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diff --git a/old/67420-0.txt b/old/67420-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index faa51d8..0000000 --- a/old/67420-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11796 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to -Varnhagen von Ense., by Alexander von Humboldt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Letters of Alexander von Humboldt to Varnhagen von Ense. - From 1827 to 1858. With extracts from Varnhagen’s diaries, and - letters of Varnhagen and others to Humboldt - -Author: Alexander von Humboldt - -Translator: Friedrich Kapp - -Release Date: February 16, 2022 [eBook #67420] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from - images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS OF ALEXANDER VON -HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. *** - - - - - - _AN ENTERTAINING BIOGRAPHY._ - - * * * * * - - - - - JUST PUBLISHED. - - THE LIFE TRAVELS AND BOOKS OF - - ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. - - - * * * * * - - WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY BAYARD TAYLOR. - - * * * * * - - _One handsome 12mo. volume., uniform with “The Letters of Von - Humboldt,” elegantly bound in muslin, with an original steel - portrait. Price, $1.25._ - -Containing a full account of his Life from birth to death; a picturesque -summary of his Travels and Adventures in the New World and Asia; -biographical sketches of his relatives and literary associates; a -complete résumé of his various works, with extracts from his most -important ones; a lucid statement of his achievements in all departments -of science, &c. - - * * * * * - -“The Life Travels and Books of Alexander von Humboldt has already gone -into a _fifth_ edition. * * * It is entertaining as a romance, and -contains the cream of Humboldt’s books. * * * The plan of the work is -excellent. The biography is combined with the wanderings of the old -_savant_, and the essence of numerous volumes is here artistically -condensed into one. A more readable and instructive book has not been -lately issued.”—_Philadelphia Daily Press._ - - * * * * * - -⁂ _Sold by all booksellers, and it will be sent by mail, postage free, -on receipt of the price, $1.25, by_ - - RUDD & CARLETON, Publishers, - _No. 130 Grand Street, New York_. - -[Illustration: Alexander von Humboldt] - - - - - LETTERS - OF - ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT - TO - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - _From 1827 to 1858._ - WITH - Extracts from Varnhagen’s Diaries, and Letters of Varnhagen and others - to Humboldt. - - - Translated from the Second German Edition, - - BY FRIEDRICH KAPP. - -[Illustration] - - NEW YORK: - - RUDD & CARLETON, 130 GRAND STREET, - - LEIPZIG: F. A. BROCKHAUS. - - M DCCC LX. - - - - - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by - - RUDD & CARLETON, - - In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the - Southern District of New York. - - - R. CRAIGHEAD, - Printer, Stereotyper, and Electrotyper, - Carlton Building, - _81, 83, and 85 Centre Street_. - - - - -“Your last favor doing me so much honor contains words about which I -wish to prevent every mistake. ‘You are afraid to confess yourself the -exclusive owner of my impieties.’ You may freely dispose of this sort of -property after my not far distant departure from life. Truth is due to -those only whom we deeply esteem—to you therefore.” - - ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - _Letter of December 7th, 1841._ - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - 1. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 17 - 2. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 18 - 3. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 19 - 4. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 20 - 5. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 21 - 6. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 22 - 7. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 23 - 8. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 25 - 9. Humboldt to Rahel, 28 - 10. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 29 - 11. Humboldt to Rahel 31 - 12. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 32 - 13. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 33 - 14. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 34 - 15. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 35 - 16. (No Address.) 35 - 17. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 40 - 18. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 41 - 19. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 43 - 20. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 44 - 21. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 45 - 22. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 46 - 23. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 49 - 24. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 49 - 25. Humboldt to the Princess von Pueckler, 51 - 26. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 52 - 27. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 54 - 28. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 56 - 29. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 58 - 30. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 59 - 31. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 60 - 32. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 61 - 33. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 62 - 34. (No Address.) 66 - 35. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 67 - 36. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 70 - 37. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 73 - 38. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 74 - 39. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 75 - 40. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 76 - 41. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 77 - 42. Metternich to Humboldt, 79 - 43. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 82 - 44. King Christian VIII. of Denmark to Humboldt, 83 - 45. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 85 - 46. (No Address.) 86 - 47. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 87 - 48. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 89 - 49. Guizot to Humboldt, 93 - 50. Arago to Humboldt, 94 - 51. Humboldt to Bettina von Arnim, 96 - 52. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 97 - 53. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 100 - 54. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 101 - 55. Humboldt to Spiker, 104 - 56. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 105 - 57. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 106 - 58. King Christian VIII. of Denmark to Humboldt, 108 - 59. (No Address.) 110 - 60. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 112 - 61. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 115 - 62. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 119 - 63. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 120 - 64. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 122 - 65. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 127 - 66. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 128 - 67. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 130 - 68. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 131 - 69. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 138 - 70. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 139 - 71. (No Address.) 140 - 72. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 141 - 73. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 142 - 74. Humboldt to the Prince of Prussia, 144 - 75. (No Address.) 146 - 76. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 151 - 77. J. W. T. to Humboldt, 154 - 78. Count Bresson, French Ambassador, to Humboldt, 155 - 79. Arago to Humboldt, 158 - 80. Four Notes of Frederick William the Fourth to Humboldt, 160 - 81. King Christian VIII. of Denmark to Humboldt, 163 - 82. John Herschel to Humboldt, 164 - 83. Balzac to Humboldt, 168 - 84. Robert Peel to Humboldt, 169 - 85. Metternich to Humboldt, 170 - 86. Prescott to Humboldt, 171 - 87. Madame de Récamier to Humboldt, 174 - 88. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 175 - 89. Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany, to Humboldt, 175 - 90. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 177 - 91. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 178 - 92. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 180 - 93. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 182 - 94. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 183 - 95. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 184 - 96. (No Address.) 185 - 97. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 186 - 98. Metternich to Humboldt, 188 - 99. Jules Janin to Humboldt, 189 - 100. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 192 - 101. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 193 - 102. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 196 - 103. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 196 - 104. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 198 - 105. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 199 - 106. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 201 - 107. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 203 - 108. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 204 - 109. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 205 - 110. Humboldt to Friedrich Wilhelm IV., 206 - 111. Bessel to Humboldt, 208 - 112. Victor Hugo to Humboldt, 215 - 113. Friedrich Rueckert to Humboldt, 216 - 114. Alexander Manzoni to Humboldt, 217 - 115. Thiers to Humboldt, 220 - 116. The Princess of Canino, Lucien Bonaparte’s Widow, to - Humboldt, 220 - 117. Duchess Helene d’Orleans to Humboldt, 221 - 118. Duchess Helene d’Orleans to Humboldt, 222 - 119. Duchess Helene d’Orleans to Humboldt, 223 - 120. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 223 - 121. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 225 - 122. Metternich to Humboldt, 225 - 123. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 229 - 124. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 229 - 125. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 231 - 126. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 232 - 127. Mignet to Humboldt, 233 - 128. Humboldt to Baudin, 235 - 129. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 238 - 130. Metternich to Humboldt, 240 - 131. Prince Albert to Humboldt, 241 - 132. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 242 - 133. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 243 - 134. (No Address.) 248 - 135. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 251 - 136. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 252 - 137. Metternich to Humboldt, 253 - 138. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 254 - 139. Helen, Duchess of Orleans, to Humboldt, 254 - 140. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 256 - 141. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 259 - 142. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 260 - 143. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 260 - 144. Humboldt to Bettina von Arnim, 262 - 145. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 263 - 146. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 266 - 147. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 268 - 148. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 271 - 149. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 271 - 150. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 275 - 151. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 276 - 152. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 278 - 153. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 279 - 154. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 281 - 155. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 284 - 156. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 286 - 157. Arago to Humboldt, 287 - 158. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 289 - 159. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 289 - 160. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 294 - 161. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 297 - 162. Humboldt to Bettina von Arnim, 300 - 163. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 302 - 164. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 303 - 165. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 304 - 166. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 305 - 167. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 306 - 168. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 308 - 169. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 313 - 170. The Princess Lieven to Humboldt, 316 - 171. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 317 - 172. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 318 - 173. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 320 - 174. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 321 - 175. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 323 - 176. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 324 - 177. The Prussian Minister Resident, von Gerolt, to Humboldt, 325 - 178. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 327 - 179. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 329 - 180. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 330 - 181. Grand Duke Charles Alexander of Saxe-Weimar to Humboldt, 330 - 182. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 331 - 183. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 333 - 184. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 334 - 185. Metternich to Humboldt, 336 - 186. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 338 - 187. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 338 - 188. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 341 - 189. Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, to Humboldt, 343 - 190. Jobard to Humboldt, 344 - 191. Lines by Varnhagen on Hildebrandt’s Painting of Humboldt’s - Apartments, and the Motto Attached, 346 - 192. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 347 - 193. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 360 - 194. Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, to Humboldt, 351 - 195. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 352 - 196. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 354 - 197. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 356 - 198. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 359 - 199. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 360 - 200. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 362 - 201. Karl Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, to Humboldt, 363 - 202. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 364 - 203. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 366 - 204. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 368 - 205. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 368 - 206. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 370 - 207. Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, to Humboldt, 371 - 208. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 372 - 209. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 374 - 210. Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, to Humboldt, 375 - 211. Thiers to Humboldt, 376 - 212. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 377 - 213. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 379 - 214. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 382 - 215. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 383 - 216. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 385 - 217. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 387 - 218. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 389 - 219. Prince Napoleon, Son of Jerome, to Humboldt, 390 - 220. Varnhagen to Humboldt, 393 - 221. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 394 - 222. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 395 - 223. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 397 - 224. Humboldt to Varnhagen, 399 - 225. Humboldt to Ludmilla Assing, 402 - - - - - PREFACE. - - -The following letters of Humboldt furnish a contribution of the highest -importance to the true, correct, and unveiled representation of his -genius and character. That they should be delivered to publicity after -his death was his desire and intent, which have found their positive -impression in the words preceding this book as its motto. Never has he -spoken out his mind more freely and sincerely, than in his -communications with Varnhagen, his old and faithful friend, whom he -esteemed and loved before all others. In him he placed an unlimited -confidence; with him he deposited those letters received by him, which -he desired to be saved for their importance, while he used to destroy -nearly all others. He presumed that Varnhagen, the junior of the two, -would survive him. - -Varnhagen, however, died first and transmitted the duty—a doubly sacred -one—to me, of publishing this memorable evidence of the life, the -activity, and the genius of this great man. In the accomplishment of -this charge it was a religious duty to leave every word unchanged as -written down. I would have thought it an offence to Humboldt’s memory -had I had the arrogance to make the slightest alterations of his words. -For the same reason I did not think myself authorized to grant the -request—however well-meaning it may have been—of the publisher, that I -should make such alterations, nor could I accord the least influence to -my own feelings or to personal regards. There was but one consideration -to be obeyed—the _eternal truth_, for an adherence to which I am -responsible to Humboldt’s memory, to History and Literature, and to the -will of him who enjoined this duty upon me. - -And therefore the legacy, intrusted to my hands, will appear full and -complete, as it was received. The interest of Humboldt’s letters is -sometimes pleasantly heightened by entries in Varnhagen’s diary—they -will indicate the verbal sentiments of Humboldt in addition to those -written by him. Of Varnhagen’s letters few only were preserved or could -be found. In the little, however, which is known, the noble friendship, -the constant, never-ceasing mental activity, the faithful fellowship in -their mutual efforts in behalf of science and liberty, in all of which -Humboldt and Varnhagen were so many years united, find a sufficient -expression. - -The letters of many other distinguished and celebrated persons, which -are also added, will show Humboldt in his world-wide connexions, in his -manifold relations to savans and authors, to statesmen and princes, all -of whom approached him with reverence. - - LUDMILLA ASSING. - - BERLIN, February, 1860. - - - - - HUMBOLDT’S LETTERS. - - - - - 1. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 25th, 1827_. - - MY HONORED FRIEND: - -Allow me to present you with the best copy of my essay[1] left me. - -The end of it will, I hope, secure me your indulgence for the whole. - -Tuesday. - - A. v. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 2. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _November 1st, 1827_. - -You recollect having once uttered some affectionate words in -acknowledgment of my endeavors to describe Nature vividly and truly -(that is, with strict correctness as to what we do observe). - -That your words have left agreeable impressions, you will perceive from -this insignificant token of my gratitude.[2] - -I have altered nearly all “the Explanations,” and added “The Genius of -Rhodes,” for which Schiller has shown some predilection. - -With friendship and the highest consideration, - - Yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - -Is it not strange, that Koreff has never acknowledged what we did for -him here? - - - - - 3. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _November 21, 1827_. - - WEDNESDAY, AT NIGHT. - -Trusting more to your friendship for me and to my memoranda, which -always guide me in my lectures, than to the notes taken by the students, -I send you herewith the entire fifth lecture, together with to-day’s -recapitulation. I am sure, you will not find anything anti-philosophical -therein. You may make whatever use you like of them—except a copy for -publication—please send them back before Saturday. That the memoranda -were made for my own use only, you will observe by the confusion in -their composition—the desire, however, to be always frank, makes me -forget any consideration which vanity could suggest.[3] - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 4. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 15th, 1828_. - -Will you allow me to disturb you for some moments between 2 and 3 -o’clock this afternoon, that I may ask your literary opinion? My book -shall bear the title: “Sketch of a Physical Description of the World.” - -I should like to embody in the title itself the occasion of these -lectures, so as to make it understood at once that the book contains -more and something else than the lectures. “From reminiscences of -lectures in the years 1827 and 1828, by A. v. Humboldt,” is considered, -I am told, ridiculous and pretending. I do not insist on it; but -“Souvenirs d’un cours de Physique du monde,” or, “Souvenirs d’un voyage -en Perse,” seemed simple enough. How shall I arrange the title of the -book? “Sketch of the Physical World, elaborated from lectures by A. v. -H.:” or, “Partly treated from Lectures?” All that seems rather awkward. -Adverbs will not do for titles. What if I add in small type: “A part of -this work has _been_ the subject of lectures in the years 1827 and -1828?” This is, however, rather long and then _the verb_! “_Occasioned -by_,” &c., would perhaps be better. I trust to _your_ genius! _You_ will -help me out of this labyrinth, I am sure! With the sincerest attachment, - - Your obedient, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—I had objected to the first herein mentioned title - myself when I once dined at Prince August’s, and Humboldt had heard - it from Beuth. - - - - - 5. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _3d of April, 1829_. - -I shall call and thank you and enjoy your being home again, and the good -effects which the exercise of your new duties have everywhere had. And I -will implore _pardon_ of your gifted lady, so dear to me through the -misfortunes that happened in my own family. It is never allowed to -present a book to the King, not even by Prince Wittgenstein. It must go -the usual way. But I will entreat Albrecht very, very fervently.[4] I am -quite exhausted and will be off in a week. - -Friday. - - A. HT. - - - - - 6. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _26th of April, 1830_. - -I have just come home from Potsdam, and find your dear letter and your -present, so very agreeable to me. The “_Zinzendorf_”[5] will delight me -very, very much. He is an individual physiognomy like _Lavater_ and -_Cardanus_. The recent pietism, which _began_ to break out at Halle, -made me smile. I rejoice that you will kindly accept my “Cri de -Pétersbourg”—it is a parody recited at Court—the forced work of two -nights; an essay to flatter without self-degradation, to say how things -_should_ be. As you and your high-gifted wife, my ancient and kind -friend, rejoice in anything agreeable that happens to me, I wish to say -that the King sends me to the Emperor to attend the meeting of the -Potentates. I shall probably go with the Crown-Prince, who will meet the -Empress at Fischbach. - - Yours, - A. HT. - -Zinzendorf’s _letters_ to the Saviour were rather more legible.[6] - - - - - 7. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _July 9th, 1830_. - -Please accept for yourself and your highminded and excellent lady my -sincerest thanks for your new present, so agreeable to me.[7] I was not -personally acquainted with the man whose eccentricities you have so -æsthetically described. He was one of those who shine by their personal -appearance; their lives are of greater effect than their writings. A man -who boasts that his recollections go back to the _first year_ of his -life (how differently the Margravine judged things, when she says: -“J’étais un enfant très précoce—à deux ans je savais parler, à trois ans -je marchais!”); a man who owns a guardian angel in a black cloak, like -Cardanus—who makes love to old maids, without being drunk, only in order -to convert the same to virtue and reading; a man, to whom the _fate_ of -German professors under German princes appears more tragical than that -of the Greeks—such a man cannot but be admired—as a curiosity! The -“Kirchen-Zeitung” will never inscribe his name in the list of “the -faithful,” and the Schimmelmanns will hardly thank you, my most honored -friend, that the work recalls the Danish-Holstein saturnalia of -sentimental demagogism. - -I am very much gratified that you will take “Hardenberg” in hand. It is -a difficult but satisfactory task, if you be careful to separate the -_epochs_, and provided his life be judged without party hatred, which -seems to have subsided at last, with regard to Hegel in the Academy. - - Thankfully yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - -We find in Varnhagen’s diary the following entry referring to the above: -“Alexander von Humboldt said to Gans, after the July revolution, when he -heard him express very exalted hopes of the new government, ‘Believe me, -dear friend, my wishes go as far as yours, but my hopes are very feeble. -I have seen changes of government in France for forty years. They always -fall by their own incapacity; the new ones give always the same -promises, but they never keep them, and the march to ruin is renewed. I -was personally acquainted with most of the men in power, some of them -intimately; there were distinguished, well-meaning men among them; but -they did not persevere; after a short time they were not better than -their predecessors—nay, they became even greater rascals. Not one of all -the governments there has kept the promises made to the people—not one -of them has subordinated its own interest to the welfare of the country. -And until this be done, no power can possibly take a lasting root in -France. The nation has always been deceived, and will again be deceived; -when it will punish the treason and the perjury of its rulers; for it is -strong and mature enough to do this at the proper time.’” - - - - - 8. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _January 23d, 1833_. - -Certainly it was I who met your Excellency some time ago at the sunny -hour of noon and who recognised you too late, as I was recognised too -late by you. How I should have liked to run after you, but it would not -do, the distance was already too great. I would have liked to have told -you something concerning Mr. von Bulow at London, which I had just got -from the best authority, and which I thought would be new to you, as it -was to me. It was about the danger in which that bold ambassador was for -some time, and which, according to a declaration of the King, had passed -over. Since then your Excellency has heard it from other sources, and my -information will be but stale. - -Now we Prussians are also gratified at last by a general representation -of the people, or, to speak more correctly, we had it a long time ago, -only we did not know it! Bishop Eylert has lifted the veil from our -eyes. He is the first to speak out the great truth, like a second -Mirabeau, in clearness of thought and boldness of words. I can vividly -imagine how the “Rittersaal,” nay, the whole palace, was shaken to its -foundation, when he thundered that powerful truth to the assembly, that -the representation of the whole people, of all the classes and -interests, ought to be found in that solemn lodge of the Order of -Knights! I bend my head in deep reverence to such a colossal boldness, -to such a new unheard-of combination, by which other miserable -institutions, until now regarded as national representations, as for -instance Parliaments, Assemblies, Cortes, and the like, were annihilated -and blown into nothingness! I have listened to the orator from the -silent mouth of the official gazette only; but your Excellency was -present without doubt at the solemnity and pitied me, to be sure, and -will say, what in ancient times was said when a speech of Demosthenes -was read: “Oh! had you heard it delivered by him!” And the smiling -approval, the gracious satisfaction of the high audience, the amazement -of all present at the wonderful discovery, how much the impression must -have been heightened by all that! - -Oh, our Protestant parsons are on the best road, they promise to leave -behind their Catholic brethren as they were when in the most flourishing -condition of their priesthood. Such hypocritical black coats make us the -laughing-stock of the world. Representation of the people or no -representation, may we have it, or may it be denied, I care little about -it just now, but that such a scoundrel should assume to call the meeting -of the Knights of an Order a national representation, is an attempt -which should be rewarded by the lunatic asylum or the State prison. And -there is not even a song, a street ballad, a caricature, to make merry -of such a monstrosity—all is silent! - -But as this is the time of sleep, I will go to bed and wish you and -myself good night and sweet dreams. - - With the highest respect, &c., - V. - - See A. v. Humboldt’s note to Rahel, Varhagen’s wife, of the 1st of - February, 1833. - - - - - 9. - HUMBOLDT TO RAHEL. - - - BERLIN, _February 1, 1833_. - -My speedy reply has no good foreboding, my dear friend. When anything is -to be done in this country, it wants fourteen months’ maturing—after -that there is hope. The inclosed letter, which, however, you are -entreated not to leave in the hand of your lady friend, explains all. I -was listened to in my words and letters kindly and promisingly. This -morning, however, the drawings—those beautiful drawings—were sent back. -The underlined word in the accompanying note might give some hope; but I -like better to give myself up to illusions than to nourish them in -others, and the firmness with which Beuth, who alone has to decide in -the matter, sticks to his will, bars all prospects. That I have done my -best in the matter, as you yourself have desired it, does not require -further words—this should be a sort of _historical faith_ with you. -Please send me a word of comfort about my dear Varnhagen—the only -brilliant star in the literary world of our country—_that_ country in -which, as the bishop _with the drawn sword_ says, even the _most eminent -talents_, as such, ought to have no distinction whatever! I do not -wonder that such things are spoken out, but what depresses me is the -vileness of the society in which we are here living, and which is not -even aroused by such contemptible assertions. May both of you preserve -your nobler selves. - - A. HT. - - - - - 10. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _3d of Feby., 1833_. - -I am eternally grateful and affected by your noble letter. Grace and -euphony of language should always be joined to purity of character and -gracefulness of manners. - -My brother was here for two days, but almost always under the shock of -the waves, dashing from the Court. Princes have the right to pray -without ever being deprecated. He ordered me to tell you, dear friend, -how very sensible he is to the flattering nature of your offer; but he -is just now so much occupied with the publication of the quarto edition -on the affinity of Asiatic languages with the Sanscrit, that he cannot -accept what he considers, nevertheless, as highly important. He desires, -in honor of the celebrity of the great departed one,[8] that _you_ -should undertake the task. I am painfully concerned to hear that you -enjoy, together with your ingenious friend, but a small bit of health, -which you kindly lend each other—something of a mutual self-instruction, -or Azais-compensation, which afflicts me very much. I have received a -long letter of Mrs. Cotta. It seems she will assume the editorship of -the _Allgemeine Zeitung_, an anti-salique enterprise altogether. Is it -not strange, how, at certain epochs, a certain principle seems to -penetrate all mankind? Resuscitation of reverence for the past, -not-to-be-disturbed love of peace, distrust in the possibility of -amelioration, hydrophobia against genius, religious compulsion for -unity, mania-diplomatica for protocols.... Cardines rerum. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—I had replied in Rahel’s name, who was prevented by - sickness, to the note of the 1st inst., directed to her, and in a - postscript had expressed the desire Minister de Humboldt should - write the critique of _Faust_, just then to be published for the - _Jahrbücher der Kritik_. - - - - - 11. - HUMBOLDT TO RAHEL. - - - BERLIN, _February 9th, 1853_. - -I have seen Beuth once more, to remind him of his ancient friendship -with L. His opinion is, that it would be advantageous for the family to -separate the architectural subjects from what belongs to landscape -merely, and also to leave out the engravings. Only the architectural -drawings were of any use to his institute, and if the family wanted the -money, he would be enabled to purchase to the amount of some hundred -Thalers (perhaps four to five hundred?). However uninviting such an -offer may be, I thought it my duty, dear friend, to impart it to you. In -case of acceptance, Beuth wishes to deal forthwith with some agent, who -should come and see him in his house. - -May the sun of gentle spring give you both warmth, cheerfulness, and -vigor! The “Byzantine empire” (ours I mean) is seriously divided into -two parties about “Bunsen’s Psalm Book,” and “Elsner’s Collection of -Hymns!” The military power and the adjutants are in favor of the -“Collection of Hymns.” As for myself, I have not yet made up my mind. - -Saturday. - - A. HT. - - - - - 12. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - SATURDAY, _March 9th, 1833_. - -To a mind like yours, noble friend, solitude and calm are necessary. You -draw only upon yourself. Think, that I received the painful news[9] only -last night by Prince Carolath. You know what a warm-hearted, -long-proved, and kind friend I lost in her, the honor of her sex! how -amiable she was, when lately she instructed me to transact the little -business with Beuth. So experienced in all the vicissitudes and -illusions of life, and yet so cheerful, and so gentle! With such an -intellect, so full of soul, and so true of heart! The world will appear -to you a solitude for a long time, but the consciousness of having -imparted to such a lovely woman, until her very last breath, all that -genius, and heart, and gracefulness of intercourse like yours can -afford, will be a balm to your wound, dear Varnhagen. I conjure you, -take care of your health! - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 13. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _December 3, 1833_. - -Pardon, a thousand pardons, for not sooner returning the classical -studies of Friedrich Schlegel. I studied them diligently and I am -convinced that many views of Grecian antiquity, which modern authors -ascribe to themselves, are buried in writings dated from 1795 (a -deucalionic time of yore!). Angelus Silesius, whom I have but now -learned to appreciate, has also gratified me and my brother very much. -There is a piety in the book, which breathes on the mind like the balmy -air of spring, and the mysterious and hieroglyphical marks of your -departed wife, render your gift doubly dear to me. - -Spiker,[10] very curiously mistook the genitive in the “astronomical -observations _of_ Alexander von Humboldt,” for my signature, when he -informed the public of Oltmann’s death. I will pass it over, however, -without correction. - - With everlasting affection, yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 14. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _December 9, 1833_. - -I enclose you, most honored friend, some words of the lovely Duchess of -Dessau. Anything honoring the memory of our departed lady friend must be -dear to your heart. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - Sunday. - - - DESSAU, _December 1, 1833_. - -Accept my best thanks for the books you sent me. Each in its way -interested me very much. I am sorry not to have been personally -acquainted with Rahel. Her mind now lies so clearly before me, that I -should have been happy to have been acquainted with her exterior -appearance, that it might suggest to me the intellect within. - - FRIEDERIKE, Duchess at Anhalt. - - -Yet full of admiration for R. the book of all books. May I ask you, my -honored friend, for Friedrich Schlegel’s works, third volume? - - - - - 15. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _December 19, 1833_. - -I have been prevented by the irksome and noisy Court-life from inquiring -personally after the dear health of my friend. I am sorry that I must -request you, by the present note, to return me the letter of the Duchess -of Dessau, containing the amiable words concerning our sainted friend. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - Tuesday. - - - - - 16. - - - BERLIN, _Oct. 24, 1834_. - -I begin the printing of my work (the work of my life). I have the -extravagant idea of describing in one and the same work the whole -material world—all that we know to-day of celestial bodies and of life -upon the earth—from the nebular stars to the mosses on the granite -rocks—and to make this work instructive to the mind, and at the same -time attractive, by its vivid language. Every great and sparkling idea -must be noticed, side by side with its attendant facts. The work shall -represent an epoch of the intellectual development of mankind in their -knowledge of nature. The prolegomena are, for the most part, ready. They -are my amended “discours d’ouverture” as they were delivered from -memory, although immediately afterwards carefully written down; the -picture of physical nature—incentives to the study of nature in the -spirit of our age—these latter are threefold: 1. “Poesie descriptive” -and vivid description of natural scenery in modern works of travels. 2. -Landscape pictures, sensitive description of an exotic nature—when it -originated, when it became a necessity and a pleasure to the mind; the -reason why antiquity (too passionate) could not feel it. 3. -Plants—grouping of them, according to the physiognomy of plants (no -botanic gardens).—History of the physical description of the world. How -the idea of the world—of the connexion of all the phenomena, became -clear to the nations of the world in the course of centuries. These -prolegomena are the most essential. They contain the general part of the -work, which is followed by the special part, the particulars of which -are arranged in systematic order. I send also a part of the tabular -register; space of the universe; the whole physical astronomy; our -globe, its interior, exterior; electro-magnetism of its interior; -vulcanism, that is, the reaction of the interior of a planet upon its -surface; organization of the masses; a concise geognosy; ocean; -atmosphere; climate; organic matter; vegetable geography; animal -geography; human races and languages; the physical organization of which -(articulation of sounds) is controlled by the intellect, the product and -manifestation of which is language. In the special part all numerical -results, the most minute, as in “_Laplace’s_ Exposition du Systéme du -Monde.” As these particulars do not admit the same literary perfection -of style as the general combinations of natural science, the simple -facts are stated in short sentences, arranged in tabular order. The -attentive reader will find condensed in a few pages all results on -climate, magnetism of the earth, etc., which it would take years of -application to learn by study. The intimate relations of the fundamental -details, for the sake of literary harmony with the general plan, are -effected by brief introductory remarks to each chapter. Otfried Mueller, -in his ably written “Archæology,” has very successfully pursued the same -method. - -It was my wish that you, my dear friend, should get a clear perception -of my undertaking from myself. I have not succeeded in concentrating the -whole in one single volume, however magnificent the effect of such -conciseness would have been. I hope, however, that two volumes will -contain the whole. There will be no notes under the text, but at the end -there will be notes appended, containing solid erudition, and minuteness -of detail; these, however, may be left unread. - -The work is not what is commonly called “_Physical Description of the -Earth_.” It comprises heaven and earth—everything existing. I began to -write it fifteen years ago in French, and called it “_Essai sur la -Physique du Monde_.” In Germany I thought first of calling it “_The Book -of Nature_;” a title already adopted in the middle age by Albertus -Magnus. But all this is too vague. The title shall be _“Kosmos,” Sketch -of a Physical Description of the World, by A. v. H., enlarged outlines -of his Lectures in 1827 and 1828_. Cotta, Publisher. - -I wanted to add the word _Kosmos_, and to force people to call the book -by this name in order to avoid their calling it “Humboldt’s Physical -Geography,” which would throw the thing in the class of Mittersacher’s -writings. “Description of the World” (formed after History of the World) -would, as a designation seldom used, always be confounded with -“Description of the Earth.” I know that “Kosmos” sounds rather -pretending, and the word is indeed not without a certain “Affetérie;” -but this title says in one and the same striking word, “_Heaven and -Earth_,” and is quite opposed to “_Gaea_,” the title of that rather -imperfect description of the earth by Professor Zeune. My brother is -also for the title “Kosmos.” I myself hesitated for a long time. Now, -grant me a favor, my dear friend. I cannot prevail upon myself to send -away the commencement of my manuscript without entreating you to cast a -critical eye over it. You possess such an eminent talent for style, and -you have at the same time so much genius and independence of judgment, -that you do not quite discard the style of others because it differs -from your own. Please read the “Discours,” and put in a little sheet on -which you write—without giving any reasons.—“So ... I would better like, -so ... instead of....” Do, however, not condemn without _assisting_ me! -and do also ease my mind as to the title. - -With the utmost confidence, yours, - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - Monday. - - -The principal faults of my style are an unhappy inclination to -hyper-poetical forms, long constructions upon participles, and too much -concentrating of manifold views and sentiments in one and the same -period. I think, however, that these radical evils, founded in my -individuality, are somewhat lessened by a grave simplicity and -generalization, enabling me to contemplate my subject with a complete -mastery of its details, if I may be permitted so much vanity. A book on -nature should produce an impression like nature itself. I have been -always careful, as in my “_Views of Nature_,” and in that work my manner -is quite different from that of Forster and Chateaubriand. I have always -endeavored to describe faithfully, to design correctly, and to be even -scientifically true, without losing myself in the dry regions of -knowledge. - - - - - 17. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _October 28th, 1834_. - -You have encouraged and cheered me by your amiable letter, and your -still more amiable solicitude. You have quite entered into the spirit of -my efforts. But the expression of my affectionate confidence in you [a -manifestation of the acknowledgment of your talent in the Humboldt -family] has rendered you too considerate and inclined to praise. Your -remarks have a degree of refinement, of taste, and acuteness, which -makes emendation a highly pleasant task. I have adopted all, or nearly -all—more than nineteen-twentieths. Some obstinacy, however, must always -be allowed an author. I beg a thousand pardons for sending you some -sheets, in which (towards the end of the Discourse) I had not corrected -the newly-annexed parts. Some sentences were really confused. You will -permit me to call one of these days, and thank you personally. I will -then show you the emendations at the end of the discourse. How happy I -would have been to have laid some of these travels before her, the dear -departed one! - - Yours gratefully, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -I would there were in Germany as excellent a book of synonyms as the -inclosed one, which, I am sure, you did not see before now. Abbé Delisle -has advised me to use it, and indeed it spares much time; if a similar -word is wanted, one finds it at once. I shall come and take the book -back. - - - - - 18. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Sunday, 6 o’clock_ A. M., - _April 5th, 1855_. - -You, my dearest Varnhagen, who are not afraid of grief, but who trace -its phases through the depths of sentiment, you should receive at this -sorrowful time a few words expressing the love which both brothers feel -for you. The release has not yet come. I left him last night at 11 -o’clock, and I hasten to him again. The day, yesterday, was less -distressing. A half lethargic condition, frequent, though not restless, -slumber, and after each waking, words of love, of comfort; but always -the clearness of the great intellect, which penetrates and distinguishes -everything and examines its own condition. The voice was very feeble, -hoarse, and thin, like a child’s—leeches were therefore applied to the -throat. Full consciousness! “Think often of me,” he said the day before -yesterday, “but always with cheerfulness! I was very happy; and this day -also was a beautiful one for me; for ‘Love is above all.’ I will soon be -with mother, and will have an insight into a higher order of things.” I -have no shadow of hope. I never thought my old eyes had so many tears! -It has lasted near eight days.[11] - - - - - 19. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _May 15th, 1835, Tuesday_. - -My time is, unfortunately, so much occupied by the many princely -strangers, and I am so affected by the cold, though not at all bracing -weather, that I can scarcely find leisure to thank you, dear friend, for -the “Bollmann”[12] and the biographical sketch of him, in which I -recognised at once _your_ pen, and also the “retouchings,” when the -“Staats Zeitung” fell into my hands. One should not undertake to speak -of distinguished men in such papers; it is a difficult task, even for a -man of your genius, to keep the proper course between the family, the -censor, and the cold, indifferent public. - -The name of “Mundt” has recalled to me some remarkable pages of his -“Madonna,” on the tendency of the Germans to sentimental lucubrations. -There is much truth in these observations, and I thought to read my own -sentence in them. So much, dear friend, on this world, to us, now -unhappily deserted. - - Always gratefully, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - -I feel some sorrow, nevertheless, that you refuse to see the -Grand-Duchess. - - - - - 20. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _May 6th, 1835_. - -I send back the communicated sheets, as they might interrupt the series. -I was personally acquainted with almost all those whom Bollmann -describes so vividly and faithfully. One perceives how he rises as he -enters into more important situations. What a strange course of life, -“Médecin de Sauvetage!” I have now a better impression of him, thanks to -you; for, without being capable of divining the true cause, I noticed -some coolness towards Bollmann in Lafayette’s family, for some years -past. - - A. HT. - - - - - 21. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Saturday, 23d of May, 1835_. - -If the “Morgenblatt” of the 18th of May should fall into your hands, -dear friend, please glance at a rather offensive article therein, -entitled “Wilhelm von Humboldt’s Funeral.” My brother is said to have -died abandoned by his family. I take but little notice of such -misrepresentations. I should wish to know, however, is “that other -thing” which my brother was “ignorant of, besides music, and which one -dare not name”—is it God, or some lewdness? I do not know what it -possibly can be! Please, dearest one, to find out how this assertion is -explained by the public. The cause of my brother’s retiring from public -life is also so world-known, that it is singular to intimate that one -did not know whether it was by his own fault. I call with pleasure on -your acuteness and affection. Supply my deficiency in the first. - - Most thankfully yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 22. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 28th, 1836_. - -A mind like yours, my generous friend, understands, in its mildness and -fortitude, how to discover some justification for everything. I do not -fear, therefore, to appear this morning again before you as a -petitioner, after a winter distracted by the dashing court-waves and -festivities. You are the only one in this harmony-barren, -genius-deserted city who possesses a harmony of style and a sense of -moderation in the utterance of painful sentiments. May I beg you to cast -a critical glance over the inclosed sheets?[13] The variations played on -the praise-chanting lyre for forty individuals were a tedious, -style-spoiling necessity. It was arranged who should be invited to the -great table. As for me, I think I came out not quite awkwardly, by some -individual characteristics, and by a sort of graduation in my praise. -Allow me to call to-day, about eleven o’clock, to receive the sheets, -which are much wanted by the printer, together with your verbal remarks -at the same time. I can alter, if necessary, _sous votre dictée_, at -your home. It would be humane in you to receive me in bed. - - Respectfully yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - Monday. - - -At eleven o’clock I shall be with you. - - -Varnhagen made, on the 11th of May, 1836, the following entry in his -diary: - -“Very early this morning, Alexander von Humboldt came to see me, and -remained an hour and a half. The principal subject of our conversation -was the French princes, who arrived here to-day. The embarrassment of -the King is very great; he would like to show the greatest attention to -the strangers, while at the same time he desires his attentions should -have the appearance of insults at St. Petersburg. State Secretary -Ancillon had not courage enough to advise the Crown-Prince for their -coming here as a certainty. He trusted to chance to acquaint him with -it. Our princes got into a violent passion, and complained bitterly of -the unwelcome visit. The Princesses Augusta and Maria, who showed -themselves pleased with it, had hard words to hear. It was said that -there would be a demonstration in the theatre: some would applaud, and a -greater number would hiss, it was hoped. At Treves, something of that -sort had already happened, on their way through that city. No doubt, -however, that our Princes, notwithstanding their ill-feelings, will -behave very civilly, as the King has expressed his wishes in this -respect too positively. The Queen of the Netherlands, who is just now -here, and who was believed to be the most violently opposed to them, -leads the way with a good example, and declares that she will receive -the strangers. The Ambassador, Mr. Bresson, and Mr. von Humboldt, at -first disapproved of this excursion. That it is carried out -notwithstanding is owing to Prince von Metternich, who desiring to -secure the influence of France in the Oriental affairs, and at the same -time to preserve the friendship of Russia, puts Prussia in the -foreground, whose conduct in receiving the French Princes will form a -precedent which must necessarily be followed at Vienna. The thing is, -indeed, an event of great importance, and must tell effectively on -public opinion. It is a fact, and, as such, speaks to every one. Every -one will say that our Court has not the principles it pretended to have, -or that it is too weak to avow them openly, and is driven, therefore, to -try hypocrisy. A bad thing either way!” - - - - - 23. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _May 31st, 1836_. - - [Concerning the article in the Allgemeine Zeitung, against Raumer,[14] - written, it was said, by Major von Radowitz.] - -The correspondent had, it seems, little to fear from the mendacious -declaration of this “defloured.” In the general view on the shallowness -and dough-facedness, of the _great_ historian, I am of his opinion. -Moreover reading Herr von Raumer’s books is like being “whipped,” and -that I neither suffer nor pardon. - - - - - 24. