RECORD: Doedes, Nicolaas Dirk to Francis Darwin. 1882.06.16. CUL-DAR198.56. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 2.2026. RN1
NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library. The folder CUL-DAR198 contains letters, mostly to Francis Darwin, regarding his appeals for letters from Darwin in order to create Life and letters (1887).
"Doedes, Nicolaas Dirk, 1850-1906. Studied theology but changed to history at Utrecht. Thanked CD for a photograph and sent one of himself and his friend Costerus (frontispiece to CCD21). Asked CD about his belief in God. CD replied "The safest conclusion seems to be that the whole subject is beyond the scope of man's intellect; but man can do his duty." CCD21:150. The letter was published in 1882-3. Photograph in DAR162.201." Paul van Helvert & John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021.
See the later letter from Doedes in CUL-DAR198.57
[56]
Doedes
Dear Sir,
According to your wish to receive all the letters, written by your father, I send you a copy of an article, which I published last week in our weekly paper "De Nederlandsche Spectator," containing parts of two letters, written to me by him in 1873.
I don't know, if you understand Dutch well enough to read my article. If not, and you think you can make use of the letters, I will be glad to send
[56v]
you a translation of it.
I am, dear Sir,
yours truly,
N.D. Doedes.
Professor of History at the School for Secondary Education, Leeuwarden, Holland, June 16th 1882.
Darwin, C. R. 1882. [Letter to N. D. Doedes on 2 April 1873 on Darwin's religious views]. In N. D. Doedes, Darwin's geloof aan God. De Nederlandsche Spectator no. 23 (10 June): 158-159. PDF F3334
Darwin, C. R. 1883. [Letters to Mengden and Doedes on Darwin's religious views]. Karl Blind, Darwin's Ansichten. Neue Freie Presse [Vienna] (12 January): 1. Image PDF F2530
Darwin, C. R. 1883. [Letter to Doedes on Darwin's religious views, 1873]. Rutland Daily Herald [Rutland, Vermont] (23 February): 2. Text F2531
Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)
File last updated 24 February, 2026