1 859.] OPINIONS AND REVIEWS. 22$ 



I shall stay here one fortnight more, and then go to Down, 

 staying on the road at Shrewsbury a week. I have been very 

 unfortunate : out of seven weeks I have been confined for five 

 to the house. This has been bad for me, as I have not been 

 able to help thinking to a foolish extent about my book. If 

 some four or five good men came round nearly to our view, I 

 shall not fear ultimate success. I long to learn what Huxley 

 thinks. Is your Introduction* published ? I suppose that you 

 will sell it separately. Please answer this, for I want an 

 extra copy to send away to Wallace. I am very bothersome, 



farewell. 



Yours affectionately, 



C. DARWIN. 

 I was very glad to see the Royal Medal for Mr. Bentham. 



H. C. Watson to C. Darwin. 



Thames Ditton, November 2ist [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 : 



ist. 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 

 centuries. 



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

 modify, possibly in some degree also to extend, your present 

 applications of the principle of natural selection. Without 



* Introduction to the ' Flora of Australia.' 

 VOL. II. Q 