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - _Monday, April 24th, 1837_. - -It is very consoling, that both brothers in this intellectually -desolated city (how brilliant it was when Rahel was in her zenith) live -in the memory of the only one, to whom have remained good taste, refined -manners, and gracefulness of style. - -All my researches concerning the separate print of the essay were in -vain to-day. I have not even the single volume of the Academical -Proceedings of 1822, because at that time I lived in Paris. Yet, in a -few days, I will bring you this one. I will then also show you a list of -all the remaining works of my brother, which I have made with great -care, and which you may perhaps increase. Cotta will print all of them; -also, the eight hundred sonnets, and likewise the hitherto unprinted -ecclesiastical poems from Spain. I make the preparations for this -edition in a spirit of sincere piety that I may not die regretting its -non-completion. - -How could I ever suspect, dear friend, that you would let me become a -Madame Sontag, at the house of the excellent Princess (as in the saloon -of the Princess Belgiojoso), and make an exhibition of myself! I will -read with pleasure in a small circle of twelve or fifteen persons, -certainly not otherwise, because Berlin is a small illiterate town and -more than malicious, in which people would find it ludicrous, if I, in -addition to two alas! already so _public_ theatres were to offer a third -entertainment. But happily, I certainly am no Madame Sontag in Berlin, -and the lecture can therefore well remain a secret de comédie. You are -certainly sufficiently humane to understand all this, and not to blame -me. - - With all reverence, yours, - A. V. H. - - - - - 25. - HUMBOLDT TO THE PRINCESS VON PUECKLER. - - -I arrived this very night from Potsdam, and I accept with pleasure the -amiable offer of Madame la Princesse for to-morrow, Wednesday night, at -eight o’clock precisely, for the spectacle lasts one hour. I feel some -fear in fixing it for Thursday, considering the planetarian -perturbations. Any persons selected by you will be agreeable to me. I -would only beg Madame la Princesse not to invite Rauch, Gans, and Mr. -and Mrs. Ruhle, because they have already been bored by this affair. Mr. -de Varnhagen may add whomever he pleases. This tact in selecting only -those who will have some indulgence in listening to me is unsurpassed. - -Thousand respectful and affectionate devotions. - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - THURSDAY, _2d May, 1837_. - - - - - 26. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - -I came, dear friend, for two purposes: 1, to bring you the opinions of -Minister Kamptz (_casus in terminis_, only twenty-five copies -printed), which you, perhaps, had not seen before, and which has -elicited a vehement reply from Herr von Oertzen, the Minister of -Mecklenburg-Strelitz, burned in the Lord. Read (p. 30 and 32), how one -can whitewash a person. I would beg of you not to laugh at me, when -you are invited to-morrow to a lecture at the Princess’s. I can assure -you there is less vanity, from which, by the bye, I am not at all -free, than weakness of character and good-nature in it. Thus, I -believed that I owed this satisfaction to the Princess; the daughter -also pressed me, and she showed me a harmless list of ten persons. If -you will propose or bring with you one or more persons, it will be -agreeable to me; only bring no one who has heard me already. Your -friends are mine; from yours I may expect indulgence. I insist upon -it, that a man is not without merit, who after spending his life with -cyphers and stones, has put himself to the trouble of learning to -write German. - - Yours, - A. HT. - - -I hope also to procure for you the vehement “opus” of the Strelitz -Minister, which is by far more spirited than might be expected. - - -Varnhagen remarks in his Diary, under May 3d: In the evening, at the -Princess of Pueckler’s, the long-promised lecture by Herr von Humboldt. -The lecture was very fine, and made an excellent impression. I had a -conversation with General von Ruble on Humboldt’s genius. He totally -agreed with me, saying, “When he shall have died, then only shall we -understand well what we have possessed in him.” - -Herr von Humboldt was with me yesterday, and brought me the little note -of Minister Kamptz, of which twenty-five copies only were printed, -“Casus in terminus,” in which he puts the best face on the French change -of rulers, and in which he justifies the Mecklenburg marriage. So much -in contrast with his old principles, that I could exclaim: “If he could -only cut himself in two, he certainly would put one half in prison.” -There is still no opposition wanting against the marriage. Duke Charles -of Mecklenburg-Strelitz has formally intrigued against it, and tried to -form in the Mecklenburg and Prussian dynasty an alliance, a covenant and -obligation, against all marriages with the house of Orleans. There was -even talk of a formal protest. All this is the most vehement opposition -to the expressed views of the King. Duke Charles is now really sick from -annoyance and trouble, not only in this but also in other things. - - - - - 27. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _May 10th, 1837_. - -At last, my dear friend, I can send you the volume of the Academical -Proceedings, which contains the important treatise on history. I shall -soon exchange this borrowed volume for another, which you may keep. It -seems that there never were separate copies made of this essay. You -disappeared so quickly after the last performance, that I fear very much -your appearance on that fated day was only a sacrifice to me. I move -eternally like a pendulum between Potsdam and Berlin. To-morrow again to -Potsdam, where we expect, on the 16th, the amiable Princess,[15] who has -set at variance the whole hellenic camp, and whom they will now be happy -to find “by far not beautiful enough.” - - Most gratefully yours, - M. HUMBOLDT. - - WEDNESDAY. - - -I knew long ago that General Bugeaud did not speak French. I now see -that his real language is Mongol. What a Timurid proclamation of the -“armée civilisatrice.” - -The essay of thy brother is one of his most perfect works as to style. -“God governs the world (p. 317); the task of history is to trace these -eternal mysterious destinies.” This is the essence of his production. I -have sometimes discussed with my brother, not to say quarrelled about -that. This result certainly is analogous to the oldest ideas of mankind, -expressed in every language. My brother’s treatise is a commentary -developing, explaining, praising, this dim perception. In the same -manner the physiologist creates so-called vital powers, in order to -explain organic phenomena, because his knowledge of physical powers, -which act in what they call lifeless nature, does not suffice to explain -the play of living organisms. Are vital powers demonstrated by this? I -know that you will be angry with me, because you divine that the -fundamental idea of this wonderful treatise is not entirely satisfactory -to me. - - - - - 28. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - WEDNESDAY, _May 17th, 1837_. - -You have prepared for me, my highly esteemed friend, a delightful -pleasure. I hope that these remarks upon the composition of history will -hereafter form a part of your miscellaneous writings! The mind certainly -becomes dizzy in contemplating the abundance of material which springs -copiously from every fresh source. You point out how this material may -be moulded by a man of genius. In the approaching millennium everything -will be simplified—the individual life of nations is preserved, in spite -of warlike expeditions over continents. Since the great epoch of -Columbus and Gama, who made one part, one side of this planet known to -the other, that fluctuating element, the ocean, has established the -omnipresence of one kind of civilization (that of Western Europe). Its -influence breaks through the rigid barriers of continents, and -establishes new customs, new faith, new wants of life even in the most -unorganised parts of the earth. The South Sea Islands are already -Protestant parishes;—a floating battery, a single vessel of war, changes -the fate of Chili.... - -Princess Helene, by her charming grace and intellectual superiority, -also yesterday made many conquests over the raw and obstinate material -which had opposed her. It was ludicrous to see how some persons tried to -appear serious, dignified, and—silly. That she leaves in good spirits -for her new country, I am much rejoiced. Would that she passed the Rhine -with less retinue! Her mother is good and refined, but of retired -habits; but some other members of her suite had better remain on this -side of the river. Fortunately, people in the great French world are -entirely free from the paltry gossip and fault-finding that rule in -Berlin and Potsdam, where they subsist for months, in thoughtlessness, -upon the self-created phantasy of a weak imagination. - -I made Privy Councillor Mueller, who knows how to estimate you and your -genius, participate in my joy. But he also, as a jurist, strayed away to -the first sheet, No. 63 (Criticisms on the Provincial Law, by Goetze). -Will you not, dear friend, send me, for Mueller, the commencement of -that criticism? - - Most gratefully yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 29. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - MONDAY, _May 30th, 1837_. - -You can, my revered friend, dispose entirely of the volume of the -Academy until I shall procure you a copy for yourself. I am particularly -pleased with the communication to the ingenious Gans. The historical -studies of Hegel will interest me particularly, because, until now I -nourished a wild prejudice against the idea that each nation -individually is bound to represent an idea. In order that the prediction -of the philosopher may be fulfilled I shall nevertheless read it -attentively, and gladly abandon my prejudice. - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 30. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - SATURDAY, _July 1st, 1837_. - -To-morrow to Tegel,[16] and on Monday I depart for the eternal -spring,[17] at which the sight of the Prince of Warsaw will not lessen -my sadness; I cannot, therefore, thank you personally. Sophie -Charlotte[18] and Hegel’s Philosophy of History will accompany me, and -both will delight me greatly. My soul rather turns to you. I shall -certainly find a torrent of ideas in that Hegel, whom his editor, Gans, -in so masterly a manner has not deprived of his great individuality; but -a man who is as I am, like an insect, inseparable from the earth and its -natural variations, feels himself uneasy and constrained at an abstract -assertion of totally unfounded facts and views on America and the Indian -world. At the same time I appreciate what is grand in the conception of -Hegel. - -With you all is profound and subdued, and you possess what is wanting in -the other, unceasing grace and freshness of language. - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - -I have badly arranged my life; I do every thing for becoming prematurely -stupid. I would gladly abandon “the European beef,” which Hegel’s -phantasy presents as so much better than the American, and I could -almost wish to live near the weak inanimate crocodiles (which, alas! -measure 25 feet). Pp. 442–444, are certainly made more palatable to me -by our noble friend. - - - - - 31. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _October 4th, 1837_. - -You delight sometimes in arresting fleeting events, and in preserving -what the winds usually carry away. I therefore send you, dear friend, -the little speech, which the papers have published in such a mutilated -form. The sense of it will please you, although its neglected style -might be better. _Political_ Hanover I found, as you supposed; and -private conversations with King Ernest, which at the same time express -wrath and fear, confirm the view. Leist of Stade with his report, which -lasted five hours, has lately done harm by his flattery. - - Yours, - A. HT. - - -Stieglitz, Wilhelm’s oldest friend, and who once saved his life in the -Leine river (my brother cried out to him, with unexampled stoicism; “I -die, but it does not matter,”) was to me a serious apparition of a -ghost. The effect of his spirit upon me is uncomfortable. - - - - - 32. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - SUNDAY, _October 22d, 1837_. - _Six o’clock_, A. M. - -I find after a week’s residence in Potsdam, which has very much -discouraged me, your amiable souvenir. Receive, revered friend, this -very evening, my warmest thanks; you have praised me for my most -cherished aim, which is, that I may not become a fossil, as long as I -move, and cling to the belief, “that nature has put her curse upon -stagnancy and inertia.” Youth is the symbol of progress, and those, who -rule now (the Berlin world’s elephants) sont des momies en service -extraordinaire. - - Good night, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 33. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, TUESDAY, _November 7th, 1837_. - -The commencement of my letter is weak, the end of it more reasonable. -But you should not lose the dramatic effect of the whole. - -What you ask, my dear friend, is very perilous, for the question is not -about my feelings, but about a family who anxiously _interpret_. The -more striking and spirited your delineation is, particularly p. 10–15, -(“He started from ideas.”... “That which many deny to him entirely.”)... -it impresses me uncomfortably, the more because it is in so short an -essay, and because it would appear less harsh in the description of a -whole life which was, in a literary and political point of view, not -unimportant. But this more complete description is impossible now; -therefore, my wish is incessantly to secure his renown by the -publication of his literary works. To leave out anything, or to alter -anything in this fine essay of yours, would rob it both of its charm and -vigor. You have written the whole in the noblest mood; but there are -points (Reineke Fuchs, the relation to Frau von Humboldt), which it is -not pleasant to allude to just now. Since you only demand of me to -enumerate individual impressions, I will give you these. Often they are -merely doubts. P. 5: “Foreign to abstract thinking.” The term -“Conservative philosophy” points, I believe, to Kant, to whom he adhered -most. He just believed that metaphysics, ante-Hegelian, had been the -chief study of his youth. I only wished a more decided expression. P. 6: -“In the proper sense not productive.” Philosophy of language according -to entirely new views, genius of antiquity, treating of history, deep -understanding of poetry—in all these branches he produced nothing that -was not of importance. P. 8: “Style all ice;” make it somewhat milder. -You do it yourself (p. 30), where the word “warms.” P. 13: “Thus the -call is soon decided, and the name is Mephistopheles or Reineke.” One -would wish the two significant names left out, since all is said before -in the happiest, liveliest style. “Mephistopheles” reminds one of Duke -Charles. - -P. 14. The question about tender feeling, and the saying of Talleyrand, -which I did not know before, and which can have a sense only by -secondary relations of political irresolution, are not agreeable. -“C’était un des hommes d’état dont l’Europe, de mon temps n’en a pas -compté trois ou quatre,” was an expression heard from Talleyrand. - -P. 15. “What many denied to him entirely,” very ingenious and fine. Old -Princess Louise said of you: “You are most to fear when defending.” - -P. 18. My brother often narrated that Stieglitz saved him; but those -words, which would have sounded vain-glorious coming from his lips, I -only just now learned from Stieglitz. They are very characteristic and -true. Therefore, I wished only an explaining word, to prevent -misunderstanding. - -P. 23. That he admired Rahel infinitely, is very, very true! - -P. 28. “Constitutional principles.” If you ever make use of these -sheets, my dear, please add, at any rate: “Although he afterwards, in -other essays, pressed in the most distinct manner the necessity of a -general representative constitution.” This limitation is necessary. I -myself had in my hands his plan for a constitution, and for the mode of -election, and he died with these ideas. - -P. 31. In place of “avarice,” say too great economy. - - -I read once more, with more peace of mind. I consider this your best -effort. - -Pp. 6, 7, 10–12! 13–20, 24–27, 30!! all—almost all; and you have treated -with infinite consideration those things which you yourself, here and -there, hardly approved of. - -“Il n’y a rien de maudit,” said the great painter, Gérard, “que de -consulter la famille sur la ressemblance du défunt. Il y a de quoi se -prendre, telle est leur exigeance! Ils auraient fait bon marché du -parent vivant.” Thus you will speak of me. I now ask myself, at the -close, whether I am not depriving the brother whom I loved so tenderly -and so _watchfully_, of a great renown, by asking you in the beginning -not to print your article? - -Certainly _I would deprive him of renown_, for who will ever write of -him so very truly and eloquently. Therefore, what I wish to sacrifice, -what I dare to beg, is so trifling, so easy to change with, your -versatility of style! It refers to the few lines, which I underlined, -pp. 13 and 14, Rahel’s opinion, pp. 14 and 15, not included; for she -always is mild and just and charming. - -Take my warmest, most heartfelt thanks, my revered friend! Do not answer -me. I shall call on you to-morrow morning, about twelve o’clock. - - Yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 34. - - - BERLIN, _June 9th, 1838_. - -I am very happy, revered friend, that I can offer to you as a present -the only volumes of the great Russian poet hitherto published. Shall I -come to you to-morrow, Sunday, at one o’clock, that my eyes may see the -beautiful eyes which have enticed you (for our literary benefit) into -the Slavonian lingual labyrinth? - -I called twice at Mr. K.’s; but, as he was not in, I left cards. -Moreover, I wrote him a tender letter, with offers for Petersburg -(concerning his journey to Geneva)—but I have not heard a word from him -since. Such conduct in a young man, who without me would still sit in -Orenburg as a Cossack clerk, is difficult to understand. - - Most gratefully yours, - A. HT. - - SATURDAY. - - -Do not answer, if you permit me to come. - - - - - 35. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _August 3d, 1838_. - -You are for me, my dearest friend, the standard of refinement as well as -my authority in matters of elevated taste. I have written two articles -(not heretofore published) for Cotta’s “New Quarterly,” with which his -advisers are very much delighted, viz.: a natural description of the -Plateau of Bogota, and on the fluctuations in the production of coin -since the middle age. He sends me for them (they fill four printed -sheets) an exchange for fifty fredericksdor’s, or more than twelve -fredericksdor’s per sheet. I have a mind (although very much in need of -money) to return one half the sum. Before carrying out, however, the -resolution, I thought it best to ask, what at the present time may be -considered as a maximum of an author’s payment for such articles? Is it -six, eight, or ten fredericksdor’s? I would then return only in -proportion. It may be of some importance hereafter to me. Excuse the -prosaic question, and send me some word of answer one of these days. I -am going to the Island to-day. - - HT. - - -In Varnhagen’s Diary is the following entry, dated August 9th, 1838. -Humboldt told me in a long visit the news of Toeplitz. The King of -Prussia and the Emperor of Russia have both avoided meeting each other -alone, each of them fearing the embarrassment of a tête-à-tête. The -Emperor spoke on several occasions quite contemptuously of the present -French Government, and still worse of the King Louis Philippe himself. -Prince Metternich’s conduct was frivolous, light-minded, and without -fear for the present; he is not alarmed, though haunted by the gloomy -thought that at Louis Philippe’s death things must take a new turn, and -that then war will become inevitable. Does he think to make people -believe this, I ask? With Metternich one always ought to examine first, -how far an opinion adapts itself to the position of the moment. - - -Under date of April 9th, 1839, Varnhagen wrote in his Diary: “Humboldt -called quite unexpectedly and made the greatest excuses for not having -called on me before. And then he opened his newsbag and recited a -thousand stories from Paris and Berlin—at least for two hours. Things in -France bear a very gloomy aspect, he thinks; and he has lately written -about it to Prince Metternich. The crisis in France is yet a latent -one—but to-morrow it may burst forth, and how needful it would then be, -and, in this event, how necessary, that Germany should be strong and -united, and the farces at Cologne and Hanover be settled!” - - -Under 19th of April, 1839, Varnhagen says in his diary: “I saw Humboldt -to-day, who told me many things, and showed me a beautiful portrait of -Arago, which pleased me very much. He talked much about the difficulties -between Russia and England, as to their interests in the East Indies and -in Persia, and repeated what he had heard about it from the Russian -Emperor himself. The Czar was in a great passion against the English, -and thought it highly important to oppose their supremacy in Asia. -Humboldt agrees with me that the English have nothing serious to fear -for the next fifty years from Russia in the Indies, but that fear and -jealousy may engender a quarrel in Europe prior to any conflict in the -East, although conflicting parties will certainly think twice before -allowing it to come to that pass.” - - -Under date of May 25, 1839, Varnhagen wrote in his diary: - -“I met Humboldt ‘unter den Linden:’ we had a long talk together. He told -me that the death of Gans had been the object of the meanest slander at -court by all except the King, who never speaks ill of the dead, and the -Crown-Prince, who had even uttered a word of sorrow. The other princes -were delighted, and the Princess of Liegnitz showed herself very -ill-natured.” - - - - - 36. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, MONDAY, _June 3d, 1839_. - -The book which you lent me, dear friend, is delightful,[19] as -everything must be called which characterizes the individuality of men. -My brother’s letters are excellent indeed. His opinion of the State -Chancellor does much credit to his character, and the conclusion, which -seems to take away something from the praise bestowed on him, is full of -a deep political meaning. He alludes to some other result of greater -magnitude, which the development of the world-wide events in question -might have produced. - -What pleases me most is the acknowledgment of _your_ talents, of _your_ -power of writing; the praise of the high-mindedness exhibited in -_Rahel’s_ letters (to the few who can appreciate them). Adam Mueller’s -aristocratic fancies and coarsely but naturally sensual princess,[20] a -little lewd—no doubt from being hunchbacked—afford the most striking -contrast of political and human filth. “To save the country,” says -Gentz, in his Primary Political Position, “means to restore to the -nobility of Prussia their ancient privileges, to liberate all the -noblemen from taxes, so that they may spontaneously, after some -negotiation, offer their ‘don gratuit’ to the monarch. To enable them to -do this the peasant must be indissolubly bound to the soil.” How charmed -“the Montmorencys of the Ackermark” must have been to see what, until -then, was uselessly concealed in their miserable souls, expressed in -refined language by a talented writer, and moulded into such -systematical dogmas. This narrow spirit of caste knows neither place nor -time. Like a threatening spectre it will reappear when I shall be no -more. I frequently ask myself whether Adam Mueller could not, at the -present time, again canvass for votes among the “cross-bearers,” who, -like Homerian heroes, take their repose stretched on their bags in the -wool market? Benjamin Constant has exquisitely pictured this -aristocratic idea of self-importance in the parable of the Shipwrecked. -He cries, “Grand Dieu, je ne suis pas assez indiscret pour vous prier de -nous sauver tous! Sauvez-moi tout seul!” - -If you have a moment’s leisure, please read in the 3d volume of my -“History of the Geography of the Middle Ages,” what I have said of the -natural views and the style of Christopher Columbus, vol. iii. p. 232. -This dream, p. 316, was the object of a lecture at Chateaubriand’s and -Madame Récamier’s, and had a good effect, as the utterance of sentiment -always will have, on the barren fields of minute erudition. I hope to -offer you shortly the five volumes that have already been printed. The -negligence of the publisher prevents my doing so now. - - A. HT. - - -On the 9th of June, 1839, Varnhagen writes in his diary: “Humboldt -agrees with me in the assertion made by me at different times, that too -much cannot be inferred from the silence of the historians. He refers to -three highly important and undeniable facts, which are not mentioned by -those whose first duty it should have been to record them. In the -archives of Barcelona, no vestige of the triumphal entry held there by -Columbus; in Marco Polo, no mention of the Chinese wall; in the archives -of Portugal, nothing of the travels of Amerigo Vespucci, in the service -of that crown.” (History of the Geography of the New Continent, part -iv., p. 160, _sq._) - - - - - 37. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - FRIDAY, _Sept. 13th, 1839_. - -Mr. Piaget has made a very favorable impression on me. In my opinion, he -would be most useful as “Professeur de Litterature ou d’Histoire” at the -“College Français.” A pedantic examination, however, stands in his way. -I will try my best with Mr. von Werther. I have, however, some fear that -the rather illiterate-looking mustaches, and the long, straight, South -Sea hair, will be found a little odd in that quarter. - - Ever with the same attachment, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -Is it not remarkable that the Neufchatel Councillors in the cabinet, -have tried to dissuade Mr. Piaget—“par jalousie de métier?” - - - - - 38. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _29th Dec., 1839_. - -It is kind in you, and very _humane_, dear friend, sending me that -little pamphlet,[21] which otherwise would certainly have escaped my -attention. The praise which you bestow on it is of great weight, as you -understand so well sketching a life-portrait and adorning it gracefully, -without discoloring its characteristic traits. Kries is one of my -earliest friends. We were students together in Heyne’s Seminary.[22] I -will return the print very soon. - - In great haste, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 39. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, _Feb. 26th, 1840_. - -I deem myself unfortunate, dear friend, in having missed you. I have -been suffering from a miserable little boil on my foot, and went to-day -(for the first time) to my neighbor, Leopold von Buch. Best thanks for -Sesenheim.[23] You certainly were right in snatching the little work -from oblivion, a work which possesses a German character in the highest -degree, and derives a tender interest from your preface. There is in -this little work a nice appreciation of what must ever be important and -sacred to a German in his literature. The author searches Sesenheim and -Drusenheim as others do the Troade. The proper names, alas! are less -poetic. The passages (p. 12 and 13), are written in a charming style; -afterwards the philologist becomes heavy and doubtful about what he only -half examined; doubtful, as if he had superficially read an old code. -Whether the sisters of Friederike, “of whom one has not to care at all” -(p. 48), whether the Catholic clergyman who, according to some, caused, -and according to others, did not cause, and then did cause her fall, -will rejoice at all this, I do not dare myself to decide. About the -Troade and the Skamander, they never could exactly determine, and Helen -had to suffer much from Hellenic gossip. - -In old friendship most gratefully, - - Yours, - A. V. HDT. - - - - - 40. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - MONDAY, _March 9th, 1840_. - -The Crown-Prince, to whom I brought, this morning, your thoughtful -“_Lebensbuch_,” has ordered me to express to you, revered friend, his -“most friendly thanks.” It reminded him, at the same time, of your -“Sophie Charlotte,” your “Seydlitz,” your always delightful language, -and your skill in portraying difficult relations of life. The liberal -passage on Grimm I read to him. It pleased him much, and brought on a -conversation on Hanover. He expressed himself very sensibly in regard to -it. “The King of Hanover does not understand how to treat Germans: he -does not know how to win them, by availing himself of their loyal -emotions. On the day when the news of the final election in Göttingen -arrived in Hanover, I would have sent an aide-de-camp or a civil officer -to Göttingen, to thank the professors, and ask them whether they would -like to have the whole seven professors reappointed.” These are words -flowing from a noble soul. Of your article on Niebuhr, I do _not_ speak -to the Crown-Prince, though I entirely agree with you regarding it. - - With old attachment, - Yours, - A. V. HDT. - - - - - 41. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - WEDNESDAY, _March 18th, 1840_. - -An insipid polemical book of Mr. Gretsch, against Melgunoff, and against -the book of Koenig, which is entirely unknown to me, full of Siberia, -strangulation, secret funds, and Russian patriotism—an insufferable -rehash! Will you read it, my dear friend? For you alone understand it -entirely. The book might almost reconcile me with Mr. Melgunoff, against -whom I have felt some anger. I have, it is true, neither a recollection -of him nor of my conversation with him; but he must have strangely -interpreted and translated into his own language, what I said to him, -when he represents me as condemning one whose great talents and -delightful style and manners I praise everywhere. How is it credible -that I could have spoken unfavorably of you in the only conversation I -ever had with a man who brought me a letter from your own hand? Who -recognises in me such careless, Orinoco manners? - -Marheineke also has made a campaign in the “Kritische-Blätter,” more -against Savigny than against Stahl. There is a good deal of acrimony in -the air, and the black coats are not merciful. The conclusion of the -philippic is very eloquent, in the climax from the rationalists, _viâ_ -St. Hegel, to Galilee. It is a pity that the preceding twelve pages are -so indifferently written—in the most mediocre style. - -Goerres and Schelling understand coloring better. I thus feel only -interested in what is dramatic and in the talents exhibited, or not -exhibited, therein. Caesaropapacy, territorial system, nay, even “the -authority of a _distinctly positive doctrine, and marked physiognomy_,” -for which Marheineke (p. 41) has a tendency, are abominations, and are -mere carnival buffoonery to me. Both parties are mere compressing -machines of different kinds, and a philosophically proved Christian -dogmatism of “marked physiognomy,” this seems to me the most offensive -of all strait-waistcoats. - -Raumer (Carl) has published “Crusades”—crusades against the geognosts. -The Saracens are Leopold von Buch (your newly converted one), and -myself. - - A. HT. - - -And Sintenis at Magdeburg and the State’s Council at Neufchatel, “who -have prohibited the deluge!” And all that in the year 1840! Three comets -are not enough! - -I received a letter from the Marquis Clanricarde, at St. Petersburg, on -the 5th of March, stating, “that nothing was heard for four or five -weeks from the expedition to Chiwa. It is purely an attack upon the -Khan, whom they propose to dethrone, and to put his brother in the -place.” You see that he wishes to appear very tranquil! What meek -politics! - - - - - 42. - METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. - - - VIENNA, _29th of March, 1840_. - -MY DEAR BARON—Though I do not doubt that the Crown-Prince, to whom I had -the honor of replying to-day, will inform you of my declaration, I refer -you to my letter to his Royal Highness. You will see that I have placed -myself at his disposal, with a reservation, however, prescribed by my -ignorance of archæology. To my ignorance upon this point must be added -my ignorance upon another—I mean the duties of the Presidency. I desire -to state, at all events, what I think of the relations of a single -member with any scientific association. There are three sorts of -men—some are true savans; the number of these is small: others are -friends of science in general, or of some branch of it; these are more -numerous: the third class—the largest of all—comprises the -narrow-minded, the barren in spirit, the “_viveurs_,” to whom, though -often they are very good fellows, art and science are quite superfluous. -I enrol myself in the second of these classes. My brethren and I can be -of some service to mental cultivation, provided we do not meddle too -much with details. When I feel that I can do a good work, I consider it -my duty to devote myself to it. In the present case, however, I can only -throw my good-will into the scale. - -My confession of faith is set forth in the explanations given to the -August Protector; and to what I took the liberty of stating to him, I -also take the liberty of referring you. - -It is so long, my dear Baron, since you paid us a visit, that when you -feel inclined to judge for yourself, you will be more than gratified by -the real progress we have made in the departments of which you are the -acknowledged master. The place of Jaeger, whose loss was greatly to be -regretted, is well filled by Endlicher—a man of eminent genius; -Baumgarten and Ettinghausen, are savans of great distinction. The -Polytechnic School goes on admirably and is training up savans, and -thoroughly educated mechanicians. Roesel is the best optician of our -time, and the young Voigtlander follows in his footsteps. - -The establishment of Baron Charles Huegel has opened a new and vast -field to botany. The arts and sciences advance quite to one’s liking; -all that is wanted is a supervisor like yourself. - -You complain, my dear Baron, at finding yourself the oldest of the -foreign members of the Institute; this indeed is a dreary lot, but it is -inevitable and quite natural—provided one does not commit the folly of -going off before the others. I have the same feeling—and that in a field -which is certainly the greatest of all fields. Of all the Kings and the -Ministers of State in office, between the year 1813 and the year 1815, -the King of Prussia and myself are the only survivors! And yet the time -does not embrace more than a quarter of a century—so true is it that -twenty-five years are quite an historical epoch. Let us not lose courage -at such trifles, but go on as if they were nothing at all. - - My sincerest homage, dear Baron. - METTERNICH. - - - - - 43. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - THURSDAY, _April 9th, 1840_. - -Here are two Salamanders. The _black_ (black bordered) king of Denmark -is not only a Norwegian constitutional, but also a mineralogical king, -who has written pretty good memoirs on Vesuvius. The predecessor having -been an astronomical king, who proposed prize questions on comets, -presented _great_ men like General Mueffling and myself with -chronometers, and died of a comet on the night of the discovery of -Galli’s comet, the Danish astronomers were, probably, rather anxious for -_their heavenly_ pursuits under the reign of such an _earthly_ (or -rather subterranean) monarch. I was called upon to remind the King of -his old predilection for me. I therefore resorted to the pretext, never -before made use of by me, of congratulating him on his accession to the -throne. This is the cause of the black drama. The letter is plain and -sensible. - - A. HT. - - -Please read in Mr. Quinet’s the passage on Goethe and Bettina, and -return the venom to me. - - - - - 44. - KING CHRISTIAN VIII. OF DENMARK TO HUMBOLDT. - - - COPENHAGEN, _the 13th January, 1840_. - - MONSIEUR LE BARON DE HUMBOLDT: - -Of all the letters received on the occasion of my accession to the -throne, none has afforded me so sensible a pleasure as that which you -addressed me under the date of the 17th of December last. - -Your remembrance is of the highest value to me, and I recall with the -greatest interest, Monsieur le Baron, our conversations many years ago -at Paris. Since that time you have enriched science by new discoveries. -Siberia, explored by you, as you before explored America, offers to -natural science new views for which, Monsieur le Baron, it is entirely -indebted to you. Really—I shall be happy at some future day to converse -with you on these new researches. - -The natural sciences are constantly presenting fresh interest, and I -shall certainly not neglect to do everything that depends upon me for -their advancement. - -The astronomical and geodesical labors of your distinguished friend -Schumacher, certainly deserve my patronage. He has acquired a European -name as a savan, and I appreciate his rare merits. As to the magnetic -observations after the method of Gauss—I am occupied in amplifying them -here at Copenhagen, where an observatory, established since 1834 near -the Polytechnic School, is about to be removed to a more suitable place -on the outskirts of the city. It will be provided with two different -“emplacements,” one for “observations on declination,” and another for -experiments in “inclination.” The establishment will be under the -superintendence of the celebrated Oersted. - -I esteem myself happy, my dear Baron, in being able to speak to you of -the advancement of natural science in my own country, and you must -consider it a proof that I shall not neglect any occasion of justifying -the good opinion you entertain of my interest in the sciences and in -everything which can tend to the enlightenment and happiness of my -subjects. - -I hope, Monsieur le Baron, that you will frequently find leisure to -communicate with me, and I shall endeavor, upon my own part, to -cultivate relations so agreeable to myself. - -The Queen charges me with her compliments to you, and I embrace the -occasion of assuring you of my highest consideration, Monsieur le Baron -Humboldt. - - Your most affectionate, - CHRISTIAN. - - - - - 45. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - SATURDAY, _April 11th, 1840_. - -The Crown-Prince would like very much to see that interesting letter of -Prince Metternich to you. Could not you send it to me before half-past -seven o’clock to-night, my dear friend? - - A. HT. - - -In regard to the said letter, Varnhagen says in his diary, under date of -April 2d, 1840: “When returning home, found a letter from Prince -Metternich—a long one, under his own hand. He declares my picture of the -Congress of Vienna to be a perfectly faithful one, a few points -excepted, which ought to be corrected. He himself corrects, in detail, -the description of the effect of the news at Vienna, that Napoleon had -left Elba. It is a letter of historical value.” - -Under date of the 5th of the same month, Varnhagen mentions again the -Metternich letter. “In the afternoon,” he says, “Humboldt called. He had -heard of the letter from Wittgenstein, who had spoken of it to Count -Orloff and others, as a most remarkable production. Humboldt also was -astonished and delighted. He showed me a letter which Prince Metternich -had addressed him, as to the position of several naturalists at Vienna, -and the presidency of the Archæological Society at Rome. Humboldt tells -me of dark tendencies of the Westphalian nobility, which the -Crown-Prince favors. They think of establishing a great Catholic -seminary for young noblemen—a proper nursery for Jesuits.” On Humboldt’s -remarking that the Crown-Prince, perhaps, out of absence of mind, had -not reflected on the important consequence of the King’s illness, -Minister von Rochow made the following reply: “Oh, certainly he has -thought of it! And he has prepared various things, which he means then -to propose. But to his views and commands in ecclesiastical matters I -should be highly opposed.” - - - - - 46. - - - _April 13th, 1840._ - -The Crown-Prince has expressly charged me to offer you, dear friend, his -thanks for such an interesting communication. Count Alvensleben was -present. Every one considered the letter a gratifying testimonial to you -and to your description of the Congress, and praised it for the noble -simplicity in which one of the most remarkable events is recited. “Et -tout cela prouve que ma fille est muette,” and that a talent like yours -(in advising, in describing, and in knowledge of mankind) is allowed to -be idle, so that after your death, as after my brother’s, people will -express their astonishment at your not having been employed in time. - - A. HT. - - -I am quite “turned Quaker.” Mrs. Fry and William Allan—little sermons in -the penitentiaries (the most horrible ones which the Quakeress has ever -seen), and little tracts against brandy-drinking! - - - - - 47. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - FRIDAY, _March 29th, 1840_. - -Decide, master of eloquence and euphony: I had it thus, “As far as -humanity (civilisation) extended on earth!” - -Now, it pleases me better to put: 1, “It has influenced rulers and -nations equally, as far as civilization and commerce extend” (extend, -not extended, which latter I abhor); or, 2, “As far as civilization and -commerce ennobled mankind;” or, 3, “Made mankind susceptible;” or, 4, -“United mankind.” - -Would No. 4 (the last), not be the better? Perhaps you have an -inspiration. Put clandestinely, to-night at Staegemann’s, a bit of paper -in my hand. Perhaps the first conception is the best. - - A. HT. - - -“Humanity” I give up at any rate, having just read so many mockeries -regarding it in the last volume of Campe’s dictionary. - -“Sed quamquam, primo statim beatissimi sæculi ortu, Nerva Cæsar _res -olim dissociabiles miscuerit_, principatum ac libertatem; augeatque -quotidie felicitatem imperii Nerva Trajanus.” Tacitus in Agricola, cap. -3. Also, of the same old Nerva (noble and gifted with literary taste): - -“Quod si vita suppeditet, principatum divi Nervæ, et imperium Trajani, -uberiorem securioremque materiam senectati seposui: _rara temporum -felicitas, ubi sentire quæ velis, et quæ sentias dicere licet_.” Tacit. -Hist. I. 1. I, of course, in order to avoid all detail, shall give only -the numerical quotations, sic: Tacit. Vita Ag. c. 3 Hist. I. 1. - - HT. - - - - - 48. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, TUESDAY NIGHT, _Oct. 27th, 1840_. - -If I have delayed so long in coming to you, my dear friend, both before -and after my campaign to the North, it is only because there are -impossibilities in life against which we battle in vain. Immediately -after the festivities in this city I intended to hasten to you, but the -uncertainty whether I should go to Paris (I refused, because then it -would not have been honorable either to me or to the king, if Prussia -did not dare to act independently!) the approaching departure of Bulow, -the arrival of the sick General von Hedemann and his family, together -with a rheumatic fever, which kept me in the house for six days, spoiled -all my intentions. To-morrow morning, at 8 o’clock, I have to move over -again to Sans Souci; but (I hope) only for some days. I, therefore, now -take up my pen to chat with you. First my best thanks for your talented -and noble treating of the rather mediocre “_Erinnerungen von M. Arndt_!” -I certainly had observed his hostility towards you. The tone of your -criticism is the noblest kind of revenge. The man, whom I never knew -personally, was raised by the great events of his time and not by -himself. Strange enough that the government attached to him in these -latter days, in the evening of his life, an importance not arising -merely from a simple love of justice. - -Since you like everything individual, I shall answer your kindness with -another very small one. I make you a present of a letter of Guizot, -which he wrote to me to Koenigsberg, not without design. The underlining -belongs to me, as you would guess yourself. I showed the letter to the -King. It was written when the Belgian (the King of Belgium), Bulow, and -Guizot had been in Windsor, and when his affairs looked promising, as -they do now again, as Thiers at once shows himself so weak and yielding, -and Palmerston so dogmatical and defying. But do not let the letter out -of your hands. - -For the news about the brothers Grimm I thank you most cordially. It is -very important to me to keep “au courant” with the course of passing -events. In the months during which I lived on the “historical hill,”[24] -I moved uncontrolled in the same direction, though surrounded by -conflicting elements. - -Respecting the brothers Grimm, the King had given orders to others, not -to me; but up to the return from Königsberg, nothing was done. I -therefore addressed a memorial to the King on the actions in Königsberg -of the Provincial Diet, and on the necessity of acting authoritatively -in things which interest all hearts, in order to secure their -affections—and therefore to bestow a professorship upon the brothers -Grimm, Albrecht, and Dahlmann. There is little hope for Dahlmann. -Albrecht received a call, but refused it, giving as a reason his -gratitude to Saxony. It would have been a satisfaction to the seven -professors, could Albrecht have become professor in Berlin. - -They certainly will at least hear in Hanover that the King has called -the “Elbinger.” In respect to the brothers Grimm, the King insists upon -his plan, that minister Eichhorn should offer to them a place in the -Academy, with a pension to both, as they live like husband and wife. -That the King wants these things to be arranged with tact, you may see -from the negotiations with Tieck. For librarians, although excellent -men, they are very unfit. Whether Wilhelm Grimm, as a correspondent of -the Academy, lectures or not is also very irrelevant. The chief thing is -to get them. Of “smuggling them in,” “a debasement,” “to think of them -so late,”—dans un regne de cent jours—it is nonsense to talk! It does -honor at least to the administration of Ladenberg, that I was able to -propose Dahlmann in due form, and in flattering terms for the university -of Breslau, where there was a vacancy. I have cleared the way as it was -my duty to do, but the appointment itself is not in my hands. As soon as -I return from Potsdam, I shall trouble minister Eichhorn, to settle this -patriotic affair officially and at once. The interference of many in -these things is injurious, although it can be pardoned where the -interest is so natural. I know not, my dear friend, whether you will be -able and willing to read these lines, the sense of which is more -blameless than the style. I need not conjure you, the diplomatist, not -to read my letter to the “child,”[25] but she ought to hear how these -matters stand, respecting which I have neglected nothing. - - A. HT. - - -An inexpressible misfortune has happened in the death of the only son of -my friend the astronomer, Bessel, only twenty-five years old, a young -man of the most eminent mathematical talents. He died yesterday of -nervous fever. - - - - - 49. - GUIZOT TO HUMBOLDT. - - - LONDON, _August 24, 1840_. - - MONSIEUR LE BARON: - -It was very amiable indeed in you to have thought of sending me the two -new volumes of your brother’s works. I thank you not only for this gift, -in itself so very valuable, but also for your remembrance which is at -least equally dear to me. I hope that notwithstanding all our affairs, -for they are yours as well as mine, I shall manage to read something of -this great work. I should like to employ my time in so complete and -varied a manner as you occupy yours. Preserve a little of it for the -advancement of a good and a wise policy, which though it already owes -you much, still needs you. - -I envy Baron von Bülow the pleasure of seeing you. I regret -extremely losing his society in London. Conversation—genuine -conversation—profound, pregnant, and free, is very scarce among us. -His I shall miss very much. I should like to go some day to see you -at your home, to visit your country, in which, beyond all others, -human intellect acts the greatest part, and to see your new King, -who is worthy, it is said, of such a country. In the meanwhile, -Monsieur le Baron, pray preserve for me your old kindness and -believe in the lasting sincerity of the sentiments which long ago I -conceived for you. - - GUIZOT. - - NOTE OF HUMBOLDT.—Received at Königsberg during the festivals. - - A. VON HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 50. - ARAGO TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _March 12th, 1841_. - -I must not, I will not, believe that you asked me seriously whether I -should look forward to your journey to Paris with pleasure. Could it be -that you ever doubted my invariable attachment? Be it known to you that -I should consider the slightest doubt upon this point a most cruel -offence. Beyond the immediate circle of my own family you are, without -comparison, the person whom, of all others, I love the most dearly. But -you must be resigned to the duties of this position, as you are of my -friends the only one to whom I would look in my difficulties. - -I am truly happy in the anticipation of spending some evenings with him -to whom I am indebted for my taste in meteorology and physics. There -will be a bed for you at the Observatory. - -Poor Savary is in a lamentable state. The physician assures me that the -disease of his lungs leaves no hope. What a calamity! - -You will arrive at Paris at the opening of my course of astronomy. My -new amphitheatre is got up with a profligate luxury. - -I am charmed with the news of poor Sheiffer’s[26] recovery (is it -true?). Your good heart has always secured you a numerous family. - -Adieu, best of friends. My attachment to you will only cease with my -life. - - FR. ARAGO. - - NOTE OF HUMBOLDT.—I had asked whether he thought it possible that the - difference of our political wishes [war with Germany] might disturb our - intercourse. - - NOTE OF HUMBOLDT.—To his highly gifted friend, Varnhagen von Ense, with - the most earnest request to avoid all publication of this autograph - before Arago’s death. - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 51. - HUMBOLDT TO BETTINA VON ARNIM. - - [A copy in Varnhagen’s handwriting.] - - - - SATURDAY, _November 21, 1840_. - -How could you doubt, most honored Madam, my being thankful for the news -of the real situation of those noble men, who after so many undeserved -sufferings, and after so long and so shameful a neglect, are at last to -be placed in an independent position. I thought that, to have given them -such a situation in Berlin, three thousand thalers would be a sufficient -salary for both, and with this view I have continued my efforts. The -King has adopted it as a principle never to issue an order in financial -matters on his own account; like all princes, he has no standard by -which to measure the wants of learned men. The superior intellects with -whom we wish to surround ourselves have wants as prosaic as their -inferiors. Whoever wishes to obtain the end must also be willing to -employ the means, and especially in an affair which attracts every eye -and which touches the honor of the country. The minister Eichhorn, upon -whom everything now depends, is happy in the arrival of the two Grimms. -He was formerly on the most friendly terms with Jacob Grimm. I called on -the minister an hour ago in order to support my view of the matter. He -declares that by-and-by he will arrange the affair in the best manner, -but that we must confide in him, and allow him to act without -obstruction. - -Receive, gracious Madam, the expression of my veneration and of my -sentiments of gratitude. - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 52. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _August 22d, 1841_. - -Your letter has done me an immense deal of good. I see that we feel -ourselves both equally attracted to each other, and that you attributed -my long, and to me very gloomy, seclusion, only to the distracted state -of my life, and to the application of my faculties, to an aim which they -never can reach. Towards the close of a much troubled life which has but -imperfectly realized its aspirations, it is a happiness to remain secure -in, and to possess the esteem of those to whose mind and intellect and -wishes we are irresistibly drawn. I shall personally thank you, and this -very afternoon apply for Mr. L. to the Princess of Prussia, and beg her -Imperial Highness to assist me with all earnestness. With old veneration -and love, yours, - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -At the request of the King I took the opportunity of reading to him -Schelling’s discourse on nature and art. (Philosoph. Werke, tome 1st, -1809.) The passages concerning Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and about the -possibility of a resuscitation of the arts, are the most pleasing in our -language. This lecture produced on the King the effect of a beautiful -song. But the bird is now sixty-seven years old, and goes from one -golden cage to another. - -Varnhagen says in his diary, under date of April 28, 1841: “Humboldt -came and remained more than an hour and a half; I found him looking ill, -but lively, cheerful, and more communicative than ever. He praises the -King for his disposition and his intentions, but thinks that he is no -man of action, and that whenever he acts, he does it by starts, without -system or method. Whether it be from kindness or timidity, at all -events, he often does not dare to do what he most wishes and could do -quite easily; thus he expects impatiently that the minister Von Werther -will resign, and asks of Humboldt, whether the minister has given no -intimation of it.” - -On the 30th April, 1841, Varnhagen says: “Humboldt has a great many -enemies, as well amongst the savans as at court, who are constantly -seeking an opportunity to malign him, but the moment he is praised all -vituperation ceases—for it is all vituperation. It is seldom that -anybody is able to maintain it. Some time ago a gentleman said to me, -that he did not know what to think of Humboldt, and that he could not -come to a conclusion concerning him. I answered: ‘Think always the best -of him, believe him always capable of the best action, and you always -will be nearest the truth.’ Another said, same day, sneeringly: -‘Humboldt was a great man before he came to Berlin, where he became an -ordinary one.’ Moritz Robert remarked that Rahel had already said -several times: ‘Nothing holds its ground in Berlin, everything has a -downward tendency; indeed, if the Pope himself came to Berlin, he would -not continue long to be Pope, he would sink into the ‘commonplace,’ down -perhaps to the standard of a groom.’ What Rahel said is true, and I -remember that she said so, but had made no note of it. This peculiarity -of Berlin ought to be examined closer; it indicates a strong stratum of -undeveloped greatness, and may, when positively brought forth to a -point, bring the highest honor on Berlin; but if allowed to act -negatively, it will, of course, become a shame to this city. ‘The -Berliners are such a daring race of men,’ said Goethe, once. That is -much the same definition.” - - - - - 53. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - SATURDAY, _April 24th, 1841_. - -A disappointment, dear friend, not to have found you. Correct this -title-page for me; I have to send it away. As it is necessary to state, -“that this is not the lecture of 1828,” I thought of having the long -sentence printed on the title-page, in small type, like an aphorism. It -may look strange _after_ the name, but I hope you will be able to -approve of it. - - HT. - - -“Kosmos. Sketch of a Physical Description of the World, by A. von -Humboldt. From Sketches and Lectures delivered in the years 1827 and -1828, enlarged and corrected according to the latest researches. - -“‘Naturæ vero rerum vis atque majestas sin omnibus momentis fide caret, -si quis modo partes ejus ac non totam complectatur animo.’—_Plin. Hist. -Nat._, _lib._ 7. c. 1. Stuttgart.” - - - - - 54. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - WEDNESDAY, _April 28th, 1841_. - -Be very kind and indulgent in reading my work. I am anxious that you -should get a complete idea of the composition of it. In A, I have made -large corrections. Notice especially p. 37 and the notes; Schelling’s -name, pp. 37 and 68; Hegel, p. 66. The positive declaration at p. 64, -that it is not the creator of Natural Philosophy whom I accuse, will, I -hope, make my biting severity at the “gay Saturnalia,” _le bal en -masque_ of the craziest of all natural philosophers, seem more -pardonable to him. “Il faut avoir le courage d’imprimer. Ce que l’on a -dit et écrit depuis trente ans.” It has been a lamentable period, in -which Germany has sunk far below England and France. Chemistry, without -so much as wetting one’s fingers. - -The diamond is a pebble arrived at consciousness. Granite is ether. -Carus. - -The side of the moon turned towards the earth is of a different -convexity from the reverse. The cause of it: the moon fain would stretch -out her loving arms—she cannot, but gazes at the earth, and protrudes -her lower jaw. - -The granite blocks on the rocks are the convulsions of nature. - -It is well known that the forests are the hair of the earth-animal. The -swelling equatorial region is the belly of Nature. - -America is a female figure, long, slender, watery and freezing at 48°. -The degrees of latitude are the years woman gets old at, 48 years. The -East is oxygen, the West hydrogen; it rains when clouds from the East -are mixed with clouds from the West.—_Schelling._ - -Petrifactions in rocks are not the remains of former living beings. They -are the first attempts of nature at making animals and plants. In -Siberia some dogs lived for years on such an experiment—a stinking -elephant at the mouth of the Lena. - -These are the Saturnalia! Cast your eye particularly on the notes, _en -masse_, of which I inclose a few. P. 40–49; p. 55–57. - -I wish to give to the work the greatest generality and breadth of views, -a lively and, if possible, graceful style, and to replace all technical -terms with well-chosen, graphic, and descriptive language. - -Correct freely, my friend; I gladly follow where I can. Some not very -common erudition I intend to banish to the notes. This book should be -the reflex of my own self, of my life, of my own very old person. This -freedom of treatment enables me to proceed more aphoristically. More -will be suggested than elaborated. Much will be well understood by those -only who know thoroughly one special branch of natural history; but I -think my style is such as to confuse no one, not even the superficial. -My real aim is to hover over those results which are known in 1841. -_Mens agitat molem_, may the mind still be there! - -That such a work cannot be finished by one born in the comet-year, 1769, -is as clear as daylight. The separate fragments will appear in parts of -twelve to fifteen sheets each, so that those who may see me buried will -possess in each fragment some one subject complete. Thus of the -“Prolegomena,” there will be No. 1–4; My “incentive,” descriptive -poetry, which you have not yet seen, is a chief feature of the work on -which I rely a good deal.—No. 5. The history of man’s conception of the -world, which is quite finished, will form the entire second book. Plain -scientific description will always be intermingled with the oratorical, -like nature itself. The glittering stars fill us with joy and -inspiration, yet in the canopy of heaven all bodies revolve in -mathematical figures. It is essential to preserve a dignified style, so -that the impression of nature’s greatness will not be wanting. I hope -you will not find fault with my quoting (C) in a note the passage from -Shakespeare which is but little known. - -All the notes are to be printed in very small type at the end of each -chapter, never at the bottom of the page. I had said that a knowledge of -nature is not absolutely necessary to enjoy it, but that it increases -the enjoyment. Pardon this hasty writing. I leave to-morrow morning with -the King for Potsdam, to stay there six or seven days. With thanks and -friendship, your illegible - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 55. - HUMBOLDT TO SPIKER. - (C.) - - - [_Biron speaks to the King of Navarre._] - - “These earthly godfathers of heaven’s lights, - That gave a name to every fixed star, - Have no more profit of their shining nights, - Than those that walk, and wot not what they are, - Too much to know, is to know nought but fame; - And every godfather can give a name.” - SHAKESPEARE, _Love’s Labor Lost_. Act I. Scene 1. - -Be so kind as to send me back this page. I make use of your fine -translation in a note which is now being printed in my _Kosmos_. You -will permit me to say: “according to Spiker’s translation.” It will give -me pleasure to do so. Shall I excite the ire of the Marquis August von -Schlegel or of Tieck Acorombonus? Please tell me whether they have also -translated that passage? Many kind regards. - - HT. - - NOTE OF VARNHAGEN.—Unfortunately Spiker’s translation is bad in every - respect. - - - - - 56. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - MONDAY NIGHT, _May 3, 1841_. - -I am afraid, my dear friend, that I shall be obliged to go to Potsdam -again on Thursday, and thence to Paris on the 10th or 12th. I am to send -Cotta more copy before I go. Let me not be suspended so long between -condemnation and indulgence. Pray send me a few words with the parcel. - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 57. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - TUESDAY, _May 4th, 1841_. - -MY DEAR FRIEND:—Even after deducting the kind expressions written -expressly for my tranquillity, there still remains more than enough in -your letter of to-day to comfort me. The penance,[27] therefore, which I -assign you is to receive me to-morrow morning at 11 o’clock, for a few -moments, to accept my thanks. The “_schmeichle mich_” must be a clerical -error; as for me I am unconscious of it. The false use of the accusative -case at p. 44, you will have to show me. It cannot be “_Einsicht in den -Zusammenhang?_” because it is looking _into_. I shall expunge Mr. -Spiker. I had a presentiment of the end, and would rather even omit the -English as well, which, after all, is rather a praise of ignorance, than -indicative of the increase of enjoyment to be derived from science. - -I see that you give me full liberty concerning the “Saturnalia.” -Speaking of the Dane, you say: “I only mention, I do not object.” - -I did not wish to mention Steffens, however much he might deserve a -reproach for his utter barrenness in experimental science, and for his -vain and criminal idleness. “Saturnalia” I call that merry but short -farce, of which lately I gave you some specimens, but which are not from -Steffens; they are by some of his worshippers several degrees lower -down. Were Steffens a poor savan, oppressed by the powerful, I would be -more careful; but as you are an amateur of autographs, I will give you -one from which you will see how northern kings believe that there exists -in Berlin a Steffensian philosophy, which is consoling to the -theologians, _et qui n’est pas celle de Hegel_! Steffens will believe -that he is included among those deep and powerful thinkers, whose advice -has been disregarded. Besides the dangerous passage is immediately -followed by another: “Abuse of youthful talents; for serious minds, -devoted equally to philosophy and to observation, have kept aloof from -those Saturnalia.” Such a sentence is a _défense_, a _fort detaché_, and -Steffens certainly thinks that he, too, devoted himself to observation, -when he once descended into a mine at Freiburg. By softening anything I -should spoil the whole, and we ought in writing to show the same courage -as in speaking, but should do both in the same easy and cheerful manner. - -Did you find out from Steffens’s tiresome biography, with which I was -bored at Sans Souci, how his pietism and aristocracy is explained by the -twofold inoculation of his old grandparents, performed by an archbishop -and a king,—_ce sont des heritages_! - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 58. - KING CHRISTIAN VIII. OF DENMARK TO HUMBOLDT. - - -MONSIEUR LE BARON—I am doubly obliged to the illustrious counsellor -Dieffenbach for his attention in presenting me with a copy of his work -on the cure of strabism and stammering, since it was the cause of your -dear letter of the 9th February. Introduced by you, Monsieur le Baron, -any one is sure of success. In the present case, the reputation and the -works of the author could have dispensed with all further -recommendation; but you only do justice to the great services which -Counsellor Dieffenbach has rendered to mankind, and I hasten to -acknowledge them by bestowing my Danebrog Order on that distinguished -savan. My letter to him on this subject will be remitted by the Envoy -Count de Reventlau, and I shall particularly recommend to Chevalier -Dieffenbach any Danish surgeons going to Berlin to learn the art upon -which he has thrown so much light. - -The bearer of the present, whom I beg leave to recommend to your -protection, is the theological candidate, Bornemann—a young man of -talent and knowledge, whom I send to Berlin to study Philosophy under -the guidance of my countryman, Steffens—not precisely that of Hegel, who -has disciples enough in our University; but _that_ philosophy which may -assist in rectifying the sometimes rather extravagant doctrines of our -modern thinkers. Steffens is kept at Berlin by a sacred tie, the -gratitude he owes to the King; but I desire that his genius and his -knowledge may not be lost to us, and that this young scholar may profit -by his light before it ceases to shine, and to enlighten all those -coming in contact with my illustrious countryman, who, in my opinion, is -in himself worth an entire academic faculty. - -I follow with the greatest interest, founded on sincere friendship and -on the mutual relations of our respective positions, which I fully -appreciate, all that your excellent King does and projects for the -happiness of his subjects, for German nationality, and for the -preservation of peace. May his efforts be blessed by the Almighty; his -people will then enjoy an increased and steady prosperity, which will -materially contribute to the welfare of their neighbors. - -The King has shown more kindness to my son than I can thank him for. I -look forward to a most happy future for him, based on his marriage with -the amiable Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. - -I appreciate the good wishes which you address me on this occasion, and -remain, with the highest consideration, Monsieur le Baron de Humboldt, - - Your affectionate - CHRISTIAN R. - - - - - 59. - - - BERLIN, _May 17th, 1841_. - - [Written at Varnhagen’s. With the preface to Wilhelm von Humboldt’s - works.] - -I am very sorry not to be enabled amid the annoyances of to-morrow’s -departure (first to Potsdam, then to Paris, until October) to bid you -farewell. I appeal to you once more as the source, until Rückert’s -arrival, the only source of good taste, of pure language, and of a -delicate appreciation of the appropriate sense. Tell me with all -indulgence what I ought to strike out from the enclosed preface, but -give me also your advice wherever you find fault. I wrote the two pages -at night in a gloomy frame of mind. They show perhaps a too sentimental -disposition to praise. - -Page 1, line 2, “yet” because it happens during my life time. Line 10, -“The highly gifted _souls_,” perhaps displeasing. Should it be _men_? - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -On the 21st of November, Varnhagen wrote down the following about -Humboldt: - -“I read to-day the dispatches which Al. von Humboldt addressed to the -King from Paris in the year 1835. They are not like Humboldt! Any body -else could have written _such_ dispatches—nay, what is still worse, -nobody could have written them otherwise! Thus it is, however, with -political business—it consists of mere trifles, not at all important in -themselves, but becoming important because everybody has agreed to -consider them so. Thus the established hypocrisy of forms, presumptions, -and exaggerations drown the truth. I looked into myself and confessed -that were I engaged in such affairs, I, too, would follow in the beaten -track; and yet people wonder that in England and France editors of -newspapers become ministers, as if it were not infinitely more easy to -write the usual dispatches than good newspaper articles.” - - - - - 60. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - FRIDAY, _3d December, 1841_. - -Of all that I have had to thank you for, dear friend, I like Hormayr’s -manly letter best. Le style est tout l’homme. _He_ is not like the -people who surround us, the better ones of whom lose themselves in -reticences, temporizations, in trimming, excitements, and irresolution. -His belief in Muenster’s liberalism is perhaps only a misconception of -Muenster’s motives. No doubt Count Muenster has nobly contributed to the -liberation of Germany—but assuredly he never did it in order to open the -path to “that light” which, even to-day, is feared like a spectre. -“Bruno” (Bauer) has found me out to be a preadamite convert! When I was -a boy the court preachers reasoned in this way: I was confirmed by one -of them, who told me that the biographies of the Evangelists were -finally manufactured out of memoranda made by themselves during their -lifetime. Many years ago I wrote: All positive religions contain three -distinct parts—First, a code of morals, very pure and nearly the same in -all—next, a geological dream—and thirdly, a myth or historical -novellette; which last becomes the most important of all. I enclose the -pamphlet of Baron Seckendorf. He also calls for a “representation,” -namely the “re puro,” the incarnation of the people, all explained in -philosophical terms. It must be acceptable, for without being assured of -this he would not have dared to publish it. Such people must not be left -in doubt about our real opinions. I told him (he is vice-president) that -I would read his essay attentively, although our political principles on -popular constitutions differed very much. - -The political atmosphere is to me thick, dark, and foreboding. - - With the same old attachment, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -On the 2d of December, the day before the above letter, Varnhagen wrote -in his diary: “Humboldt called yesterday. Talked about Paris. How he -finds things here. He thinks seriously of retiring. He knows that his -name alone is of any value to the King, and that his active usefulness -has long been superseded by that of others. Thiers told him, in Paris, -that France is much talked about as being revolutionary; but he thought -Prussia was pretty well agitated, too. A letter from Guizot to Humboldt -spoke much in praise of the King; and when Humboldt read it to him, and -came to the word ‘_success_,’ the King interrupted him with the words, -‘Ah me! there is not much of that; on that point we had best be silent.’ -And really Humboldt thinks the public feeling here dreadfully changed -for the worse. The King has enemies, and in the highest circles! -Minister Eichhorn is generally hated, and makes but a poor figure at -court. There seems scarcely a doubt that Bunsen will be Ambassador to -England. Count Stolberg is almost the only one who speaks openly against -Bunsen. Humboldt sneers at Bunsen’s little tract, ‘The Week of -Meditation.’” - - -The 3d of December, 1841, Varnhagen observes: “I just received a note -from Humboldt, inclosing a pamphlet of President Seckendorf’s, which -also calls for a ‘representation’—the ‘re puro,’ an incarnation of the -people. Humboldt observes: ‘Must be acceptable, for without such an -assurance he would not have dared to publish it.’ He concludes with -significant melancholy: ‘The atmosphere to me is gloomy and foreboding. -It is hard to be Humboldt, and to be obliged to confess this, at the -summit of honor, and in the fulness of glory.’ Indeed, he has but little -pleasure, and his satirical humor alone can make life here at all -supportable to him!” - - - - - 61. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, MONDAY NIGHT, _Dec. 7th, 1841_. - -I have not the leisure, dear friend, to thank you as I ought to do for -your spirited and historically thorough biography of Schwerin.[28] A -deep penetration into the individuality of this great man pervades the -whole. Simplicity is the essential, vital element of description. A -hasty word of advice to ride off, and the winning of the battle by -himself alone,[29] were constant stumbling-blocks in the path of this -hero during his life. His end, the standard in his hand, amid the bloody -massacre of thirteen thousand unsympathizing men, is a striking -conclusion to the life of the old soldier, who, like Columbus, was at -the same time great and unromantically avaricious. What does much honor -to your talent as historian, and what is probably overlooked by many is, -that you do not allow Schwerin’s death to interrupt the narrative of the -strife of battle. I will bring you the “Collected Works” myself, and beg -the second volume of Hormayr’s exquisitely spicy production. Your last -favor, doing me so much honor, contains words about which I wish to -prevent every mistake. “You are afraid to enjoy the exclusive possession -of my impieties.” You may freely dispose of this sort of property after -my not far distant departure from life. Truth is due to those only whom -we deeply esteem—to you, therefore. - - A. HT. - - -On the 18th December, 1841, Varnhagen writes in his diary: “I heard -to-day the quite incredulous, mysteriously-whispered story, that the -King would go to England for the baptism of the Prince of Wales; that it -had been agreed upon quite secretly, and that this flattering -communication had contributed a great deal to make Bunsen’s appointment -as Ambassador agreeable to the Court of St. James. The latter part of -the story makes me suspect the truth of the whole. This is by no means -the real diplomatic state of things. Should, however, the journey have -been decided upon, or even only be under discussion, there can be no -doubt that Bunsen had a hand in it; and then important events would -result therefrom, and very dangerous events, too, in my opinion. A near -alliance with England would in itself be hazardous; but to enter into -close connexion with the Anglican Church and the Tories, sure ruin! And -all Prussia, all Germany, all Europe would take it for granted that such -a connexion was really established, even if it were not; and the -supposition alone would damage us in a thousand ways; the king would -lose more in the loyal attachment of his subjects than he can now -afford. I hope the whole story will turn out a fable. Humboldt says the -spirit of discontent, which he calls the howling mania, has largely -increased here. When he left, a few were howling; but now they all howl. -His sharp and witty remarks are really refreshing in our spiritless -society.” - - -Before his departure for England Humboldt called on Varnhagen to take -leave. On this occasion the following entry was made in the diary, on -the 14th of January, 1842: “Humboldt called to take leave,—he starts -to-morrow night. He came from Count Maltzan’s of whose life but little -hope is left to-day. ‘His death will bring Canitz here—not Buelow’, said -Humboldt dolefully. I comforted him with the suggestion, that Canitz too -might be dropped, ‘And whose turn would it then be?’ ‘Bunsen’s.’ ‘That -would be too frightful! But as it is, he accompanies the King on his -return. That is already decided upon.’ Humboldt dislikes Canitz and -cannot understand how I am not more afraid of him—of this -arch-aristocratic, utterly bigoted—(and consequently preposterous, nay, -stupid)—fanatically anti-French Canitz, with his malicious and vulgar -sneers. ‘But then you are a Tory yourself!’ he added. ‘As to that,’ I -replied, ‘that is still somewhat doubtful—but as for Canitz, he is -honest, strict, and straightforward; he will do much, and as for the -rest, business and circumstances will control him.’” - - -After Humboldt’s return, Varnhagen writes on the 24th of February, in -his diary: “Humboldt gave me some very interesting descriptions of -England. At court the greatest magnificence; the mode of living, -however, plain and easy; conversation unrestrained; the tone very -pleasant and cheerful, even between gentlemen and ladies of adverse -parties. Peel pleases him as little as ever; looks like a Dutchman; is -more vain than ambitious, and narrow in his views. Lord Aberdeen is -invincibly taciturn, without being able to convince people that his -taciturnity covers anything worth saying. Bunsen has shown the greatest -want of tact; every one is against him, except the King, who likes him -better than ever.” The whole visit of the King was an intrigue of -Bunsen, and was so understood even by Englishmen. - -“Our affairs here are the subject of much conjecture. As minister of -foreign affairs the pious Arnim will, for the present, be recalled from -Brussels; at some later day Canitz will be appointed,—or Bunsen, say I. -Count Alvensleben is to go to Vienna; Radowitz first to Carlsruhe, until -the embassy to the German Diet become vacant. Perhaps there is hardly -courage enough as yet to take Bunsen and remove Buelow. Every month, -however, every week must improve the courage, and then both these -appointments will be done. There is no hope that Maltzan can recover; -the better days have again been followed by the worse, and light gives -way to renewed darkness. Sad state of things.” - - - - - 62. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, MONDAY, _28th February, 1842_. - -I am anxious to hear a few words about your health, dear friend. - -I have succeeded in procuring a pension of three hundred thalers, a -miserable sum, but it is only a beginning, for the impoverished but -talented poet Freiligrath at Darmstadt, involving no obligation on his -part, and allowing him to live out of the country. Can you lend me his -poems? - - A. HT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—On Tuesday Humboldt wrote me with the feuilleton of - the _Journal des Debats_, in which Philarète Chasles, in the most - vulgar manner, abuses the literature of Germany, and sneers at the - most distinguished German authors. - -And this miserable fellow has been appointed under Guizot’s ministry -Professeur des Langues du Nord (litt. anglaise, allemande) au College de -France. - -You need not return the silly, spiteful trash. - - A. HT. - - - - - 63. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _16th March, 1842_. - -Be comforted about the mishap. The King purchases Italian, but, under no -circumstances whatever, French pictures. The portrait of Cherubini is, -indeed, very fine, and if I remember aright, I saw it in Cherubini’s own -house. As the author is not dead, and Ingres very rich, I cannot -conceive how the portrait can be for sale? You can tell the sprightly -“Child”[30] that you sent me the feuilleton. - -In the last number of the _Journal des Débats_ there is a strong and -very fine article against the abominable Jew Bill, with which we are -threatened, and against which I have already protested in very -impressive words. - - Ever grateful, yours, - A. HT. - - WEDNESDAY. - - -It was intended in the preamble of the law to speak of “the miracle -which God performed in preserving the Jewish race amid other nations;” -“of the will of God to keep the Jewish race separated.” I have replied -thereto, that the bill is a violation of all the principles of a wise -policy of unity; that it is a dangerous arrogance in short-sighted man -to dare interpret the primeval decrees of God. The history of the dark -ages ought to teach us what abnormities such doctrines lead to. - -I live in apparent outward luxury, and in the enjoyment of the fanciful -predilection of a generous Monarch, yet in a moral and mental seclusion, -such as can only arise from the monotonous dulness of a country (a real -steppe) which, though it is not wanting in erudition, is torn asunder by -the opposing influences of similar “poles,” and becomes more and more -contracted in its Eastern proclivities. May you be content with him, -who, though standing alone, has the courage to avow his own opinions. - - - - - 64. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 21st, 1842_. - -My dear friend, so happily restored to me! It is a source of infinite -joy to me to learn, from your exquisite letter, that the really very -delightful society at the Princess’s has benefited you physically, and, -therefore, as I should say in my criminal materialism, mentally also. -Such a society, blown together chiefly from the same fashionable world -of Berlin (somewhat flat and stale), immediately takes a new shape in -the house of Princess Pueckler. It is like the spirit which should -breathe life into the state; the material seems ennobled. - -I still retain your “Christliche Glaubenslehre,”[31] I who long ago, in -Potsdam, was so delighted with Strauss’s Life of the Saviour. One learns -from it, not only what he does not believe, which is less new to me, but -rather what kind of things have been believed and taught by those black -coats (parsons) who know how to enslave mankind anew, yea, who are -putting on the armor of their former adversaries. I shall gladly copy -the passage concerning Spinoza. Will not the late date of the second -volume of the “Glaubenslehre” (1841) he urged against it by these men -who pretend to teach from ancient manuscript? It would seem to me a -better plan to have published the wonderfully conflicting chronology -with some remarks on the new faith in the whole “_roman historique_” of -the apostolic collectors of myths. He who teaches so publicly has to -subject himself to the publicity arising from the defence of those who -differ from him in creed. A private statement, clothed in the mild -language of complaint, makes the subsequent public one very difficult, -and elicits only patronizing smiles and a denial. It is not the mishap -of Spinoza, but this degradation of the noblest intellectual faculties -in the service of the narrow doctrines of dark ages, that is really -painful to me. The man[32] himself had certainly nothing attractive for -me, but I had a kind of predilection for him, because everything -enthrals and enraptures me, in which, as in his lecture on Art, the -gentle breath of imagination warms and enlivens the harmony of language. -Now we are separated. In his last speech, not the one on art, amid the -glare of torchlight, he spoke of his departure like a well-paid artist -who had just accomplished a musical tour—probably only a sentimental -figure of speech to frighten his listeners. - -Now for an answer to enquiries for the biography, of which, after all, I -think with some fear, not on account of its political contents, but on -account of family considerations. I rely on your promise. The man -certainly cannot want to afflict so many! - -Wilhelm was born in Potsdam, because his father was Royal Chamberlain, -and at the same time acting Chamberlain to the Princess Elizabeth of -Prussia. He left Potsdam when the Princess was sent to Stettin. My -father remained in high favor with the Prince of Prussia, who visited -him frequently at Tegel. This explains to you the passage in the English -despatch, running thus (I believe very early in 1775? Raumer’s Beitraege -zur neuern Geschichte, vol. v., p. 297):—“Hertzberg, Schulenburg could -form a ministry, but those have the greatest chance of success, who, -although not of the same kind, are considered favorites of the Prince. -Among the first of these stands Herr von Humboldt, formerly an official -in the allied army, a man of sense and fine character; Herr von Hordt, -an enterprising genius....” The expression “official” is a strange -mistake. My father was major and aide-de-camp to Duke Ferdinand, of -Brunswick: after long service in the Finkenstein dragoons, he was -frequently sent to Frederick II., during the gloomiest period of the -Seven Years’ War; thus Frederick II. writes in his letters on the Wedel -disaster:—“I told Humboldt everything that can be told at such a -distance.”—(Manuscript letters quite recently bought by the King in -Eastern Prussia.) - -My family comes from Northern Pomerania. My brother and I were for a -long time the last of our name. My mother’s maiden name was Colomb, -cousin of the Princess Bluecher, and therefore niece of the old -President in Aurich (Ostfriesland). She was first married to a Baron von -Holwede. From this marriage sprung my step-brother Holwede, formerly in -the regiment of gensdarmes. To my mother belongs the merit of having -procured for us, at the instigation of old privy-councillor Kunth, a -thorough education. Wilhelm, for the first years, was educated by our -tutor Campe. The foundation of his profound attainments in Grecian lore -was laid by Loeffler, the author of a liberal book on the New Platonism -of the Fathers of the Church; he then was a chaplain in the army, and -afterwards chief ecclesiastical counsellor at Gotha. Fischer, of the -Graue Kloster, instructed Wilhelm in Greek for many years; he had, what -is little known, a profound knowledge of Greek, besides that of -mathematics. That Engel, Reitemeier, Dohm, and Klein lectured to us for -a long time on philosophy, jurisprudence, and political science, is -known to you. When at the University of Frankfurt (for six months) we -lived with Loeffler, who was Professor there. In Goettingen, both of us -were members (for one year) of the Philological Seminary of Heyne. - -To my father belonged Tegel (formerly a hunting chateau of the great -Elector, and it was consequently only a leasehold property. Wilhelm -first possessed the place in fee-simple, as a manor; therefore Schinkel -added to it four towers, in order to preserve the old tower erected -under the great Elector). Besides this, he owned Ringenwalde, near -Soldin, in the Neumark. Ringenwalde afterwards belonged to me, then to -the Counts Reeden and Achim Arnim. Wilhelm, at the time of his death, -possessed Tegel, Burgoerner, and Auleben (acquired by his wife, as the -fiefdom of the Dacheroeden family had been abolished), Hadersleben, in -the Magdeburg country, and Castle Ottmachau, in Silesia, the dotation -given to him after the Paris peace. - -The Sonnet I., 394, refers to a second child, I believe, which Frau von -Humboldt lost when at Rome. One was buried in Paris. - -I conjure you do not mention to the author anything as coming from me. -He would inevitably state it in the preface, and then I should become -responsible for a great many things which I dread. - -Pardon the stercoran-like[33] loquacity. - - A. HT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—He probably had just read of the Stercoranists in - Strauss’s “Glaubenslehre.” Hence this allusion. - - - - - 65. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - THURSDAY, _31st March, 1842_. - -On my return from Potsdam with the King I received the “Loa-Tseu,” a -work with a peculiar flavor of ante-Herodotian antiquity. Your note -accompanying the Chinese philosopher impresses me painfully. I find that -you have not yet received the courage arising from a consciousness of -restored physical strength. That the vigor of your intellect never -suffered is shown in each of your letters. I think I have not lost any -of them. About a week ago I wrote you a long one of four pages about -that “Christianly-dogmatising philosopher,” and my reply to the -inquiries of the “Biographer,” who pestered me with his pietistic -curiosity. Did that letter come to hand safely? It contained also much -chit-chat on my brother’s first erudition. You don’t make any mention of -my talkativeness. I trust it will not be a source of trouble to me. We -have succeeded with Buelow. He may be here next Saturday. It may be the -beginning of something good; or the end of it—_le bouquet_—the stage -effect of foot-lights. I met with Tholuk and Bekedorff yesterday at -Potsdam at dinner. No other occasion would have favored me with their -_apparition_. With constant devotion yours, - - A. HT. - - - - - 66. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 6th, 1842_. - -Since the inquisitorial sentence against Bruno (Bauer) has been so -presumptuously published, I deem it my duty to retain your Strauss no -longer. I return you that remarkable book, which caused me to indulge -in much meditation. Accept my best thanks. The method of the author is -excellent; it makes us acquainted with the whole history of the faith -of our time, particularly so with the jesuitical trick of so many -people who declare publicly their belief in and their adherence to all -the dogmas of the Christian mythology, after the fashion of -Schleiermacher, and after having “drained the chalice,” are followed -to the grave by a solemn cortege of court equipages, although in fact -they had always discarded the orthodox belief and substituted for it -pseudo-philosophical interpretations. - -What displeases me very much in Strauss is his frivolous manner of -speaking of natural sciences, which makes him accept without hesitation -the formation of organism from inorganisms, and which enables him to -easily believe in the origin of man as springing from the primitive sod -of Chaldea. That he seems to think very little of the blue regions on -the other side of the grave I might cheerfully forgive him; the more so, -as we are the more agreeably and willingly surprised when we expect -little. As for you, you fortunate man, it could have caused no surprise. -How purely Spanish and revolting in the present inquisitorial formula -was the sentence that “The culprit would _admit_ himself.” Neque aliud -aut qui eadem saevitia usi sunt, nisi dedecus sibi atque reges illis -gloriam peperere. - -I send you a copy of “Don Juan.” It shows beauty of language, also a -rich imagination. I am anxious to hear how you are pleased with it. - -The constitutional Roi des Landes[34] _repeatedly_ said yesterday at -dinner in the presence of forty people: The professors of Goettingen had -talked of their patriotism in an address to him. Professors, he said, -have no country at all. Professors, prostitutes, and dancers may be had -every where for money; they go to the highest bidder. What a shame to -call such a fellow a German Prince! - -With faithful attachment, yours, - - A. HT. - - WEDNESDAY NIGHT. - - - - - 67. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 7th, 1842_. - -Our unknown friend is very amiable. I have lost all apprehension. _You_ -have a balm for every wound. I will show you, with pleasure, the few -lines, which fell, as it was intended they should, into the King’s hands -on the following morning. I chose that circuitous way, because it -enabled me to write more freely, and to openly show my dissatisfaction. -The thing is now in a better way, but it is not yet irrevocably -dismissed. I must entreat you, therefore, most fervently, not to give -the lines in question out of your hand. They would irrevocably be -inserted in the papers, and that would seriously injure my efforts in a -good and important cause. - -The King sent for me at a very early hour; and his thanking me very -cordially for my frank exposition does him much honor. - -I did not go to Potsdam to-day, because I wished to advocate in the full -board of the Academy the election of Mr. Riess, the Jewish philosopher, -as a member. His election is very honorable to the Academy. There were -only three black balls. - -To-morrow I shall be with the King till Sunday. I will try to hunt up -some interesting autograph—something poetical (by Wilhelm von -Humboldt)—for Stuttgart. All that I possess are unfortunately but -_copies_. - -Take care of your health, dear friend, it is not firmly restored. - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - THURSDAY NIGHT. - - - - - 68. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _June 24th, 1842_. - -Your kind remembrance, honored and gifted friend, was very beneficial to -me—the more so, as I have returned from Sans Souci rather unwell, -affected by a cold; and as I am involved in all the miseries of moving -into a detestable house in the Siberian ward of the city, the -Oranienburger Strasse, I have not even an inkstand on my table. - -At present, nothing more than my best thanks. I have told Marheineke -myself how dear he is to me. A thunderstorm, in the form of a cabinet -order, suddenly growling through the papers, and exhibiting a few -flashes of censorial absurdities, would be preferable to that -impracticable law, the assigning of a Grand Inquisitor to the liberty of -the press. We have so much to say to each other, I hope to see you yet -before your departure. Think only of the enlivening presence of four -Crown-Princes and throne-successors—one lame in the knees, and pale; the -other a drunken Icelander; the third blind, and politically raving; and -the last capricious and infirm in intellect. And this is the approaching -generation of the monarchical world. - - Yours, - A. HT. - - -I accompany the King to the Rhine. That I had no mind to become a mere -color-stand at Petersburg will be understood by you. The Chancellor has -always the pleasure of being the subject of vulgar recrimination on the -part of those who are either not invited or refused admittance to the -banquet. What an excitement glass beads, peacock plumes, and ribbons can -stir up among men![35].... - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—Marheineke’s article on the Anglican church in the - “Jahrbuecher fuer wissenschaftliche Kritik,” with a couple of - censorial blunders. - - -On the 26th June, 1842, Varnhagen writes in his diary about the new -order:—“Humboldt tells me much about the foundation of the new order. -The King had at first composed a list, in which he had written the names -with Sanscrit letters. This list was referred for advice to Humboldt, -Eichhorn, Savigny, Thiele; then it was altered many times; new names -were added and others stricken out—the indecision lasted six weeks. -Originally the King had decided for forty-six members, to correspond -with the number of years embraced by the reign of Frederick the Great. -Afterwards he thought of adopting forty, but was afraid of doing so, on -account of the ‘plaisanteries’ about the number ‘quarante’ in the French -Academy; at last he limited the number to thirty. All was managed by the -King in his own way. Arago was originally placed on the list by the -King. He insisted upon Metternich as his particular choice. Rumohr was -abandoned. Steffens was, in the opinion of the King, not deserving -‘enough—neither as philosopher nor as a naturalist.’ Liszt was decidedly -favored by the King, and no objections could prevail. Spontini was -thought of, but Savigny and the cabinet counsellor, Mueller, succeeded -in displacing him. Moore was objected to as having written satirical -verses on Prussia. ‘That is not at all my business,’ said the King. -Melloni was opposed as being a Carbonaro, and having been at the head of -a revolutionary Junta. ‘I do not care the least about that,’ said the -King. ‘I would confer the order on O’Connell, if he possessed such -scientific merits.’ The King proposed Raumer and Ranke. Eichhorn and -Savigny assented only to Ranke, and thereupon both were dropped. -Notwithstanding the view taken in Melloni’s, Moore’s, and Arago’s cases, -Schlosser the historian was rejected on account of his political -views(?). Metternich had railed at the ‘bishopric of Jerusalem.’ Now to -insure the new order against the same fate, he was to be nominated a -member of it—this is deemed the ‘secret motive,’ in Humboldt’s opinion. -And for Metternich’s sake Uwaroff was left out, for with him the other -would not have been the sole representative of his species. Link was -weighed, but found wanting.” - - -On the 27th June, 1842, Varnhagen makes the following addition to his -notes of yesterday: “Humboldt told me he had informed the King in -advance of the intention of the Academy of Sciences to elect Mr. Riess, -a Jew, one of their members, and that the King had replied he would -confirm the election unhesitatingly. ‘I will hope,’ he added, ‘your -brother has not committed the folly of writing in the by-laws a clause -against Jews becoming members of the Academy?’ Minister Eichhorn knew -that the King would not create any difficulty in the matter, but he -himself disliked it, and he thought it likely that Thiele, Rochow, -Stollberg, and others, would also be displeased at it; therefore he left -the application of the Academy, to have their election confirmed by the -King, unattended to for six weeks, and then wrote a letter, by which he -inquired of the Academy, whether they were aware that Riess was a Jew? -The Academy, indignant at this inquiry, replied unanimously, that they -were only ruled by the by-laws, in concurrence with which the election -had taken place, and they therefore repudiated the minister’s inquiry as -inappropriate and impertinent. Eichhorn pocketed the insult, and -reported the application to the King, who at once confirmed the -election; feeling, however, a little disinclined to approve, at the -present day, what Frederick the Great had refused. Frederick the Great -had declined to confirm the election of Moses Mendelssohn, out of -regard, as it is believed, for the Empress Catherine of Russia, who was -a member of the Academy, and who was presumed to be averse to such a -colleague.” - - -On the 30th of August, 1842, Varnhagen remarks in his diary: “Humboldt -tells me miserable things of Eichhorn. Talks also much of the King, his -amiability, good humor, jocoseness. He thinks, however, he will not -relinquish his favorite views, even when he seems to abandon them. The -King was more satisfied with Count Maltzan than with any one else of his -ministers; he placed full confidence in him—believed him capable of -anything. We had a dispute about the signification of the word -‘ingenious,’ and how far it could be applied to the King. Humboldt -thinks the King intends going to Greece, and to extend his journey to -Jerusalem. It was to be feared, however, that the parsons would at last -get control of him, and destroy his cheerfulness. Humboldt goes to Eu on -business, with the King of France; then to Paris. Will be back at Berlin -in December.” - -Varnhagen speaks of a call made by Humboldt after his return from Paris, -in his diary of the 18th March, 1843, as follows: “Humboldt came to see -me; he looks much older since I last saw him, but his spirit and courage -are fresh. In Paris he was happy and gay; here his spirits sank at once. -Things here were going on miserably, he says; the old beaten -track—treating matters of dangerous character in a spirit of childish -frivolity. And besides that, he is overrun with applications and -requests; every one wishes to secure his influence! ‘Influence!’ said -he; ’nobody has any! Even Bunsen and Radowitz, the King’s favorites, -have none. All that they are capable of is to anticipate the weak -fancies of the King, and obey them. Should they attempt anything beyond -this, their overthrow is certain. The _King_ acts just as he pleases. He -follows the impulses of his early received and firmly rooted -impressions, and the advice which he may now and then think worthy of -hearing, is nothing at all to him. He speaks contemptuously of Eichhorn -and Savigny, as hypocritical menials, who receive the word of command -from Thiele, from Gerlach, and from Hengstenberg. The King has -relinquished nothing whatever of his cherished designs, and may, at any -time, come out again with them, as with his designs regarding the Jews’ -observance of the Sabbath, the Anglican ordination of the bishops, and -the new institutions of nobility, etc. He has projects which it would -take a hundred years to accomplish. He contemplates immense -constructions, outlaying of parks, enterprises in matters of art. There -is already the question of going to Athens; in the background a -pilgrimage to Jerusalem may be looming; triumphant promenades _à la_ -Napoleon; peaceable ones to London, to St. Petersburg, to the Orient; -conquered scholars and artists, instead of countries. Love of art and -imagination upon the throne, fanaticism and deceit all round, and -hypocritical exaggeration in matters unworthy of attention. And with all -this, the man is really ingenious, is really amiable, and inspired by -the best intentions. What will come out of all this at last?” - - - - - 69. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 3d, 1842_. - -If I have appeared slow in thanking you, my dear friend, for your -delightful present, it is because all my leisure time at Potsdam was -absorbed by the perusal of your biography, beginning with your early -youth and terminating with your description of the Congress of Vienna. -To have had such a development as yours is a gratifying advantage. It is -instructive to follow the career of men like you and to behold them -acting before our eyes. - -How unjust we once were in our opinions of the men who undertook to -rearrange Europe at that great Congress—I mean to say how much more did -we then exact in our unjust views, while at present, on comparing the -members of that Congress with the mediocre creatures of to-day, they -appear great in our recollection. In their place we have now -court-philosophers, missionary-devoted ladies of state ministers, court -theologians, and sensation preachers...... - -Minister Buelow complains that you never came to see him _en famille_ -between the hours of 8 and 9. He will hold his public reception -to-morrow, Tuesday evening, and you would be an ornament to his circle. -He never sends letters of invitation to those who know how welcome they -are to him. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - MONDAY. - - - - - 70. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - TUESDAY, _June 13th, 1843_. - -Excuse me, dear friend, for being prevented by the absence of Reimer, by -my own eternal distractions and pendulum-like movements, as well as by -some little preparations for an excursion to Pomerania, from sending you -the two new volumes of Wilhelm’s works. I know that you are little -pleased with the commentary on Hermann and Dorothea. It would have been -preferable, to be sure, had he extended it into a pamphlet on epics; but -you perceive even in the Kawi book how that great genius always deduced -general law from special instances. The sonnets are full of grave pathos -and depth of sentiment. I shall call to embrace you, and to ask you the -surest way of sending a copy to Mr. Thomas Carlyle? A. seems unreliable, -and Buelow’s despatches cannot be overloaded. I shall thank Mr. Carriere -personally. The “fossil” minister, I am told, has given evidence of his -vitality by an amiable letter to you! My life is also described “dans -les biographies redigées par un homme de rien,” in which I am pictured -as a socially-malicious beast. Such things will not kill, nor will they -improve a man either. - - Always faithfully yours, - A. V. HT. - - - - - 71. - - - BERLIN, _June 26th, 1843_. - -I am sure, dear friend, to afford you some enjoyment by communicating to -you (to you _alone_) a fragment of a new volume by Eckermann. Remarkable -adoration of youthful vigor as the divine source of productiveness. This -is simply the adoration of an old man. Napoleonic worship unrestrained -by moral considerations. I most fervently entreat you, not to show the -sheet to our _child_, also not to talk with Brockhaus about what -Eckermann has confided to me. It might possibly damage him, and he is -already unfortunate. I am confident the two last volumes will have come -to your hands through Buschmann. The weather was very favorable for our -journey north. Such journeys are the best means to deceive princes -regarding public opinion. I have made a little speech, out of a window, -to the young men upon “The intellectual ties”—which independent of -“space” beget a just interpretation of liberal ideas, and an unfading -confidence in the advancement of humanity. You may read the speech in -the Staats Zeitung, as I wrote it down after delivery, a necessary -precaution, as my daily increasing friends would have perverted it. I -read a part of “Custine” to the King. He is infinitely ingenious and -magnificent in style. I have read but two volumes, and of these I prefer -the first, which portrays a modern greatness of tragical events in a -masterly manner. - - With devotion, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - -Please send me back Eckermann. - - - - - 72. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - TUESDAY, _June 27th, 1843_. - -I am afraid, my dear friend, that you might come to Tegel next Thursday -and find nobody at home. Buelow will take leave of the King to-night and -expects to start to-morrow—Wednesday—for Schlangenbad. His wife and two -oldest daughters are going with him. I write this in view of the -impossibility of my embracing you before your departure. The torchlight -procession at Düsseldorf could shed light on many a thing. I enclose the -little speech for you, as you like to preserve everything concerning -your friends. - - Yours, - A. HT. - - - - - 73. