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ALS signed “C. Darwin,” one page, 4.75 x 7.75, February 27, [1871]. Handwritten letter to "Fox," William Darwin Fox, a clergyman, naturalist, and a second cousin of Charles Darwin, written from his brother's house at "6 Queen Anne St." In full: "I write this letter to thank you so much for your kind letter and to say that we shall be delighted to see you if you can pay us a visit in April when you pass through London.—I am decently well but my book has been almost too much for me. Erasmus sends his very kind remembrances. We go home in few days—I have many letters to write—so goodbye." In fine condition, with minor loss to the upper right corner tip. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
Darwin replies to a letter from Fox of February 21st, which thanked him for sending an early copy of his new book—The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex—published in London by John Murray on February 24, 1871. As recorded by the Darwin Correspondence Project, Letter no. 7505, Fox wrote to Darwin: 'I have to thank you much for 'the Descent of Man.' I have often wondered when it would come out, and need not tell you how anxious I was to see it. That its perusal will give me intense pleasure I have no doubt—tho’ very probably I may not agree with you wholly. I have been too much engaged since Sunday, when I received your Book, to be able to throw myself into it, and luxuriate in it; I have only roamed a little thro’ it, somewhat with the feeling of a Miser gloating over his treasure without enjoying it. I hope very shortly to be able to give it my full attention, and anticipate no little pleasure from doing so.'
This 'lost' response, not yet recorded by the Darwin Correspondence Project, offers the great naturalist's personal perspective on the arduous process of publishing The Descent of Man—the first of Darwin's works to include the word 'evolution.' In the groundbreaking work, Darwin applies his theories to human beings, exploring the idea of sexual selection and proposing that traits such as beauty, strength, and even intelligence evolved not just for survival but to attract mates. The work also addresses the controversial notion that humans share common ancestry with other primates, sparking widespread public debate and influencing evolutionary biology and anthropology. Within three weeks of publication, a reprint had been ordered, and 4,500 copies were in print by the end of March 1871, netting Darwin almost £1,500.
