Il8 THE WRITING OF THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1858, 



views from what artificial selection has done for domestic 

 animals. I would send Wallace a copy of my letter to Asa 

 Gray, to show him that I had not stolen his doctrine. But I 

 cannot tell whether to publish now would not be base and 

 paltry. This was my first impression, and I should have 

 certainly acted on it had it not been for your letter. 



This is a trumpery affair to trouble you with, but you 

 cannot tell how much obliged I should be for your advice. 



By the way, would you object to send this and your answer 

 to Hooker to be forwarded to me, for then I shall have the 

 opinion of my two best and kindest friends. This letter- 

 is miserably written, and I write it now, that I may for 

 a time banish the whole subject ; and I am worn out with 

 musing . . . 



My good dear friend, forgive me. This is a trumpery letter, 

 influenced by trumpery feelings. 



Yours most truly, 



C. DARWIN. 



I will never trouble you or Hooker on the subject again. 



C. Darwin to C. Lyell. 



Down, 26th [June 1858]. 



MY DEAR L.YELL, Forgive me for adding a P.S. to make 

 the case as strong as possible against myself. 



Wallace might say, "You did not intend publishing am 

 abstract of your views till you received my communication.. 

 Is it fair to take advantage of my having freely, though 

 unasked, communicated to you my ideas, and thus prevent 

 me forestalling you ? " The advantage which I should take 

 being that I am induced to publish from privately knowing 

 that Wallace is in the field. It seems hard on me that I 

 should be thus compelled to lose my priority of many years' 

 standing, but I cannot feel at all sure that this alters the 