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - SANS SOUCI, _August 27th, 1843_. - -How could I be, my dear friend, otherwise than alive to the duty of -thanking you at once for your precious gift, and for the affectionate -souvenir of one whose life is gradually vanishing? I know nothing more -graceful in composition, in sympathy of conception, in elegance of -language, and in appropriate scenic surroundings, than your -“_Lebensbilder_,” which serve at the same time as correct commentaries -upon all the valuable literature of our time. How generous you are when -you mention me, and even my most insignificant words! I have often -followed you through the three volumes, over those beaten, but still -delightful paths; but nothing pleases me more in this “sylva sylvarum” -than your dignified and just remarks on the historical blunder as to the -“truly Germanic” distinction of political classes, ii., p. 256–272. - -You will observe that my political “ire” is still the same; that I am -always very much attached to this life, having learned from you that, -according to Kant’s doctrine, there is not much to boast of after our -dissolution. “The budding twig starting up in the regions of northern -empires” (I am satirical now) has been but poorly acclimated; and I have -little time to spare, having already waited fifty-three years.... The -Germans will yet have to _write_ many more books on liberty. - -The card-playing man—ii., p. 157—will again cause some excitement in the -environs of my “hill.” I believe I have discovered some “moderation,” -which, however, one does not like to mention. The words, “that miserable -fellow,” are no longer heard. You see how much I love to read your -writings—and not through fear. - - A. V. H. - - -We have not yet talked of Custine’s book. The first volume is an -eloquent and sprightly description (of dramatic scenes), and is the -best done. What a startling effect such a book must have, even on -those who detest justifying themselves. “Il y a des longueurs de -déclamations,”—something of rhetorical blackening, which is tiresome. -I find the publication of the hypertragical letter (of Princess -Trubetzkoi) very wrong. Were it not for the irritation necessarily -caused by the publication of this letter, we might have looked for -some salvation from a new petition. What justification is there for -risking so much, even for murder? I am also disgusted by the worship -of those literary trifles by Mad. de Girardin and Mad. Gay. Such -worship could, perhaps, be allowed in a beautiful Grand-Duchess. - -That the “Saint-Simonism” was invented by a Prussian business-man, -amuses me very much. As it concerns Königsberg, I will keep it secret. - - - - - 74. - HUMBOLDT TO THE PRINCE OF PRUSSIA. - - - BERLIN, _Dec. 29, 1843_. - - YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS: - -I have the honor, most humbly, to inform you that the box containing the -universal siderial clock of the inventors, D. and H. V. A——, together -with your gracious orders, has duly been delivered to me. I shall do in -the matter what will be agreeable to you. The two officers, in a letter -dated Temesvar, 13th of December, gave me notice of the arrival of the -instruments, naively adding “That I should try to procure for the -inventors some military decoration from His Majesty the King ‘the -_universal physician_,’ of all arts and sciences.” - -To obtain, however, such a “universal panacea,” from the “universal -physician,” the gentlemen must address his majesty a few words -themselves. The so-called universal siderial clocks had much reputation -in the middle ages; in the present state of astronomy, however, they are -never used in observatories, where the astronomer makes the calculations -himself. Such graphic inventions in that line cannot therefore be -recommended as deserving reward unless the inventors address themselves -in person to the monarch. These rules are observed even when books are -presented, which meet with no acknowledgment unless accompanied by a -letter. - -Under these circumstances I hope that your Royal Highness will approve -of my writing to Lieutenant H. v. A., thanking him for his confidence, -and requesting him, for his own sake and that of his friend, to write -some letters to his majesty the King, in which he may refer to me. To -secure the delivery of the letter at Temesvar your Royal Highness will -gracefully be pleased to direct it under your seal to the ambassador, -General von Canitz. I shall have the box opened at the observatory in -the presence of Professor Encke, and charge him, as is usual in such -cases, to make a report for the private cabinet. Although the word -“_ingenious_” cannot be applied to instruments the construction of which -is not strictly original, I will nevertheless try to obtain, through my -representations, a small dose of “the universal panacea.” - - In deepest devotion, I remain - Your Royal Highness’s - most humble servant, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 75. - - - MONDAY, _Jan. 1st, 1844_. - -I am in haste to tell you, as the Potsdam train is about starting, dear -friend, in spite of your incognito, that the King, previous to the soap -bubbling, lead melting, and to the angelic chorus in the cathedral, and -the entrance of the watchman,[36] received and enjoyed very much the -charming gift. It is a group full of grace and sweetness of composition; -it is heaven reflected in earthly love. The King instantly guessed it to -be the work of those young fairies, Bettina’s cygnets, and would like to -offer his thanks. - - A. V. HT. - - -Privatissime.—I expressed some doubts about that hieroglyph -distinguishing the male swan from the female. The King thinks me, -however, quite “arrière” as to the changes which art-life has made in -modern education. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—Bettina von Arnim had given me a delicate and - beautifully executed drawing, representing a naked girl and a naked - lad standing under a tree, in the foliage of which a nightingale is - singing, which she requested me to send anonymously to Mr. v. - Humboldt, asking him to present it also anonymously to the King as a - New Year’s present. The nakedness of the male figure might indeed - appear rather shocking, although it would have been pardonable in - one _like Bettina_, but that the King could suppose it the work of - her daughters is rather too strong, unless by this pretence he meant - to convey a rallying correction to Bettina. - -On the 1st of April, 1844, Varnhagen wrote in his diary: “After a long -interruption, a visit from Humboldt at last. He told me all that -occupies his mind. He is striving to do what he can, but this is not -much, and after all, the man of seventy-four years is but a man of -seventy-four. He himself refers significantly to his advanced age. His -manifold duties are a heavy charge upon him, although he is reluctant to -abandon them. The Court and its society are to him like a tavern of -habitual resort, where one is wont to pass one’s evening, and to drink -one’s glass. The King, says he, busies himself with nothing but his -whims, and these have, for the most part, a spiritual, nay, an -ecclesiastical, tendency—worshipping, building churches, concocting -missions. He cares very little about earthly affairs. It seems -immaterial to him whether Louis Philippe’s death causes a crisis; what -may happen after Metternich’s death, or how Russia behaves with us. To -all this he is indifferent; he scarcely thinks of it. Whoever has -secured his favor and nourishes his fancies plays a sure game. Bunsen, -Radowitz, and Canitz stand highest in his favor. Stollberg comes only in -the second rank. Besides, there exists the greatest carelessness and -distraction. Rueckert had congratulated the Queen upon her recovery, in -some very beautiful stanzas. They were found delightful; but the -propriety of acknowledging such an offering by a word of thanks was -overlooked, until at last it occurred to the Queen. Rueckert was then -sent for, but had been gone some three weeks. Schelling is received -scarcely once a year by the King. Having secured him, he cares but -little for him. Steffens, too, whom he likes, is seldom invited. Reumont -belongs to the exceptions; he secures a small share of the favoritism of -Bunsen and Count Bruehl. There is much sneering at ... about his -dancing, &c. Humboldt said once, he was green, if not quite yellow, -whereupon the King answered: ‘At ... every one had that complexion.’ -Bunsen has not grown much wiser: he proposed to the King to purchase -California, to send missionaries there, &c. He strongly supports the -schemes of Madame von Helfert; he had a mind to send his own son with -her, and to contribute £12,000 of his own means for the establishment of -settlements in the East Indies (!), with the view, of course, to open a -field for missionaries; he withdrew, however, his offers when he saw -that the King’s co-operation was doubtful. In the meantime Mrs. Helfert -could not obtain more than ten thousand thalers from the King. Minister -Rother succeeded in frustrating her plot; he could not help, however, -sending two agents to examine and to report on the state of the -possessions of Mrs. Helfert in the East Indies. It was also attempted to -induce the King to take part in the colonization of Texas—always in -connexion, of course, with religious interests. Humboldt had written -previously to Bunsen, in strong terms, advising him to warn Eichhorn, -and to point out to him the hatred which his actions awakened, and which -also reflected upon the King. When he met Bunsen here he expressed -himself in the same way, arguing in forcible but fruitless language. -Bunsen, who talked with him with great interest on Egypt for two hours, -did not answer a word, but rose and went away. Humboldt believes him -vain enough to accept a ministry. It seems to me that Humboldt is much -too familiar with Bunsen, and shows him too much friendship. The Queen, -says Humboldt, has no Catholic tendencies; on the contrary, she is an -arch-Protestant, and even more of a fanatic than the King himself, whom -she is constantly urging in this direction. She would have more -influence if she better understood the management of matters. - -“In the evening Humboldt sent me the work: ‘Russie, Allemagne et -France,’ par M. Fournier, Paris, 1844, with a very amiable letter, -inclosing eighteen precious autographs by Arago, Metternich, Peel, -Stanley, Récamier, Balzac, Prescott, Brunel, Herschel, Bresson, Helene -d’Orleans, Duchesse de Dino, and four confidential good-humored notes of -the King. A brilliant present!” - - - - - 76. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 1st, 1844_. - -I have a mind, my noble friend, to impart some enjoyment to you to-night -by a few insignificant gifts, accompanying the horrible Ruthenic venom -beneath enclosed.[37] I know that I am personally flattered in all the -inclosed letters with the exception of that from Solingen; but this -cannot prevent my offering what may be interesting to you. You will find -the following letter from - -1. Lord Stanley, the present minister, to whom I had recommended the -cousin of our Dieffenbach, the author of a highly commendable journey to -New Zealand. This traveller was implicated in the rebellion at -Frankfort, wherefore it was difficult to get him an engagement in -Germany. If travelling were still a business of mine I could not desire -a better companion. - -2. The “Presumption” from Solingen. - -3. A very interesting letter of Count Bresson, the ambassador of France, -dated Feb. 6, 1839. - -4. A very amiable letter from Arago, when I had dedicated him the -“Examen de l’histoire de la géographie du 15 Siècle.” I don’t recollect -having given you anything else of Arago. - -5. A note written by the King, at a time when he assisted me in -obtaining the pardon of young “demagogues.” The note refers to the -prosecution of young Hoeninghaus, for whom my efforts were successful. -The letter of the Crown-Prince shows a noble indignation against Kamptz -and his accomplices. - -6. A letter of the Duchess of Orleans. - -7. A letter of the King of Denmark. Simultaneously with Arago I had -recommended Hansen, the great lunar calculator at Gotha, to the King. -Our petition was granted. Arago received also a very amiable autograph -from “Christianus Rex,” once constitutional King in Norway. - -8. Another note of the Crown-Prince, good-humored and witty. He wished -very much to have Metternich accept the Presidency, _pour mettre la -société en bonne odeur à Rome ou elle passe pour Bunsohérétique_. - -9. A letter of the Duchess de Dino, now Duchesse de Talleyrand. She has -been created Duchess of Sagan lately. - -10, 11. Two good-humored letters more of the King. Le _Seehund_, the -recommendation of a rather rough Danish sea captain, who declared his -willingness to take two naturalists around the globe at the rate of 2500 -rixthalers a head (a little high). The plan was a failure. _Le Seigneur -Cados, ministre Sécretaire d’Etat_ of the watchmaking _Duc de -Normandie_, who addressed to the Crown-Prince a complaint about the -indecent manner in which he was treated by the Staats Zeitung. - -12. From Brunel, the hero of the tunnel. - -13. A letter of Sir John Herschel, full of flattering expressions. - -14. Mr. de Balzac. - -15. Sir Robert Peel. Somebody had written me, from Oxford, that Robert -Brown, the first botanist of Europe, had got suddenly into money -difficulties, and that Peel, on my intercession, would grant him one of -the four only pensions accorded to savans by Parliament. I recommended -him and was successful. - -16. Mad. Récamier. I am sure you have already several letters from her. - -17. A letter from Prince Metternich, to be added to the number of those -which you have already from him. - -18. The illustrious American historian, Prescott. In your hands all will -be safe, even what I myself would destroy from wantonness. I entreat -you, dear friend, not to tell anybody that I gave you the King’s notes, -however insignificant they are. It would injure me. - - With old veneration, yours, - A. VON HUMBOLDT. - - MONDAY EVENING. - - - - - 77. - J. W. T. TO HUMBOLDT. - - - HÖFGEN, NEAR SOLINGEN, _March 12th, 1844_. - -Your Excellency will not be offended at the liberty I take of writing -you. Some time ago I read in the newspapers that somebody of Koenigsberg -is said to have written you about secrets of nature, referring to -photographs taken in the dark. I presume, therefore, that your -Excellency is a naturalist and has friends who are likewise so. As I -also have made important discoveries in secrets of nature, which my -present business will not allow me to pursue, I wish to have an -opportunity of speaking with you about them. Perhaps we can be useful to -each other. I am perfectly willing to make the journey to Berlin, in -order to see you. May it please your Excellency to write me as soon as -possible at what time I can call on you at Berlin, if you have no -objection to my visit. - -In hope that you will favor me with an answer, I am, with due respect, - - Your Excellency’s most obedient, - J. W. T. - - -Mr. Gottfried H., merchant at Berlin, can give you information, if -required, as to my standing and character. - - - NOTE OF HUMBOLDT.—The presumption of the writer, arising from the - perusal of a newspaper, that I might be a naturalist, is a fact. I - am guilty of having published some books on Natural History as early - as 1789. - - - - - 78. - COUNT BRESSON, FRENCH AMBASSADOR, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _February 6th, 1839_. - -DEAR EXCELLENCY,—I am happy to be able to send you to-day an article -worthier of you than that of yesterday. Keep this number “_Des Débats._” -I do not file them. - -The remark of Mr. M. V. L—— on the “Nescio quis _Plutarchus_” is -puerile. Besides, excepting this, his article is inspired by a just -appreciation of your glory, which is ours as well, and which we claim as -such. - -Pray, dear Excellency, receive my affectionate and respectful homage. - - BRESSON. - -P. S.—I had just finished this note when yours of this morning reached -me. I shall keep it all my life, as well for its being a true historical -monument, as for the precious title of friend which you deign to give -me. It is true, alas! we shall see, if God grants us life, a great many -things; but may it be His will that we shall never see again events like -those which have already swept over our country, by sapping the power of -the King. Yet the Coalition works in this direction with all its might. -It is a fit of madness which reminds me of 1791. These plotters are -Girondists in embryo, whom we would have loved; and they will be the -first to be buried under the ruins of the edifice which they are -undermining. - -Does it, then, require a great effort of reasoning to perceive that the -King is the cementer of all things, that he keeps us out of chaos, and -that upon his living or dying the state of affairs wholly depends? Let -us ask conscientiously, does our danger to-day come from him? Shall an -order of things, acquired with so much trouble, established with so much -labor—shall it be sacrificed to the renown of a few men, or to the vain -theories inapplicable to France, serviceable at the best only in -England, where they are consecrated by age, and, what is still better, -administered by the enlightened upper classes. D., who is a man of sound -intellect, writes me that he believes in the happy issue of the -ministerial crisis. Mr. Molé has changed his determination not to resume -office; he will do so if there is a majority of thirty-six or forty -votes secured to him. The Jacqueminot party, which is rendering great -service, is working for this. - -Here are the adieux, the last ones of Mr. de Talleyrand at -Fontainebleau, on the 2d of June, 1838: “Adieu, my dear Bresson, stay at -Berlin as long as you can; you are well off there; do not try to be -better off. There will be much commotion in the world; you are young; -you will see it.” I quote these words for you, because they agree with -the spirit of your note, for which I thank you once more, and which will -become a family title to me. - - NOTE BY HUMBOLDT.—_Letter of Count Bresson, French Ambassador at - Berlin._—I kept it on account of the few words of Talleyrand. I had - written to Mr. Bresson that the situation of France was very - serious, that I still believed in peace, because, besides the wisdom - of the rulers, there was an expectant treatment of want of energy - and timid prudence. That these things, however, could act only for a - limited time, and that those who were young, like him, would see in - action what was now spreading its deep roots, as the unconscious and - inarticulate desires of the nations. - - - - - 79. - ARAGO TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _August 19th, 1834_. - -MY DEAR FRIEND—I cannot find words to tell you[38] how sorry I am at -having caused you a moment’s annoyance. Be persuaded, then, once for -all, that whatever wrongs, real or apparent, you may have experienced at -my hands, you will never suffer that of my forgetting how good you have -always been to me. The friendship which makes me so happy and proud, and -which I have shown to you, shall never be surpassed by yours for me. I -wanted, on the occasion of your kindly dedication, to give a public -evidence of my friendship, but various circumstances arising out of my -position, just now so very difficult and complicated, prevented. I hope, -however, that it is only delayed. - -I am sorry to learn that your health is not satisfactory. Mine is very -bad; but I care little about it. All that I daily see in this vile world -of meanness, servility, and low passion, makes me look with indifference -on the events with which men are mostly pre-occupied. The only news that -could at present cure me of my spleen, would be that you were coming to -Paris. Why have I not found a single word of hope in your letter—even -for a distant future? - -The scientific world here is in a dead calm. Everything has a desponding -look. I am going to-morrow to England with Mr. Pentland. Shall I come -back with more comforting notions? - -Our observatory is elegant, and very commodious. The Ministry decided -that a director must be appointed, and I was chosen unanimously. I have -under my orders four or five youths, who have the title of assistants, -and a salary of 2,000 francs. Under this arrangement, we shall try to -achieve something out of the beaten track. - -Adieu, my dear and excellent friend. Mathieu, who has not yet entirely -recovered from a severe disease in his eyes, charges me, as does his -wife also, to recommend him to your remembrance. - - Always yours through life, - ARAGO. - - - - - 80. - FOUR NOTES OF FREDERICK WILLIAM THE FOURTH TO HUMBOLDT. - - - I. - - 23D DECEMBER, 1836 (_at Night_). - -The quasi nameless number[39] may expect the mildest of sentences. It -will, doubtless, be commuted to six months, and three years’ incapacity -to hold office. You may therefore send some comfort, at least as a -Christmas present, to the faithful Crefeld. _Perhaps!!?!!_ I shall -succeed in procuring the full pardon of this list. It is, however, -revolting and horrible to let the poor boy languish so long in a -loathsome hole. Leaving the respectability of his parents out of the -question, had they been fools or knaves, it could _scarcely_ be excused. -Shall we see each other to-night? - - FR. W. - - - II. - -Cherissime Humboldt, you are acquainted with all the pretenders to all -the crowns. Please read the inclosed letter, and inform me who the -_Seigneur Cados_ may be—who were his father, mother, and ancestors, and -also what are his titles to the crown of France, which I shall certainly -try to procure for him? - - FREDERIC GUILLAUME, Pr. Royal. - - B. _21 Feb., 1839_. - - - III. - -Episode from “The Marriage of Figaro.” - -Il y manque quelque chose. - -Quoi?— - -Le cachet. - -Don’t overlook the nice allusion, dearest friend! Your seal must help me -out of nearly as great a difficulty as that of Countess Almaviva; -otherwise the Prince would perceive that I have read all the flattering -things which you have so ill-advisedly! said of me. _Pour vous -divertir_, I inclose my letter. _Vale._ - - FR. W. - - B., _23 March, 1840_. - -(_In Humboldt’s handwriting._)—Autograph of the Prince Royal of -Prussia.—The Prince offered to Prince Metternich the chair as President -of the Archæological Institute at Rome. I was called upon to write a -letter to Prince Metternich, which the Prince Royal wanted to inclose in -his own. As it contained some praises of the Prince, he desired to have -it sealed. - - HUMBOLDT. - - -I was honest and stupid enough not to take a copy of the letter of the -King to Prince Metternich. - - - IV. - -I communicate you the inclosed despatch from Copenhagen, to inform you -of the new “Seccatura,” which will wait upon you in the shape of a -sea-dog of the Sound, to ask your advice, and assistance as to a voyage -around the globe. This letter having no further object, I pray God, -Monsieur le Baron de Humboldt, to keep you in his holy and especial -care. - -Given at our Palace at Potsdam, 29th April, 1849 (1843?), near midnight. - - Signed, - FREDERIC GUILLAUME. - - NOTE OF VARNHAGEN.—Every word exactly as above—to be understood as a - joke. - - - - - 81. - KING CHRISTIAN VIII. OF DENMARK TO HUMBOLDT. - - - COPENHAGEN, _May 3d, 1843_. - - MONSIEUR LE BARON DE HUMBOLDT: - -The letter which you addressed me the day before you left Paris has -called my attention to the lunar tables, for which science is indebted -to the labors of Professor Hansen. I have applied to our illustrious -astronomer Schumacher, in order to learn what will be still necessary to -complete this important subject. By following his advice it was easy to -procure everything necessary for the continuation of the labors, the -comparing of the observations, and when the necessary expenses are once -apportioned and allowed, Schumacher expects to be enabled to publish the -lunar tables before the expiration of two years. A recompense for -efforts devoted to the sciences will no doubt be found in the -advancement of science itself; but the approbation of distinguished -savans gives us a veritable satisfaction, and we rejoice the more in it -when it comes from a man so far superior to others. Always anxious to -deserve your approbation, Monsieur le Baron, I wish to be guided by your -intelligence, and I shall be happy to be acquainted with the results of -your scientific observations, whenever you please to address them to me. - -With the highest consideration, I am, Monsieur le Baron, your -well-affectionate, - - CHRISTIAN R. - - - - - 82. - JOHN HERSCHEL TO HUMBOLDT. - - - COLLINGWOOD, _21st Dec. 1843_. - HAWKHURST, KENT. - - MY DEAR BARON: - -It is now a considerable time since I received your valued and most -interesting work on Central Asia, which I should have long ago -acknowledged, but that I was unwilling, and indeed unable, in proper -terms to thank you for so flattering and pleasing a mark of your -attention, till I had made myself at least in some degree acquainted -with the contents. This, however, the continued pressure of occupations -which leave me little time and liberty for reading has not yet allowed -me to do otherwise than partially—and, in fact, it is a work of such -close research that I despair of ever being able fully to master all its -details. In consequence I have hitherto limited myself chiefly to the -climatological researches in the third volume, and especially to the -memoir on the causes of the flexures of the isothermal lines, which I -have read with the greatest interest and which appear to me to contain -by far the most complete and masterly coup-d’œil of that important -subject which I have ever met with. In reading this and other parts of -your work on this subject, and of the “Physique du globe” in all its -departments—that which strikes me with astonishment is the perfect -familiarity and freshness of recollection of every detail, which seems -to confer on you in some degree the attribute of ubiquity on the surface -of this our planet—so vividly present does the picture of its various -regions seem to be in your imagination, and so completely do you succeed -in making it so to that of your readers. - -The account of the auriferous and platiniferous deposits in the Ural and -the zone in 56 lat. has also very much interested me, as well as the -curious facts respecting the distribution of the Grecian germs in those -regions. I could not forbear translating and sending to the “Athenæum” -(the best of our literary and scientific periodicals) the singular -account of the “monstre” of Taschkow Targanka—(citing of course your -work as the source of the history)—in vol. III. p. 597. - -The idea of availing ourselves of the information contained in the works -of Chinese geographers, for the purpose of improving our geographical -knowledge of Central Asia, appears to me as happy as it is likely to -prove fertile; especially now that the literature of that singular -country is becoming more accessible daily by the importation of Chinese -books. What you have stated respecting the magnetic chariots and -hodometers of the Emperor Tching-wang—if you can entirely rely on your -authority—gives a far higher idea of the ancient civilization of China -than any other fact which has yet been produced. - -In a word, I must congratulate you on the appearance of this work, as on -another great achievement; and if—as fame reports—it is only the -forerunner of another on the early discovery of America, it is only -another proof that your funds are inexhaustible! May you have many years -of health and strength granted you to pour them forth; and may each -succeeding contribution to our knowledge afford yourself as much delight -in its production as it is sure to do your readers in its perusal. - -Miss Gibson writes word that you have more than once enquired of her -when my Cape observations will appear. No one can regret more than -myself the delay which has taken place, but it has been unavoidable, as -I have had every part of the reduction to execute myself, and the -construction of the various catalogues, charts, and minute details of -every kind consume a world of time, quite disproportioned to their -apparent extent. However, I have great hopes of being able to get a -considerable portion, in the course of the next year, into the printer’s -hands. Some of the nebulæ are already in course of engraving. Perhaps -the subject which has given me most trouble is that of the photometric -estimation of the magnitudes of Southern stars and their companions with -the Northern ones. A curious fact respecting one of them—7 Argus—has -been communicated to me from a correspondent in India (Mr. Mackay), -viz.: that it has again made a further, great, and sudden step forward -in the scale of magnitude (you may perhaps remember that in 1837–8, it -suddenly increased from 2.1 m to equal α Centauri). In March, 1843, -according to Mr. Mackay, it was equal to Canopus. “α Crucis,” he says, -“looked quite dim beside it.” When I first observed it at the Cape it -was very decidedly inferior to α Crucis. - - Believe me, my dear Sir, ever yours, most truly, - J. F. W. HERSCHEL. - - -I must not forget to wish you a “merry Christmas and many happy returns -of the season” in English fashion. - - - - - 83. - BALZAC TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, HOTEL DE LA RUSSIE, 1843. - -MONSIEUR LE BARON:—May I hope on my arrival in Potsdam, next Monday, by -the 11 o’clock train, to have the honor of seeing you, for the purpose -of presenting my respects. - -I am merely passing through this city, and you will therefore excuse the -liberty I take in announcing the time of my visit. May I hope that you -will receive it as a proof of my ardent desire to add some new -recollections to those of the “Salon de Gérard.” - -Should I be so unfortunate as to miss seeing you, this little note will -assure you at least of my desire to recall your remembrance of me -otherwise than by a card. Be kind enough, then, Monsieur le Baron, to -accept the assurance of my most respectful admiration of - - Your most humble and obedient Servant, - DE BALZAC. - - - - - 84. - ROBERT PEEL TO HUMBOLDT. - - - WHITEHALL, _Sept. 4th, 1843_. - - DEAR BARON DE HUMBOLDT: - -I was much flattered by your kind attention in transmitting for my -acceptance your most interesting work on Central Asia. It will be much -prized by me, as well on account of its intrinsic value as a token of -your personal regard and esteem. - -There is no privilege of official power the exercise of which gives me -greater satisfaction than that of occasionally bestowing a mark of Royal -favor and public gratitude on men distinguished by scientific -attainments and by services rendered to the cause of knowledge. - -From the very limited means which Parliament has placed at the disposal -of this Court, it has been my good fortune to be enabled to recognise -the merit of Mr. Robert Brown. I have just conveyed to him the -intimation that Her Majesty has been pleased to confer upon him for his -life a pension on the Civil List of two hundred pounds per annum, in -recognition of his eminent acquirements as a botanist, and of the value -of his contributions to the store of botanical knowledge. - -Believe me, dear Baron de Humboldt, with sincere esteem, - - Very faithfully yours, - ROBERT PEEL. - - - - - 85. - METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. - - - VIENNA, _October, 1843_. - - MY DEAR BARON: - -You were kind enough to present me a copy of your “_Asie Centrale_.” I -call it _your_ because discoveries lawfully belong to those who make -them, and because it is often better to make a discovery than to become -the possessor of its results. - -I have begun the perusal of the work, which is among those to which I -look for mental relaxation, just as minds differently constituted from -mine are apt to have recourse to light and futile productions. This is -really the case. I often feel the necessity of some relief from my -monotonous duties, and it is then that I seek fresh elements of life and -vigor in works of profound learning. A book, therefore, like yours, is -to me a source of the richest enjoyment. I learn, and I love to learn, -and I feel no jealousy of your great erudition. - -What I most admire in your work is “the method.” You understand tracing -a line without ever losing sight of it, and therefore you arrive safely -at the end—which is not always the good fortune of those who start well -enough upon the road. Please send me the volumes complete—I shall -receive them with gratitude. - -I pray you, dear Baron, accept the assurance of my highest consideration -and old attachment, - - METTERNICH. - - - - - 86. - PRESCOTT TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BOSTON, _Dec. 23d, 1843_. - -SIR—A book on which I have been engaged for some years, the History of -the Conquest of Mexico, is now published in this country, as it was some -few weeks since in England; and I have the pleasure to request your -acceptance of a copy which sails for that purpose from New York in -January. Although the main subject of the work is the conquest by the -Spaniards, I have devoted half a volume to a view of the Aztec -civilisation; and as in this shadowy field I have been very often guided -by the light of your researches, I feel especially indebted to you, and -am most desirous that the manner in which my own investigation is -conducted may receive your approbation. It will indeed be one of the -best and most satisfactory results of my labors. - -As I have been supplied with a large body of unpublished and original -documents for the Peruvian conquest, I shall occupy myself with this -immediately. But I feel a great want at the outset of your friendly hand -to aid me. For although your great work—the _Atlas Pittoresque_—sheds -much light on scattered points, yet as your _Voyage aux régions -equinoxiales_ stops short of Peru, I shall have to grope my way along -through the greater part without the master’s hand, which, in the -_Nouvelle Espagne_, led me on so securely. - -The Peruvian subject will, I think, occupy less time and space than the -Mexican, and when it is finished I propose to devote myself to a history -of the Reign of Philip the Second. For this last I have been long -amassing materials, and a learned Spaniard has explored for me the -various collections, public and private, in England, Belgium, France, -and is now at work for me in Spain. In Ranke’s excellent history: -“_Fürsten und Völker von Süd-Europa_,” I find an enumeration of several -important MSS., chiefly Venetian relations, of which I am very desirous -to obtain copies. They are for the most part in the Royal Library of -Berlin, and some few in that of Gotha. I have written to our Minister, -Mr. Wheaton, to request him to make some arrangements, if he can, for my -effecting this. The liberal principles on which literary institutions -are conducted in Prussia, and the facilities given to men of letters, -together with the known courtesy of the German character, lead me to -anticipate no obstacles to the execution of my desires. Should there be -any, however, you will confer great favor on me by giving your -countenance to my applications. - -I trust this will not appear too presumptuous a request on my part. -Although I have not the honor of being personally known to you, yet the -kind messages I have received from you, and lately through Professor -Tellkampf, convince me that my former publication was not unwelcome to -you, and that you may feel an interest in my future historical labours. - -I pray you, my dear Sir, to accept the assurance of the very high -respect with which I have the honor to be - - Your very obedient servant, - WM. H. PRESCOTT. - - - - - 87. - MADAME DE RÉCAMIER TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _July 28th, 1843_. - -I find no words, dear Sir, to tell you how deeply your letter has -affected me. You have spared me the horror of suddenly learning through -the papers the painful and unexpected news. Although very much afflicted -and suffering I will not lose a moment in expressing my thanks. You are -aware, dear Sir, that I had not seen for many years the Prince Augustus. -I received, however, continually, evidences of his remembrance. It was -at the most unhappy time of his life that I made his acquaintance at -Madame de Staël’s, where he encountered so much generous sympathy. Alas! -of that brilliant and spirited circle at the Chateau Coppet, he was the -only survivor. There now remains to me no other souvenir of my youth and -my past than the beautiful “tableau de Corinne,” the noble and affecting -sentiments of which have cheered and adorned my retirement. I have not -the courage, Sir, to prolong this letter, and to answer the interesting -details with which yours concludes. Allow me to speak to-day only of my -sorrow, of my gratitude, and my admiration. - - J. RÉCAMIER. - - - - - 88. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - _August 31st, 1844._ - -I trust that the following autographs will prove welcome to you:—(A) -Bettina under the indictment; (B) two copies of my very brief speech; -(C) two letters of Spontini, with strange allusions to Prince -Wittgenstein, Count Redern, full of hatred against Meyerbeer, together -with my earnest reply to it; (D) a letter of Gay-Lussac, when he was so -dangerously injured by an explosion; (E) a very humane letter of the -Grand Duke of Tuscany. - - Always respectfully yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SATURDAY NIGHT. - - - - - 89. - LEOPOLD, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - FLORENCE, _July 20th, 1844_. - - DEAREST COUNT: - -The Professor of Botany, Philip Parlatore, is about to leave for Berlin, -and I cannot resist charging him with a letter to you, dear Count, -expressive of my thanks for the recommendations whereby you have -enriched Tuscany with several illustrious men. - -You (the father and patron of natural science) knew Mr. Parlatore, and -your good opinion was sufficient to secure him the appointment at -Florence, where he is now the Botanic Director of the Museum, and -President of the Botanic Central Institute, which owes its existence to -him. - -Another professor of physics was recommended by you, Professor -Matteucci. He is a true investigator of nature. Not only leading -science, he constructs instruments for its interrogation, and is on the -road to important discoveries. He is now on a little excursion to -recuperate his strength after his too fatiguing labors. I do not know -that he will be fortunate enough to meet you, for whom he feels so much -veneration and gratitude. Our University of Pisa has brought together -all that is distinguished in physical science—and the fruits are -maturing. - -At Florence the practical studies in the grand hospital contribute -greatly towards keeping medicine and surgery in the legitimate direction -of natural science, supported by observation and experience. The -congress of the “Amateurs of Science in Italy” will also produce -desirable results. Such meetings, politically inoffensive as they always -are, make science accessible to a great many persons, and establish -useful connexions between men of great merit who might otherwise remain -unacquainted. - -We were told some time ago that you intended descending into Italy. This -would have afforded us the utmost happiness, and you would have been -received as the true protector of natural science. - - Believe me always yours, - LEOPOLD. - - - - - 90. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - _2d September, 1844._ - -If Dr. Prutz, at Halle, in his obnoxious “Moritz,” had said nothing more -than what he puts in the mouth of the clown (page 40), who, speaking of -the people, “One should give them two morsels, so that they may wag -their tails and crawl back into their cold kennels;” and at page 53, the -poetically fine lines “I conjure you, ye future monarchs,” one would -understand how that wonderful drama, in which Moritz contrives to plunge -all his friends into the water that he may have the pleasure simply of -fishing them out, dead or alive, but at any rate, cold and wet, could -produce an _excitement_ at the present time.[40] Peruse the manuscript, -dear friend, and send it back to-morrow, Tuesday, before two o’clock. -The steps which I intend taking will, however, be unsuccessful. The -proceeds of its representation might, with propriety, be given to the -inundated, and thus the police might become a hydraulic power, or even a -drying machine. - - Yours, - A. HT. - - MONDAY. - - - - - 91. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 6th, 1844_. - -I understand as well as you do, my dear friend, that the speech[41] in -question must necessarily have produced a great sensation and excitement -in our “north,” as well as under the sluggish Pole. _He_ really excels -in flowery eloquence. The figures which he presents are hardly new; but -a certain delicacy of expression, and a nice perception of the -“harmonious” in oratory, cannot be denied him. There is really something -noble in the passion for speaking, upon every occasion, to thousands of -people. His generosity in sheltering “_high officials_ under the veil of -the royal purple” will be but indifferently acknowledged. Does he, by -this course, deliver over to our assaults those small fry who obscure -the day? I am sorry that such a highly gifted prince, acting under the -most benevolent incentives, and preserving the full vigor of his mind, -which constantly urges him to action, is, in spite of his good -intentions, absolutely deceived as to the direction in which the state -is impelled. When Parry, with a number of Esquimaux dogs, had started -for the North Pole, dogs and sledge were continually driven _forward_. -When, however, the sun broke through the mist, so that the latitude -could be taken, it was ascertained that the expedition had unwittingly -been carried _backward_ several degrees. A floating field of ice, -drifting in a southerly current, was the surface on which they seemed to -advance. Our ministers are the drifting, icy surface. And may not the -current be “the dogmatische Missions-Philosophie?” - - A. V. HT. - - -It is now certain that the Empress (of Russia) will not come. The King -will, on the 15th, be in Sans Souci. - - - - - 92. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Sept. 13th, 1844_. - -I must be in a few moments at the Stettin depôt to meet the King, who -arrives at 9 o’clock. Thence I go for a few days to Sans Souci, where I -shall, unfortunately, celebrate my seventy-fifth birth-day. I say -unfortunately, because in 1789 I believed that the world would have -solved more problems than it has done. It is true that I have seen a -great deal; but very little, indeed, in proportion to my exactions. - -I have no time to-day to write you about your charming description of -your sojourn in Paris in 1810. My good sense led me at once to that -page, from which I could inhale the perfume of your friendship. I have -learned that I have not yet grown insensible to praise. What a -magnificently anti-Scythian spirit the University of Breslau has -evinced! How inventive men become under political oppression! Nothing -but rope-ladders, loop-holes, disguises to get out into the open air. -And when once there, how really German they are in their speculations, -as to whether they have improved their position. It is with them as with -the Prince—“Tell me whether I am amusing myself.” - - Yours, - A. V. HT. - - -We insert here an entry in Varnhagen’s diary, dated June 26, 1844, -reciting two sharp repartees of Humboldt. At the Royal table at Sans -Souci, some time ago, Humboldt shot two well-directed arrows from his -bow. The conversation turned on some Russian ordinance, and Humboldt, in -speaking of it, mentioned repeatedly the Minister of Public Instruction. -“You have mistaken, sir,” said the King. “It was not the Minister of -Public Instruction who acted in this matter, but the Minister of -Enlightenment.” Humboldt, not in the least discountenanced, hastened to -reply, “Very well, Sire; then it was not the Minister of Public -Instruction, but of its opposite,” and continued his conversation in his -usual way. - -The following anecdote is still neater: General Leopold von Gerlach, who -is fond of badinage, attempted an attack upon Humboldt some time ago, -saying to him, “Your Excellency frequently goes to church, ‘now-a-days,’ -do you not?” He hoped to perplex him with the question. Humboldt, -however, coolly replied, “Your ‘now-a-days’ is very kind of you. You -allude, undoubtedly, to my adopting the only road which, at present, -could lead to my promotion.” The bantering hypocrite was dumb. - -An entry of a later date (26th December, 1848), speaks of the -animosities to which Humboldt was subjected in still stronger terms. -“Humboldt has called; he remained longer than an hour. He assures me -that were it not for his position at Court, he would not be suffered to -remain in the country, but would be expelled, so strong is the hatred of -the ultras and bigots against him. It can hardly be described; however, -they endeavor to discredit him with the King. In other parts of Germany -they would still less endure him, were he once divested of the prestige -of his position.” - - - - - 93. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 19th, 1844_. - -Can you command courage enough, dear friend, to devote a few moments to -a conversation on the present state of French literature? I take the -liberty to introduce Mr. Jousserandot of Franche Comté, a French -novel-writer. He possesses much beard and much good-natured vivacity. He -is the son of a wealthy physician, and was recommended me from Paris. -Excuse the importunity, but you must sometimes take your share of the -annoyance of being gazed at. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - THURSDAY. - - - - - 94. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, TUESDAY, _June 3d, 1845_. - _One o’clock_, A. M. - -All the mysteries were solved to-night, dearest friend. I received this -afternoon from the department of Foreign Affairs, where they were stored -up, fourteen parcels pell-mell, misdirected there from Paris and dating -from December to May. The first thing we perceived was your handwriting; -the parcel was duly directed and contained, well secured under your -seal, your important political letter and a parcel for Comtesse -d’Agoult, which I remit with the present. I am quite innocent of what -has happened. - -In the Rhine and Moselle Gazette, No. 122 of the 29th of May, I am -judged guilty of Voltairianism, denial of all revelations, of conspiring -with Marheineke, Bruno Bauer, Feuerbach, nay even of the expedition -against Luzerne—ipsissimis verbis—and all that on account of my Kosmos, -page 381. The King had already been told that my book was the work of a -demagogue and an infidel. Whereupon the King wrote me, that he could but -say what Alfons said to Tasso: - - “And so I hold it in my hand at last - And call it _mine_, if I may use that word!” - -This is poetical and very civil. - - With the sincerest gratitude, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 95. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN - - - BERLIN, WEDNESDAY, _June 4th, 1845_. - -I recognised at once from the gracefulness of style the guardian spirit -of my feeble literary efforts. I had not yet seen the precious sheet, -containing, in addition, the interpretations by Neander. I avail myself -of the last moment before breaking up, to write you a preliminary word -of sincerest thanks for one of the most interesting life sketches—for -which we are indebted to your brilliant and vivifying pen. You have -represented with dignity and magnificence a subject, which popular -enthusiasm out of mere perverseness has repeatedly degraded in burlesque -prose. Your exquisite art of purifying is highly gratifying. - -If Süssmilch will graciously permit, I shall try to accomplish my -Kosmos. It is, however, true after all, that at the gates of many a -temple of science (History of the World, Geology, Mechanics of the -Heavens) black spectres menacingly defend the entrance. - -Indeed Madame von Hormayr is a very charming lady. - - With constant devotion and love, yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 96. - - - BERLIN, _June 16th, 1845_. - -I avail myself of the few moments allotted me before going to the -railroad station, dear friend, to thank you heartily for your -characteristic biography of “Hans von Held.” I have read but one half of -it, and that immediately after having read your “Life of Bluecher.” It -is, therefore, but natural that I was filled with admiration. How -fortunate you are in coloring all the details of military life in the -one, and in describing the civil efforts of a people struggling for -liberty, in the other book. The fatalistic word “fortunate,” however, is -out of place here, because the secret of such successes lies in the -clearness of intellect and the intensity of your feelings. The whole -world, as it is at present, is reflected in your “Held.” Zerboni’s -letter on the bloody tragedy in the streets of Breslau, is as eloquently -written as it is heart-rending. Such things, however, can’t deter our -dull, fanatical, white-livered Polignacs. They will attempt to confirm -the first deed of violence and brutality by subsequent ones more -systematically devised—and all this under the reign of such a King! I am -very angry and deeply affected. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - MONDAY MORNING. - - -As I shall have no time for reading during my hasty journey, I have left -the instructive book for a few days to Buelow’s, at Tegel. - - - - - 97. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, THURSDAY, _September 4th, 1845_. - -I avail myself of the first moments of my return from Potsdam to -joyfully congratulate you on the good effect of the waters on your -health. On account of the domestic misfortunes of my family, my -participation in the dull and rain-spoiled Court festivities at Bruehl -and Stolzenfels was a hard trial for me. I will acquaint Madame von -Buelow to-morrow with your hearty sympathy. Buelow’s recovery progresses -rapidly. Except some weakness of memory, which, however, does not appear -for whole days, no change of mind is perceptible; relaxation, however, -retirement, and tranquillity of mind are still necessary. Always -conscious of what he owes to his character he resigns. You know, my -noble friend, that he demanded his dismissal when Itzstein was violently -expelled from Prussia. Public affairs are now in a much worse condition. -Buelow’s retirement from office is a sad event; but the current of -affairs in Northern Germany is too strong to be arrested by the effort -of one individual. - -Please inform Professor Fichte that although I am already an unworthy -Doctor of Philosophy, I will gratefully accept anything which may be -offered me from Wurtemberg’s high-spirited Universities. - - Yours affectionately, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -I enclose to your safe-keeping a beautiful letter of Prince Metternich, -on whom I had called on the Johannisberg; a letter from Lord Stanley, -the Minister; and two letters from Jules Janin and Spontini; also a book -for the Countess of Stolberg. - - - - - 98. - METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. - - - VIENNA, _June 21st, 1845_. - - MY DEAR BARON: - -Enclosed you will find my vote for the future colleague. I expect that -you will not look for my assistance beyond the sphere of my principles; -but my principles are so strongly influenced by a recommendation from -you, that the request and the grant are but one. I have perused your -Kosmos and have treated it as is my habit with rich collections. The -impression made on me by the work will be best described by the avowal -that it caused in my mind two conflicting, or if you like better, two -mutually neutralizing sentiments—one of satisfaction at knowing so much, -and one of regret at my great ignorance. These sentiments, however, sink -into nothingness when compared with the admiration of _that knowledge_ -which alone can have enabled you to accomplish that gigantic enterprise. -Knowledge alone, however, would not suffice—and hence I am led to -acknowledge the full merit of the author—his great power of -representation and his method! You have applied and dignified in your -work the old word _discipline_, in its relation to science. Would to -God, that the true meaning of this word could, in political society, -also recover its eternal rights. If my own impressions are of but little -value, it is different with those of the men of science. Their judgment -is overflowing with admiration, and I agree with them in the conviction, -that _you alone_ of all living men could achieve the task, and that the -word Kosmos is the true and appropriate title of your work. - -I told you, that I have _perused_ the first volume of your work, I am -now _studying_ it, and I wish to thank you for the really delightful -hours, which you have opened to me. I call all these hours delightful -which I can snatch from the uninviting field of political disturbances, -and devote to the natural sciences. - -Accept, dear Humboldt, the renewed assurance of my sincere and -well-known consideration. - - METTERNICH. - - - - - 99. - JULES JANIN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - STAR HOTEL AT BONN, - SUNDAY EVENING, _August 10th, 1845_. - -DEAR SIR,—I beg and entreat you to do an impossible thing for me. You -are the kindest friend of the literary men of my country, and you have -always been the most indulgent of men to me. Please listen, therefore, -to my request. I left Paris a week ago for the express purpose of -transmitting to the “Journal des Débats” a faithful record of the -journey of her Majesty the Queen of England along the banks of the -Rhine. Before leaving, I had the honor of paying my respects to the King -at Neuilly, and of securing his approval of my design. Monsieur Guizot -also strongly encouraged me by saying, that hospitality required that an -honest and conscientious writer should follow the royal party, and -faithfully chronicle these wonderful rambles, which are now interesting -and delighting the whole of Europe. - -Monsieur Guizot gave me, at the same time, letters of introduction and -instructions, of which I am proud. The letters are all honorable to me, -and my instructions are worthy of the man who gave them. - -Now, dear sir, assist me. What I wish is, not a presentation to his -Majesty, your King, but an admission into the royal circle. Unobserved -by all, I myself shall see everything, and thus be able to fulfil the -mission with which I have been honored. - -You see that it is the imperious passion, the passion of a -feuilletonist, which actuates me. It is true I have no title. But, if -one be necessary, you can say that I am the Lieutenant-Colonel of a -Legion (militia), that I shall appear in a brilliant uniform; and -further, that it is but proper that the writers whom the King invites to -his table, and whom he so greatly honors on so momentous an occasion, -should furnish a report of its chief features, as an authority to which -future historians of the time may refer. - -I am writing, dear sir, under the best auspices—under the auspices of -Mr. Meyerbeer. You will make him very happy, I am sure, and with him the -whole “Journal des Débats,” which is so much devoted to you, and, in -addition, your very humble servant, myself. - -I shall await with great impatience, but with the most perfect -submission, your kind reply. - -I am sure that, in any event, you will have done all that you honorably -could do, to secure me this favor. - -Please accept, Monsieur le Baron, the humble homage of my devotion and -of my profound respect. - - JULES JANIN. - - - - - 100. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _26th of September, 1845_. - - (To his dear friend, the Privy Councillor von Varnhagen.) - - KINGS AND REPUBLICS. - -Por lo que desio la conversacion de los Reyes desio la conversacion de -ellos dentro de los limites permitidos. Un grave consejero dixò al Rey -Don Phelipe II., viendo que iva en diversas ocasiones al poder absoluto: -Señor, reconoced á Dios en la tierra como en el cielo, por que ne se -cause de las monarquías, suave govierno si los Reyes suavemente usan de -él.