essay had been brought before
the "general reader" in England by an article of Mr. G. Darwin's in the
"Contemporary Review," November, 1874, page 894, entitled, "Professor
Whitney on the Origin of Language." The article was followed by
"My reply to Mr. Darwin," contributed by Professor Muller to the
"Contemporary Review," January, 1875, page 305.)

LETTER 414. G. ROLLESTON TO CHARLES DARWIN. British Association,
Bristol, August 30th, 1875.

(414/1. In the first edition of the "Descent of Man" Mr. Darwin wrote:
"It is a more curious fact that savages did not formerly waste away, as
Mr. Bagehot has remarked, before the classical nations, as they now
do before modern civilised nations..."(414/2. Bagehot, "Physics and
Politics," "Fortnightly Review," April, 1868, page 455.) In the second
edition (page 183) the statement remains, but a mass of evidence
(pages 183-92) is added, to which reference occurs in the reply to the
following letter.)

At pages 4-5 of the enclosed Address (414/3. "British Association
Reports," 1875, page 142.) you will find that I have controverted Mr.
Bagehot's view as to the extinction of the barbarians in the times of
classical antiquity, as also the view of Poppig as to there being
some occult influence exercised by civilisation to the disadvantage of
savagery when the two come into contact.

I write to say that I took up this subject without any wish to impugn
any views of yours as such, but with the desire of having my say upon
certain anti-sanitarian transactions and malfeasance of which I had had
a painful experience.

On reading however what I said, and had written somewhat hastily, it has
struck me that what I have said might bear the former interpretation in
the eyes of persons who might not read other papers of mine, and indeed
other parts of the same Address, in which my adhesion, whatever it
is worth, to your views in general is plainly enough implied. I have
ventured to write this explanation to you for several reasons.

LETTER 415. TO G. ROLLESTON. Bassett, Southampton, September 2nd [1875].

I am much obliged to you for having sent me your Address, which has
interested me greatly. I quite subscribe to what you say about Mr.
Bagehot's striking remark, and wish I had not quoted it. I can perceive
no sort of reflection or blame on anything which I have written, and I
know well that I deserve many a good slap on the face. The decrease of
savage populations interests me much, an