242 PUBLICATION OF THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1859, 



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

 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 J. D. Hooker. 



Down, December i/j-th [18597. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, Your approval of my book, for many 

 reasons, gives me intense satisfaction ; but I must make some 

 allowance for your kindness and sympathy. Any one with 

 ordinary faculties, if he had patience enough and plenty of 

 time, could have written my book. You do not know how I 

 admire your and Lyell's generous and unselfish sympathy ; I 

 do not believe either of you would have cared so much about 

 your own work. My book, as yet, has been far more suc- 

 cessful than I ever even formerly ventured in the wildest day- 

 dreams to anticipate. We shall soon be a good body of 

 working men, and shall have, I am convinced, all young and 

 rising naturalists on our side. I shall be intensely interested 

 to hear whether my book produces any effect on A. Gray \ 

 from what I heard at Lyell's, I fancy your correspondence has 

 brought him some way already. I fear that there is no- 

 chance of Bentham being staggered. Will he read my book ? 

 Has he a copy ? I would send him one of the reprints if he 

 has not. Old J. E. Gray,* at the British Museum, attacked 



* John Edward Gray (born 1800, to the Pharmacopoeia.' In 1821 he 

 died 1875) was the son of S. F. published in his father's name ' The 

 Gray, author of the ' Supplement Natural Arrangement of British 