—_Cartas de Antonio Perez, p. 545._ - -At the time of the insurrection of the Netherlands there had already -been raised the question, “Whether the Kings were going off.” I -translate the passage from Antonio Perez for you. He says: It is because -I desire the preservation of monarchs that I advise them to remain in -the limits prescribed for them. A wise Counsellor said to the King -Philip II., being aware of his tendency to absolute power: “Sire, -recognise the supremacy of God on earth as well as in Heaven, so that -God may not become tired of monarchies—a very excellent sort of -government, if it be used with moderation.” - -El Dios de cielo es delicado mucho en suffrir compañero en ninguna cosa -y se pica del abuso del poder humano. Si Dios se causa de las -monarchias, dara otra forma al mundo. - -The God of Heaven is very jealous about admitting a co-partner in -anything whatsoever: He is offended by every abuse of human power. -Should God once be tired of monarchies, he will give another form to the -political world. - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 101. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _October 2d, 1845_. - -The curious little note containing the prophecy “that God would become -tired of kings,” was lying for many days on my desk, awaiting my -delivering it to you, in person, my dearest friend. Whenever anything -worth reading falls into my hands during the late hours of my solitary -study in the chateau here, I always think of you. As I have hitherto -been prevented by my efforts to arrange the manner of Buelow’s discharge -from calling on you, I have thought best to send you, dear friend, the -little sheet, under envelope. My reason for quoting this prophecy is, -the general state of public affairs, which provokes my highest -indignation. Every day discloses something worse. The future looks -gloomy and menacing, the greatest carelessness prevails. - -I have just returned from Tegel, where the Buelows would be very happy -to see you. They beg especially that you will gratify them next winter -by frequent calls at their town residence. - -In the “Westminster Review” a certain Dr. Cross says, the style of -Kosmos is lengthened, and very indifferent; the frequent reflection on -sentiment was deemed very superfluous by English savans—such a book did -not contain any thing new. Then follows the denunciation of Atheism, -although “creation” and the “created world” are never lost sight of in -the book. And did I not, only eight months ago, in the French -translation, say, in the plainest terms:—It is this necessity of things, -this occult but permanent connexion, this periodical return in the -progress, development of formation, phenomena, and events, which -constitute _Nature_ submissive to a controlling power. _Physics_, as the -name itself implies, can only deduce the phenomena of the physical world -from the properties of matter; the highest aim of experimental science -is therefore to ascend to the existence of the laws, and progressively -to generalise the same. Whatever lies beyond is no object for _physical -demonstration_, it belongs to another order of _more elevated_ -speculations. Immanuel Kant, one of the few philosophers whom no one has -yet accused of impiety, has, with rare sagacity, indicated the limits of -physical explanation in his renowned _Essai sur la Théorie et la -Construction des Cieux_. Koenigsberg, 1755. - -The conduct of the aldermen is very praiseworthy. It is a pleasure, and -a miracle at the same time, to encounter such a degree of public spirit -among men differing so much in intellect and culture of mind. It is -hatred concentrated against the same object, but it only appears so on -the outside. - -I confess that I am wrong to have not yet answered so excellent a man as -the author of “The Religious Poetry of the Jews in Spain.” I first -wanted to read the book, and the terror of having reached the age of -seventy-six years on the 14th of September, has plunged me so deeply in -my “Kosmos,” that duties otherwise sacred to me have been neglected. I -shall call personally on Mr. Sachs, and beg you to excuse me to him in -advance; as to justifying myself, that is out of the question. - - Most respectfully, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -The sketch on Hormayr, which, in a political view, stops very singularly -at 1808, is very interesting. What a mass of writings! one hundred and -fifty volumes. - - - - - 102. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _October 2d, 1845_. - -I would not like, my dear friend, that a friend of Thiers, whom he has -warmly recommended to me, should leave Berlin without having had the -pleasure of seeing you. Mr. Thomas, one of the editors of the “Revue des -deux Mondes,” is the author of a most remarkable work on the ancient -provincial constitutions of France, compiled from archives. I recommend -him to your indulgence. - - Yours, in great haste, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 103. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Nov. 30th, 1845_. - -All gifts, tendered through a hand like yours, are of double value to -me, my dear friend. I have immediately replied to that high-gifted lady, -the Countess. You are quite right in saying that her beautiful poetry -evinces an admirable familiarity of the mind with the subject. - -I deem it more delicate to write to Baron Hormayr rather than to his -lady. May I beg to enclose my little note, provided you approve its -form? I have long had a predilection for this liberal-minded man. His -literary activity is astounding. I shall have the pleasure of calling on -Mr. Sachs to-day. I shall also present his book to the King myself; this -is, however, a time in which no impression is permanent. All things -dissolve into mere visions, which will, however, reappear, ominous and -deformed, by being joined to old fancies. I am much afraid of the -consequence produced by incentives, from which I had hoped to produce -happier results. How has it happened that Kosmos is so popular beyond -expectation? It seems to me that it must be attributed to the -imagination of the reader, which invests it with additional features, or -to the pliability of our (German) language which renders it so easy to -describe every object intelligibly, and to picture it in words. - -I will come and thank you, my generous friend, for the light you have -thrown on the moral and intellectual merits of Voltaire.[42] Your -revelations are delightful; but “Duncker-Freitag,” the recruiting -officer, the sentinel, and the humorously excited suspicion of what was -attempted at night with Madame Denis, are and will always produce an -uneasiness. - -With old attachment, yours, - - A. V. HT. - - SUNDAY. - - -I shall not forget Mr. Breul the merchant. Minister Buelow was very -sorry that you missed him. You will be very agreeable to him and Lady -Buelow any evening from half-past seven to nine o’clock. - - - - - 104. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN - - - THURSDAY, _January 15th, 1846_. - -Mr. Milnes, and what he may have said of the King, “who showed him no -personal civilities,” interest me but little; but it will afford me -great joy if my earnest intercession for Prutz be at last useful to him. -This miserable trifle is the only thing that I can secure in my -position. I shall die, however, in the conscientious belief, that to my -last moment I never _abandoned_ one devoted to the same principles as -myself. Your approbation is _highly_ valuable to me, my dear friend! - -The “Quarterly Review” says I had a prolix style, and am never able to -write one page of “vivid expression.” - -With faithful attachment, yours, - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -Please excuse, like a philosopher, the writing on this mutilated sheet. -I am in such a hurry that I have mistaken the address. - - - - - 105. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _January 25th, 1846_. - -After an official feeding, at court, of the “knights of the peace,” -whose unworthy chancellor I am—after some sorrowful hours at Buelow’s, -whose state becomes every day more precarious—after a ball at the -Chateau, from which I am just returned, I cannot seek repose without -sending you my preliminary thanks for your ecclesiastical gifts. I am -delighted at the review of a poetical period, the precursor of a nobler -one—or, to speak more correctly, of one more pregnant with life. I will, -however, turn away from the long “Ode of Grief,” from “The Blue and the -Black Eyes,” from “Besser’s Merry Wig,” and recur with new pleasure to -your “Zinzendorf.” This is a grand, well-executed life-sketch, a figure -towering above all other things, which, in a different direction, -attract the interest of our time. _Your_ “Zinzendorf” was also -constantly admired by my brother. How much the interest is enhanced by -all that we see or rather expect to see! But where, among the -intellectual “glaciers” of the present time, are those who could compare -themselves with Zinzendorf, Lavater, and Stilling?... - - Most gratefully yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - SATURDAY NIGHT. - - -I told Ranke to-day, very frankly, how much I was disgusted at what he -presumptuously did at a meeting of the Academy, when I was not present, -against Preuss, a much nobler character than he is. Have you not -received yet the journals, in which I am immoderately praised and -reproved (“North-British Review” and “Quarterly Review”)? In Germany, my -prose is frequently blamed as being too poetical; but the “Quarterly -Review” finds it languishing, lifeless, and “not a vivid description.” -How differently different nations feel! - - - - - 106. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _February 7th, 1846_. - -Yesterday afternoon poor Buelow was released from his sufferings. -Thursday night, at eleven o’clock, on going to bed, he fell lifeless -into the arms of his servant. An apoplexy! He closed his eyes never to -open them again. In the morning a hundred and forty pulses were counted; -bleeding had no effect. His end was, as lately his life was, -unconscious. The family is deeply affected; the event, however, is -beneficial. His excellent wife would have been sacrificed. Next Tuesday -morning we will carry him, without pageantry, to Tegel, and bury him -under the column of the “Statue of Hope.” Under the pressure of -business, caused by this event, and in the midst of letters which I have -still to write to Guizot, Metternich, and Aberdeen, I can only briefly -reply to the heartfelt letter of Madame von Arnim. I have but little -hope, that the _old_ folks now reigning at Weimar will appoint either -Prutz or Fallersleben. I had formerly thought of Guhrauer, for whom you -will also have some predilection to be sure. You know how happy I would -have been if Prutz were appointed. I am not personally acquainted with -Fallersleben. The whole passage, however, in the “_Wochenstube_,”[43] -alluding to the King and to me, must be changed. It is based on a false -rumor. I never have shown the book to the King, and I never applied to -the King to quash the indictment, as he is always rather irritated -against Prutz, on account of the old cousin from Kulmbach.[44] It was -Minister Bodelschwingh who showed it to the King. On this Minister Prutz -had personally made a very favorable impression, which it was easy to -improve. Prutz had applied to have the indictment quashed, and besides -he would hardly have been found guilty on all the counts. It was thought -advisable, as he made the first advances to the Government, not to rebut -him. The passage “that our King should be asked,” must also be -discarded, as it would give offence to the Grand-Duchess, who likes to -show her independence of Prussia at every opportunity. So she protected, -not long ago, the Chancellor Mueller, when the Court of Weimar was -diplomatically reproached for allowing a journal here prohibited to be -read in a reading-room at Weimar. The Court of Weimar replied with -dignity. But that Prutz or Fallersleben could be appointed seems highly -improbable to me. Credat Judæus Apella. Excuse to-day my confused -writing, dear friend! - - Yours, - A. V. HT. - - SATURDAY. - - - - - 107. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Feb. 20th, 1846_. - -Do you guess, my dear friend, who sent me this strange article? Do you -guess anything from the seal and the name on the envelope, “M.?” Is that -the author, and to what journal may the article belong? Profound, of -enlarged political views, it certainly is not. The passage on p. 8 is -underscored by the author himself, and it contains a contradiction! -Prussia is to have unity in an American confederacy. His remarks, p. 3, -on Frederick II. and on his works, and on “Kant a guillotine,” p. 5, are -as Minister Thiele would write them. I am indignant at both. The author -knows all the news, all the names, all the gossip, of the -“Eckensheher,”[45] and is touched by the liberalism of Bodelschwingh, p. -14, who still defends every day the expulsion of the Baden -Representatives. He does not dare to name Eichhorn with censure. The -last line only is grand and fine. - - With unalterable devotion, - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - FRIDAY. - - - - - 108. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 29th, 1846_. - -I have only time to tell you, that I shall certainly be in Sans Souci -from June to September, and to thank you, noble friend, from my heart, -for the kind manner in which you allude to the Agamemnon of my brother. -To choose maliciously 16 verses out of 1700!! I once complained that -they would not perform the drama in a royal palace in my brother’s -translation! As the _Staats Zeitung_ is seen every evening by the King, -they thought it well to malign the production there. The very next day I -answered in the _Spenersche Zeitung_ mildly, because the well-informed -but unpoetical Dr. Franz is now seeking an increase of his pension. I -myself took care that the King did not see my answer; at least, he did -not talk to me about it. Send back the little sheet. I am at work, not -without success, I believe, at the Kosmos, but in a sad mood respecting -the public cause. Your news from England is very interesting. - - With the most cordial friendship, - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SUNDAY. - - - - - 109. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 30th, 1846_. - -I send you again some autographs of little import, ten in number, of -Villemain, Bessel, Victor Hugo, Rueckert (of whom you have plenty of -autographs), Manzoni (full of praise for me, but in bad style), Thiers, -Widow of Lucien Bonaparte, three billets de matin of the Duchesse -d’Orleans. I add to these fugitive sheets a letter from me to the King, -which I beseech and implore you not to show to any one, and to _send -back to-morrow_, because I might have use for it. You shall have the -letter afterwards. It sometimes happens that the King, instead of a -billet de matin, writes his answer on my letter. This happened -yesterday. The ministers who would gladly permit the “Turnen,[46]” throw -suspicion on Prof. Massmann, whom the King likes very much, and whom he -wants to keep here. My letter will show you at least, that I openly say, -how the tide of evil is bearing down all things before it, and how we -are depriving ourselves of the means of action. - - With my old attachment, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 110. - HUMBOLDT TO FRIEDRICH WILHELM IV. - - -As early as eight o’clock this morning I sent to the Koethener Strasse, -to have an interview with Professor Massmann, after the confiding -communications of your Majesty, concerning the decision of his -situation. He has just gone, leaving me again with an excellent -impression of his solidity, clear perceptions, and enthusiastic vigor -for influencing our youth (the indelible, primæval, self-restoring -institution of mankind). To be afraid of every enthusiastic energy is to -take from the life of a State its nourishing, preserving power. -Professor M. did not see Minister von Bodelschwingh for two years, but -the Minister then treated him very kindly, and Massmann desires very -much, without intruding, to give a candid answer to every question. In -view of the noble and frank character of Minister von Bodelschwingh I -have great hopes of the result of such a conversation, and therefore I -have to beg of your Majesty, most submissively, to communicate to me, -whether, according to the orders of your Majesty, the Minister will send -for Professor M., or whether he may go to the Minister on his own -account, not called for, but animated by some words of your Majesty. I -wonder how it could be forgotten how much Massmann has done for the -poetry of the Hohenstaufen times, and how talented a lecturer he was at -the University. I find praised in Gervinus Geschichte der Deutschen -Litteratur: Massmann’s Denkmaeler Deutscher Sprache, 1828; his Gedichte -des Zwoelften Jahrhunderts, his Legenden and Ritterliche Poesie. How -could a man be dangerous to youth whom the King of Bavaria appointed for -the education of his princes, and by whom above all others the -Crown-Prince declares himself to have been animated with the love of -culture and intellectual freedom, and the true appreciation of his -impending kingly duties? We live not in a sad, but in an earnest time. -All action and energy are paralysed, if backbiting is permitted to -deprive us of our most useful men. Enthusiastically attached to your -person, to the splendor of your reign, and to the glory of our country, -it makes me sad to see the most noble purposes in danger of being -misunderstood. No doubt there are very honorable men who, from pure love -of your Majesty, would like to see me also under the column at Tegel, or -at least on the other side of the Rhine. - - In grateful submission, - Your Royal Majesty’s most faithful - HUMBOLDT. - - BERLIN, _March 29, 1846_. - - - _The King wrote on the fly-leaf_: - -My warmest thanks, dearest Humboldt. M. Bodelschwingh will send for -Massmann. - -In all haste, as ever. - - Your faithful - F. W. - - ALEXANDER V. HUMBOLDT, Present. - - - - - 111. - BESSEL TO HUMBOLDT. - - - KOENIGSBERG, _Feb. 12th, 1846_. - -I hear with great regret that your Excellency has to mourn the loss of -Herr von Buelow. Although I had not the pleasure of knowing the late -Baron personally, I was not unacquainted with the true affection of the -uncle for his nephew, and I heard frequent mention of the enthusiastic -manner in which it was reciprocated. Moreover, I knew his repute as that -of a noble, talented, clear-sighted man. Would that I could indite words -of consolation, such as I heard them, at the time of my great loss!—but -it is not given to every one to speak them. That time heals our bleeding -wounds, the wounds which at first seemed mortal, I myself have -experienced; that death after a _short_ suffering is preferable to death -after a _long_ one, is a truth which impresses itself often on my mind! - -The chancellor, Herr von Wegnern, communicated to me on the 27th ult. -the letter which he received from your Excellency. This letter contains -the first news I received since Nov. 7th, of last year, respecting the -portrait by which our most gracious monarch intended to gratify a poor -invalid: that your letter was extremely gratifying and consoling to me, -is natural. It created the first ray of hope; it has unceasingly -occupied me; it even gave rise to some kind of superstition, and I -attributed my good health the whole month of December to the vivid hopes -it had raised. This prospect of the restoration of my health, I thought, -gave me hope of being able to indulge for a longer period in the -pleasure which the dear picture of the “most highly revered one, affords -me. I, however, do not indulge in the hope of this restoration,” since I -find my own experience as frequently opposed to as in harmony with that -of others, and the result of my reflections on this obscure subject, is -simply this, that it is one of the innumerable questions, which are -beyond the veil that separates us both from the great secrets of our own -nature, and from those which nature in general interposes between first -causes and perceptible phenomena. I did, however, excuse the rising -superstition by recalling the indisputable truth, that vivid agreeable -effects on the mind or soul react upon the body; but why did the -reaction not endure in my case? Be this as it may, it is a fact that the -portrait of the King always moved before my eyes during my restless -nights; I hoped every day would bring me news of it. I perfectly -understand that a care for the well-being of millions of subjects, -equally dear to the heart of the monarch, rules the ruler himself and -compels him to abandon, under the pressure of the moment, the -arrangement of a succession of innumerable interests centring in him; I -also fully understand that the King, although he is no more unmindful of -the honors he intends bestowing than of those he has already awarded, -has not been able to fix the exact moment of conferring the intended -benefit upon me. I also know beyond all doubt, that I am standing upon a -mine which may at any time explode, and that to-day has no power over -to-morrow. I have, therefore, thought best to conceal entirely within my -own breast the hope of possessing the dearest of pictures, and to betray -nothing, even to my wife and daughters, until further news of the actual -approach of the hoped-for object shall render me as secure in the -certainty as the case permits. I have the utmost horror against the -propagation of anything the truth of which maybe subjected to doubts by -succeeding events; knowing from sad experience that it may not be -sustained by the next moment, for which falsehood and misrepresentation -are greedily lying in wait. I fear that the premature spreading of such -news, moreover, may imply a sort of coercion (sit venia verbo) on the -King. These reflections imposed profound silence on me. But when the -letter of your Excellency to Herr von Wegnern spread the news without my -co-operation, and when the realization of my hopes seemed near, this -compulsory silence terminated, and I actually revelled in the idea of -its possession. Next day, the 28th of January, I put down on paper the -testamentary provision, which disposes of the picture after my death. I -consider it the common property of our country, not only on account of -its fundamental object, that of alleviating the sufferings of the sick -man, but also for other reasons. I therefore do not leave it to my -family; but in consequence of long and careful considerations, up to -January 27th, to my native town of Minden, so that the highest military -and civil functionaries of the province, together with the Mayor of the -town, may decide further on the place and manner of its keeping. -Moreover, on the 28th of January, I entered upon the execution of other -plans relative to the fulfilment of my hopes, which entertained me in -various ways during these last months. In order to receive the portrait -of the “most highly revered” in a becoming manner, it is necessary to -put the place where I shall keep it into the best state at my command. I -have, therefore, condemned the present furniture and ornaments of my two -rooms, and ordered new ones, as luxurious and tasteful (for a professor, -of course) as I could decide upon. The directions for their manufacture -were sent immediately, and with the opening of the navigation in spring -I shall have everything I want. I shall blame no one who thinks me -foolish in prosecuting plans for embellishing my residence at a moment -when my leaving it for ever seems so highly probable. But if I delayed, -the prospect of the arrival of the royal portrait would depress, instead -of elevating me joyfully, as it does now, above much suffering. If I -enjoy the sight of the picture even one day only, I shall pass through a -fleeting, indeed, but beautiful “frontier scenery”—from this life into -the other! One thing yet I shall add before I cease annoying your -Excellency, by narrating the consequences following the invaluable -expected gift of the most high Master. Mr. Chancellor von Wegnern has -asked Professor Simson to express to me his wish to insert a notice of -the picture in the papers. But I opposed it, partly for reasons stated -above, and partly because such a notice would certainly be more -appropriate after the receipt of the picture. In case I should be unable -to write any more after its arrival, Simson knows what are to be the -contents of the notice according to my wish. - -Could I but once behold the fine appearance now presented of the comet -of Biela! At our place, on the 11th of January, Wichmann could observe -nothing, perhaps, or probably on account of the little clearness of the -sky at that time; but on the 15th he saw distinctly both heads of the -comet. On the following day he described to me orally what he had seen; -but I did not get a clear idea of it, and was, on the contrary, of -opinion, that what he called a second head of the comet, is an -accumulation of nebulæ, as other comets too had shown at a greater or -smaller distance from the real head. I asked of him to make for me, when -it appeared again, a diagram of it, as accurate as possible. The state -of the sky and the position of the comet, which was often very low, -delayed the making of a diagram and measurement till the 26th of -January. Since that time the second head of the comet has been traced as -faithfully as possible. Our observations are the earliest of those -known; since, they have directed their attention to it everywhere, and -have measured it; there will become known, in spite of the bad season, a -fine series of observations, which may, as I hope, permit us to draw -reliable conclusions. As now developed, forces of polarity, I believe, -must be recognised in it. The further developments will, I hope, enable -us to advance beyond superficial conjectures like these. - -The observations of the new planet can be made here so excellently by -the heliometer, which is quite invaluable for this purpose, that their -accuracy far surpasses that of the best meridian observations; of course -its greatest usefulness will only be attained when the stars of -comparison are equally well determined in their position. To this -determination, then, the power of the meridian observations is directed -about the planet itself. Dr. Busch, following my counsel, does not -trouble himself. I have also requested Encke and Schuhmacher to assist -in determining the positions of the stars. The former has already -received from here a series of excellent observations, as a foundation -for his calculation of the orbit, and he will soon receive the -continuation of them. It is very fortunate that I have arranged my -extensive investigations on the exact reduction of observations by my -heliometer, and that these are published in the first volume of my -“Astronomische Untersuchungen.” Without them, Wichmann would be unable -to reduce them with exactness, as I can do nothing now, and the -observations of the planet would thereby lose much of their interest, -which exists only in the first period of observation, and therefore only -when the observations are calculated immediately. I hope, that by -proceeding on this basis, Encke’s calculations will acquire certainty, -which will prove itself up to a few seconds at the reappearance of the -planet. - -At last an end of this! - - In accustomed reverence to the end of life, - Your Excellency’s most obedient - F. W. BESSEL. - - NOTE BY HUMBOLDT.—The last letter but one which I received from the - great and noble man. - - - - - 112. - VICTOR HUGO TO HUMBOLDT. - - - _March 20th, 1845._ - -You have been kind enough, my Lord Baron, and illustrious colleague, to -promise your acceptance of a copy of “Notre Dame de Paris,” and the -further good office of offering it in my name to your august Sovereign, -my sympathy with and admiration for whom are well known to you. To -“Notre Dame de Paris” I add my solemn discourse before the Academy. It -would make me happy to think that it gave you a little pleasure to -receive this mark of my high and profound regard. - - Yours, - VICTOR HUGO. - - - - - 113. - FRIEDRICH RUECKERT TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _March, 1846_. - -I had the misfortune of twice missing your Excellency when I called to -give you my thanks for your great kindness, and at the same time to bid -you a hearty farewell, as to-morrow I hasten to my rustic solitude. May -God grant you many felicitous hours for the happy completion of your -great work, for which I now am more heartily anxious than for any work -of my own. For it is the monument of honor for Germany, her -representative work before the nations of Europe; and I, as a German, -feel proud that you did not write it in French. I would also ask your -leave to introduce to you my eldest son, who is private tutor at the -university of Jena; now, he may try his luck himself with you, as bearer -of this letter. Finally, I beg of you that you will speak in my behalf -with their Majesties, whom it was not my fortune to see this winter. May -I yet be permitted to work something worthy of their approbation and of -yours; but may you also be persuaded that it is not for me to appear in -person before the public of the capital, but to shape my thoughts in the -solitude and quiet of rural life, whither I am now permitted to -withdraw, grateful for the highest favor of his Majesty, and with the -purest reverence for you. - - RUECKERT. - - - - - 114. - ALEXANDER MANZONI TO HUMBOLDT. - - (FROM THE FRENCH.) - - - MILAN, _Dec. 6th, 1844_. - - MONSIEUR LE BARON: - -I would not have hesitated to express my confidence in an august and -perfect goodness; but, instead of a becoming confidence, it would have -been an unpardonable presumption on my part to have dared to foresee -under what ingeniously amiable form this goodness would deign to -manifest itself. I have thus a second time acquired the precious right -(I had almost been made to forget that it is a sacred duty), to beg your -Excellency to lay at the feet of your noble sovereign the humble tribute -of a gratitude which has become, if possible, more lively and more -grateful. And at the risk of appearing indiscreet, I cannot refrain from -availing myself of this opportunity to renew the respectful homage of -the devotion which, as a dweller on this earth, and under this title, -_nihil humani a me alienum putans_, I have long entertained. This homage -would cease to be pure, and would thus lose its unique value if it -involved the slightest sacrifice of my Catholic conscience, that is to -say, of that which is the soul of my conscience. But, thank God, such is -not the case; for, amid the character and the sign of the high destiny -which I salute from afar, with a respectful joy, it is my privilege to -admire and to love the development of the most excellent work of -justice, which is the liberty of doing good. - -My admiration for you, M. le Baron, if even it did not content itself -with being the simple echo of so great a reputation, ought not to -surprise you; for if, as I am daily told, there is not a learned man who -has not something to learn from you, there are few unlearned men whom -you have not taught something. In this connexion, and at the risk of -abusing your indulgence, I cannot conceal from you my hope to have a -memento of Humboldt—a memento less precious, no doubt, than those which -I owe to his good-will, but which will also have its value. My -fellow-citizen, Count Alexander Lito Modignani, in a journey made by -him, entirely under your guidance, in North America, sought out, in the -mountain of Quindia, the magnificent Ceroxylus at the season of the -ripeness of their fruit, possessed himself of one, and was kind enough, -on his return, to divide with me the seeds he gathered from it. Planted -last spring, not one has yet sprung up; but on visiting them lately, I -found them entirely sound, and in two of them a trace of vegetation was -perceptible at the base. I should be happy, and even a little proud, to -possess a memento, and that, I believe, a very rare one, of a people at -once ancient and new, whom you have subjected to the victorious sway of -science. - -It is with the most profound respect, and, permit me to add, with that -affection always so naturally entertained for a great man, and which it -gives such pleasure to express, that I have the honor to be your -Excellency’s most humble and most obedient servant, - - ALEXANDER MANZONI. - - NOTE BY HUMBOLDT.—Written to A. Humboldt on the occasion of a refusal - to accept the class of peace of the order _pour le merite_. I had - been commissioned to write to him, that it was not to interfere with - his liberty in any degree, that he was never to wear the cross, but - that a name so great and so beautiful as his must needs continue to - grace the list of the knights. - - - - - 115. - THIERS TO HUMBOLDT. - - (FROM THE FRENCH.) - - - PARIS, _August, 1845_. - -Sir,—I take the liberty of introducing a young Frenchman, full of -talents, of acquirements, and of thirst for knowledge. He desires to -become acquainted with Germany, and Berlin in particular. I thought I -could not direct him better than to the illustrious who does the honors -of Berlin to strangers. Permit me to recommend him in a very special -manner. Mr. Thomas is my particular friend, and the friend of all your -friends of Paris. Be pleased to receive in advance all my thanks for the -reception you will kindly accord him, and to receive the assurance of my -attachment and of my high consideration. - - A. THIERS. - - - - - 116. - THE PRINCESS OF CANINO, LUCIEN BONAPARTE’S WIDOW, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _May, 1845_. - -I send you, M. le Baron, a copy of my refutation of M. Thiers, in regard -to the passages of that historian which assail the memory of my husband. -The esteem which you bore him, as well as that of your dear brother and -your estimable sister-in-law, both, to me, of sweet and noble memory, -leads me to hope that you will receive with interest this token of all -the sentiments I possess for you, M. le Baron, and in which I beg you to -believe me. Yours affectionately, - - THE PRINCESS OF CANINO, - Widow Bonaparte Lucien. - - - - - 117. - DUCHESS HELENE D’ORLEANS TO HUMBOLDT. - - - TUILERIES, _Feb. 12th, 1845_. - -I will not longer hold the treasure intrusted to my keeping, which was a -source of great joy to me. Receive once more my sincerest thanks for -this communication, and let me hope soon to find new material for -thanks. You see, selfishness is unpardonably predominant in my -character. - - Your Excellency’s affectionate - HELENE. - - - - - 118. - DUCHESS HELENE D’ORLEANS TO HUMBOLDT. - - - NEUILLY, _May 12th, 1845_. - -Your Excellency must suffer me often to claim your services; but to-day -I come to ask something great of you. I wish for myself and for my -cousin of Weimar the instructive pleasure of visiting Versailles in your -society; our plan is to go there on Thursday. For the evening, the King -invites you for dinner and theatre in Trianon. If you have the courage -to share our altered pilgrimage, I invite your Excellency to be here in -Neuilly, Thursday, half-past 11, to accompany us on our journey. But if -other occupations should prevent you from going, I ask an _open -confession_. - -I beg your Excellency to receive the expression of my sincerest esteem, - - HELENE. - - - - - 119. - DUCHESS HELENE D’ORLEANS TO HUMBOLDT. - - - WINTER OF 1845. - -I had not the satisfaction to bid adieu to your Excellency, and to -repeat to you my thanks for your excellent work; permit me to do it now -in writing, whilst I send to you the lines for my beloved cousin, and -receive once more the expression of the most heartfelt wish to greet -again your Excellency, after a short interval, on French soil. - -With most sincere esteem, your Excellency’s affectionate - - HELENE. - - - - - 120. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _April 22d, 1846_. - -It has afforded me a great relief being permitted to read before you, -and while very much of the warm and friendly praises expressed by you -are of course to be ascribed to the kindness of heart which prompts you -to give pleasure to an old man, still there is a large margin for the -unalloyed gratification of my love of approbation. The main object of my -efforts is that of _composition_ in the precise sense of the word, the -command of large masses of matter compounded with care and with an -accurate knowledge of details. The management of our beautiful, pliant, -harmonious, and drastic tongue is but a secondary consideration. I shall -certainly find an opportunity of availing myself of your excellent -advice for Flemming and Mad. de Sevigné. Seneca also, though I consider -him a little bombastic (Quaest. natur.) I have taken home with me for -perusal. - -Now for the special purpose of these lines. The King said to me on going -to bed yesterday, “Let Bettina know that she may make her mind easy in -regard to the leading person.[47] No one ever thought of giving him up -to the Russians.” “You should write her to that effect yourself,” said -I. “Yes, I hope to do so,” was the answer. He spoke very kindly of -Bettina. - - With my old attachment, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - WEDNESDAY. - -How sad is this eighth attack upon the King! Strange that ministers and -cabinet councillors are never shot at! Such events are the more -unpleasant, the more the probabilities or improbabilities of their -recurrence baffle all attempts at calculation. - - - - - 121. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _May 18th, 1846_. - -I send you, dear friend, to be added to your collection, a very -remarkable letter from Prince Metternich, with a semi-theological -conclusion, full of mind and rhetorical fervor, with a slight dread of -pantheism at the close of the letter. - - With unaltered friendship, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 122. - METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. - - (From the French.) - - - VIENNA, _May 10, 1846_. - -MY DEAR BARON—Inclosed is my vote.[48] I give it in good conscience, and -absolve you from the crime of that electioneering to which the world is -addicted. The King and his Chancellor are the sound appreciators of -scientific merit, and I know how to designate the place which belongs to -me in the avenue of science, and which, to my great regret, is far from -the sanctuary. - -What I have just told you, my dear Baron, is neither gasconade nor an -excess of modesty; it is the unvarnished history of my life. You do not -know this history, and I will relate it to you in a few words. - -At the age at which life takes its direction, I contracted an -inclination for the exact and natural sciences which I would permit -myself to describe as irresistible, and a disgust for practical life -which I would call unconquerable, if I had not overcome both this -disgust and this inclination. It is fate that disposes of individuals, -and their qualities as well as their defects decide upon their careers. -Fate has separated me from the object of my choice, and has thrust me -upon the road I should not have chosen. Once started, I submitted -without losing sight of the goal of my wishes, and the result was that -what I should have wished to regard as the aim of my life has become -only the solace of it. The King has set the mark of a learned man upon -me. I know to whom this is to be attributed. If it is a question of the -heart, the King is not mistaken. - -What you tell me of the forthcoming second volume of Cosmos, makes me -look forward to the study of it with impatience; you are not to be read, -you must be studied, and the place of a pupil suits me exactly. No one -is more called upon than I am to do justice to your remark relative to -the influence exercised by Christianity on the natural sciences,[49] as -upon mankind in general and hence upon all science, for that remark has -long since dawned upon my mind. It is correct in all respects, and its -generating cause is simple as are all other truths, those which are, as -well as those which are not understood, for the latter circumstance has -no effect on the substance of a truth. Error leads to error, as truth is -the guide to truth. As long as the mind remained in error in the sphere -of thought which is the most elevated of all those attainable by the -human mind, this deplorable state of things could not fail to react upon -every quarter of the moral compass upon all intellectual and social -questions, and to oppose to their development in the right direction, an -insurmountable obstacle. _The good news_ once told, the position could -not but change. It was not by bestowing divine honor on _effects_ that -they could be traced to the fountain head of truth; the investigation -continued to be confined to the abstract speculations of the -philosophers, and to the rhapsodies of poets. The _cause_ once laid -bare, the hearts of men were comforted, and their minds opened to -conviction. Nevertheless, the latter still remained for a long time -shrouded in the mists of pagan scepticism, until at last scholastic -philosophy was unhorsed by experimental science. Do you admit the force -of my reasoning? If you do, I have no doubt you will share my fears that -true scientific progress is in danger of being checked by too ambitious -spirits, who desire to rise from the effects to the cause, and who -finding the approach cut off by the impassable barriers which God has -set upon human intelligence, and finding themselves unable to advance, -roll back upon themselves, and relapse into the stupidity of paganism, -in seeking the cause in the effect! - -The world, my dear Baron, is in a dangerous position. The social body is -in fermentation. You would do me a great favor if you could teach me the -nature of this fermentation, whether it is spirituous, acid, or putrid? -I greatly fear that the _verdict_ will be for the last-named of these -kinds, and it is not I who could teach you that these products are -hardly beneficial. - -Be pleased to accept the thanks of my household for your friendly -memento, and the assurance of the continuance of my old attachment. - - METTERNICH. - - - - - 123. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _May 30th, 1846_. - -Perhaps, my dear friend, it will not be without some interest to you to -possess a copy of the poem of the Crown-Prince of Bavaria. The language -is less crude than _that of_ Walhalla; and some passages show a good -deal of feeling, if but little poetical fervor. - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SATURDAY. - - - - - 124. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _November 14th, 1846_. - -What a splendid reception, my dear friend, have you given the fifth -volume of my brother! Pardon me if, in the excessive bustle of the last -few days upon the cold “historic hill,” I have not written some -commendatory remarks. I also deplore the omissions to which you are kind -enough to make me attentive. Perhaps they could be supplied in the next -volume. It was supposed that the letters must be printed in the form in -which my brother had prepared them for publication, and in which they -were offered for sale. I believe no nation on earth can produce an -instance of such a life devoted exclusively to the increase of the -wealth of ideas! How inexpressibly I rejoice in the mere prospect of -once more beholding a master-piece of your accurate, life-like, and -withal delicate representations of social and diplomatic occurrences! - -With unalterable attachment, - - Your grateful - A. HUMBOLDT. - - -While it was not entirely wise in a monarch who is great in history to -have yielded, under the influence of the atmosphere of Versailles, to -the temptation of offsetting the memory of the barricades with a -spectacle à la Louis XIV., throwing great difficulties in the way of the -successor, and attaining nothing of value, the conduct of Palmerston, -and of Albert and Victoria, on the other hand, is likewise clumsily -ill-mannered. Meantime, the sober Americans are establishing a universal -empire in the West, which already threatens the trade of China. - -My MS. “On the Textile Fabrics of the Ancients,” pp. 106 and 113, -appears also to have been lost among the papers of the lamented Wolf. -The effect of the religious music, particularly on p. 323, contains much -that is finely expressed. - - -In the year 1846 we find the following remark in Varnhagen’s diary: “The -conversation turned upon the capacity of one of the younger princes, -which was declared to be inferior. Humboldt was of a different opinion. -‘I do not agree with you,’ he said; ‘the young prince spoke to me the -other day, finding me in waiting in the apartments of his mother, and -asked, “Who are you?” “Humboldt is my name,” said I. “And what are you?” -“A chamberlain to his Majesty the King.” “Is that all?” said the prince, -curtly, turning on his heel. Is not that a proof of intelligence?’” - - - - - 125. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _November 28th, 1846_. - -I do not answer to-day, my dear friend, in regard to your splendid -Memoirs. How everything succeeds in your hands! To-day I recommend you -an able Frenchman, M. Galuski, who knows Germany better than we do, the -author of an essay on A. W. Schlegel. He will stay but a few days. -Preserve the autograph of Barante.[50] - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SATURDAY. - - - - - 126. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _December 6th, 1846_. - -There will be perhaps some delay, my dear friend, in your receiving the -“Cinq jours de Berlin,” in which I am spoken of by the Berliners (who -are introduced as speaking themselves), as a tolerably pleasant tattler, -but in which I am alluded to rather unkindly, as to my moral character. -If all my speeches lack consistency, I apprehend for the durability of -the system of the world, the Kosmos. Mr. Barrière will probably have -called on you the sixth day, and you will have suggested all that to -him. The paper contains some excellent things, Cracoviana, about the -vote of Prussia and Mr. de Kanitz. - -I send you for your autograph collection a flattering letter of Mignet, -and a letter of mine, written in 1801, at Carthagena, in South America, -at a turning point in my life, and addressed to “Citizen” Baudin, who, -on board of the Perron, made a voyage round the world. This letter was -written at a time when probably people in Europe had ceased to be -addressed any more as “citizens.” Baudin, instead of doubling Cape Horn, -and receiving me at Lima, went round the Cape of Good Hope to Australia. - - Your old friend, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SUNDAY. - - -I inclose an excellent letter of my brother to Koerner, which will be -published in the sixth volume; but you must return this copy. - - - - - 127. - MIGNET TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _July 1st, 1846_. - - DEAR BARON, AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS COLLEAGUE: - -You will easily understand how happy and flattered I was at hearing, -that the book “Antonio Perez and Philip II.” has interested you and -obtained approval so distinguished as that of your King. The applause of -a Prince, of so great genius and learning, who ranks among the most -acute and most infallible of literary critics, could not be otherwise -than of the greatest value to me. To make the book which was honored -with this august approbation worthier of it, may I ask you, my dear and -most illustrious colleague, to offer the work in the new form, more -complete and more elaborate, which I have just given to it, to your -sovereign? This is a respectful act of homage, which the King of -Prussia, by the expression of his kind satisfaction, has encouraged me -to render, and for which your goodness to me will obtain, I am very -sure, a gracious reception. - -I take also the liberty of sending to you, for your own library, a copy -of this new edition. Documents, hitherto unknown and very curious, which -have enabled me to exhibit the designs of Don John of Austria, the -murder of Escovedo, and the disgrace of Perez, in their true light, make -the first edition imperfect. - -But I must hasten to speak of the first volume of Kosmos, which you sent -me, and in which you have so admirably shown, if I may use one of your -beautiful sentences, “the order of the universe and the magnificence of -the order.” I read the book with the greatest pleasure and advantage. It -is an exposition, full of the most absorbing grandeur, of the phenomena -and laws of the universe, from those nebulous distances whence light -comes to us only after a journey of two millions of years, to the -revolutions which preceded the actual organization of our planet, and -which enabled men to be born, to live, and to reign on its surface. To -paint this great picture in its teeming variety and majestic harmony, -one needs to be master, like yourself, of all sciences, to love nature -earnestly, and to have studied her under every aspect. In addition he -must unite a vivid imagination to an accurate and profound judgment. -Finish quickly this charming work, for your own glory and for our -instruction. - -Accept, dear Baron, the assurance of my gratitude, my admiration, and my -affectionate devotion. - - MIGNET. - - - - - 128. - HUMBOLDT TO BAUDIN. - - - CARTHAGENA, _April 12, 1801_. - - CITIZEN! - -When I embraced you for the last time in Helvetius Street, in Paris, on -the eve of my departure for Africa and the East Indies, I had but a -feeble hope of seeing you again, and of sailing under your orders. You -have been told, no doubt, by our common friends, C. C. Jussieu, -Desfontaines ... how the Barbaresques have prevented my departure for -Egypt, how the King of Spain has given me permission to journey over his -vast domains in America and Asia, to gather whatever may be useful to -science. Independently, and always at my own expense, my friend Bonpland -and I have wandered for two years through the territories lying between -the coast, the Orinoco, the Casiquian, the Rio Negro, and the Amazon. -Our health has resisted the frightful risks created by the rivers. In -the midst of the forests we have talked of you; of our useless visits; -on C. Francois, of Neufchatel; of our beguiled hopes. Just as we were -starting from Havana for Mexico and the Philippines, the gratifying news -reached us that your perseverance had overcome every obstacle. After -making our calculations, we felt sure that you would touch at -Valparaiso, at Lima, or at Guayaquil. We changed our plans at once, and -in spite of the stormy gales of this shore, we started in a little pilot -boat to look for you in the South Sea, to try whether by reviving up our -old plans, we could join our labors with yours, and sail with you on the -South Sea. A long passage of twenty-one days from the Havana to -Carthagena, unfortunately hindered us from taking the route of Panama -and Guayaquil. We fear that the wind has ceased blowing in the South -Sea, and we have decided to continue our journey on land by the way of -the River Magdalena, Santa Fe, Popajan, Quito.... - -I hope we shall arrive in June or early in July at the city of Quito, -where I will wait for the news of your arrival at Lima. Have the -kindness to write me a line, directed in Spanish, “al Sr. Baron de -Humboldt, Quito; casa del Sr. Governador Baron de Carondelet.” In case I -should hear nothing from you, my respected friend, I intend to visit -Chimborasso, Losca, ... till November, 1801, and to come down in -December or January, 1802, with my instruments, to Lima. You will -perceive from all this, my revered friend, that the heat of the tropics -has not made me sluggish, and that I am afraid of no sacrifice where -useful and bold enterprises are to be prosecuted. I have told you now -frankly what I want from you. I know that I ask more from you than I can -return; it may also be that particular circumstances may prevent your -taking us on board of your vessel.... In that case, my letter may -embarrass you, the more, perhaps, since you honor me with your -friendship. I beg you, therefore, to write to me frankly. I shall always -be glad to have seen you once more, and shall never complain of -circumstances, which often govern us in spite of ourselves and our -wishes. Your frankness will be the highest proof of your regard for me. -I should then continue on my route from Lima to Acapulco, Mexico, the -Philippines, Surato, Bassora, Palestine, Marseilles. How much I should -prefer, however, to make a voyage with you! Mr. Bonpland presents you -his respects. - - Greetings and unchangeable friendship, - ALEXANDER HUMBOLDT. - - NOTE OF HUMBOLDT, WRITTEN LONG AFTER.—This letter to Captain Baudin, - written on my arrival at Carthagena (from the Havana), was returned - to me, Captain Baudin not having touched at Lima. - - A. HUMBOLDT. - - BERLIN, _Nov. 1846_. - - - - - 129. