Royer (Clemence Auguste) Autograph letter signed (‘Clemence Royer’) in French to unknown recipient, probably a friend and intellectual, who had previously sent her a complex piece of writing, a ‘travail intellectuel’ which she hasn’t finished to read. In the letter Clemence presents her studies in progress, the recent publications and the forthcoming works, sharing personal feelings and ambitions, and giving an overview of the current scientific debate. She announces the recent publication of some essays in the ‘Revue de Philosophie, the Revue d’Anthropologie, the Bulletin de la Société d’Anthropologie, as well as in the Journal des Economists, which constitute a miscellany on Natural History and Philosophical Anthropology (.”..vous annoncez de mes derniers travaux publiés dans la Revue de philosophie..., dans la Revue d'anthropologie et dans le Bulletin de la Société d'anthropologie, ainsi que dans le Journal des économistes”). The piece in the Journal des Economists, particularly, contains the first 3 chapters and title of a work due to be published ‘La nation, ses acquises et ses phases’. She states to be working on a volume of general philosophy, concerning the system of science and detailing her theory of ‘l’unité de forces et de la matière’, presented during a conference in Lyon (1878). (“Je pense publies bientôt sous le titre: ‘La nation, ses acquises et ses phases’. Je prépare également un volume de philosophie générale ou je compte résumer tout le système de la science et ses dernières inductions sur l'antre du monde. J'y expose brièvement ma théorie de l'unité des forces et de la matière”). She promises to send to the recipient a copy of the third edition of her translation of Darwin’s ‘The origin of species’ (1870), which is now almost sold out in France, and briefly focuses on her monography ‘Origine de l'homme et des sociétés’ published in the same year, which includes important references to Hackel, Darwin and the theory of the genealogy of humans. She expresses her will to publish a new revised edition of the Darwinian translation and her frustration about the struggle of the scientists in the current political and social situation, which makes her wish to leave France and go travelling and visit friends and acquaintances in the intellectual world. Finally, she refers that her criticism to the new theory of the ‘dynamogenesis’ in the preface to the third edition of the ‘Origin of Species’, did severely upset Darwin, ‘ce sont nes critiques de ses idées quo sont cause de la grande colére de Mr Darwin on sujet de cette troisieme edition’, 4 pages, 4to, Paris, 10 July 1877. *** The French linguist and critic Ernest Renan described Clémence Royer as “almost a man of genius”. A self-taught natural philosopher, Royer (1830-1902) made several contributions to anthropology and economics but is perhaps best known for her French translation of Charles Darwin’s ‘The origin of species’, which popularised Darwinism in France and contributed to the development of social Darwinism. Author of 5 books and over 150 articles, reviews, and monographs ranging in subject matter from anthropology and natural philosophy, and from feminism to politics, she was the first woman member of the Société d'Anthropologie de Paris. In a culture in which women are excluded from formal education beyond early grades and from professional associations, the opportunities for fame are rare. Clémence Royer flighted to create her own opportunities by educating herself, by finding supportive male colleagues, and gaining publicity with her French translation of Darwin's ‘Origin of Species’. Royer translated Charles Darwin's work into French in 1863. She wrote a preface which used Darwin's theory of evolution as part of an anti-religious argument. Royer had been an evolutionist before reading Darwin, having been strongly influenced by the writings of Jean Baptiste Lamarck, and discussed the implications of evolutionary theory for human beings and society in her introduction. Royer translated two more editions of ‘Origin of Species’ (1866 and 1870), but in the last (3rd) French edition, argued passionately against Darwin's theory of 'pangenesis', causing the scientist to withdraw permission for Royer to continue with the translations. By this time, she had published at least 24 articles, reviews, and monographs on a variety of topics, especially a major book applying Darwinian theory to the evolution of humans and society (‘Origine de l'homme et des sociétés’), and summarising her theories and prominent themes (individualism, economic freedom and competition, biological inequality). The book was published just three months before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870 anticipating Darwin’s assertions on man ('Descent of Man', 1871). See “Joy Harvey, ‘Almost a Man of Genius’: Clémence Royer, Feminism, and Nineteenth Century Science”, Rutgers University Press, 1997.