DARWIN, Charles On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin, M.A., fellow of the Royal, Geological, Linn¾an, etc., societies; author of 'Journal of researches during H.M.S. Beagle's voyage round the world'. London John Murray 1859
8vo (200 x 125 mm), pp ix 502; 32 [publisher's advertisements, dated June 1859], with a folding plate; original publisher's blindstamped green cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, slightly worn, preserved in a green morocco-backed cloth box. £200,000
First edition. Presentation copy, to one of the earliest and most influential reviewers of the Origin of species, William Benjamin Carpenter, the verso of the front free endpaper inscribed in ink by the publisher's clerk (as usual), 'From the author', and with Carpenter's pencil annotations in the text. W. B. Carpenter (1813-85), a Fellow of the Royal Society, held professorships of physiology at the Royal Institution and of forensic medicine at University College, London, and a lectureship in physiology at the London Hospital; he was registrar of the University of London at the time of the appearance of the Origin of species. Darwin's association with Carpenter went back to 1844, when he carried out miscroscopic examinations on Darwin's South American geological specimens, and Darwin came to develop an immense respect for him, especially for his Principles of comparative physiology (Darwin's annotated copy of the 1854 edition survives in Cambridge University Library). Darwin knew that the favourable notice of such a scientifically respected establishment figure as Carpenter would be crucial to the reception of the Origin and he ensured that a copy was sent to Carpenter by the publishers. The Origin of species was published in November 1859 and Carpenter's reviews appeared soon after, in the National Review in January 1860 and in the British and Foreign Medico-chirurgical Review in April 1860. Although he did not fully accept the implications of Darwin's ideas of natural selection and descent from a common ancestor, Carpenter was unequivocal in recognising the book's brilliant contribution to the debate. Darwin was hugely grateful, writing to Sir Charles Lyell that Carpenter was a 'convert, but does not go quite as far as I - but quite far enough ... I look at it as grand having brought round a great physiologist, for great I think he certainly is'. To Carpenter himself Darwin expressed warmest thanks for the 'excellent article', with a 'clear account' of 'my views', in the National, and for the 'most able essay' in the Medico-chirurgical Review, which 'gratified me extremely; & though I hope I do not care very much for the approbation of non-scientific readers, I cannot say that this is at all so with respect to such men as yourself. - I have not a criticism to make for I object to not a word; & I admire all, so that I cannot pick out one part as better than the rest. It is all so well balanced'. Carpenter's pencil annotations are on pp. 65-6, 91, 113, 159, 167, 187, 274-5, 309, 327, 349, 429, and the rear free endpaper. Many other pages have passages marked with a pencil line in the fore-margin. The book subsequently passed to one of Carpenter's sons, and the half-title is inscribed in ink, 'To my dear son / William Lant Carpenter / with his mother's love / Aug. 15th. / 1864'. 'The publication of the Origin of species ushered in a new era in our thinking about the nature of man. The intellectual revolution it caused and the impact it had on man's concept of himself and the world were greater than those caused by the works of Copernicus, Newton, and the great physicists of more recent times ... Every modern discussion of man's future, the population explosion, the struggle for existence, the purpose of man and the universe, and man's place in nature rests on Darwin' (Ernst Mayr). Freeman 373; Horblit 23b; Norman 593; PMM 344b. The publisher's advertisements in this copy are in the third setting as identified by Freeman and the spine imprint is the variant b described by him: no bibliographical priority is attached to either of these points.
