter for this purpose ; but I treat the 

 subject so much more concretely, and I dare say less philo- 

 sophically, than Wright, that we shall not interfere with each 

 other. You will think me a bigot when I say, after studying 

 Mivart, I was never before in my life so convinced of the 

 general (i. e. not in detail) truth of the views in the 'Origin.' 

 I grieve to see the omission of the words by Mivart, detected 

 by Wright.* I complained to Mivart that in two cases he 

 quotes only the commencement of sentences by me, and thus 

 modifies my meaning ; but I never supposed he would have 

 omitted words. There are other cases of what I consider 

 unfair treatment. I conclude with sorrow that though he 

 means to be honourable he is so bigoted that he cannot act 

 fairly. . . . 



C. Darwin to Chauncey Wright. 



Down, July 14, 1871. 

 My dear Sir, — I have hardly ever in my life read an 

 article which has given me so much satisfaction as the review 

 which you have been so kind as to send me. I agree to al- 

 most everything which you say. Your memory must be won- 

 derfully accurate, for you know my works as well as I do 

 myself, and your power of grasping other men's thoughts is 

 something quite surprising ; and this, as far as my experience 



* ' North American Review,' vol. 113, pp. 83, 84. Chauncey Wright 

 points out that the words omitted are " essential to the point on which he 

 [Mr. Mivart] cites Mr. Darwin's authority." It should be mentioned that 

 the passage from which words are omitted is not given within inverted 

 commas by Mr. Mivart. 



