[145] "On the Law that has regulated the Introduction of New Species."—Ann. Nat. Hist., 1855.
[146] Simon Bernard was tried in April 1858 as an accessory to Orsini's attempt on the life of the Emperor of the French. The verdict was "not guilty."
CHAPTER XI. THE WRITING OF THE 'ORIGIN OF SPECIES.'
"I have done my best. If you had all my material I am sure you would have made a splendid book."—From a letter to Lyell, June 21, 1859.
JUNE 18, 1858, TO NOVEMBER 1859.
C. D. to C. Lyell. Down, 18th [June 1858].
My dear Lyell—Some year or so ago you recommended me to read a paper by Wallace in the Annals,[147] which had interested you, and as I was writing to him, I knew this would please him much, so I told him. He has to-day sent me the enclosed, and asked me to forward it to you. It seems to me well worth reading. Your words have come true with a vengeance—that I should be forestalled. You said this, when I explained to you here very briefly my views of 'Natural Selection' depending on the struggle for existence. I never saw a more striking coincidence; if Wallace had my MS. sketch written out in 1842, he could not have made a better short abstract! Even his terms now stand as heads of my chapters. Please return me the MS., which he does not say he wishes me to publish, but I shall, of course, at once write and offer to send to any journal. So all my originality, whatever it may amount to, will be smashed, though my book, if it will ever have any value, will not be deteriorated; as all the labour consists in the application of the theory.
I hope you will approve of Wallace's sketch, that I may tell him what you say.