Further notes and references: W. B. Carpenter W. B. Carpenter, Nature and man: essays scientific and philosophical, 1888. This reprints Carpenter's semi-autobiographical summary, written in 1881, of his views on 'Darwinism in England' (pp. 105-113), which describes the climate of scientific opinion already existing in 1859 favourable to evolutionary ideas, but shows that over 20 years later he still held reservations over natural selection (see especially pp. 108-9: 'The publication of Mr Darwin's Origin of species was felt . . . to be the inauguration of a new era in biological science. It gave a distinct shape to ideas on which many of us had been pondering as vague speculative possibilities. It showed that the doctrine of Progressive Development might be put into the form of a definite scientific hypothesis ... It showed that on general grounds the probability of a genetic continuity of organic life throughout the geological series . . . is far greater than that of successive new creations. And to such as admitted this, it was plain that the conclusion can scarcely be evaded, that as the tendency throughout has been clearly one of progressive differentiation or specialization, the number of original types might have been very small - perhaps even a single primordial "jelly-speck" being the common ancestor of all. But we could not attach the importance which Mr Darwin seemed to do, to the doctrine of Natural Selection, or the "survival of the fittest", as in itself an adequate explanation of the progressive modifications that have produced the long and diversified succession of animal and vegetable forms which have peopled the globe from the first appearance of life on its surface to the present time . . . '). The introductory memoir by J. Estlin Carpenter describes Carpenter's reviews of the Origin, remarking that he was 'well fitted to appreciate its general argument, for the subject of modification by descent, and the wide limits of species had been long in his mind' (p. 78). The Dictionary of national biography calls Carpenter 'one of the last examples of an almost universal naturalist' and describes his Principles of comparative physiology (first published in 1839) as the 'first English book which contained adequate conceptions of a science of biology'. It records that he was an active member of the unitarian church at Hampstead and that his 'acceptance of Darwin's views of evolution was somewhat limited and reserved. He believed that natural selection leaves untouched the evidence of design in creation'. The Dictionary of scientific biography notes that 'Carpenter's compromise in the face of the main scientific dilemma of his day is found in his ambivalent acceptance of natural selection, which he saw as modifying an ordained creative process ... His realization of the brilliance of Darwin's work was unequivocal; but although it extended to agreement with the detail of selection, he displayed an inability to reconcile the full implications of descent with his basic religious beliefs ... That Charles Darwin knew of this view and appreciated Carpenter's support - incomplete though it was - is shown in a letter to Carpenter. With typical modesty he wrote, "It is a great thing to have got a great physiologist on our side, I look at it as immaterial whether we go to quite the same length". Thus Carpenter's weight and influence were on the side of Darwin's theory'. Besides his two reviews of the Origin of species (in the National Review, January 1860, and the British and Foreign Medico-chirurgical Review, April 1860), Carpenter's association with Darwin is best appreciated from their letters and other references published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, ed. F. Burkhardt et al., volumes 3-11, 1987-99 (for the years 1844-1863; further volumes have still to appear): Vol. 3: pp. 90, 97, 106, 187, 344.
Vol. 4: p. 2.
Vol. 5: pp. 192, 200, 339, 377, 411.
Vol. 6: pp. 114, 189, 260
Vol. 7: pp. 11, 73, 159, 362, 378-82, 412-3, 529
Vol. 8: pp. 21, 28, 116, 144, 153, 165, 223, 227, 256, 366, 525, 556.
Vol. 9: pp. 13, 50, 107, 396, 406, 417, 420.
Vol. 10: pp. 52, 56, 677.
Vol. 11: pp. 43, 196, 276, 293, 321, 322, 334, 338, 424, 443, 662, 707, 754-65. The most significant items in the Correspondence pertaining to Carpenter's reviews of the Origin are quoted below: 18 November 1859 (vol. 7, pp. 378-9): 'My dear Carpenter, ... There will be strong opposition to my views. If I am in the main right . . . the admission of my views will depend far more on men, like yourself, with well established reputations, than on my own writings ... I know not in the least whether anyone will review me in any of the Reviews. I do not see how an author could enquire or interfere: but if you are willing to review me anywhere, I am sure from the admiration which I have long felt & expressed for your Comparative physiology, that your review will be excellently done & will do good service in the cause for which I think I am not selfishly, deeply interested. . . . '. 3 December 1859 (vol. 7. p. 412): 'My dear Carpenter, ... It is a great thing to have got a great physiologist on our side. I say "our" for we are now a good & compact body of really good men ... When I reflect how very slowly I came round myself, I am in truth astonished at the candour shown by Lyell, Hooker, Huxley & yourself. In my opinion it is grand. I thank you cordially for taking the trouble of writing a review for the National: God knows I shall have few enough in any degree favourable . . . '. 