The last letter, deeply interesting both on its own account and because it was written so near the end of Darwin’s life, was a reply to one from Meldola in which he had said that the publishers were complaining that the list of subscribers was disappointing, and that they had expressed the wish that Mr. Darwin could see his way to writing a much longer introductory notice than he had done. “_Feb. 2nd [1882]._ “Down. “DEAR MR. MELDOLA,--I am very sorry that I can add nothing to my very brief notice without reading again Weismann’s work and getting up the whole subject by reading my own and other books, and for so much labour I have not strength. I have now been working at other subjects for some years, and when a man grows as old as I am, it is a great wrench to his brain to go back to old and half-forgotten subjects. You would not readily believe how often I am asked questions of all kinds, and quite lately I have had to give up much time to do a work, not at all concerning myself, but which I did not like to refuse. I must however somewhere draw the line, or my life will be a misery to me. “I have read your Preface and it seems to me _excellent_. I am sorry in many ways, including the honour of England as a scientific country, that your translation has as yet sold badly. Does the publisher or do you lose by it? If the publisher, though I should be sorry for him, yet it is in the way of business; but if you yourself lose by it, I earnestly beg you to allow me to subscribe a trifle, viz. ten guineas, towards the expense of this work, which you have undertaken on public grounds. “Pray believe me, yours very faithfully, “CH. DARWIN.” Darwin’s generous offer, although gratefully declined, was a warm encouragement in the laborious, and in some respects thankless, task of translator and editor--a task which, in the case of the English edition of Weismann’s “Studies in the Theory of Descent,” was carried out in so admirable a manner. CHAPTER XXVI. HIS LAST ILLNESS (1882). In the last few months of his life, towards the end of 1881 and beginning of 1882, Darwin began to suffer from his heart, causing attacks of pain and faintness which increased in number. On March 7th, 1882, he had one of these seizures when walking, “and this was the last time that he was able to reach his favourite ‘sand-walk’” (“Life and Letters”). After this he became rather better, and on April 17th was able to record the progress of an experiment for his son Francis. The following sentences are quoted from the “Life and Letters”:--