Joseph McCabe an Ernst Haeckel, London, [Januar 1905]
16, Elm Grove,
Cricklewood.
London. N. W.
Dear Professor Haeckel,
I have now quite finished the translation of the Anthropogenie, & I trust it will please you. I have omitted nothing except one or two German references in the notes, & perhaps condensed a sentence here & there to suit the printer’s needs.
The „Wonders of Life” is going very well. A professor of the Birmingham University wrote an admirable review of it. Mr Watts has this & all other reviews, & will no doubt let you see them if you desire. I keep a careful watch on all references to you in the English press, & || answer them when necessary. I hope you will be able to come to our dinner here at the end of February. The Rationalists of England are dying to see you, & the religious people dread you above any living writer. I have had some correspondence with Sir Oliver Lodge about his criticism of you, & will tell you all about it when you come.
I am preparing a course of lectures on the “Evolution of man”, to be illustrated with lantern pictures. These should help to sell your books. Will you give me permission to reproduce in my lecture (by || photograph) a few of the plates in the Anthropogenie & one or two illustrations from Aus Insulinde ? I shall be greatly obliged if you will. My lectures will be based entirely on your ideas.
Trusting to see you soon
I remain
Yours very truly
Joseph McCabe
P.S. Someone has sent me a copy of Glauben und Wissen, containing Dennert’s absurd reference to my translation. You will remember that you were somewhere abroad when this particular edition of the Riddle || was issued, & it was not possible to submit proofs to you. In any case I merely called attention to your notice of Saladin in the appendix to the popular edition, & said it seemed to justify me in reconstructing the passage in question. I will, however, always submit proof of any such change in future. In fact no further change is likely to be desired in any of the books. I hope you have chastised Dennert’s malicious misrepresentation of what I did.
JM