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - SUNDAY, _Feb. 21st, 1847_. - -I do not recollect showing you a very beautiful letter of my brother, on -the death of Schiller, dated “Rome, 1805.” It was discovered but lately, -and will be published in the next volume of his works. I inclose a very -amiable letter from Prince Metternich, received this week, also a stiff -and unmeaning one from Prince Albert. Prince Metternich has published, -at his own cost, a splendid description of his mineralogical collection -at Koenigswart, having probably in view his election to the Presidency -of the new Academy instead of Kolowrat. At the special request of Prince -Albert I left a copy of Kosmos on his desk at Stolzenfels. He had the -civility not to thank me. The “blackbird”[51] has improved his -politeness in the present instance, and besides, he makes me talk of -“roving oceans of light” and “sidereal terraces”—a Coburg version of my -text, _quite English_—from Windsor, where terraces abound. In Kosmos I -speak once of the “starry carpet,” page 159, in explaining the open -spaces between the stars. He presents me a work upon “Mexican -Monuments,” a copy of which I myself had purchased two years ago. A -splendid edition of Lord Byron would have been in better taste. It is -also strange that he does not mention “Queen Victoria.” Possibly my -“Book of Nature” is not sufficiently Christian for her Majesty. You see -that I am a severe critic of “princely epistles.” - -Please return Metternich and Albert soon, as I have not yet replied to -them; also Wilhelm’s letter at your leisure—it is the only copy I have. -I gave the original to Schlesier, who was very anxious to possess -something from my brother’s hand. - - With old attachment, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 130. - METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. - - - VIENNA, _February, 1847_. - - MY DEAR BARON: - -I will begin this letter by congratulating you upon the new decoration, -which the King has lately conferred upon you. The “_Eagle_” under whose -wing—sub umbra alarum—you have executed so much will be a noble -decoration on your breast. Suum cuique! - -Now to what I wish to say further. You know, that I am no savan and that -I have no pretension to be one; but notwithstanding this, you know that -I am the friend of science, and in that capacity have furnished the -means to some savans of publishing the little work of which I enclose -the first copy to you. I hope you will approve of its execution. I think -I am at the present the owner of the most complete collection of -monuments[52] now existing of an epoch of which I cannot pretend to fix -the age—and of which the “Gossau” conceals countless numbers. History -written by man presents but an insignificant point when compared to that -of which nature supplies the material. It was not I who christened one -of the Ammonites after me—it is the doing of the editors of the -opuscule.—I am, however, quite sure that neither my name nor even that -of Ammon was known when my godson was alive. - - Thousand sincere homages, my dear Baron, - METTERNICH. - - - - - 131. - PRINCE ALBERT TO HUMBOLDT. - - - WINDSOR CASTLE, _February 17th, 1847_. - - MY DEAR BARON: - -I have been constantly impressed while gradually reading the first -volume of your “Kosmos” with my desire to thank you for the high -intellectual enjoyment, its study has afforded me. - -I am really unable to give you an authoritative judgment on this -excellent work, which I received from your hands, and to atone in some -measure for this defect, as well as to give some substantial character -to the expression of my thanks, I present you the accompanying work -(Catherwood’s Views in Central America). It may serve as an appendix to -your own great work on Spanish America, and thus become worthy of your -attention. I do not dare to express the intense anxiety with which I -look forward to the appearance of the second volume of “Kosmos.” May -that Heaven, whose roving oceans of light and sidereal terraces you have -so ably described, be pleased to preserve you to your country, to the -world, and to “Kosmos” itself, for many years, in undisturbed vigor of -mind and body. This is the sincere wish of your - - Very devoted, - ALBERT. - - - - - 132. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _February 27th, 1847_. - -Here, at last, is my thankful letter to Carriere, containing three warm -recommendations. - -You were right in reprimanding me as to my extreme severity against the -man of the “sidereal terraces.” I am severe only to the mighty ones of -the earth, and this man impressed me very uncomfortably at Stolzenfels: -“I know you feel great compassion for the Poles under the Russian -sceptre; but, I am sorry to say, the Poles are as little deserving of -our sympathy as the Irish.” “Mihi dixit;” and one is the handsome -husband of the Queen of Great Britain! - -I hasten to Potsdam to-day, in order to bring all the manuscripts here, -which have fortunately arrived from Erfurt. Madame von Buelow writes, -that they contain a long and very beautiful passage about our Rahel, and -flattering things for you. - - With old attachment, - A. V. H. - - SATURDAY. - - - - - 133. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 27th, 1847_. - -I am more deserving than you would believe, dear friend! I am through -with the first volume of the “Letters”[53] (Therese’s property). I had -very little to correct, and only about four pages to suppress, viz. -allusions to biscuits, household details, a few sarcasms against Duke -Charles of Brunswick (which he would have answered with calumnies as to -the lady’s virtue), and more such things. The letters are excellent both -in thought and expression. They furnish a picture of a most remarkable -life. Their contempt of all worldly happiness or unhappiness beyond the -narrow circle of one’s own feelings, this mixture of scriptural and -Christian dogmas, of stoical indifference to the affairs of the world, -together with so much delicacy and gentleness in a correspondence, -continued to the four last days of a life, and written by a trembling -hand on ruled paper. The torments of love-sickness, _qui -n’impatientent_, are left untouched, in order not to lessen the -impression of that powerful individuality. I repeat, all that I struck -out amounts to only five or six lines—all that I suppressed as dull or -trivial, would not fill two printed pages. You will, however, see much, -very much, in the manuscript stricken out, thus ∽∽∽∽∽∽∽∽ sometimes half -pages; this is, however, not mine but the old lady’s doing. This -“Daughter of the Pastor of Taubenheim”[54] had, perhaps, hysterical fits -of prudery now and then. The different ink shows that I am a stranger to -these obliterations. - -The first volume has a beautiful passage on Therese, and says much in -praise of the King of Bavaria. In the second volume a description of -Rahel will please you. Of Bettina she speaks less approvingly, as Madame -von Buelow told me. I shall try to modify it in this respect. I think -the first volume will be ready for delivery next Tuesday, and the second -will soon follow. I shall bring it myself, together with notes and -facsimiles, all locked in a tin box, which must be shortened. Then you -will be in possession of the whole treasure, and I “salvavi animam -meam.” The thing will create much provoking but salutary scandal, and -will elicit much conflicting criticism. - - With sincerest friendship, yours, - A. V. HT. - - -Please don’t let the book be printed at Berlin, and have it (if -possible) advertised before it is in the trade. My letters to Carriere -will have duly reached you, I hope? - - -On the 30th March, 1847, Varnhagen wrote in his diary:—“Just when I -returned home, Humboldt came in and brought a pack of manuscripts—the -letters of his brother to Mrs. Diede. Humboldt regards affairs here as -desperate, as I do myself. He consoles himself with the belief that the -constitution presented, though good for nothing at first, may result -beneficially. He expects violence of every description—atrocities -committed by the police, popular rage, and military strokes. The King, -however, Humboldt thinks, has no misgivings. He is in high spirits, -having prepared his opening speech, and no longer minds the 11th of -April, and its consequences. He never yet talked with Humboldt on -constitutional affairs. As to Michelet, Eichhorn has instigated the King -very much; but after all they will not find a reason to dismiss him, -although the King would like very much to do it, and the Minister urges -him on to it.” - -On the 31st March Varnhagen adds: “Humboldt told me but yesterday that -the King was firmly believing the restoration of Don Miguel, Don Carlos, -the overthrow of the July dynasty, and that he would yet go to Paris, to -salute the legitimate king. Also, that he, Humboldt, was deemed a -Jacobin, who carried the tri-colored standard in his breeches pocket. As -for myself, I was considered a royalist, but the King had prejudices -against me. They think it strange that my old friend Canitz should not -have enlightened the King on my behalf; that they did not ask my advice, -and avail themselves of my services in the present situation. -Wittgenstein also has talked in this manner with Humboldt. They forget -only one thing: that I neither can nor will—the one and the other, with -equal determination.” - -The nobility is terribly excited; the change is remarkable; self-esteem -is mightily roused. The devil himself could not have invented more -efficacious ways of provoking the hostility of this whole class than -this monstrous “Herrenstand.” - -_A Dream._—I saw the King weeping bitterly, and crying: so far it has -come. Well, I will resign! May my brother take charge of the whole, and -be happier than I was! - -March 27th, 1847, Varnhagen wrote the following repartee of Humboldt in -his diary: “Humboldt recited, good-humoredly, that a certain Mr. Massow, -in the Assembly, had characterized liberalism as a felony. He, Humboldt, -was therefore a twofold felon, as Minister Bodelschwingh considered -literary men felonious.” - -On the 11th July, 1847, Varnhagen observes: “This morning Humboldt came -in quite unexpectedly. He is in good health and spirits, and denies -having been really sick. He says that the King lives in a whirlpool of -pleasure, that he is often extravagantly gay; thinks no longer of the -Chamber, except when reminded of it, when he becomes immediately grave -and sullen. The ministers, however, are full of anger—Savigny and -Eichhorn particularly so. Foremost, however, is Bodelschwingh, who is -always exciting the King to strong measures. Canitz acts this time in a -conciliatory and compromising spirit. Bodelschwingh cannot bear being -deprived of the imaginary triumph of his visionary premiership by the -Chambers. Humboldt is engaged on the final sheets of his second volume. -He is going to Paris next September.” - - - - - 134. - - - BERLIN, _Jan. 18th, 1849_. - -If I appear slow, my dear Varnhagen, and rather laconic to-day in -offering you my thanks for your friendly presents and your letter, and -your congratulations, you will not ascribe it to a diminution of my true -esteem and friendship. I have had but now the enjoyment of what you -alone are entitled to call “A Plain Discourse.”[55] - -How much more fearful, and at the same time hopeful, a turn events have -taken. They only know how to oppose brute force to the impending danger, -and are afraid themselves to pluck the proffered fruit. - -Romuald’s “Vocation”[56] deserves, no doubt, the severest censure. What -an abuse of his most eminent talents! We will talk about it as soon as I -shall have done with the “Ordenstag[57]” and the annoyances of the -Academy elections of my order. _La petite piece_ side by side with the -great world’s drama. - - With the old attachment, - Yours, - A. V. HT. - - -There never was nobler praise bestowed on the King than in “The Plain -Discourse.” - - -The little work, “Plain Discourse to the Germans on the Duties of the -Day. Berlin, 1848,” is from the pen of Varnhagen. A few months later, on -the 10th of May, 1849, the author himself thus speaks of it in his -diary: “I have been re-reading what I wrote in August last on Frederick -William IV., and what I wrote in 1840, the day after he received the -homage of his subjects. What strange sensations it provokes! Do what I -will, awake or asleep, I cannot for a moment shake off the nightmare of -consciousness of our political condition, although I know full well how -ephemeral it is, how certain the retribution, and how bright the -ultimate future. Arouse then, my country, arouse! Civil war is thy fate, -but it is not thy choice. Go on thy way undaunted, and be the blood on -the head of those who willed it not otherwise. At a time like this it is -not the successes but the failures of the moment that are of profit to -the people.” - -This is the place to interpose another visit from Humboldt to Varnhagen. -On the 12th of February, 1849, the latter wrote in his diary: “Humboldt -called. He thinks it absurd in the ministers to talk of meeting the -Chambers, when they cannot find men to make up their own number. Even -Kuehlwetter disdains to join them. My opinion that the constitution -imposed by the government is merely a husk concealing the germ of a new -revolution, which will shortly burst forth, startled him a little; but -he was much pleased with the notion that the King has been embroiled -with the canon of logic for the last eight years past. He says the King -was disposed to return to Canitz as Minister of Foreign Affairs! -Eichhorn also vouchsafes his advice, and, like the lady of Privy -Counsellor ——, talks of the Pietists as if he had never belonged to -them. - -“The ‘Staats Anzeiger’ publishes the Austrian note in regard to the -German question. Austria will not withdraw, but will have a voice in the -counsels of the empire, and will not tolerate a variety of things, such -as popular sovereignty, or any leadership except its own. A fling at -Prussia, a fling at Frankfort, and particularly at Gagern. There it is! -Everything plays into the hands of the revolution!” - - - - - 135. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _August 16th, 1849_. - -Whenever I enjoy the fancy of having written a few lines grateful to my -ears, I always ask myself whether they would also please you, my valued -friend. You know, or rather you do not know, that the Princess of -Prussia has deposited a splendid album, with numerous autographs and -painted initials, in those halls of the Chateau at Weimar which have -been dedicated to Goethe, Schiller, and to Herder and Wieland, maligned -by Schiller in his letters to Koerner. I have been compelled to write a -preface, which Galuski has translated quite happily. The Grand-Duchess -desired a French version for the benefit of foreign travellers who might -open the album. Look upon this little memento of your friend with -indulgence. There is blood on the horizon, and it makes me sad. I need -not remind you of the friendship and esteem of - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SUNDAY. - - - - - 136. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _October 15th, 1849_. - -I hope, my dear friend, that my “Views of Nature,” enlarged, and, for -two-thirds of it, almost re-written, are at last in your hands! It was -owing to an unfortunate confusion, occasioned by my long absence from -Berlin, that this my favorite work was so long in reaching my favorite -reader. Perhaps you will derive a brief pleasure from contrasting the -picture of the nocturnal din of the words with that of the stillness of -high noon—vol. i., pp. 333 and 337; or from glancing at the golden -visions of young Astorpileo, vol. ii., 352. - - In love and friendship, yours, - - In haste. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -Increase your collection of autographs by a very agreeable letter from -the man who now lives in Brussels. The phrase “votre fortune morale” is -used with great freedom. But the newspaper, all disfigured with -bloodstains! What a, year, in which all the feelings of the heart run -wild! - - - - - 137. - METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. - - (FROM THE FRENCH.) - - - RICHMOND, _Sep. 17th, 1849_. - - MY DEAR BARON: - -I see by to-day’s papers that the 9th of September, 1769, gave you to -the world, and that thus you have just celebrated your eightieth -birth-day. Had I been near you I would have joined your friends in -offering my good wishes; at the distance which separates us, I approach -you alone. Let me say in a few words that I render thanks to the giver -of the faculties which have rendered your name imperishable. To be born -is of little account; to make life valuable is excellent. You are -numbered among the richest, and you have made a noble use of your moral -fortune. May God preserve you in safety and in health! - -Receive, my dear Baron, with the expression of a congratulation of which -you do not doubt the sincerity, that of my sentiments of devotion and -friendship, of a date as ancient as all that has a place between us! - - METTERNICH. - - - - - 138. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _October 29th, 1849_. - - MY DEAR FRIEND: - -A German letter of the Duchess of Orleans, to whom I have sent all my -writings for many years, and who is very fond of them. She writes a hand -so cabalistic to my eyes, that I beg to avail myself of your diplomatic -experience in decyphering, and to be favored with a legible copy. The -purport appears to be of a political nature. It will not be without -interest for you, and on this account I appeal all the more confidently -to your good-nature. - - Your faithful friend, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 139. - HELEN, DUCHESS OF ORLEANS, TO HUMBOLDT. - - -Your Excellency will accept my most heartfelt thanks for the token of -the remembrance, so valued by me, which you devote to the hours we -passed in times but recently gone by, which the course of events, -however, seems already to have thrust back into antediluvian periods. - -I see with joyous gratitude that the conversations in my red saloon in -the Tuileries and in St. Cloud, ever present to myself, still live in -your recollection also, and thank your Excellency for this constancy of -sentiments, doubly precious at a time like this. - -The kindness of my beloved cousin had already enabled me to refresh -myself by the perusal of your latest work, which is hailed as a fountain -of health by so many hearts smitten by the rude hand of fate, and minds -stunned by the wild confusion of public events; and my son has also -found nourishment in it to assuage his thirst of knowledge. -Nevertheless, I thank you most cordially for the jewel you have sent, -which receives additional value from being accompanied by your letter. - -As you say, in words so mild and yet so truly appropriate, “Men are at -present laboring at a _fable convenue_; they strive in part after what -is unattainable, and in which they themselves do not believe!” But where -will the light appear that is to lead them to the truth, and what events -will yet be required to convince them of the impracticability of the -most contradictory demands? I agree with your Excellency in thinking -that the present tranquillity is destined to be of brief duration. I -also do not see in it any real pacification, but only the apathy and -indifference which enervates without convincing. Who can fathom the -future? The riddle of the coming day remains concealed—how much more -must we await in patience the developments of coming years? But courage -and resignation must not be impaired by this uncertainty; on the -contrary, our hearts should be steeled by it. - -During my visit in England, the King asked many questions in regard to -the health of your Excellency; the Queen also received with great -interest such reports as I could give her. They hold in grateful -remembrance your frequent visits in Paris. My children ask to be -commended to your recollection, and I also hope to revive in it from -time to time. - -With heartfelt reverence and gratitude, your Excellency’s friend and -admirer, - - HELEN. - - EISENACH, _Oct. 23, 1849_. - - - - - 140. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _October 31st, 1849_. - -A thousand, thousand thanks for the interpretation, my dear friend. How -the political tempests have ravaged even this handwriting, once so fine, -or, at least, so distinct. The “beloved courier” I read “beloved -cousin,” the Princess of Prussia, who first showed the Duchess the -latest “Views.” - -A little address delivered by me before the delegates from this city, in -which I referred to the views of my brother, a Potsdamer by birth, on a -political life which develops itself freely from within, has been -printed by the “Spikersche Zeitung,” with numerous typographical errors. -Inclosed is my own report, written immediately after delivery. I would -have been pleased if the answer had been correctly given in the -Constitutional and other truly liberal papers. With my old devotion and -friendship, - - Yours, - A. HT. - - WEDNESDAY NIGHT. - - - (INCLOSURE.) - -I cannot, fellow-citizens, more vividly express the profound gratitude I -entertain, than by saying, that you have given me as great a pleasure as -you have bestowed an unexpected honor. A pleasure such as this shall not -be dashed by the question how I can possibly deserve this distinction at -the hands of your beautiful city. You have worthily shown, not only that -you value her material prosperity, but that you are alive to higher -interests, and accord sympathy and respect to efforts directed to the -advancement of knowledge, the education of the people, and the general -culture of mankind. As a reward for a portion of these efforts, to which -my long and chequered life has been devoted, I accept with pride your -flattering gift. By the favor of two illustrious monarchs it has been my -privilege, for twenty-two years, with but little interruption, to live -as your townsman, and to find, in scenery beautiful by nature and art, -those inspirations indispensable to a life-like portraiture of nature, -which aims to display the workings of the powers of the universe. -Grateful for this good fortune, I have adorned almost all my later -writings with the historic name which has become dear to me, and in the -walls of which the year 1767 witnessed the birth of my brother, whose -memory lives in the hearts of those who have preserved a sense of the -enlarged proportions of a political life which progresses in obedience -to laws inherent in the constitution of society. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - -On receipt of the Honorary Citizenship of Potsdam. - - - - - 141. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _November 4th, 1849_. - -What pleasure you have given me, dear friend, by so agreeable a -communication from England! But on account of my brother’s memory, and -in order to reply to those who calumniate me for remaining at this -court, I am very anxious to see my response to the deputies of Potsdam -correctly printed in a liberal journal. I would like to send it to the -“Constitutionelle Zeitung,” which has not yet mentioned the subject. I -have no copy, however—nothing but the bit of paper I sent you. Have the -goodness to send it back to me soon. - -How important is the news from Paris! The forward one may attain the -consulate for life (to which the words _durée et stabilité_ seem to -refer); but he will fall, nevertheless, and awake the sleeping lion. -Liberty will lose nothing by it, and the German statesmen (are there any -such besides Herr von Gagern?) will then understand, that in the centre -of Europe is the France of 1789, the same, about the nullity of which so -many sarcasms have been uttered. The centres of gravity change. - -With cordial friendship, yours, - - A. HT. - - SUNDAY. - - - - - 142. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 19th, 1850_. - -Accept, my dear friend, my heartfelt thanks for the lines you gave M. -Rio, whose praises had already been sung to me by Cornelius, Olfers, -Radowitz, and the King himself, on account of the book, “De l’Art -Chretien.” The new incarnation of a deputy to the Erfurt Parliament, and -his supervision in the interest of the Prince President, was unexpected; -but Rafael himself was a good deal of a mannerist. - -Very truly, and in some suspense, - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - TUESDAY. - - - - - 143. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _July 2d, 1850_. - -In the gloomy period of reaction, I am delighted to receive so pleasing -a memento at your hand, my dear friend. I am also glad of your journey -to Kiel, to the little region where German spirit finds an expression -free and consistent. The state of public affairs is like the -water-bottle shaken by D’Alembert, in order to produce a mixture of -bubbles of different shapes. “Calculez moi cela,” he said, in irony of -hydraulic science, of which he was himself so great a professor. Many a -bubble will burst before the diplomatists find time to calculate its -evanescent figure. - -I shall render my heartfelt thanks to Herr von Froloff. I made a futile -effort to dissuade him from inserting a mass of explanations and -metaphors, intended to facilitate comprehension. He wished to accomplish -what is absolutely impossible, and seemed to have but little -understanding of the form of composition. I shall say nothing more to -him about all that. Hybrids are never successful in literature. - -I was extremely unwell, confined to my bed even; but now, in spite of -the dispersion of all matters of interest, I am well, industrious, and -not cheerful. - - In friendship as of old, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 144. - HUMBOLDT TO BETTINA VON ARNIM. - - (Copy in Varnhagen’s Handwriting.) - - - BERLIN, _June 7th, 1851_. - -You could not doubt, dear lady Baroness, that I would respond with the -greatest warmth to your wishes for a composer of such sterling merit -as * * * * In consequence of malignant prejudices against music, -originated by my brother, and transmitted through the King to me, my -voice upon a subject which no one ever mentions to me, is somewhat -lacking in tone, particularly when church music is in question. What -with Warsaw, Olmuetz, Russian Grand Dukes, and, to name something of a -higher order, Rauch’s inspiring master-piece, it was impossible hitherto -to obtain a hearing. Warsaw is now succeeded by Hanover, by the visit to -your royal friend and mine. I have not yet seen our monarch at Potsdam -again, and surrounded by all the horrors of a cosmic transmigration, -shall wait for the returning tide from Warsaw (the alluvium of Batavian -and Mecklenburgh highnesses), and when the rock-bound seas are calm -again, I shall go to work systematically, as your cheerful and genial -letter inspires me. But at this gloomy period everything oral is -unheard, and what is written is scarcely noticed. The latter, however, -is an insuperable necessity. In order, then, to accomplish so attainable -a purpose, a very brief writing addressed immediately to the King, will -be required, to be delivered by me with a warm recommendation. Our -excellent friend asks the King for a trifling assistance in point of -funds, to enable him to travel to Munich. The statement of a specific -amount is not necessary, but it will simplify the matter. The man’s -delicate sense of honor will not be offended by my suggestion, as the -request is made not for himself, but for a noble service to the cause of -art. - -With all devotion and grateful reverence, your most faithful and -obedient - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 145. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _November 1st, 1851_. - -You have given me an inexpressible pleasure, my dear, my noble friend, -by your kind letter. I am heavily in your debt, and my long silence and -apparent neglect might have provoked some suspicions of coolness or -diversity on matters of opinion. With a man of your mind and goodness of -heart I ought to have entertained no such apprehensions. Before I -received your dear letter with Baader’s portrait, it was my intention to -bring you personally the third volume of Kosmos (two parts in one), now -finished with great difficulty, and which unfortunately is exclusively -astronomical. I was certain of a kind reception, and your letter of the -24th of October, which had been left behind in my house at Berlin, -confirmed my purpose. Ottilie von Goethe gives me cheering news in -regard to your health. As usual you will combat her opinion. But what -astonished me was, that the president of the council, usually cold as a -glacier, was delighted with Ottilie, and is entirely disposed to gratify -her wish for the appointment of Wolfgang, at the Prussian embassy at -Rome. Was it necessary, however, for Wolfgang, after publishing a very -able little work on Nature and Legislation, to go to press with a -collection of poems, containing but rare gleams of imagination? - -Written with the devotion of better days, in a time of gloom and -feebleness, by - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -On the 24th of November, 1851, Varnhagen wrote in his diary: “Backbiters -are busy with Humboldt. Littleness and mediocrity, conscious of their -nothingness beside him, combine their envy and spite, and thereby hope -to be something. The one comes to the other with smiles, and makes him -the confidant of the dislike he entertains, and of the foibles and -defects he claims to have detected. The other welcomes the suggestion, -responds with similar remarks, they clasp each other’s hands, and are -fast friends in enmity of the hero. Those who pretend to be the most -faithful lend themselves to such intrigues. Singly they amount to -nothing, but when lumped together they constitute a stumbling-block, -which obstructs the light of day, interferes with what is good, and -destroys life and spirits: such vermin tormented Goethe, and now they -torment Humboldt. I know these fellows by experience; in Rahel’s time I -have seen my fill of it! The brothers, the nieces, how glad they would -be to make common cause with the most inferior beings, to place their -united mediocrity above the genial power of heart and mind, by which -even they were yet constantly lighted and warmed! Humboldt’s weak points -are well known, he does nothing in secret, men see him as he is; but his -greatness is unimpaired, the greatness of his mind and the equal -greatness of his heart. And eighty years—what a bulwark! Who will dare -assail it?” - - - - - 146. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _January 28th, 1852_. - -Here is my Cosmic present, my dear friend! I choose not to bring it -myself lest it should seem that I dare not come without it. Cast a look -at p. 1–25, Mars p. 511, and the concluding passage p. 625–631. - -I may call to-morrow, Thursday, at one o’clock, may I not? I shall be -sure to come. - -With the old attachment, which will never grow cold, - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - WEDNESDAY. - - -With two yellow pamphlets, to his friend of many years, Varnhagen von -Ense, with old admiration and attachment. The author. - - -On the 29th January, 1852, Varnhagen’s journal reads as follows: -“Humboldt came at one o’clock, wonderfully robust for his time of life! -Speaks with indignant scorn of the _coup d’état_ in France, the -undisguised outrage, the arbitrary banishments, and particularly the -robbery of the estates of the Orleans family. The King was at first full -of rejoicing, he and the court saw nothing offensive in the crime -committed against the people, the legislature, the law, and the sanctity -of oaths, but that the adventurer preserves universal suffrage, rests -upon the people, practises socialism, and even wants to be emperor; this -is what makes him detested! Humboldt is of opinion that in the -revolution of February the establishment of the Provisional Government, -which was immediately obeyed throughout France, was a piece of even -greater audacity than the present usurpation of the one man who has -already been president, and worn the name of government for three years. -I reminded him of the parliament, and the committee of fifty at -Frankfort-on-the-Main. In the disposition to acquiesce, he sees that -national feeling of unity and cohesion which, among Frenchmen, -suppresses all party feeling. Humboldt says there is no doubt that Louis -Bonaparte is a son of Admiral Verhuel, and his brother, Morny, a son of -General Flahault, who, he says, lived with both the sisters, the Queen -of Holland and the Queen of Naples. Of Persigny—Fialin de Persigny—he -speaks with the utmost contempt, calling him a raw, unkempt -non-commissioned officer, who still arrogates to himself discoveries -about the pyramids. Passing on to our own affairs, he deplored the -narrowness, the pitiful character of our ministry; he considers Raumer -the most stupid of them all, stupid and unmannerly both; the King is -cross and peevish, capricious, and prone to excuse himself by saying -that he is powerless, and must be governed by his ministers.” - - -On the 30th of January, 1852, Varnhagen adds: “Humboldt takes a lively -interest in the widow of the philologist F.; her husband has done much -work for him. At Humboldt’s urgent advice, she has petitioned the King -for a pension, and Humboldt and Boekh were to support the petition by -their signatures. But F. was a democrat, not an active, but an avowed -one, and the King might have heard of it. To neutralize this, Humboldt -proposed to request Stahl to join in countersigning the petition. His -own name can now accomplish nothing with the King! On what days have we -fallen, when Humboldt asks Stahl to give him countenance!” - - - - - 147. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Feb. 5th, 1852_. - -I believe, my dear friend, that the letter I have just received, will -greatly confirm your ideas about Paris. Galuski, the translator of the -second volume of Kosmos, is a man of noble instincts, great talents, and -much philological learning, but very moderate in his love of liberty. -What he says of his first impression, is a pretty impudent expression of -this moderation. He also was seized with a marvellous dread of coming -events. My opinion has always been that the wildest republic cannot do -so much and such enduring harm to the intellectual progress of mankind, -and to their consciousness of right and honor, as _le régime de mon -oncle, le despotisme éclairé, dogmatique, milieux_, which applies all -the arts of civilization to subject a people to the caprices of an -individual. Read, to increase your abhorrence of such degradation, which -threatens to spread like a pestilence, in the “Journal des Debats” of -this morning (February 3d), the reasons for drawing up a list of -recommendations of those who might be elected (according to the -“Constitutionnel).” The “Spenersche Zeitung” of yesterday did not fail -to follow suit with a communication in favor of a similar set of -proposals for our second chamber! - -I hope soon to procure for you the Histoire de l’Académie (by -Bartholmess). I have made many vain efforts to advance the interests of -Professor F.’s widow. - - Your most attached, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - SUPPLEMENT. - -“Spenersche Zeitung,” of 1852, Feb. 4, No. 29.—The transactions in -reference to the formation of the second Chamber have repeatedly been -the subject of our communications. It is perhaps not equally well known, -that at this moment the attention of higher circles is also directed to -the formation of the Second Chamber. The present electoral law presents -the right of suffrage as one to be exercised or not at the option of the -voter, without a corresponding obligation on his part. A law compelling -men to vote would seem to be equally inexpedient and impracticable. But -by refraining from voting in any number, the voters repose the decision -of the question in the hands of an unknown minority, who, by exercising -their privilege, frequently bring about a state of things by which -representation is given, not to the political views of the constituency, -but to their very opposite. The principles had in view in fixing the -reconstruction of the First Chamber, have, by force of logical -inference, led to the proposals to alter the electoral law for the -Second Chamber in this manner, _that His Majesty, the King, shall -appoint in each district, long before the election, a government -candidate, who shall be the representative, unless the majority of the -voters should at the election record their preference for another_. The -specific arguments in support of such a plan will appear to-morrow in -connexion with its details. - - - - - 148. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _February 12th, 1852_. - -It may interest you, dear friend, to see collected on one sheet all the -efforts making by the Orleans dynasty to counteract the robbery. The -Duchess of Orleans sends the paper by the Princess of Prussia. - -Are you acquainted with a candidate for theological honors, named -William S., of Dresden, disguised under the name of Wilfried von der -Neun, who torments me by sending aphorisms in manuscript? - - Yours, - A. V. HT. - -Be kind enough to return the enclosed at your early convenience. - - - - - 149. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 23d, 1852_. - -One of the many inconveniences of old age is that of liability to -attempts at conversion. Do you care to deposit this curious, -good-natured letter among your psychological curiosities? (The man who -is entirely convinced of Bernadotte’s salvation, circuitously informs me -that Satan wields the baton of command in my heart, as in that of -Goethe, that of the pious Kant, and that of Wieland.) And our -parliament!! If necessary the cities must be expunged from the face of -the earth—such is the desire of our diplomatist at the Diet. - - With heartfelt attachment, - - Yours, - - A. HT. - - TUESDAY, late at night. - - -The enclosed letter from August. Grau, of Montgomery County, Ohio, dated -February 6, 1852, contains the following: “A gentleman who has travelled -over a large portion of the earth, who, by the publication of so many -excellent writings, has erected for himself so durable and so -resplendent a monument on the field of literature and science, is not to -be named by any German without the greatest esteem. When the names of -great warriors who have spilt the blood of their fellow-men upon the -battle-field shall be forgotten, your name will blaze for hundreds and -thousands of years in the annals of history. But it is singular, at the -same time, that the greatest naturalists, philosophers, and astronomers -who have occupied the principal portion of their lives with new -inventions, and with investigations into the elementary powers of -nature, are often totally indifferent to their salvation or perdition in -the world to come. Goethe, Schiller, Wieland, and Kant, were all -distinguished characters and brilliant ideals, and in their walk and -conversation were more or less observant of what are called the laws of -morality, so as probably to abstain from cards, nine-pins, playhouses, -and dancing, but their sphere of operations did not reach into eternity, -and the fate of their fellow-men in the other world—their salvation—was -of little interest to them.” After launching into further sanctified -regrets at the scarcity of true godliness, and its absence even in -princes and royal chaplains, the writer continues: “The last King of -Prussia, and his truly royal Louise, had some knowledge of a state of -regeneration, as well as the last King of Sweden, the former French -Marshal Bernadotte, Prince of Ponte Corvo. A poor peasant was better -able to enlighten him on the means of salvation than one of the first -bishops of the Lutheran church. O, Sir Privy Councillor, while I do full -justice to your unblemished life, your high character as a statesman, -and your acquirements as a man of science; and while I rejoice that -Berlin—ay, that Prussia may boast of such a man as your Excellency, yet -my joy would turn into holy exultation if I should have the honor of -seeing you a warm disciple of Him who died upon Golgotha. Without Him, -Lord Chamberlain, with all our acquirements, with all our boasted -knowledge, we are singularly unhappy.” Further on, the letter reads: -“Goethe says, on a certain occasion, that during the whole course of his -long life he had not spent four happy weeks. These are the words of a -great man of science. If Christ has not taken up his residence in our -hearts, who else can be there but Satan? One of them, surely, must be -there—one must wield the baton of command. It is manifestly impossible -at one and the same time to serve two masters! Worthy sir, my gracious -Lord Chamberlain, I am penetrated with great esteem for you and your -lofty merits; I love and revere you. I am not worthy to unlace your -shoes. This is the unconstrained language of my heart; although I have -occupied myself with acquiring the elements of seventeen different -languages, and can even at this day read the writings of the New -Testament in seven different tongues. But I have not only been firmly -convinced of the truth of the Christian religion for thirty-one years, -but experience the influence of the Holy Ghost from day to day, and -almost from hour to hour.” The letter is subscribed, “Your Grace’s most -devoted servant and brother in Christ, Augustus Grau.” Humboldt adds the -remark: “An attempt at conversion, from the State of Ohio.” - - - - - 150. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 13th, 1853_. - -The confusion of my lonely life, my dear friend of many years, at a time -of such profound moral degradation, leaves me in a harassing uncertainty -as to whether I have or have not sent you the seventh volume of my -brother’s complete works. I am greatly ashamed, but I know that you have -not yet learned to be angry with me. The article against Capodistrias, -the demand for the surrender of Strasburg, sounds like the irony of fate -upon our present humility.... - - With ancient love and reverence, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -The death of Leopold von Buch bows me deeply. A happy blending of the -most noble, philanthropic sentiments, momentary impulses, and a little -despotism of opinion; one of the few men who have a physiognomy. He has -given a new form to his science; he was one of the greatest -illustrations of our times; our friendship has endured sixty-three -years, unruffled, although we often tilled the same field. I found him, -in Freiberg, in 1791, where he had come to the Mining Academy before -myself, although five years younger. His funeral appeared like a prelude -to my own, C’est comme cela que je serai dimanche. And in what a -condition do I leave the world—I who lived in 1789? But centuries are as -seconds in the mighty development of advancing humanity. The swelling -curve, however, has its little indentations, and it is irksome to be -found in such an interval of decadence. - - - - - 151. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 14th, 1853_. - -Hearty thanks for the comfort derived from the characteristic word of -Fontenelle’s, hitherto unknown to me—but twenty years are too short to -see anything better! Your Buelow von Dennewitz is great and good news to -me! The treasure of the warm-blooded Leopold von Buch I return inclosed. -May not Friedrich Schlegel’s astronomical vision be connected with -conversations I had with him at Vienna on the certainty that we shall -see the southern cross rise again in Germany, where it has already shone -in _historic_ ages? Let me remind you of a passage in my Kosmos (II. p. -333), which derives some interest for you from its reliable -chronological date. “It was not more than 2900 years before our era that -the cross became invisible in Northern Germany. The constellation had -ascended as far as the tenth degree above the horizon. When it -disappeared from the Baltic skies, the pyramid of Cheops had already -stood five hundred years. The shepherd nation of the Hyksos invaded -Egypt seven hundred years later. The past becomes apparently less remote -when we can measure it by reference to memorable events.” - -Persevere in your diligence upon Buelow von Dennewitz, who became very -dear to me in Paris. Fond of music, he was very affable in the family of -Lafayette, in the little chateau of Lagrange, at Paris—Lafayette’s -country-seat, where Buelow was quartered. - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - -I shall bring volume VI. myself. - - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—As a comfort for his eighty years, I had written to - Humboldt that even these could be transformed into a comparative - youth, as appeared by Fontenelle’s example, who, at the age of a - hundred years, attempted to pick up a fan dropped by a lady, and, - unable to do it as quickly as he wished, exclaimed, “_Que n’ai je - plus mes quatre vingt ans!_” Of Friedrich Schlegel I had told him, - that shortly before his death, he prophesied to Tieck, at Dresden, - that, at no very remote period, though he could not exactly define - it, a mighty change would take place in the heavens, the great - constellations would leave their places, and combine to form an - immense cross. - - - - - 152. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _August 15th, 1853_. - -Separated from you, my dear intellectual friend, by the prolongation of -my dreary sojourn at Potsdam, my first approach to you is to petition. -You, you alone are my literary adviser, you who combine such depths of -feeling with so wonderful a command of the harmonies of language. In my -extreme old age, timidity in regard to my own powers increases in an -almost morbid degree. A separate volume is to contain a selection of the -sonnets of my brother, in which there is not always a perfect consonance -between form and substance. I crave your permission to come to you -to-morrow, Tuesday, at one o’clock, to read you a preface I have been -compelled to write! By all means send a verbal assent by the bearer. - - With indestructible friendship, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 153. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _August 31st, 1853_. - -For once in this gloomy time, when a fell simoom blows from the Pruth to -the Tajo, I have had a real and a keen delight—your return, your -encouraging message, and even the assistance I implored. Your superb -letter finds me at the _bon à tirer_ of a little, I hope unpretending, -preface to the sonnets. As it will be unfortunately impossible to-morrow -(on Friday the King arrives at Potsdam, when I must hand him a good many -things, according to promise), I take the liberty of sending you my -proof sheets this evening. - -I beseech you to be severe in your treatment of these sheets, with which -I have incorporated a remarkable fragment (in illustration of the ideas -and frames of mind manifested in the “Letters to a Lady Friend”) and to -note on a separate piece of paper what I ought to _alter_, and -especially what I ought to _substitute_. I follow _you_ implicitly. - -I dislike the phrase on page 4, “_Schoen_ errungene Himmelsgabe.”[58] - -The pious fragment is an autograph, nearly illegible, and requiring some -emendation in the construction of the sentences; thus on page 11: -Perhaps you prefer the phrase “_bei_ Anerkennung.” The phrase is heavy, -even now. - -On p. 14 you will not disapprove of “eben nicht,” in place of “haben nie -gerade,” which is still more vernacular. The four lines stand there like -a fallen aerolith. They must be preserved at all hazards, if only on -account of their _freedom_. - -Could not you help out page 13 below somewhat? Is the close of the -phrase “voice of conscience—has laid” clear to you? It is not so to me. -Perhaps a few words would make the sense clear. - -Roma, the verses to me from Albano, and all the choruses and Pindarus -will form another volume. - - With old affection and profound esteem, - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -The saddest news of Arago’s family; swollen hands and feet, diabetes, -and almost blindness! Forty years of life go with him!! - - - - - 154. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 2d, 1853_. - -A thousand pardons for troubling you in suffering! I have adopted every -suggestion, taken every hint. But I should like also to insert the -reflection you made in regard to p. 6. Would you approve of the -following interpolation: “A long sojourn at Rome, and perhaps a lively -interest in certain epochs of Italian poetry, appear to have imbued my -brother with a particular preference for a little lyric form, which, if -melody is not to be sacrificed, closely fetters the thought, but which -he handled with a freedom, the result of intention and confidence.” Or -would you have it, “which he freely handled with the confidence of a -clear intention,” or, “which he handled with a freedom of which he was -perfectly conscious?” “When the poet, urged by his realistic and -individual peculiarity, felt most keenly the desire of welding ideas -into the flood of sentiment.” - -Be good enough to return me your MS., which is a treasure of critical -research. - - Very thankfully, yours, - HUMBOLDT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—I selected “which he handled with a freedom of which - he was perfectly conscious,” as most in accordance with the metaphor - of the fetters, and as otherwise clearly indicative of the idea - intended to be conveyed. - - -Varnhagen reports under date of September 9th, 1853, in his diary: -“Humboldt had advised me of his coming; he came about half-past one -o’clock, and remained till half-past two o’clock, a mere visit, nothing -of business; he felt the necessity of unburdening himself of many -things. First he vented his bitter and indignant scorn on the speeches -of the King in Elbing and Hirschberg, and on the utter absence of vigor, -which makes itself known in such disconnected ebullitions. Then he spoke -with the utmost contempt of von Raumer, the Minister of Public Worship -and Instruction, of his brutality and insolence, his hatred of all -science, his pernicious activity. ‘The King,’ Humboldt said, ‘hates and -despises all his ministers, but this one particularly, and speaks of him -as of an ass; what particularly nettles him is, that Raumer opposes all -the King’s wishes, and he keeps him in office nevertheless, as he keeps -all of them, because he has them, and every change is a troublesome -affair.’ The case of the brothers Schlagintweit was cited as an -instance. The King wished to aid them in their voyage to the Himalaya -Mountains; the minister refused; the King ordered him to hear the -opinion of Humboldt, which was a most favorable one, but Raumer insisted -upon his opinion, which, he said, was not changed by Humboldt. Then the -King, who confessed himself to be powerless against his minister, wrote -to Bunsen, who took the matter in hand, and the brothers Schlagintweit -now receive English aid. And the very same King, who pretends to be so -jealous of his prerogatives, permits them to be thus encroached upon? -‘Yes, sometimes he delights in playing the part of a constitutional -monarch, absolves himself from all responsibility when the matter is a -delicate one, answers demands made upon him by adverting to the -difficulty of obtaining the signatures of his ministers, and even -pretends to regard that “baggage, the state” as something with which he -had little concern, accuses the ministers of forgetting him in their -devotion to that “baggage, the state,” &c., &c. - -“‘In the asking of small sums the King often experiences the greatest -resistance, large ones he gets; he is refused three hundred thalers for -a poor scientific man or artist, forty thousand thalers for buying -something, they dare not refuse. What a mess of confusion and disaster! -The King is quite satisfied that he is permitted to cook up church -matters to his heart’s content, for these are considered separate from -the state, no minister has a word in them.’ That I do not understand and -it cannot be so, the ministers I believe have their hands in it too. -‘The meanest fellow of the whole concern is privy counsellor Niebuhr, a -low, canting parasite, full of spite and venom. - -“‘Garcia cannot sing here, he said some time ago, she is too red;[59] -all representations, that her singing would not be red, were in vain. At -last I told him to send to Bethania[60] for deaconesses to sing. He will -be happy to see me under the sod.’” - - -On the 25th of September, Varnhagen narrates in his diary: “They say, on -the presence of Humboldt in the High Ecclesiastical Council, that the -priests had had in their midst their greatest adversary, who puts all of -them to rout—the man of natural science, before whom all their mist and -deceits flow into nothingness. ‘Abaellino is among you!’ one might have -cried out.” - - - - - 155. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Dec. 12th, 1853_. - -Again, my noble friend, you have shown your skill in giving me pleasure. -After our departure from Potsdam, which transformed itself entirely into -a Buddhistic “cold hell,” was prevented for a long time by the delicate -health of the Queen, I at last moved over here on Saturday. You have -shed renown upon the Prussian arms, and, what touches me in a more human -manner, on the warrior of many-sided culture.[61] The gallery of your -biographies stands in singular grandeur in our German literature. I am -enraged by the treatment of my friend Arago in the last number of the -“Quarterly Review” (September)—an ebullition of political party spirit, -exactly as I was treated by the same journal from 1810–1818. A note at -the end of the number for September says, with rare _delicacy_, that the -article was written before his death was known; but it was known -generally in London that he had become blind, and that he suffered -infinitely from dropsy, one of the symptoms of which is to fill the mind -with apprehensions. - -With ancient gratitude and devotion, and admiration of your talents, -your faithful - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - MONDAY. - - - - - 156. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, THURSDAY NIGHT—_from the 13th to - the 14th of April, 1854_. - -Receive, noble friend, my most heartfelt thanks, you and the amiable -confidant of the “demons.”[62] The King is now invisible to me, on -account of the spiritual preparations, and on Monday he goes to Potsdam -for five or six days, on account of military affairs; but a very warm -letter, written by me, will be in his hands to-morrow, at eight o’clock, -in Charlottenburg.