3 December 1859 (vol. 7, p. 413): 'My dear Lyell, ... I have had letter from Carpenter this morning: he reviews me in National. He is convert, but does not go quite as far as I - but quite far enough; for he admits that all birds from one progenitor; probably all fishes & reptiles from another parent. But the last mouthful chokes him - he can hardly admit all vertebrates from one parent. - He will surely come to this from homology & embryology. - I look at it as grand having brought round a great physiologist, for great I think he certainly is in that line ... '. 6 January 1860 (vol. 8, p. 21): 'My dear Carpenter, I have just read your excellent article in the National. It will do great good; especially if it becomes known as your production. It seems to me to give an excellently clear account of Mr Wallace's & my views. How capitally you turn the flanks of theological opposers by opposing to them such men as Bentham & the more philosophical of the Systematists! I thank you sincerely for the extremely honourable manner in which you mention me - I shd. have liked to have seen some criticisms or remarks on embryology, on which subject you are so well instructed. I do not think any candid person can read your article without being much impressed with it. The old doctrine of immutability of specifics will surely but slowly die away. It is a shame to give you trouble, but I shd. be very much obliged if you could tell me where differently coloured eggs in individuals of the cuckoo have been described & their laying in 27 kinds of nests. Also do you know from your own observation that the lambs of sheep imported into W. Indies change colour. I have had detailed information about the loss of wool; but my accounts made the change slower than you describe. -
With most cordial thanks & respect, Believe me My dear Carpenter, Yours very sincerely Ch. Darwin'. 6 April 1860 (vol. 8, p. 144): 'My dear Carpenter, I have this minute finished your review in the Med. Chirurg. Review. You must let me express my admiration at this most able essay, & I hope to God it will be largely read for it must produce a great effect. - I ought not, however, to express such warm admiration, for you give my book, I fear, far too much praise. But you have gratified me extremely; & though I hope I do not care very much for the approbation of non-scientific readers, I cannot say that this is at all so with respect to such men as yourself. - I have not a criticism to make for I object to not a word; & I admire all, so that I cannot pick out one part as better than the rest. It is all so well balanced. - But it is impossible not to be struck with your extent of knowledge in geology, botany, & zoology. The extracts which you give from Hooker seem to me excellently chosen & most forcible. I am so much pleased in what you say, also, about Lyell. - In fact I am in a fit of enthusiasm & had better write no more. With cordial thanks, Yours very sincerely C. Darwin'. 17 June 1860 (vol. 8, p. 256): 'My dear Carpenter, I should have written to you long before this to have reminded you of your kind promise of running down here for a Sunday; but I have for last seven weeks been hoping against hope that my daughter would rapidly recover ... so that I am sorry to say we must defer your little visit here ... I have been of late sufficiently well pitched into to please anybody, about my Book. - But I care very little, which I entirely & absolutely owe to the generous & kind support of a very few men. - When I reflect, as often I do, that such men as Lyell, yourself, Hooker, & Huxley go a certain way with me, nothing will persuade me that I am so wholly & egregiously in error as many of my reviewers think ... My dear Carpenter Yours very sincerely C. Darwin'.
Presentation copies of the Origin of species. The most extensive information is found in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, volume 7, appendix VIII; volume 8, appendix III; and volume 9, appendix VII (for the third edition, 1861). Volume 7 records that the first edition 'presentation copies were sent out directly from Murray's publishing house, some apparently inscribed by one of Murray's clerks; none appear to have been signed or otherwise inscribed by Darwin himself' (p. 533). Volume 8 prints Darwin's (recently discovered) list of 90 presentation copies, which he apparently drafted between August and October 1859, followed by a biographical register of the recipients (see p. 556 and p. 559 for Carpenter, with a portrait of him facing p. 153). (Volume 9, p. 420, records that Carpenter was also sent the corrected and augmented third edition, 1861, which might explain why his son was subsequently given the, for academic purposes, redundant copy of the first). R. B. Freeman, The works of Charles Darwin, 1977, p. 75, also notes that the presentation copies of the first edition were inscribed by the publisher's clerks, and that no copy inscribed by Darwin himself is known. The present whereabouts of only 12 of the presentation copies were known to Freeman, Charles Darwin: a companion, 1978, p. 220.
£200000
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