RECORD: [Darwin, C. R. & Hermann Kindt]. 1865. Charles R. Darwin. The Autographic Mirror 3, n.s. no. 20 (11 November): 82-3.
REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua, edited by John van Wyhe 6.2022. RN2
NOTE: See record in the Freeman Bibliographical Database, enter its Identifier here.
Introduction by John van Wyhe
Hermann Kindt (1835-1889) was a German journalist and French teacher living in England who edited the bilingual journal The Autographic Mirror (L'Autographe Cosmopolite) which published facsimiles of the handwriting of famous people and biographical entries. This was part of the growing popularity of collecting autographs. Kindt began writing to Darwin in 1864 requesting autographs and a photo. (Photographs of Darwin are fully detailed only in the book Darwin: A Companion, 2021.)
On 17 October 1865 Kindt wrote to Darwin with a further request:
"I have forwarded to you a journal, which I beg you will not take the trouble of returning, for which I should be happy to have a page in your handwriting for a facsimile reproduction. In case you will kindly comply with my wish, will you please to extract a longer passage from your 'Origin of Species', written on a piece of paper in the size of a page of our publication and signed with your esteemed name. As the journal also appears on the Continent, your numerous friends there would be much pleased to see your handwriting thus reproduced. You will also oblige me by looking over the enclosed biographical notice intended for a similar purpose and by altering dates and such passages as you cannot approve of." (Correspondence vol. 13, p. 271.)
Two folio volumes of The Autographic Mirror were published from 20 February 1864 when the format was enlarged to quarto in July 1865.
Darwin chose a powerful passage from the conclusion of Origin of species, but one that was not in the first edition. Instead he copied from the third and most recent edition of 1861, p. 514:
"It is no valid objection that science as yet throws no light on the far higher problem of the essence or origin of life. Who can explain what is the essence of the attraction of gravity? No one now objects to following out the results consequent on this unknown element of attraction; notwithstanding that Leibnitz formerly accused Newton of introducing 'occult qualities and miracles into philosophy.'"
These lines were inspired by a sentence in David Brewster's Memoirs of the life, writings, and discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton (1855), vol. 2, p. 282: "Leibnitz...accuses Newton of introducing occult qualities and miracles into philosophy". Darwin recorded reading this on 23 February 1860 in his 'Books Read / Books to be Read' notebook. CUL-DAR128.-. On the same day, Darwin wrote to Charles Lyell:
"With respect to Bronn's objection that it cannot be shown how life arises, & likewise to certain extent Asa Gray's remark that natural selection is not a vera causa,—I was much interested by finding accidentally in Brewster's life of Newton, that Leibnitz objected to the law of gravity, because Newton could not show what gravity itself is. As it has chanced I have used in letters this very same argument, little knowing that anyone had really thus objected to Law of Gravity.— Newton answers by saying that it is philosophy to make out the movements of a clock, though you do not know why the weight descends to ground.— Leibnitz further objected that the Law of Gravity was opposed to natural Religion!— Is this not curious? I really think I shall use these facts for some introductory remarks for my bigger book." (Correspondence vol. 8, p. 102. First published in Life and letters vol. 2, p. 289.)
The "bigger book" (usually called the 'big book' today) was never published. Instead, Darwin inserted the lines in the "Supplement" to the 4th American printing of Origin of species, p. 431 in 1860. It also appeared the same year in the first German translation (by Bronn), p. 484. From the 3d English edition (1861) onwards, the new passage formed part of the conclusion of Origin of species. Thus we can understand why Darwin chose this particular passage to copy out for Hermann Kindt in 1865.
Kindt replied to Darwin on 23 October: "Many warm thanks for your so kindly complying with my request as well as for the corrections of, and additions to, my biographical sketch, which latter I will correct accordingly." (Correspondence vol. 13, p. 282.) This enclosure was published as Darwin to Kindt [18-22 October 1865] in the Correspondence as letter 4918F. The original manuscript is reproduced here with a transcription. For a brief video interview about the manuscript, see here.
The number "245." in the upper right corner of the manuscript is not in Darwin's hand and is not present in the 1865 facsimile. Similarly, the "p 514 3d Edit of 'Origin'" at the bottom left is in another hand, that of Darwin's daughter Henrietta. It is present in the 1865 facsimile.