[63] Thus we have at least done our duty faithfully. I -am fast becoming the responsible minister of the _Conservatives_; for -three days ago I asked the fourth minimum of the red bird[64] for a man -who has _conserved_ his real estate for one hundred and fifty years, for -Bouché, a gardener, an adopted son[65] from the Champagne. It is a great -joy to me that my introduction, which has only the merit of liberal -sentiment and faithfulness, has also pleased you in regard to form. As a -sign of gratitude, I send you for your collection of autographs a -document not unimportant on account of the political situation—June, -1848. The other papers, which contain the sublunar miserabilities of the -disagreement,[66] which, alas! has become public, I beg you to return -hereafter. - -Everything noble is drawn down in the mud. I was compelled to write a -few lines in answer. I live in a monotonous and sad mood—_et mourant, -avant le principe_. - - With old fidelity, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -I shall certainly make my appearance on Monday in a wedding garment. - - - - - 157. - ARAGO TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _June 3d, 1848_. - - MY DEAR AND ILLUSTRIOUS FRIEND: - -My son has left for Berlin a few days ago, in the capacity of Minister -Plenipotentiary. He quitted me animated with the best of sentiments, -with the most decided ideas of peace and conciliation! And yet this day -your Chargé d’Affaires waited upon our Minister of Foreign Affairs to -represent to him the apprehensions which the mission of my son has -excited in your cabinet and among the population of Berlin. This is my -recompense for the efforts made since my arrival at power to maintain -the accord of the two governments, in order to remove every pretext for -war! Who can be made to believe that, animated with the sentiments which -I publicly profess, I would have consented to entrust Emanuel with an -important diplomatic mission, if he had been in discord with me, if he -belonged to a hideous socialist sect, to _communism_, for, I am ashamed -to say it, the accusations made have not stopped short of that? As to -the rest, I appeal to the future; all such apprehensions will disappear -as soon as Emanuel shall have entered upon his functions. Your Chargé -d’Affaires will then regret the untimely protest addressed to M. -Bastide. - -I am very happy, my dear friend, to receive your welcome letter. Nothing -in the world could be more agreeable than to hear of the continuance of -your friendship. I am worthy of it, because of the price I set upon it. -I have an abiding faith that my conduct, during the last three months (I -had about said the last three centuries), has not caused me to lose in -your esteem. - - Ever yours, with heart and soul, - F. ARAGO. - - - - - 158. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Friday, April 14th, 1854_. - -As the King held his churching on Thursday, I dined in Charlottenburg -to-day, and can give you news agreeable to us, that the King, as he told -me, had known of the day of honor[67] (not by Uhden!!)[68] and had -prepared everything for it long ago. The ingredients of the spiritual or -material feeding are buried in Cimmerian darkness. - - Your faithful - HUMBOLDT. - - -The Prince of Prussia knows nothing of the invitation for noce et -festin. - - - - - 159. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - -My American connexions having entailed upon me the predilection of the -Peace Society, I am molested by them with many of their writings and -tracts. But the last number of the “Herald of Peace” is so remarkable on -account of the political movement of the pietistic peace Quakers, that -perhaps it will amuse you for one moment, my dear friend, to read for -yourself the testimonies. Destroy the sheet! - -The missive, at the same time, is intended for a sign of _life_, that -is, of most intimate and faithful friendship for you in these sad times -of weakness and folly. I have disentangled myself from the new -“Stahl-Ranke” council, for reasons which are not those of old age; I -resigned. I add an unkempt letter of poor Bunsen, which you must keep -quite secret, and send it to me, if there is an opportunity, to my -Berlin residence. First Heidelberg and afterwards Bonn, constantly -vibrating between the perturbating recollections of two archbishops. -With the dangerous tendency of the noble man for theological dispute, -and for his newly-invented apostolic church, under the firm of -Hippolytus, a residence in England, that is to say, in the country -between London and Oxford (on account of the books), would be more -favorable than Bonn. The Anglican High Church, intolerant though it be, -is less inconvenient in a _free_ country, than a ministerial church diet -in Prussia. Moreover, in the interest of Bunsen’s scientific reputation, -I look forward with dread to the impending productions, full of -hypotheses on aboriginal nations, Egyptian, Indian, and excavated -Assyrian Semitic, as also on the situation of Paradise, for which _a map -has been ordered_ at Kiepert’s. Maps on the creeds of nations can ascend -from the ship-fastening myth at the ocean and the Himalaya mountains to -the Ararat and to Aramea Kymbotas, even to the Mexican Coxcox, vagaries, -not unknown to the Mormon bible. (See Supplement.) - -The Weimar fancies are of a more exhilarating kind; controlling the -climates by means of crystal palaces, which, at the same time, are -taverns, and make superfluous Nicos and Madeira, and demand only a -capital of one and a half millions of thalers, an undertaking in the -deserted Potsdam town of barracks. And such a device, hatched in the -brains of a well-informed man like Froriep. - - In faithful friendship, yours, - A. HUMBOLDT. - - POTSDAM, _July 4th, 1854_. In the age of crystal palaces. - - -It was but the other day, in glancing at a letter of Gneisenau’s, of -1818 (in the pointless biography of Stein,[69] p. 262) that I stumbled -upon a passage, doubtless long familiar to you: “H. strives again for -the centre, but there are wanting to him confidence, _esteem_, -_character_, and courage.” Sheer personal hatred alone can have moved -the vain Gneisenau to speak thus disreputably of my brother. I -recollect, indeed, to have heard of him, that Gneisenau was hostile to -him when he was dismissed. By-the-by, what was said by all parties in -those times on political institutions looks to me now, and did so -already in the years 1815–1818, as if I was reading a book of the -thirteenth century on physical science; fear of provincial estates was -alone praiseworthy—c’est de la bouillie pour les chats. - - -On this letter Varnhagen remarks in his diary, July 5th, 1854:—“I found -a long letter from Humboldt, who communicated to me, accompanied by fine -remarks, the latest number of the Herald of Peace, a letter of -Bunsen—four closely-written quarto pages—and another by Robert Froriep, -of Weimar. ‘The missive at the same time is intended for a sign of -_life_, that is, of most intimate and faithful friendship for you in -these sad times of weakness and folly.’ Farther: ‘I disengaged myself -from the new “Stahl-Ranke” council, for reasons, which are not those of -old age; I resigned.’ Then he speaks of Froriep’s plays of imagination, -who wishes to build a crystal palace to control the climate in the -‘deserted town of barracks,’ Potsdam, with a loan of one and a half -million of thalers! Finally, he blames Gneisenau’s misjudgment on -Wilhelm von Humboldt, pronounced in a letter of 1818, which Pertz -communicates in his ‘pointless Biography of Stein;’ and Humboldt rightly -condemns the mean misjudgment of his brother. - -“The letter of Bunsen is written in a very unconnected manner—Humboldt -calls it an ‘unkempt’ one, which characterizes it admirably. Bunsen -intends to live for the future in Bonn, but he complains that the -university has deteriorated so much, particularly the theological -faculty. Dorner and Rothe have been jostled out, and their places are -held by the most mediocre and narrow-minded people to be found in all -Germany, such as Lange and Steinmeyer; from Hengstenberg’s study, -through Gerlach, all bends, he says, to ignorance and darkness, the -present gloomy period of the most intellectual king of the century will -come to be deplored even more grievously than the age of Woellner; every -thing is imbued with the reactionary political character of the -squirearchy; hypocrisy and _real_ infidelity can grow out of this unholy -system, and a most violent reaction must ensue; body-guards and -policemen can enforce any political programme as long as it lasts; but -the German never submits to the enthralment of the mind, and his curse -will pursue through all the centuries those who have attempted it. Thus -writes Bunsen! But he writes thus now as a deposed favorite! How was he, -and for what did he work before? For the same ignorance and darkness. -Quite like Radowitz, who also played the liberal at last!” - - - - - 160. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _July 8th, 1854_. - -With emotions of gratitude I received the dear letter of your -Excellency. Yet a sign of life, indeed, a sign of the most vigorous -life! Whenever the question could arise how you felt and thought in this -gloomy time, such a sheet would be the most decided answer, the most -brilliant testimony, to a sentiment and activity which always kept on in -the same direction, and never proved false. The letter from London—the -epithet “unkempt” is singularly happy. I send back dutifully, as -directed; how I should have liked to incorporate it with my collections! -It is a remarkable sign of the present situation; many expressions in it -strikingly significant. Had the writer but expressed himself thus before -his last personal experience! The scientific renown which you believe in -danger from the threatening deluge of writings seems to me to have stood -from the first upon unsafe ground, upheld by external props, with which -it must fall inevitably. Perhaps a political career will be open to him -again, but certainly not through literary aid, for which, in part, this -sudden literary taste seems intended. Silent rest would be far more -useful. But this can hardly be expected in the place selected, where -Catholic hatred is already alive, and nourishes and strengthens that -political rancor which will continue in vigor, fed with fuel from here. - -The late Prince Wittgenstein once congratulated me that I had not to sit -in the Council of State, and that was the old Council, of which your -Excellency also was a member! How much more must I congratulate you on -your escape from the new one, of which Stahl and Ranke are members! To -the latter, no one will dispute the part of the clown; to the first, -every one will accord that of the sophist. - -The words of Gneisenau, which Pertz alludes to in Stein’s Leben (v. -262), are so entirely inapplicable to William von Humboldt that one -would be tempted to interpret the H. differently, if an acceptable -conjecture could be found. I have myself, indeed, heard from Gneisenau’s -lips expressions of dissatisfaction, but never such extravagant ones, -which might be contradicted so easily and perfectly. What Gneisenau -blamed chiefly in your brother was that he never tried, by the respect -which he commanded and by the superiority of his mind, to unite all -those of equal sentiment into a communion, by which much might have been -undertaken and effected. But this reproach, if it be one, Gneisenau -himself deserved as well, and received from his adherents! The book of -Pertz is full of aspersions and incongruities, which, indeed, in most -cases originate in Stein himself, but are confirmed by Pertz in blind -partiality; he, while communicating everything, even in many cases -things which do not belong to the subject, leaves out important -documents without hesitation as soon as he finds them not entirely for -the benefit of his hero. The same will take place when he writes the -biography of Gneisenau, for which the hand of a tactician would seem to -be the first desideratum. - -The pious quaker-sheet was already known to me; one could hardly have -thought such monstrosities practicable in the English language! But our -time abounds in such. The psychographer takes the place of the moving -table; they try to enforce my faith in the absurdity; I excuse myself, -that at my time of life a man is a little backward, and that I have just -arrived at table moving, but of that they do not want to hear any more. -This reminds me of something, I will not suppress! It of course happens -often, that remarks of your Excellency, in particular such made at the -royal table, come to the ears of the public, and are repeated with zeal, -and by this assume widely different forms; thus, quite recently, a reply -to Herr Senfft von Pilsach, in which the original form seemed lost to a -great extent, it would certainly be desirable if the latter were always -authentically preserved. - -With my repeated most heartfelt thanks, in most faithful reverence and -submission, I remain immutably, your Excellency’s most obedient, - - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - -Some strong expressions in the London letter, as welcome to me as they -were unexpected, remind me that Herr von Radowitz indulged in similar -ones, and even had them printed (Gesammelte Schriften IV., 210, 256, -281); in the second passage he even goes so far as to reverse the motto, -“Against democrats soldiers alone avail!” - - - - - 161. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _July 9th, 1854_. - -Returning from the Russian Saint’s day celebrated in Sans Souci, I found -your amiable letter. As I cannot refuse you anything, I add Hippolytus! -Satisfy in return my curiosity. I believe that I never in my life spoke -to Herr Senfft von Pilsach; I might meet him in the street or in society -without knowing him. Notwithstanding all this I may have dined with him -at the King’s. After what I heard of him I do not feel well affected -towards him. Since I always sit opposite the King, I talk aloud only to -him, but very freely, because I know that it will be reported, colored -certainly according to the color of the reporter, and this the more -especially in a country where anything like a gentle allusion by way of -criticism is lost on account of the complete want of development of -conversational language. - -The judgment of Gneisenau is certainly on my brother. These often are -ebullitions of the moment. Schiller writes to Koerner, when I arrived in -Jena, “that I was by far more ingenious and gifted than my brother;” -afterwards, in a time when he saw me daily and overwhelmed me with -tenderness, he wrote to Koerner that “I was a man of narrow -understanding, without poetry or soul, who, in spite of all my restless -activity in my walk of study, never would accomplish anything great; -that Herder’s works were diseases, discharged by his mental -constitution.” (One thinks it is a passage of Zelter’s letters!) In an -autograph of a collection at Augsburg, which they wanted to give to me, -but which I sent back, my friend Prince S. writes to Koreff: “Alexander -H. again accompanies the King to the Congress at Aachen only as a -pointer!” Thus they play on the boards of the world for credulous -posterity. - -The Emperor Alexander had told the late King that my brother was -doubtless bribed by the Jews to be of service to them in the Congress of -Vienna, as Baron von Buelow was bribed in the Belgian affair by the -French, according to the King of Hanover. In Schoening’s very -interesting War of the Bavarian Succession, interesting by the -correspondence with Prince Heinrich and the reflection cast on the -present disputable state of things, there is mentioned on p. 294, a -political project, which was unknown to me, the Austrian proposition to -give Burgundy as a kingdom to the Bavarian dynasty in return for a -cession of Bavaria. This title of King of Burgundy was the object of the -ambition of the Duke of M. in 1815, though he would have contented -himself with Lorraine and Alsatia. Napoleon also once had a momentary -intention to make the Principe de la Paz, King of Baetica (Andalusia and -Grenada) from recollections of “Télémaque,” and the King of Sardinia, -Roi de Numidie, although the donor had not a foot of land in Africa to -dispose of. - -With warm friendship, always equally incorrect and illegible, your most -faithful, - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SATURDAY NIGHT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—As early as the year 1743, Austria offered to the - Emperor Charles VII. a kingdom not yet conquered, to be composed of - Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche Comté, in return for Bavaria. See - “Mem. de Noailles,” Tome vi. - - - - - 162. - HUMBOLDT TO BETTINA VON ARNIM. - - (Copied by Varnhagen.) - - - BERLIN, _July 8th, 1854_. - -To what purpose, most gracious baroness, did the Eternal shower down -upon you, from the horn of plenty that he so sparingly opens upon this -miserable, sinful earth, the bountiful gift of genius and the more -precious adornment of a noble heart, if you believe the absurd gossip -uttered “about those from whom I am separating myself!” What you call -your prophetic vision could not alarm me, because the same double sight -has fallen to my lot! Not a syllable of your book has the King read or -desired to have read to him, as I hear from others; I rarely attend in -the evening, and have not read to him for years. But how, my honored -friend, am I to gain his ear in this matter, when I never pronounce the -words Cathedral, Orchestra, Theatre, or Concert Room, and never have -heard of the existence of a Central University Cathedral Building -Association at Bonn, or of a Board of Managers of the Berlin -Association? Such things are undoubtedly desirable; but even if those -who are now called influential would advocate them by word of mouth, -their intercession would not even receive attention; success is only to -be hoped for from an official exposé of the project, addressed -immediately to the King himself, with the autograph signature of the -managers, with specific and distinct requests. The decision rests -exclusively with the cabinet, and to be discussed there, a full and -explicit petition to the King is necessary. This is doubly important at -a time so eventful as the present, when the King never remains longer -than a few weeks at Sans Souci. Painter Rattis’ Titian, political -insinuations, and great unknown personages, are all subjects of which I -receive the first intimation from your kind letter. It will be my study -to repel the insinuations, although, on account of my well-known -opinions, these “_essais de blanchir_” will be but a feeble support. -Among the many painful impressions you so sedulously cultivate in the -midst of your glowing love of the true, the free, the noble, and the -good, it gives me great delight to direct your attention to two special -matters of gratification—your Goethe monument is a fixed fact, and the -great man’s grandson, whom I regard and esteem, has succeeded in -obtaining a recognition of the value of his services, and a less -constrained position in the Roman embassy. - - With unalterable devotion and friendship, - I remain your Old Man of the Hills, - A. V. HT. - - - - - 163. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _July 10th, 1854_. - -Such a rough “Hind Pomeranian!”[70] direct answer, dear friend, you -could certainly not expect from me! I have no idea of the question about -the animation of pinewood at the King’s table, where everybody believes -in it as in the Persian host seen in the air at the Eichsfeld. The -“drama” of the “Kreuz Zeitung,” like everything emanating from this bad -party, sick with mental poverty, bears the stamp of cowardly malice! You -are not to be pitied, for you possess a treasure in the power of -animating recollections of the great period of 1813. I have always kept -at a respectful distance from the _Revue des Deux Mondes_, which is -edited with spirit and address. Two parties may hate the same thing -without hating it from the same motives. The present Liberals there -think themselves justified in _barking_, but not _biting_, after the -fashion of the Berlin muzzles, “because, without the rescuer[71] they -would all have been drenched in blood.” _Credat Judæus Apella!_ - - Your faithful, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -Monday.—At another funeral![72] - -A workman, unknown to me, addressed me at the funeral of Benjamin -Constant: “N’est-ce pas, mon bon Monsieur, vous n’avez rien de si beau -en Prusse, mais ce sera bien plus beau quand nous enterrerons M. de la -Fayette.” - - - - - 164. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _July 29th, 1854_. - -In Spain, the virtuous rebels, like the virtuous order of St. John on -the Wilhelmsplatz, have raised the cry of “Long live chastity!”—“Viva el -pudor” (Isabella)! “Viva la moralidad” (disinterested Christina)! But, -will you, dear friend, think it possible (July, 1854!) that the Minister -of Public Worship and Instruction, though hitherto without success, is -also shouting “Viva el pudor!” He has quite officially demanded a royal -order for the imprisonment in the arsenal of the wanton group[73] which -so wantonly disport themselves on the bridge; all this without fear from -the press, since the new press law, promulgated by the Diet at -Frankfort, only resembles the ingenious Berlin muzzles, not yet -exhibited in the Muenchen Crystal Palace, which prevent authors from -biting only, but not from barking. - -The third cry, “Viva la libertad!” has succeeded in the Peninsula, after -all, in spite of the disavowals of good society. - - Your faithful - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - AT NIGHT. - - - - - 165. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _July 31st, 1854_. - -Alas! no! I was in error thinking that the monument for Weimar was -definitely bought, only that the enlargement of it, desired by our -excellent lady friend, was given up. In the circles with which I am -acquainted we cannot hope for an active participation. The expression, -“Is not art itself a vestment?” is fine and felicitous. - - Most gratefully yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -Monday, waiting for the train to leave. - -In the United States there has, it is true, arisen a great love for me, -but the whole there presents to my mind the sad spectacle of liberty -reduced to a mere mechanism in the element of utility, exercising little -ennobling or elevating influence upon mind and soul, which, after all, -should be the aim of political liberty. Hence indifference on the -subject of slavery. But the United States are a Cartesian vortex, -carrying everything with them, grading everything to the level of -monotony. - - - - - 166. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _January 8th, 1855_. - -I have to thank your Excellency most heartily that, in dispensing -bounties, you always think with favor also of me! No one shall surpass -me in anxiety to receive, in estimation of the gift, and in gratitude -for the noble donor! This preface, at once temperate in form, rich in -substance, and elegiac in tone, is the worthiest and most lasting -monument of the prince,[74] of whom I hear on every side accounts which -make one mourn his loss in the prime of life. I shall try to procure his -work which is so highly recommended by your Excellency. - -The gloomy cover of mist which veils the light of day, corresponds with -the sentiments by which I at least feel myself weighed down. I have not -succeeded in becoming cheerful for some days. - -With the warmest wishes for you, in faithful reverence and most grateful -submission, immutably - - Your Excellency’s most obedient, - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 167. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 26th, 1855_. - -REVERED FRIEND—A strange missionary experiment, enveloped in a somewhat -idyllic ghost story, political and religious, in a style of singular -“finish” and bombast, which I cannot refrain from showing to you. I take -it to be the work of a male author. - -The saturnalia of despotism and of flatteries, the wanton festival of -_oblivion_ (as if there was no history of 1813 and ’14), is now played -out among the free insular people, a kind of monkey comedy. There is -only this consolation which uplifts my spirit, that out of all this -something will arise, which both parties do not at all intend. That is, -_le principe_, which outlives us all. I am so cruel as to include you -too. To my brother, Wilhelm, the Kassel book seems to have done good up -there. In old attachment and reverence, - - Your faithful - A. HUMBOLDT. - - WEDNESDAY. - - -Be good enough to return the ghost story, by all means. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT’S LETTER OF APRIL 26TH, 1855.—A “stranger - is emboldened to transmit words of power to the spirit.” “They are - given to her with the order to repeat them.” In case Humboldt should - answer, he is requested to send the letter with the chiffre A. W., - to the store on the left of the house, at No. 120 Linden Street, and - receive further details. A wanderer is described as sitting down to - rest. Brother Wilhelm appears to brother Alexander and exhorts him - to think of the kingdom of heaven, and how splendid it is up there, - how misty on earth. As a token of identity, he reminds him of the - eighteenth warm birth-day, “where they swore to love each other,” an - oath which reaches beyond the portals of death, and which he now - fulfils. It is a bombastic farrago, frequently repeating the word - “finish,” which strikes the reader as eminently inappropriate. - -Of the above-named direction Humboldt observes: “That it is the -boarding-school of Frau von Wenkstern and Widow Poppe.” - - - - - 168. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _August 9th, 1855_. - -I had already heard with sorrow from the gifted Princess von -Wittgenstein, that you, noble friend, suffered more than usually. -Receive me with indulgence on Saturday, about 10 o’clock, in spite of my -long absence, and of my inconvenient trilogy, Berlin, Tegel, and -Potsdam. I shall then also bring you a few lines of thanks to your -cousin, the Imperial Brazilian Chargé d’Affaires in Madrid. His history, -founded upon archival monuments, seems to become of great importance; -but what a strange missive without adding the first pages, and notes -also without a beginning.[75] I doubt of my ever catching those -commencements in my cosmic disorder. As I spent almost an hour alone -with the Prince of Prussia yesterday, I shall be able to tell you -something not uninteresting, although not at all decisive. The Prince, -whom I take to be veracious, assures me of having always asserted, -faithful to his principles, that war would probably have been avoided, -if Prussia and Austria had from the first co-operated actively with the -Western powers against Russia. They answered in St. Petersburg that the -Emperor would not have yielded, but this the Prince doubted.... - - With old attachment, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - THURSDAY. - - -You will explain to me orally the mythological name of Sorocaba.[76] - - -Varnhagen narrates in his diary, under date of August 11th, 1855:—“About -1 o’clock Humboldt came, looking well, quite vigorous, in fresh and -lively spirits; when he made a worse impression a short time ago, as -Dirichlet thought, it was the effect of sickness, and is passed now. -First, he spoke of the book of my cousin, which he praised, for which he -thanks him (in a letter). The expression Sorocaba I cannot explain to -him. Humboldt was but recently made a knight of the great Brazilian -order, on account of an arbitration between Brazil and Venezuela, -respecting a large tract of land. ‘Formerly they intended, in Rio de -Janeiro, to arrest me as a dangerous spy, and to send me back to Europe, -the order drawn up for the purpose is still shown there as a curiosity; -now they make me an arbitrator! I, of course, decided for Brazil, -because I wanted the large order; the Republic of Venezuela has none to -confer!’ These words, spoken in the gayest irony, I interrupted with the -exclamation, ‘How times change!’ ‘Yes; the order of arrest, and then the -insignia of the great order!’ ‘Oh, no,’ I replied, ‘I did not think of -this personal affair, but of the historical; formerly the pope was the -general arbitrator!’ Humboldt saw the last volumes of the life of Stein -on my table, and expressed his displeasure on the external arrangement, -the meagreness of the text, and the unsifted character of this book; he -thought that the gold snuff-box, with brilliants, which the King had -already sent to Pertz for these volumes, was entirely too much. -Injustice, crying and mean, perpetrated by Stein against old Prince -Wittgenstein. Pertz, too, he said, was unjust to Wittgenstein. Stein had -not at all been a firm character, no one had changed views and judgments -more easily. (Beyme said the same thing, and adduced instances of it.) -His early liberal ideas on national economy, civil institutions, -commerce, and trades, were a product of the times, which he afterwards -entirely renounced and disputed when the current of opinion set in that -direction. He surrendered his former sentiments so shamefully that his -former friend, Kunth, who remained faithful to them, but also wished to -avoid committing Stein, burned more than three hundred of Stein’s -letters, because, as he thought, they would bring nothing but disgrace -on the revered man, and would show him in the greatest contradiction -with himself. Of the Prince of Prussia, Humboldt said that he had told -every one in St. Petersburg, as well as here, that the war would have -been avoided if Prussia had from the first acted resolutely. The Emperor -Nicholas would have yielded. The imperial family he represented as -harmonious, including the Grand Duke Constantine, who did not seem so -dangerous to him as usually described. The Emperor’s mother used to say -they were all mere children, and that she must remain with them in order -to keep them together. The war was severely felt, business at a -standstill, the country drained of men, the armies not very numerous; -Poland, the Baltic countries, and Finland but weakly garrisoned; the -greater part of their forces was in the Crimea; the losses immense and -irreparable. Gortschakoff reports that the daily combats cost him -180–200 men—a frightful number for a month; that Nesselrode contemplates -a renewal of negotiations, but before that heavy blows would first be -dealt on one side or on the other. Sebastopol itself was by no means -considered out of danger. The Prince has gone from here to Erdmannsdorf -to the King; thence he hastens on to Baden. The King has -Lieutenant-General von Gerlach, with him in Erdmannsdorf, among others, -also Radowitz, in case he is not ‘already tired of him, as happens so -easily.’ Humboldt talks of Radowitz decidedly as of a Jesuit, calls him -Ignatius, mocks him, and jests on him a long time. ‘The great destinies -of Italy’ leave the King very indifferent; but a colored pane of glass, -a quaint device on an old monument, a family name, enlist his greatest -interest, occupy, and amuse him; and for such trifles Radowitz was the -right man! The same is the case with Bunsen, with whom the King -corresponds on theological and patristic curiosities. He has asked him -to write articles in the papers against the Bishop of Mainz; but Bunsen -makes the condition to be allowed to refer in his articles to the -command of the King, since otherwise they would possess neither -influence nor effect. Humboldt thinks Bunsen would not resist a call -hither, even if it was not official, but only a personal one by the -King. The Duke of Coburg-Gotha desires an enlargement of his territory -and a higher title—that of a ‘King of Ostphalia’ is already proposed. -The King jestingly calls him by that title already. He counts upon -England and France, and willingly flatters and accommodates Bonaparte, -who would meet with little difficulty in being the recognised Protector -of a new Rhenish Confederation. So much for Germany and Teutonism. It is -betrayed most assiduously by its sworn defenders. Finally, Humboldt -added: ‘When a man has the misfortune to be compelled to live among such -wretches as this Gerlach, Raumer, and the rest who have crept into this -Court.’... He went from me to the Koethener Strasse to look at a -picture, and left me much excited. I could not keep in mind and write -down one-tenth of all he said.” - -Varnhagen adds, on the 12th of August, Humboldt said of the situation of -Prussia, it reminded him of a trial he once heard in Paris; the lawyer -had to ask damages for a box on the ear, and had exclaimed triumphantly -at the close: “Au fond nous n’avons pas reçu le soufflet, nous n’avons -eu que le geste!” - - - - - 169. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _January 13th, 1856_. - -Smile, dear friend (you are fully justified!) at the strange lines of -Princess Lieven, and at my troublesome inquiry. Madame de Quitzow, who -has not written to me for twenty-five years, wants to know, whether the -Emperor Paul, in the epoch of his political insanity, had made the -proposition through Kotzebue, that the ministers for foreign affairs -should measure swords personally instead of the armies. I was at that -time (1799 and 1800) in the deltas of South America, and was entirely -ignorant of the anecdote which the Russian Princess now, as it appears -to me, so occidental in her predilections, desires to corroborate. The -obscure researches I have made would seem to lead to the result that the -duel was to be waged not by the ministers but by the monarchs -themselves. I pray you, noble friend, to write me a few lines on what -your excellent memory supplies, and still more I pray you to tell me -consoling words about your health at the return of the injurious cold -weather. Bunsen writes me that he expects a fourth edition of his -letters. Does the great reading demand for this excellent or rather -useful book indicate that the German public is less chloroformed against -action than we had supposed? _Dubito._ The German landlord of a (dicunt) -very dirty hotel, which glories in my name in California for many -years—beside a more cleanly one of “Jenny Lind,”—sends me German -California papers from time to time. In a discourse on the moral and -intellectual state of the English, the French, and the Germans, the -editor recently said: “We Germans are a nation of thinkers, deeply -occupied with the world of ideas, we also have the _great advantage_ -before the members of other nations who live here, that we care little -or not at all about civil or political affairs.” Thus we boast on the -shores of the Pacific, buy the “Zeichen der Zeit,” but hardly 5 per cent -of us go to the primary elections. It is inconvenient, we think. With -old love and reverence, - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -Was not the young Tyrolese very amiable poet Adolf Pichler (properly -speaking a geologist by trade) with you? I do not believe in peace -during this quite ... or at least uncomfortable humiliating ... ...[77] -year, though certainly in useless diplomatic transactions. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—In the third line stands “Madame de Quitzow,” - clearly a mistake instead of “Madame de Lieven.” What may have been - the reason that that name, here entirely without meaning, should - have protruded itself, cannot be guessed. - - - LATER NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—The Princess Lieven is closely connected with - the late Minister Guizot, they even say secretly married to him. - Guizot, pronounced German easily sounds Quitzow, a well-known name - in the Mark. Humboldt, always inclined to jesting, and particularly - here, may have given her this surname—perhaps current already at the - court—with full intention. [This is quite right.] - - - - - 170. - THE PRINCESS LIEVEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _January 8th, 1856_. - -You have not forgotten me, my dear Baron. I know that by two kind -messages which Baron Brockhausen brought me from you. I have charged him -to testify my lively gratitude; but I now prefer to express it myself. -On this occasion, it serves me as the passport to a question which I -take the liberty of addressing you. - -Can you, who know everything, remember the following fact? In 1799 or -1800, the Emperor Paul took it into his head to propose a combat on a -tilted field, where England, Russia, Austria, and I know not what other -power, should adjust their differences by the persons of their Prime -Ministers, Pitt, Thugut, etc. The task of drawing up this invitation was -assigned to Kotzebue, and the article inserted in the “Hamburg Gazette.” -This is my very distinct recollection. I have not dreamed any part of -it. Could you complete the tradition? I can meet with no one who -remembers it. I have thought you might be able to sustain my memory, and -I hope so still, for I am suspected of having lost my wits. - -Paul I. was not such a fool, after all. Do you not consider the follies -of our time much greater? What a chaos? And for what?... - -My dear Baron, I live here in a little intimate circle of old friends, -who are your friends also, and who hold you in affectionate remembrance. -What a pleasure we should have in seeing you here, and together -forgetting the troubles of the hour! O that men and things were worth -more at this day! Is this an old woman’s commission with which I trouble -you? - -Adieu, my dear Baron. I ask your recollection and regard, and promise a -bountiful return. - - Ever yours, - THE PRINCESS LIEVEN. - - - - - 171. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _January 27th, 1856_. - -With joyful thanks I profit by your Excellency’s goodness in sending me -the copy of your beautiful response to the deputies of the city of -Berlin. Were it not presumption to praise, where praise has already -become a habit and a superfluity, I should say that the speech is as -full of sterling merit as of noble intention. The brightest passage, to -my mind, is the (I hesitate whether to call it felicitous or masterly) -allusion to the King, in terms so dignified and delicate, so warm and -graceful; and every pure heart must at once acknowledge, that in this -connexion the remark was singularly appropriate and beautiful. In your -Excellency’s last favor, the expression, “Madame de Quitzow,” at first -puzzled me a good deal. But I may boast of having solved the riddle by -the power of the head—as the Jews say, where we speak of cudgelling our -brains—and am constrained to acknowledge that the little sally is not -only a good joke, but proportionably a mild measure of punishment. The -Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar desired to see me; but I found myself chained -down to my rheumatic complaint. - -With faithful reverence and most grateful devotion, unalterably your -Excellency’s most obedient, - - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 172. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _January 28th, 1856_. - -My far from dormant ambition has been abundantly gratified by the -grateful praise bestowed by the great master of our language (to avoid -the expression rhetorician), upon my manner of speaking of the King, and -my relations with him. In praising that with which the party praised is -but scantily supplied, we point him to the honorable road, and justify -ourselves before the people. A man of the woods, who is supposed to have -been tamed at court, is in need of such justification. Madame Quitzow, -whom I could not sooner obtain from the King, I now repose in your -hands, as your own. Our former minister, General Thiele, was firmly -persuaded that the Guizots of the neighborhood of Montpellier were -disguised remnants, softened in pronunciation, Frenchified and -Protestantized, of the emigrated Quitzows[78] from Langkloder. And your -poor excellent Dora, who pities all your friends for the sufferings she -knows so well how to alleviate! Give her my kindest regards. - - Your faithful - A. HUMBOLDT. - - AT NIGHT. - -The Grand Duke, whom you escaped, sends much love. He has curious -theories, probably imbibed somewhere or other (Bœotia was near to -ancient Attica), and misunderstood. There are two classes of sculptors, -the one inferior, to which Rauch inclines, and which works _inward from -without_, while the better (represented by Rietschel) works _outward -from within_. But what an exposure. Philarète Chasles in the “Journal -des Debats!” I wrote to Paris: “Vulgaire dans les idées comme dans les -formes des langage, indigne d’un litterateur du Collége de France.” - - - - - 173. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Thursday, Feb. 7th, 1856_. - -As it would be impossible that you, dear friend, should not have seen -the new book by Montalembert (the friend and companion of the Abbé -Lammenais on his journey to Rome), I hope to give you a little pleasure -by offering you the King’s copy for a few days (five or six). The only -thing racy in it is the conclusion, levelled at the present state of -affairs in France, p. 284 to 298. I wish it were possible to have the -whole of it translated and published in Germany. - - Most gratefully yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -How is our excellent Dora doing? I had a patriarchal time yesterday -until seven o’clock, at Potsdam, at a christening of a child of a very -handsome and accomplished daughter of my Siberian waiting-man’s, -Seifert, who,[79] a traveller named Moellhausen, who, at Baron Gerolt’s -and my recommendation, accompanied the great exploring expedition of -Captain Whipple, of San Luis, San Francisco, and Panama, in the capacity -of topographer and draughtsman for the American Government. It is about -a year since the King appointed young Moellhausen custodian of the -palace library at Potsdam. - -An excellent article by Laboulaye, on the domestic Institution, and the -flagitious Pierce’s extension of the outrage upon territory, hitherto -free, met my eye yesterday in the “Journal des Débats,” of the 5th of -February, I believe! - -Keep the very commonplace verses “Oh, Gentle Jlm.” - - - - - 174. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _March 14th, 1856_. - -Your Excellency’s kind and precious gift come into the seclusion forced -upon me by the rude relapse of winter, brighter and more enlivening than -the sunbeams which accompany them! Receive my repeated thanks and the -assurance that I know how to appreciate every one of them, and most of -all the beneficent intention, which remember me so well, and gladden my -heart so cheerily! The pencil lines of the dying Heine are a valued -keepsake, and shall be continued to be devoutly treasured in the -envelope superscribed by your Excellency. The boon of to-day, the -significant combination of Archimedes and Franklin in reference to their -tombstones, I have also read with the warmest appreciation. - -I see that you do not dread the wind or the weather, and that, -fortunately, you need not dread them, when a duty of honor is to be -performed. The present time imposes curious tasks upon us! The death of -a chief of police in a duel is probably unprecedented in the communities -of modern Europe. The summoning of a Minister of Foreign Affairs to -Paris, to attend at the close of important negotiations, with a box of -writing sand from the Mark,[80] has also a fabulous aspect. However, -Allah is great! - -In the most faithful reverence and most grateful devotion, I remain -immutably - - Your Excellency’s most obedient, - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 175. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 14th, 1856_. - -I could not but speak, being the Nestor of Prussian mining officials, -and prone to boast of my calling. My reliance upon your _indulgence_, -dear and worthy friend, is so great, that I am emboldened to send even -_you_ a copy of these unimportant lines. Count B. deserved this praise. -Free from opinion of any kind, he is useful to the art of mining, and -still occupies himself with scientific pursuits since he has resigned -the direction. - - With unshaken constancy, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—Enclosed was the address delivered at the fiftieth - anniversary of the entrance into the royal miners of his Excellency - the Actual Privy Councillor and Captain of Miners, Count Beust. - April 9th, 1856. - - - - - 176. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 11th, 1856_. - -Knowing the warm interest you take, my dear friend, in the slavery -question, and in what concerns myself, I send you the last letter of -Gerolt, which was very long in coming, but which will certainly command -your attention. Most unfortunately Buchanan will be the next President, -and not Fremont, the traveller of great acquirements, who has four times -travelled the land route to San Francisco, surveying the country over -which he passed, to whom it is owing that California did become a free -State. Do _not_ return the letter, nor the enclosure. On the heels of -this African absurdity comes another folly, of a more serious cast, -though richly fraught with ridicule, not royalistic so much as -aristocratically Bernese, and spiced with a little railroad speculation -as to whether the route by the way of Neufchatel or that by way of Chaux -de Fonds is to be preferred! And the heroic Count,[81] who executes the -coup d’état à la Napoleon, whence did he derive his inspiration? From -Berlin, while we have a minister at the Diet, whom at this day we -pretend never to have recognised. How are these things to be reconciled? -We shall have a similar fate with our three ultramarine possessions, the -Jade, the Zollern, discovered by Columbus Stillfried, and Neufchatel. I -feel for the Constantinopolitan Pourtalès, who finds himself involved in -an awkward conflict between his dynasty (the Prussian earldom) and his -official liberalism. It is fortunate that the mouth of the English -Parliament is still closed. - - Your faithful - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 177. - THE PRUSSIAN MINISTER RESIDENT, VON GEROLT, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - NEW YORK, _August 25th, 1856_. - - MY MOST DEAR AND HONORED PATRON! - -Since my last letter to your Excellency, of the 8th inst., I was made -happy by your favor of the 27th of July, from which I learn, with the -most sincere regret, of your temporary indisposition. For the -information it contains I return your Excellency my most hearty thanks, -and hasten to comply with your wish by sending two extracts from papers -published here (the “New York Herald” and the “Courrier des Etats -Unis”), containing your publication on the subject of slavery in Cuba, -as well as the excuse published by Mr. Thrasher, which is, it must be -confessed, exceedingly lame. - -The affair has excited great attention here, and could not but be -welcome to the opponents of slavery, who have made Fremont their -candidate. - -Some days ago, his German supporters, many thousands in number, held a -mass meeting in his support, and honored him with a splendid torchlight -procession in the evening. - -The slavery question is becoming more alarming from day to day. While -the House of Representatives refuse to appropriate moneys for the -support of the army, news is daily coming in from Kansas of bloody -conflicts between the free-soilers and the slaveholders. It is hoped, -however, that after the presidential election (in November), domestic -peace will be restored. - -The unwholesome climate in Washington has driven me out for a few days, -as the heat was intolerable last month, and now the fever and ague -begins. - -I am going to Albany to-day, to attend the meeting of naturalists to -which I have been invited. I expect to meet a number of savans of -distinction there, and to report the details to your Excellency -hereafter. - -Mr. Heine is very much delighted with the expression of your Excellency -in his favor. - -Mr. C—— and the _beau monde_ have retreated to the mountains and the -sea-baths long ago, and I shall not see him for three or four weeks to -come. - -Mr. Fillmore would be the best President; but he appears to have little -hope of succeeding against Fremont and Buchanan; and the Knownothings -have lost all credit. - -My poor wife and children are counting the hours which must elapse -before my return, and I am not less anxious to find all that is dear to -me again in the country of my home, next year, at the close of the -Congress. - -The approaching departure of the mail for England compels me to close -this letter, which I do with the most heartfelt wishes for your -Excellency’s continued well-being. - -With immutable reverence and affection, I remain your Excellency’s most -devoted - - GEROLT. - - - - - 178. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _September 13th, 1856_. - -The great influence of the name of your Excellency in the United States, -as in America in general, is a gratifying sign of the improvement of -those countries in civilization, and a sure pledge of the ultimate -triumph of the philanthropic principles which you have consistently -advocated through the course of a long and eventful life. I thank you -heartily for the letter of M. v. Gerolt, and its printed inclosure, -which will be a valuable addition to my collections. At this moment, it -is true, the chances of Fremont are a little doubtful; nevertheless the -latest accounts represent the zeal of his supporters as very great and -by no means hopeless. - -Our domestic events—domestic in their origin though the scene be laid -abroad—it would be more agreeable to pass in silence, as it is difficult -to find the proper expression with which to characterize them, and -impracticable to make use of those expressions when found. The most -consoling observation to be made is that of unanimous condemnation on -all hands, where there are no private ends to gain. For the veritable -Prussian of the good old school such things as Jade, Neufchatel, and -even Zollern, are at all times nothing but distractions, having no -legitimate concern with the core of the Prussian state. In regard to -Neufchatel, I fear that a momentary favorable nod of France is over -valued, and will lead to inextricable entanglements; Reynard[82] is apt -to incite his friends to dangerous adventures; the escape from them is -their affair, and he takes a malicious pleasure in looking on. - -The other day Lady Bettina von Arnim contributed to my collections near -a thousand autographs. One of the most valuable is a letter from your -Excellency to Ludwig Achim von Arnim, on petrifactions; it is not dated, -but I refer it to the third decade of the present century. - -I well know on what day I write these lines. It precedes the day more -widely and more enthusiastically celebrated than any other. May it -please your Excellency to accept the modest tribute of my warm good -wishes with kind favor! In faithful reverence and grateful devotion, - - Your Excellency’s most obedient, - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 179. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 22d, 1856_. - -The Grand Duke of Weimar, who has just left, commissions me to beg of -you as a particular favor, the permission for him to visit you to-morrow -(on Tuesday) between nine and eleven o’clock. He is determined to see -you in person. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - MONDAY. - - - - - 180. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Sept. 23d, 1856_. - - CHER ET _introuvable_ AMI! - -How the improbable can become real! How royal huntsmen and royal -coachmen cannot find you, cannot look for your direction in the prosaic -directory. I send this direction at this moment to the Grand Duke, who -has the anguish of having detained my revered friend. May he be more -fortunate in a new attempt. The enclosed sheet is a Berlin curiosity for -your archives. - - Faithfully yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - TUESDAY, 2 O’CLOCK. - - - - - 181. - (ENCLOSED.) - GRAND DUKE CHARLES ALEXANDER OF SAXE-WEIMAR TO HUMBOLDT. - - - AT THE CHATEAU OF BERLIN, - _Tuesday Morning_. - -Had I had the skill of the Marquis of St. Germain, of whom, if I am not -mistaken, it is told that one fine morning he departed through four -gates at one and the same time, I could not have been more desirous to -find M. von Varnhagen than I was. Nevertheless, it was all in vain. No -one could tell me where he lived, and it was of no use to take the -measure of the “_Maurenstrasse_.” Nature having made me the most -obstinate of all Grand Dukes, I still persist in my intention to see the -invisible, and hasten to attain that consummation by requesting your -Excellency to tell me where M. de Varnhagen actually _does_ live. Pardon -my repeated importunities; but in conscience I know of no route which -could be shorter or more direct. I remain, with the inextinguishable -attachment of the most devoted admiration and veneration for your -Excellency, - - CHARLES ALEXANDER. - - - - - 182. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _September 24th, 1856_. - - YOUR EXCELLENCY: - -You have had not a little trouble on my account lately, which I lament -with shame. Most of all I regret having missed your kind visit, which is -always an honor as well as a good fortune. That the Grand Duke could not -find me yesterday, although he drove up and down the Maurenstrasse, and -made several inquiries, would be incomprehensible if the servants of a -Court were not a very peculiar fraternity. It is nearly thirty years -that I have resided in the largest house in the street, which the Grand -Duke himself has entered in visiting Prince Wilhelm of Baden. To-day, -however, he arrived punctually at eight o’clock, was very pleasant and -affable, spoke with a good deal of frankness and much cordiality, and -mentioned your Excellency with great esteem and gratitude. His real -errand did not appear until his visit came to a close; in referring him -to me, your Excellency has done me great honor, but you have also -involved me in no inconsiderable perplexity. The affair is of great -importance, and may lay the foundation for the happiness of a worthy -man; the wish itself is creditable to the Grand Duke, and it will give -me great pleasure in any way to subserve his noble purpose. I shall take -it into consideration, and, if a result is attainable, shall -respectfully submit it to your Excellency. At the first blush, I named -young H., which, however, led to nothing, the Grand Duke doubting the -extent of his acquaintance with the French language. The visit lasted -nearly an hour, and much that was said was remarkable; my share in the -conversation must have been unpleasant, at least the physical part of -it, which is entirely ruined and quite unintelligible from coughing, -influenza, and rheumatic compression of the chest. - -With the best wishes for your Excellency’s welfare, I remain in profound -reverence and gratitude, - - Your obedient - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 183. