Charles Darwin an Ernst Haeckel, Down, 23. Juni [1870]
Down. | Beckenham.a | Kent. S. E.
June 23d
My dear Häckel
I received this morning your present of the new Edit. & of two Essays. I see in one of these you, as usual, pile honours high on my head. – As I leave home tomorrow morning for more than a week, I have thought that I would not delay in thanking you. – I am delighted for the sake of science & the public, & likewise for || your own sake, to see the new Edition, which seems very greatly enlarged & I do not doubt in all ways improved. For my own especial self, it makes me groan a little, for my M.S is completed, so that I cannot profit by your improvements & additions: it would, alas, from my wretched knowledge || of German take me a very long time to read the new Edition carefully.
In what I am going to send immediately to the Printers, I have tried to a certain extent to keep on distinct ground from you,b & have much shortened some of the subjects which you have fully treated, & refer my readers to your works. And I hope before very long your Morphologie Gen: will be accessible to English Readers. ||
I do not know how my Book & your Book will be received by the English: I observe at present that there is some tendency to decry geneological classification. – I have been rather better of late, & have worked harder than usual; but I suppose that my best day’s work is not one-third of what you can do. You seem a most indomitable worker. – I have seen no scientific man for a long time, except, about a month ago, Kölliker, whom I liked extremely.
Do not work too hard, & believe me, my dear Hackel with the sincerest esteem – yours very truly
C. Darwin
a korr. aus: BROMLEY.; b eingef.: from you,