Kindt's biographical entry edited by Darwin is also in Darwin Online: The Autographic Mirror (11 Nov. 1865). Text PDF F3448. In the entry, as usual, Darwin chose to indicate that he was a county magistrate. See the only book dedicated to this almost totally unknown chapter in Darwin's life: John van Wyhe & Christine Chua, Charles Darwin: Justice of the peace. The complete records (1857-1882), 2021 PDF.
The scan of the 1865 facsimile manuscript is courtesy of J. David Archibald. The facsimiles in the magazine were lithographed by Vincent Brooks, London.
See the original manuscript and a transcription in Darwin Online Sothebys-N11124.
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[scroll up to see introduction]
No. 262.—CHARLES R. DARWIN.
B. at Shrewsbury, February 12, 1809. The most celebrated of living naturalists and natural philosophers. He is the son of Dr. R. W. Darwin, F.R.S., and grandson of the celebrated Dr. Erasmus Darwin (1721-1802), author of the 'Botanical Garden,' 'Zoonomia,' etc., and the not less celebrated Josiah Wedgwood, F.R.S. (1730-1795), the Palissy of England.
He was educated at the Grammar School at Shrewsbury, and in 1825 he went to Edinburgh and attended the lectures at the University there for two years. At Christmas, 1827, he entered
[page] 83
Christ's College, Cambridge, and took his degree in 1831. In the autumn of that year, the late Admiral Fitzroy, than a Captain of H.M.S. 'The Beagle' offered to give up part of his own cabin to any one who would volunteer to accompany the ship as naturalist on a voyage "round the world." Mr. Darwin offered his services without salary, and sailed in the 'Beagle,' for the survey of South America and the circumnavigation of the globe, on December 27, 1831, and returned to England, October 2, 1836. Mr. Darwin published an account of the voyage, under the title of' Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries,' etc., which first appeared together with a general account of the voyage by Captain Fitzroy; it has been subsequently been published separately, and has had a large sale; it is well deserving all attention an account of its interesting and graphic descriptions and observations. Besides numerous papers on various scientific subjects, Mr. Darwin edited the 'Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle,' and published three separate volumes on geology, under the titles of the 'Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs,' 1842; 'Geological Observations on Volcanic Islands,' 1844; 'Geological Observations on South America,' 1846. The most important of Mr. Darwin's subsequent works are his monography, in two volumes, published in 1851 and 1853 by the Ray Society, 'On Recent Pedunculated and Sessile Cirripedia;' and two volumes 'On Fossil Cirripedia,' published by the Palæontographical Society. At the close of 1859, Mr. Darwin published his most celebrated work, 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection' ("On a appelé espèce toute collection d'individus semblables qui furent produits par d'autres individus, pareils à eux,'' Lamarck, i. 54 ), which at once attached a world-wide fame to his name, and may safely be pronounced as one of the most remarkable books of modern times. Of this work, three editions have appeared in England, and eight in various foreign countries, in the French, German, Dutch and Italian languages. In 1862 he also published 'On the Various Contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are Fertilized by Insects, and on the good effects of Intercrossing.' Of separate papers published by Mr. Darwin, the more important have been, "On the Connection of certain Volcanic Phenomena in South America;" "On the Distribution of Erratic Boulders in South America'; "On the Formation of Mould by Earthworms," all published in the Transactions of the Geological Society. In the 'Journal of the Linnean Society' three papers by him have appeared: "On the Dimorphous and Trimorphous States of Primula Linum and Lythrum;" and one paper also published separately, "On the Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants." Mr. Darwin has been elected member of several English and foreign scientific bodies. The Royal Society awarded, in 1853, the Royal Medal, and in 1864, the Copley Medal to Mr. Darwin, for his various scientific works; and in 1859 the Geological Society awarded him the Wollaston Palladian Medal.
Mr. Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgwood in the beginning of 1839, by whom he has a large family. He has lived for the last twenty-five years at Down, near Farnborough, Kent and is a magistrate for that county.
[From the Collection of Hermann Kindt, Esq.]
[page] 155
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