as generally denied as those contained in "Man's Place in Nature," now
awaiting enunciation. If there is a young man of the present generation
who has taken as much trouble as I did to assure himself that they are
truths, let him come out with them, without troubling his head about the
barking of the dogs of St. Ernulphus. Veritas praevalebit--some day; and
even if she does not prevail in his time, he himself will be all the
better and wiser for having tried to help her. And let him recollect
that such great reward is full payment for all his labour and pains.

[The following letter refers to the newly published "Man's Place in
Nature." Miss H. Darwin had suggested a couple of corrections:--]

Jermyn Street, February 25, 1863.

My dear Darwin,

Please to say to Miss Henrietta Minos Rhadamanthus Darwin that I plead
guilty to the justice of both criticisms, and throw myself on the mercy
of the court.

As extenuating circumstances with respect to indictment Number 1, see
prefatory notice. Extenuating circumstance Number 2--that I picked up
"Atavism" in Pritchard years ago, and as it is a much more convenient
word than "Hereditary transmission of variations," it slipped into
equivalence in my mind, and I forgot all about the original limitation.

But if these excuses should in your judgment tend to aggravate my
offences, suppress 'em like a friend. One may always hope more from a
lady's tender-heartedness than from her sense of justice.