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Sep. 24th, 1856_. - -Before I bury myself again for some days in Potsdam, a sacrifice to the -Queen and to her solitude, I shall, dear friend, justify the Grand Duke -and myself. The Grand Duke visited you, which honors him, not to consult -you, but out of respect for your fine talents and your character, -because he had, as he said, inherited the idea from his house, that one -must see two men in Berlin, you and me. That we must both accept with -gratitude as an inheritance from the _old gentleman_ and the Imperial -Highness, who is a worthy lady. He had not at all the idea to speak with -you of what he seeks and never will find (equal inclination for science -and poetry, history of geographical discoveries, art, painting, gems and -sculpture, refined social manners, fluent French speaking and waiting, -also reading aloud). That bantling is yet unborn. I said, _j’aviserai_, -and quite casually I added, that I would ask your opinion. Only when -taking leave, which he introduced officially by very far-fetched phrases -on the “noble grey-haired youth,” he asked me whether it would be -contrary to my wishes to submit the problem to you also. The visit had -for its motive the manifestation of inherited reverence, and a desire to -produce an effect, which must be connected with some self-denial at -eight o’clock in the morning, on the day of departure. To vaccinate him -with our excellent H., we might send the latter for four months to Paris -and London; but would a mind like H.’s put up with it? _J’en doute_. - - Most cordially, your - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - WEDNESDAY. - - -Gerlach intends to separate himself from the King, and to oust Reyher, -whereby he would still remain quite near the King, ay, even nearer than -at present, for the cause of little animosities (electricity from -contact) would then disappear. - - - - - 184. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _November 9th, 1856_. - -I forgot to inform you, my revered friend, that I fulfilled punctually -your wish to send to Weimar the letter you addressed me, and to -recommend urgently the proposed “Private Secretary,” and all this a few -days after I knew your intention. - -A German letter from Prince Metternich, expressing sentiments full of -graceful language, will interest you. I present you the letter for your -archival collection. The occasion was a moulding in plaster and copy, -partly by the Prince’s own hand, of an old Egyptian column of granite, -which he had received twenty-five years ago from Mehemed Ali. The old -Prince gave me this copy, three-fourths of a foot in height, to decipher -the long inscription in Demotic writing. This has been done by Dr. -Brugsch, the talented young Egyptologist, author of a Demotic Grammar, -universally admired in other countries. Dr. Brugsch, who had the first -edition of his Grammar printed in Latin, when he was still in the first -class of August’s Gymnasium[83] (the second edition is written in -French), has found a good deal of very remarkable astronomy in the -inscription; and in order to give pleasure to the old Prince, Brugsch -has published the whole under the name of “Stele. Metternich,” in the -“Journal for the Orient,” and in the “Athenée.” Brugsch was in Egypt for -two years, at the expense of the King; he is the son of a poor sergeant, -and is familiar with Greek, Arabic, Hebrew, Coptic, and Persian. - -Pardon my horrid writing, illegible, and in wild, incorrect style. - -The letter of the maccaroni King[84] to Louis Philippe, in the -“Spenersche Zeitung,” will not have escaped you, I hope. _Non v’a -bisogno_—entirely as Rochow-Seiffart (in his first manner) to the -Elbingers:—“It is not at all necessary that my people think; I think for -them; the people, who have betrayed me so often, submit to my power.” - - Your faithful - A. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 185. - METTERNICH TO HUMBOLDT. - - - KOENIGSWART, _October 14th, 1856_. - -MY OLD FRIEND!—I received gratefully the information on the stele which -Herr Brugsch calls by my name, and I beg of you to hand over to the -learned investigator the words you find inclosed. After my return to -Vienna, I shall avail myself of the interpretation, already so -instructive, of the monument, to point out the way to archæologists in -which they may obtain copies, by an advertisement. I did not doubt that -I could not do better than to address you for light on the scientific -value of the present of Mehemed Ali, which for many years slept in my -multifarious collections, and of which I was quite ignorant. May you and -Herr Brugsch receive my most sincere thanks. - -I have had the good fortune to find the King in excellent health, and in -the usual kind disposition towards myself. Great recollections in long -lives are a fine bond between man and man, the power of which is well -tried when it has resisted the storms of time. It is more than half a -century since my first intercourse with the young heir-apparent. What -vicissitudes have occupied this long interval is matter of history. That -they have never deprived me of the confidence of the two kings, father -and son, is with me a source of pride—that is to say, of a sensation -which the term peace of mind and heart would better characterize than -the unsafe word that has escaped my pen. - -You, three years my senior, have just celebrated your eighty-seventh -birth-day. That you and I have understood “the art of living,” we may -confess. That we shall do well to cultivate it still longer, is not to -be denied. - - With sincere friendship and esteem, - METTERNICH. - - - - - 186. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _November 20th, 1856_. - -I want your literary aid, my noble friend. Our great landscape painter, -Hildebrandt, who was in Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Palestine, Greece, and -recently at the North Cape, has executed an admirable aquarelle picture -of my “Interior Household,” in order to replace a smaller one sold in -many hundreds of copies in America. “La renommée, fruit d’une longue -patience de vivre, augmente avec l’imbécilité.” I am compelled to make -an inscription to this picture of mine, with my own hand. This is no -easy task. I pray that you will visit me on Saturday, at one o’clock, if -it is possible to you. You shall guide me. - - Your most grateful - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - THURSDAY. - - - - - 187. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _November 21st, 1856_. - -I yesterday prayed, dear friend, that you should make me the pleasure of -your visit on Saturday. I pray to-day that you will not come; I hear -with sorrow that you suffer much. The great picture of Hildebrandt -remains yet a long time in my house. Every later day will also be useful -to me. I only beg of you that you will kindly announce to me the day, -beforehand, on which I may expect you. Choose the twelfth hour, under -any circumstances, because I am sure to be free then. I also am in a -condition in which I desire to _run out of my skin_.[85] As an old man, -I suffer as from musquito bites; and moreover, a hyper-christian, Mr. -Foster (living at Brussels), consults me from time to time, whether I -believe that the souls of the lower animals, such as bed-bugs and -musquitoes, are included in the scheme of salvation, and destined to go -to heaven. So they threaten me up there too, where I shall find the -animal souls, well known to me from the Orinoco, chanting a hymn of -praise. - - In old friendship, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - FRIDAY. - - -And the disgraceful party which sells negro children, and distributes -canes of honor, as the Russian Emperor does swords of honor, and -Graefe’s noses of honor,—who prove that all white workmen should rather -be slaves than free—have succeeded. What a crime! - -Nov. 22d, 1856.—Varnhagen writes in his diary:—“I started at half-past -12 o’clock, and drove to Humboldt in the pouring rain. He was rejoiced -at my coming, and soon led me to an adjoining room, where hung -Hildebrandt’s great aquarelle picture, in a frame; an excellent picture, -indeed, in the rich variety of which the sitting figure of Humboldt -predominates. Now came the question about the inscription to be chosen -for it. I had rightly expected that he did not so much expect -propositions from me, as my approval of those chosen by him already. -Contrary to my expectation, no short sentence, but a longer speech, a -rhetorical composition, which happily compares the searching traveller -with the returned man of science. Some alterations were approved in the -beginning, but disapproved again in the end. Hildebrandt gave the -picture not to Herr von Humboldt, but to his valet Seiffert. It is to be -engraved. We looked at the rooms, in three of them; his apparatus of -study is strewn about; all three warmed to 19 degrees Réaumur, an -intolerable temperature for me. A library hall not warmed. Pictures -painted by Madame Gaggiotti, whose talents he praised highly; he -wondered and rejoiced that I knew her too. He complained of itching; I -said it was a well-known complaint, pruritus. “Senilis,” he immediately -added. In a box he had a living chameleon, which he showed me, and of -which he said, that it was the only animal which was able to direct one -of its eyes upwards, and at the same time the other downwards; that our -parsons only were able to do the same, with one eye directed to heaven -and the other to the good things of this world. We talked of Neufchatel -too; he said that the King was full of good hopes, and counted upon -Louis Bonaparte; that Manteuffel did not see things in such a favorable -light, but made merry of them. The Russian Chancellor, Graf von -Nesselrode, said to Humboldt on his last visit, that the present -constitution and position of Switzerland made the best impression on -him, and were such as to win esteem and favor for the republic.” - - - - - 188. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _November 30th, 1856_. - - ESTEEMED FRIEND: - -At this moment I receive a letter from a _pupil_, deserving of moderate -praise for clearness of thought and diction. I shall not write before -having first come to see you, my dear friend. The last fifteen lines of -the letter are utterly illegible and unintelligible to me. I had written -to him about the laying of the telegraph cable between Ireland and -Newfoundland, but had not made him any offer. I cannot read what is -underscored! Keep my pupil’s letter by all means, including the -information that I am the subject of discussion in the Belgian Chambers, -as a materialist and republican, who ought to be discharged! Where the -dinner of the Baron d’Arhim (Arnim) took place, I cannot guess. I may -have said, that I was as liberal as Arago, but certainly not that I was -a Republican. Deposit M. Jobard in your archives, my friend, - - Your faithful, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SUNDAY. - - -What men believe and disbelieve does not generally become a subject of -contention until after they have been officially buried and bepreached -by Sydow.[86] - -The “Spenersche Zeitung,” besides discussing Neufchatel and the -evacuation of the Danubian principalities, contains a daily health -return about five little silkworms of Fintelmann, the court gardener. -How all things diminish in importance! I have often written letters -dated from the hill of Sans Souci, which formerly was historical. Now -the Peacock’s Island becomes historical by the still life of two -caterpillars. Thus the world moves. It must be remembered that when the -Angora goats made illustrious the administration of Richelieu in France, -the _Moniteur_ contained the announcement: “Le moral des chèvres -s’améliore de jour en jour.” - - - - - 189. - CHARLES ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF SAXE-WEIMAR, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - WEIMAR, _November 29th, 1856_. - -As I fortunately have the honor to be known, truly known to your -Excellency, I may flatter myself that you will not estimate my gratitude -for your services and those of M. de Varnhagen, by the length of time -which has elapsed since the day I received your letter of the 31st, and -the present time. My sincere thanks shall here receive a place. They -have been delayed by the very nature of the transaction. Such could not -but be the effect, for in an affair of that kind it is impossible to -form a sudden resolution, and accordingly I now write for the sole -purpose of not appearing ungrateful, and because, on the other hand, it -is necessary to secure the possibility of forming a fixed resolve. To do -this I must have time and freedom of election. Both are secured by the -kindness of yourself and M. Varnhagen, for you join in proposing to send -the young man so as to enable me in the first place to make his -acquaintance. The question arises, when can this be done? for I do not -care to begin by calling * * * here with the trombone of an appointment. -Nothing remains, therefore, but to beg your Excellency to make inquiries -at what time the gentleman would be at leisure and inclined to undertake -a journey to the bank of the Jlm. Having asked this question, I would -pause above all things, in order to proceed to the expression of my -thanks for the important news you have the goodness to communicate. If I -add the question, whether your Excellency will kindly send me the map -for an admiring inspection, and if you should possibly find this -question wonderfully troublesome, I take refuge under the shelter of -your goodness to me, which has often made me proud, and to-day, perhaps, -indiscreet. Yet I am proud of your goodness, which is ever coupled with -truth, and in the latter I put my trust, that you will decisively reject -my petition, if it troubles you, to whom, in reverence, I remain the -most grateful scholar, - - CHARLES ALEXANDER. - - - - - 190. - JOBARD TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BRUSSELS, _November 26th, 1856_. - - MONSIEUR LE BARON: - -Perhaps you will not be displeased to learn the rôle you have been made -to play in the unfortunate debate of our religious politics. - -The old Minister Dechamps, who sat on your right at the dinner of the -Baron of Arhim, and who was so much astonished at hearing you say that -you were as much of a Republican as your friend Arago, having associated -your name with those of the illustrious believers who profess the -Catholic faith, a liberal journal this morning answered him as follows:— - -“M. Dechamps, in the last homily delivered by him in the Chamber, cited -the name of M. de Humboldt to prove that science could well be made -subservient to the creed. It must be admitted, as Mr. Devaux showed, -that the example could not have been worse chosen. M. de Humboldt is one -of those rationalists, pure and simple, against whom M. Dechamps has -already written so many letters. If M. Humboldt had taught in Belgium he -would most certainly have been pursued in pastoral letters, and -discharged by M. Dechamps, if M. Dechamps had been the Minister. -Nevertheless, it is thus that history is written, and thus that the most -important questions of our intellectual and moral future are -appreciated!” - -Here is another unmixed and undisguised political opinion:— - -“As often and so sure as you base your church upon human obtuseness, the -gates of the mind will not prevail against it, because there will always -be consummate fools, old fools, and little fools, to uphold and repair -it. Pure reason has not the same chance.” - - Yours, ever devotedly, - JOBARD. - - - - - 191. - LINES BY VARNHAGEN ON HILDEBRANDT’S PAINTING OF HUMBOLDT’S APARTMENTS, - AND THE MOTTO ATTACHED. - - (TRANSLATED BY CHARLES GOEPP, ESQ., AT EASTON, PA.) - - - This was the latest, the peaceful home, where the mighty explorer, - Early ascender of summits, reposed on the heights of his glory. - Hall of the Castle of Knowledge, the limner has deftly restored thee! - Lofty and light, rich hung with trophies of noble endeavor; - Treasures of nature and art, and of love, and the weapons of science. - While in the midst sits, earnestly glad, thoughtfully commanding - All the profusion around, himself thy sovereign, breathing - Speech and significant life into every shape of the picture; - Plying the wonderful shuttle of thought, until it produces, - Painting and painted at once, fresh images, brighter and brighter.[87] - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - BERLIN, _December 1st, 1856_. - - - - - 192. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _December 3d, 1856_. - -So my pedestrian prose has led you back, my friend, to the regions of -the noblest of rhythms! It would make me proud, if the universe were not -entitled to your favor. With even more modesty than the poor, for whose -benefit the old man with the moss-grown beard[88] exhibits himself for -the small compensation of five silver groschen. With what excellent -taste you have transferred the English “_home_” into “_Daheim_.” -Indescribably beautiful is your poetry, full of grace and delicacy, and -of a solemn monition of what should have been extracted from nature and -art, and the weapon of science. If my brother William, who, in his -correspondence with Wolf, discoursed so largely on lax and severe -hexameters, could but have lived to witness this family honor! - -Your advice, even when not clothed in verse, is law to me. I shall -follow it at once; and you have made matters a great deal easier than -they were. _Alea jacta sit!_ Could you, perhaps, dear friend, transfer -the last ten syllables (or lines) of the Grand Ducal letter into your -classic chirography, so as possibly to enable me to guess what it is -that I am understood to have promised. - -Fremont’s portrait reminds one vividly of Chateaubriand. A biography of -the former has just appeared in New York, dedicated to me—“Memoirs of -the Life and Public Services of John Charles Fremont, by John Bigelow -(?).” The dedication says; “To Alexander von Humboldt this memoir of one -whose genius he was among the first to discover and acknowledge, is -respectfully inscribed by the author.” Delicate words, a little -artificially combined. There is a copy of the letter written to him from -Sans Souci, in the King’s name, in 1850, accompanying the great prize -medal for science and art, upon his having projected the most extensive -barometrical level ever executed, from Missouri to the South Sea. It -closes with the words of which Sans Souci has no reason to be ashamed: -“_La Californie, qui a_ NOBLEMENT résisté à l’introduction _de -l’esclavage_, sera dignement représentée par _un ami de la liberté et -des progrès de l’intelligence_.”[89] The biography has passages of a -strange romantic interest. At one time cold and hunger have driven a -party to fury and almost phrensy, when they all pray and sing, and then -an oath from Fremont that there shall not in any case be a resort to -cannibalism. As soon as my own curiosity is satisfied I shall send you -the book. For the present, you may occupy yourself with the miracle -performed by the chaplain of an army division in Magdeburg, on a Mr. -Assemann, in Quedlinburg. I have lighted upon it in my capacity of -naturalist. It is to be found on p. 34. - - Gratefully yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—The water color paintings by Hildebrandt, that of - Humboldt among them, were exhibited in the hall of the Art Union, - for the benefit of the poor. Price of admission, five - silber-groschen.[90] - - Suicide a Folly and a Crime; Two Sermons by Dr. Crusius, Chaplain of a - Division of the Army: Magdeburg, 1855. 8vo. The miracle consists in - this, that one, who under the qualms of a guilty conscience, was - long occupied with thoughts of suicide, was suddenly cured of them, - permanently, by an invocation of the name of Jesus. The production - is also remarkable as containing, on p. 34, the following allusion - to Schleiermacher: “It is said of a distinguished divine, that he - was once sorely tempted to commit suicide. Such is the influence - which suffering of body and mind may exercise even upon good and - godly men.” - - - - - 193. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _December 17th, 1856_. - -Another grateful, unconstrained, and amiable letter from the Grand Duke. -He fixes February for the visit, and desires the drama to open with a -request to search the archives. The permission being given, the material -part is to follow, as he says, symbolically. You will arrange that with -care, my dear friend. We are approaching the goal of our wishes. - -I have another funeral to-morrow at the column in Tegel, which, under -the hand of Thorwalsden, promises _Hope_. The oldest niece (daughter) of -my brother, the wife of General Hedemann, born in Paris in 1800, a few -days after Madame von Humboldt’s return from Spain, has departed after -much suffering (liver complaint connected with dropsy), an amiable, -cheerful housewife, who enjoyed good health for forty years in a very -happy marriage. I live to bury all my kith and kin. - - Yours, - A. V. H. - - WEDNESDAY EVENING. - - - - - 194. - CHARLES ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF SAXE-WEIMAR, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - WEIMAR, _December 16th, 1856_. - -Like unto Nature, eternally invoked, eternally giving, because eternally -bountiful, you respond with ever returning goodness to every repeated -solicitation. The proposal of your Excellency in regard to the young man -of science, as suggested by the plan of M. de Varnhagen, is so -excellent, that I can only beg for its speedy execution. For that -purpose, it would seem desirable that M. de Varnhagen should instil the -idea into the young men that our plentiful archives would repay a -thorough search, if I could be induced to sanction it. I would do so at -once, permitting the material part to follow hereafter. The period -beginning with February of next year would seem to me best adapted for -the literary investigation. The real object of the journey should remain -a secret, so that I shall be entirely at liberty to see him, to appoint -him, or not to appoint him. - -I thank you with all my heart for that printed inclosure. This task -also, by no means an easy one, you have performed with a master hand, -and could do so better than any one else, because you, more than most -men, have spoken to the world by noble actions. - -I shall appropriate the Journal of Petermann. My veneration for you is -the pledge of the effective truth of my aspirations. I beg you to -preserve your interest in it, and your goodness also, being your most -grateful admirer and servant, - - CHARLES ALEXANDER. - - - - - 195. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _Feb. 7th, 1857_. - -When I read anything in Berlin that enlists my political or literary -attention, my first thought is of you. Lasaulx of Munich, of Baader’s -tribe, was only known to me as a man of the “Kreuz Zeitung” and of -Schubert’s World of Darkness, and the new historical work he sends me -contains little originality of views, but it manifests, by way of -allusion, a wealth of positive knowledge, which I had not expected of -the man. Numerous citations indicate a great preference for the views of -my brother. The Slavonic passage in regard to the Messiah is also -remarkable, and the notes present a rich collection of antiquities. I -should not look for anything of the sort from President Gerlach and his -brother, to whom Professor Gelzer of Basle, and others, of opinions -opposite to his, have been officially referred in the Neufchatel -negotiations. If Lasaulx is not agreeable to you on account of his -wishes for the restoration of the ancient German empire, you may find it -interesting to skim over the work, and glance at the notes. - -My cutaneous disease is much better, as also my nocturnal diligence. The -fourth and last volume of Kosmos will consist of two parts, _i.e._, of -two volumes, each of thirty-five sheets, the first of which has already -left the press. Both the parts, however, are to appear _together_, to -avoid spoiling the effect of a continuous description, beginning with -the internal warmth of the earth, and ending with the different races of -man. - -The presumptuous want of caution with which the pitiful Neufchatel -affair is carried on here, exposes Prussia to great humiliation at -Paris. Waterloo will be avenged on Prussia as it has been on Russia. - - Yours most truly, - A. V. HT. - - - - - 196. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _Feb. 9th, 1857_. - -Your Excellency will receive, accompanying this, with my most hearty -thanks, the book so kindly lent me. I have read it with varied emotions, -I might say with painful interest. True, the author makes concessions, -and opens up points of view, which I should not have expected any more -than the luxurious learning of his manifold citations. But the pretty -collection of notes fails to mantle the kernel of the text, which is -extremely bitter; the apology of negro slavery, the brutal praise of -warfare and of standing armies, and the beneficence of _aristocratic_ -revolutions, in spite of his far-fetched compliments, which look like -invitations to be converted, the author really offers nothing but the -fare of the “Kreuz Zeitung,” in a preparation somewhat more delicate -than that of Professor Leo, whose “mire of cultivation” and “scrofulous -rabble” are here cooked up with spices. _Latet anguis in herba!_ I must -say that I always take the alarm when philosophers undertake to measure -the course and the stage of human development, and to combine the meagre -dates of our puny history, of at most a few thousand years, with laws -for the possibilities of millions of years. Neither Fichte, nor -Schelling, nor Steffens, nor Hegel, were particularly fortunate in their -essays; the assignment of the ages is best left to the poets. What is -especially singular in our author is that he confesses to a strong doubt -of his own doctrine, for he “cannot practically renounce the national -Ideal of a restored emperor and empire, although his theoretical faith -in their realization is slight” (p. 157). One who writes thus has -written his own sentence. A friendly answer at the hands of your -Excellency the author may hope to receive, an approving one you will not -be able to give him. - -To hear that your welfare, your activity, your energy, continue -unaltered and progressive, is refreshing and encouraging to us authors, -who stand in need of great example to protect us from flagging in our -daily work, ολίγον τε φίλον τε. The views of the new volume of Kosmos -give me great delight, and, as Schiller said when Goethe produced one of -his masterpieces, “I thank the gods that they have suffered me to live -to see it.” - -The Neufchatel affair, even in its present stage, has in it much that is -disheartening, and I was from the first opposed to our negotiations at -Paris, which had all the appearance of snares, in which much may yet be -entangled. The zeal displayed by many is not at all sincere, but seems -an excellent means for the attainment of other ends, and will probably -be successful. Nevertheless, I am without anxiety for the future, the -light cannot be extinguished and must triumph; it is only the moment of -darkness that is hard to bear. - -With the best wishes, in the greatest veneration and devotion, - - I remain your Excellency’s most obedient, - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 197. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _February 20th, 1857_. - -Will your Excellency pardon me for trespassing on your valuable time a -moment? Not for myself, but for a literary project from which I cannot -withhold my personal interest, if only on the score of old acquaintance! -Professor Francis Hoffmann, of Wuerzburg, is engaged upon the -publication of the works of Francis von Baader, which he pursues with -self-sacrificing perseverance. I may say against wind and tide. He is -about closing the enterprise with a sketch of the life of his author, -and is anxious not to pass over unmentioned the fact, that Baader -attended the Mining Academy at Freiberg, at the same time with your -Excellency. It would be invaluable to him to obtain a word of reference -to the matter from yourself, a bare hint as to whether any relation of -moment took place between you, or whether he made any impression upon -you? I would not presume to trouble your Excellency, if I did not take -for granted that either a memento, or the contents of a single line, -would dispose of the matter! - -The crowd and your Excellency’s early departure prevented me from making -my salutation at the Artists’ Festival. It is more than twenty years -since I have ventured into such deep waters. - -Strange reports are in circulation. I hope it is only a jest that -presents M. Niebuhr as the Future Minister of finance, and M. Wagener as -Privy Councillor, with a seat in the cabinet. - -With a repeated request of your indulgence, I remain, with the most -profound esteem, and in the most sincere devotion, - - Your Excellency’s most obedient, - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - -On Humboldt’s attack of sickness, Varnhagen’s diary of February 27, -1857, contains the following: “M. Hernrann Grimm called, coming from -Humboldt’s apartments, where he had conversed with Seiffert, the valet. -It is not a cold that has befallen Humboldt, but a far more serious -attack, a paralytic stroke. After the court ball on Tuesday evening he -felt unwell, in the night he left his bed to drink some water—wished to -avoid disturbing the servant—and fell upon the floor. Seiffert awoke -with the noise, and found his master speechless and unconscious; it was -some time before he revived. Privy Councillor Schoenlein is not -sanguine; he had not a very good night.” - -Humboldt’s loss would be irreparable. He is a counterpoise to so much -that is mean and contemptible, which, after his death, would boldly seek -the light and glory in its own depravity. The honor and influence of -science are embodied in him, and both would sink if he were taken away. -There is not now a name in Germany, or in Europe, like his, not an -influence in Berlin more extensive or more generally recognised than -his. And how painful would his loss be to me! His name and his -intercourse is attached to fifty years of my life, he has known those -who were near and dear to us of old! - - -Under March 14th, Varnhagen narrates in his diary: “When the King was -with Humboldt, Schoenlein said to the latter, that he would not be able -for some time to stand firmly on his left side, to which Humboldt -rejoined: ‘For all that, it will not be necessary for me to sit on the -right with Gerlach.’”[91] - - - - - 198. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _March 17th, 1857_. - -I cannot deny myself the pleasure to offer to your Excellency my most -heartfelt congratulations for your happy and perfect recovery! The -finest and most powerful testimony of it is the letter to Privy -Councillor Boeckh, which appeared in the papers this morning, and which -no epithet of praise will suffice to describe. Such an invocation has -never yet fallen to the lot of any man, and the receiver will not fail -to honor and appreciate it as the most precious of all the gifts -bestowed upon him. How fresh must have been the mind, and how warm the -heart, from which it emanates, and how sterling and graceful at once is -its expression! Even its narrative form—its Herodotic narrative, I might -call it—is of inestimable value, and shows us a beautiful combination of -youth preserved and old age achieved. - -May your Excellency pardon this overflow of sentiment! You have no need -of my words, but to me it is not possible to suppress them, and I -therefore will give free vent to my most fervent desire, that the -radiating star, covered for a moment by a cloud, may still shine upon us -for a long time in accustomed splendor, and may forebode, as heretofore, -health and wealth at home and abroad. - - With profound veneration and gratitude, - Ever faithfully your most devoted - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - -These lines are not so presumptuous as to expect an answer. - - - - - 199. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 19th, 1857_—_at Night_. - -How should I deny myself the pleasure to thank you, the dearest, ablest, -and most attached of my friends. Not indulgence—no, praising expressions -on my address to Boeckh—a praise of form, of the vesture of thought—has -been my lot from the lips of the master of language, and of the delicate -turns of good-will. You caused me great joy, more than you anticipated. -What my nervous affection was, which produced a paralysis of such short -duration, with the functions of the brain remaining entirely free, with -pulse unchanged, with preservation of sight, and of all motion of the -extremities subject to will, I cannot divine. There are magnetic storms -(the polar light), electric storms in the clouds, nervous storms in man, -heavy and light ones—perhaps, also, sheet lightning, _foreboding_ the -others. I had serious thoughts of death, _comme un homme qui part, ayant -encore beaucoup de lettres à écrire_. Other interests, which for ever -remain alive in me, bind me to the memories of yesterday!! I believe -myself in full convalescence; but as I had to rest much on the bed -without occupation, sadness and displeasure of the world have increased -in me. This I say to you alone. I shall soon come to you, and thank you -orally from the depths of my soul. All around us puts us to shame. - -In most intimate friendship, your most faithful - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -Varnhagen writes in his diary, March 19th, 1857: “Unexpectedly a letter -from Humboldt! I had written under my congratulation, that these lines -were not so immodest as to expect an answer. But he, nevertheless -answers, and in the most obliging, most heart-gladdening manner. He -gives a remarkable report of his sickness. The bad reports were all -untrue, at least exaggerated; he never lost consciousness or language, -his pulse remained as usual. Yet he did not conceal from himself, that -it might be the end.” “I had serious thoughts of death, comme un homme -qui part, ayant encore beaucoup de lettres à écrire!” Grand and fine is -what he adds: “Other interests, which remain for ever alive in me, bind -me to the memories of yesterday!! (of the 18th of March!)[92] I believe -myself in full convalescence, but as I had to rest much on the bed -without occupation, sadness and displeasure with the world have -increased in me. This I say to you alone.” - - - - - 200. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 6th, 1857_. - -If you, dear friend, understand the letter of the Grand Duke as I do, —— -must go. I had proposed that he should come to Weimar, under the pretext -of studying the archives; he would bring a letter of introduction from -you or me; should be invited to court and if he did not please, should -simply be asked whether he meant to return to ——. That this should be a -shibboleth as a bad end of the drama, quod Deus avertat. I also proposed -to advance the stipulated sum of money. On this head the tyrant does not -answer distinctly. —— goes, I think, by way of Berlin. Shall we then -give him the letter of recommendation with the galvanic stimulants? I do -as you wish. - - Your faithful - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - MONDAY. - - -Keep the letter of the Grand Duke, which ends nicely, and in good taste. - - - - - 201. - KARL ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF SAXE-WEIMAR, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - WEIMAR, _April 3d, 1857_. - -A misunderstanding is the key to my behavior towards ——. I believed and -expected that he, after he had, in January, I believe, asked the -permission to search our archives, would immediately come hither. Then -only of course I would have paid his expenses. Just in these last days I -wondered neither to hear nor to see anything of ——. - -Then arrived the second letter of your Excellency, which, asking -explanation of me, gives explanation; and I hasten to answer it by -saying that —— may come in about ten days, and I would be prepared in -any case to make the payment, the amount of which your Excellency -yourself named. According to understanding, both of us, I and the -traveller, would consider ourselves entirely free yet, and therefore -observe due discretion on the proper cause of this journey. - -Dante would have spoken still more truly if he had said: “Viver ch’ è un -correr a l’eterna gioventù.” You prove it, for eternally your immortal -spirit rejuvenates, its excellence is also a proof of this. - -In grateful reverence and love, your faithfully most submissive - - KARL ALEXANDER. - - - - - 202. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _April 7th, 1857_. - -Your Excellency’s kind and very much desired communications I forwarded -in haste to —— that is to say, the substance of it. It is to be hoped -that —— will start immediately, but I expect first to receive an answer -from him, and as I do not believe that in the short time the Grand Duke -has left him, he can make the détour by way of Berlin, it will be best -for him to receive the letter of introduction in Weimar. - -The Grand Duke insists upon discretion, and justly so! It is convenient -for him, and delicate and sparing for the other party. —— has acted -correctly in this respect up to the present time. I am very anxious to -see the end of the matter; taking for granted that there was a good -relation present in the germ. Success would give me extraordinary -satisfaction. - -The present you make me of the letter of the Grand Duke delights me very -much. Not only the end is in good taste and fine, but the whole style -has agreeable turns; and above all, the reverence for your Excellency -expresses itself in a manner, the heartfelt sincerity of which cannot be -misunderstood. - -For some days I have been living entirely in recollections of past times -and relations. The correspondence between Gentz and Adam Mueller, just -now published by Cotta, keeps me spellbound, and I must contemplate the -whole series of those experiences in my reviving recollection. - -I have known both men early and intimately, and have had much -intercourse with them, personally, of a friendly character, in measures -generally an adversary. The superiority of Gentz over the younger -friend, whom he greatly overvalued, never was doubtful to me, and is -here confirmed anew; only at last when the murder of Kotzebue deranges -and stupifies the mind, the force of terror drives the statesman, who -formerly was fond of clearness, into the gloomy nebulous strata, to -which the frightened friend had retreated long before. This -correspondence is certainly unique in its kind. The transactions, -disquisitions, mutual influences, inclinations, and feuds are invested -with dramatic interest. In Adam Mueller, by-the-by, is contained the -complete germ of the “Kreuz Zeitungs” party, though in ideal elevation, -still without contact with the real world, and therefore without -offensive vulgarities. - -Your Excellency kindly promised me a few lines on Franz Baader; may I -remind you of them in the most modest manner, and with the remark, that -really a few lines only would suffice for the purpose? - -In most faithful reverence and most grateful submission, immutably your -Excellency’s most obedient - - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 203. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _April 10th, 1857_. - -I have the pleasure to announce to your Excellency that Herr —— will -start from —— to Weimar on the 14th. Much as he would have wished to -make the détour by way of Berlin, if only to lay at the feet of your -Excellency the most cordial expression of his boundless gratitude for so -much friendly intercession, he is compelled by the brief period fixed by -the Grand Duke to renounce the realization of that wish for the present. -I therefore venture to solicit the favor of the introduction to the -Grand Duke you were good enough to promise; a single line would suffice. -I would immediately despatch it to Weimar, so that Mr. —— will find it -there on his arrival. The young man is well aware that the journey -concludes nothing, and that he must be prepared for a denial; but he is -much pleased to see that the long delay in the progress of affairs is -ended, and he is at last in motion. By your kind inquiry your Excellency -has produced this result, and dispelled the clouds of misconception; the -most grateful heart will acknowledge this with heartfelt devotion! His -sentiments are warmly shared by myself, in this case, as in so many -earlier cases! - -With the best wishes for your welfare; with profound veneration and -attachment I remain unalterably, - - Your Excellency’s most obedient - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 204. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 13th, 1857_. - -Here, my valued friend, is the archivary recommendation for ——, just as -prescribed. May the matter be successful. - - With heartfelt attachment, - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 205. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 21st, 1857_. - -To my great regret, dear friend, I cannot accept the kind invitation of -yourself and your amiable niece to a cup of coffee on Thursday, as I -shall return late and much fatigued from Charlottenburg. During my -illness, a number of unimportant matters have accumulated, which must be -disposed of after dinner, because they are trumpery affairs of _orders_ -and dedications, a presentation of Betel in preference to gifts of -money. The fourth class[93] operates like Betel chewing, it occupies the -time, but affords no nourishment. On Thursday the King hopes to close -and settle with me. Be pleased to write Professor Hoffmann, of -Wuerzburg, that I am grateful for his torso, but no assistance is to be -expected from the King, not only (what you must _not_ write), because -something like a holy horror of the Catholic zeal of Baader is rooted in -the King’s mind, but also because all literary assistance dwindles down -in _the cabinet_ to a present of forty or forty-five thalers. In -preference to the publication in the preface of a miserable letter of -introduction, which may have been written in a moment of ill-humor, I -enclose a memorandum as requested. - - With the same friendship as of old, - _A. v. Humboldt_. - - - (INCLOSURE IN A LETTER FROM HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN.) - -You ask me, dear friend, what were the earliest impressions produced -upon me by Franz Baader! I first saw him in June, 1791, while studying -the art of mining in Freiberg, after the journey with George Forster to -England, and after my sojourn in the Hamburg Commercial Academy of -Buesching and Ebeling. For eight months I enjoyed the daily intercourse -of this amiable and gifted man. Franz Baader had then published his work -on caloric, and his inclinations were all of a chemico-physical nature, -with a slight infusion of ideas on the philosophy of physical science. -He was active underground, more occupied with practical mining and -furnace operations than with geognostic researches; thorough in the -observation of fact, cheerful, and satirical, but always with good -taste, and not intolerant of those who differed from him. His -imagination was not then specially directed to religious subjects. He -was generally popular, and a little feared at the same time, as is so -common where there is a consciousness of mental superiority. His -political opinions were liberal. It was the period of the Congress of -Pillnitz in our neighborhood—a time and a neighborhood which gave -occasion to political utterances. - - - - - 206. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 25th, 1857_. - -“The gate of the oracle, the abyss of the archives of state, analogies -leading down to the depths of the sea.” This is inferior to the last -letter. Rafael’s manner is not always the same. I am surprised to find -that curiosity appears to have led him to avoid seeing —— before the -journey to Hanover! Preserve the vapid letter, my dear friend! The -bottom of the sea refers to a map of the sea from Newfoundland to -Ireland, which I recommended to the Grand Duke, but which is not to be -procured because it was published in _Carthage_ by Perthes! The Times -flatter themselves, in all seriousness, that the French race is on the -point of extinction; well, the pugs are extinct also. - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - -I have disagreeable _rudera_ of the correspondence with a certain Dr. -Gross Hoffinger, in Vienna, who accuses himself of having written -against Prussia in 1848, and now asks Prussia to recommend him to the -Austrian government. Have you any recollection of him? - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—“Carthage” means Gotha, a town not far from Weimar, - but under the sovereignty of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg, between whom - and his cousin there is a constant rivalry, such as of old existed - between Rome and Carthage. - - - - - 207. - CHARLES ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF SAXE-WEIMAR, TO HUMBOLDT. - - -Your Excellency’s letter was duly received by the hands of Mr. ——. -Accept my thanks for these lines, for this new token of your constant -kindness to me. The bearer is for the present immersed in the abyss of -my archives. As soon as I shall return from Hanover, where an invitation -will detain me a few days,[94] to seek him out, awaiting further -developments at the hand of time, like the people at the gate of the -oracle. - -Analogies lead me from deep to lower deep, and then I descend from the -archives to the bottom of the sea. How am I to obtain the map of which -you wrote? When I inquired for it in Gotha, some time ago, the inquiry -was futile. So I return to the source, ever rich and bounteous, of whom -I subscribe myself the most grateful and obedient - - CHARLES ALEXANDER. - - VIENNA, _April 22d, 1857_. - - - - - 208. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _May 28th, 1857_. - -I am uneasy, my dear friend, about Weimar. The Grand Duke is everywhere, -except in Weimar “Athens.” What will become of our warmly recommended? -Has he been spoken to by the eloquent Prince? You have not wished me joy -to the order bestowed upon me by the “Hamburg Moniteur” as Grand -Officier, which Guizot gave me fifteen years ago. Raumer’s conversation -is very interesting; he was at Pesth, at Milan, dined with the Archduke, -and called on Cavour. He has again returned with something of a -hankering after the Austrian régime in Lombardy, like the Republicans -when they visit the United States, where arsenic, the torture, or -Fremont-worshipping negroes, cause a criminal colic to Cuba-mad -Buchanan. _Multa sunt eadem sed aliter._ The Russian Minister of -Enlightenment, Noroff, who had a leg shot off by the thigh at Borodino, -and who has carried his wooden leg to Jerusalem and Egypt, and even to -the top of the Pyramids, is here, and attends as a guest, sitting among -the students, the lectures of Johannes Mueller and Diderici. His -companion, the young Count Ouwaroff, the author of a great work on -Hellenic antiquities in the Chersonese, attends the lectures of Michelet -and Boeckh. Both are very agreeable men. The former is accused of being -over spiritual, but not intolerant; both are much pleased with the -freedom of our student life, and with the absence of policemen from our -university building. I did not care to disabuse the mind of the -one-legged Raumer, as they will leave soon. _Decipitur mundus._ - - With old affection, your tiresome - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—“The United States, where arsenic, the torture, or - Fremont-worshipping negroes, cause a criminal colic to Cuba-mad - Buchanan.” This passage alludes to the circumstance, that at a hotel - in Washington, the President, and many others with him, were seized - with a violent colic after dinner, so that suspicions of poison were - entertained; and it was only after a legal investigation that the - whole was found to have been caused by impure water. - - BY THE TRANSLATOR.—“Fremont-worshipping negroes” must refer to the - slaves who were reported to be in insurrection soon after the - accession of President Buchanan, in Tennessee or Kentucky, and of - whom it was said, that they believed Fremont and all his men to be - encamped at the bottom of the Cumberland river, ready to emerge for - their delivery. - - - - - 209. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, THURSDAY. _In haste, - June 4th, 1857._ - -A truly grand ducal letter, indelicate without excuse, cutting off every -prospect, as he said “Au revoir” on going away, after the preconcerted -shibboleth. Silence as to the costs, which are unnecessarily heavy. You -and I shall cease “steering in the ocean of investigation,” as -acquaintance with the party proposed does not suffice to determine him. -I have a mind to answer somewhat mockingly. It may be agreeable to you, -my esteemed friend, to enrich your archives with an autography of -Thiers, who is now an Orleanist. Duvergier de Hauranne also came here -after a pilgrimage to Eisenach. The Duchess is going to England. -Preserve both letters, the bad one and that which is simply good. - - Yours, - A. V. HT. - - -On Saturday I expect to come to Berlin with the King. The Queen is -coming on Monday. - - - - - 210. - CHARLES ALEXANDER, GRAND DUKE OF SAXE-WEIMAR, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - ETTERSBURG, _June 1, 1857_. - -Your Excellency has probably learned already, that I have seen, -repeatedly conversed with, but finally refrained from appointing ——. He -interested me, I may say he pleased me, but I thought I could not -recognise in him the secretary who could not only keep me informed of -everything of moment in the spheres of science, art, and literature, but -should attend to my correspondence, my intercourse, verbal and social, -in various languages; and to appoint him at hazard I feared to venture. -To retreat was, then, the only resource. I did so in order to steer -further in the ocean of investigation. Whether you will continue, even -in this matter, to cast upon me, as a star of good omen, the light of -the goodness ever extended to me—is what I may be permitted to wish, but -can hardly be permitted to hope—although we agreed that the acquaintance -of the party was not to include his selection. - -I shall now retire into various forest solitudes of Thuringia with a -number of books, among which I anticipate particular pleasure from the -perusal of Barth’s itinerary. I bow in reverence before such endurance -in the love of science, before such indomitable energy; how much the -more must I do so before his prototype, before you? Remaining your most -devoted, most grateful servant, - - CHARLES ALEXANDER. - - - - - 211. - THIERS TO HUMBOLDT. - - (FROM THE FRENCH.) - - - PARIS, _May 14th, 1857_. - -MY DEAR M. DE HUMBOLDT—I take the liberty of commending to your goodness -shown so often to myself and to Frenchmen generally, M. Duvergier de -Hauranne, who goes to Germany to show it to his young son. You know our -country too well for me to tell you what important and always honorable -part has been sustained by M. Duvergier de Hauranne in our assemblies, -where he has ever been faithful to the cause of rational liberty; and -not faithful alone, but eminently useful. Having returned to private -life and devoted himself to study, he goes to see your excellent -country, and I thought I could not do better than to recommend him to -your kindness. To his young son it will be an imperishable recollection -to have seen the illustrious savan who does the greatest honor to the -century, and whom we Frenchmen have the vanity to consider as French, -and belonging to us no less than to Germany. - -I do not write on current affairs here, for M. Duvergier de Hauranne -knows them, and can make you acquainted with them better than any other -man. - -Accept the renewed homage of my respectful attachment. - - A. THIERS. - - - - - 212. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _June 19th, 1857_. - -To my greatest joy, a beautiful portrait of yourself was brought me by -Mr. Richard Zeune, during an excursion to Tegel. I know not which most -to admire, the fresh, vivid, characteristic likeness of features so dear -to me (the talent of the skilful Miss Ludmilla Assing), or the writing -of your hand, so pregnant in thought and expression. The latter I have -copied myself and shown it to my friends, because it is to be ranked -with the best of what our language contains in the sententious -compression of ideas. The unexpected arrival of the brothers -Schlagintweit from Cashmere, Thibet, and the Kuen Luen mountains, which -bound Thibet on the north, as the Himalaya on the south, has -unreasonably delayed my acknowledgment of your kindness, as they are -going to the King at Marienbad, without, it is to be hoped, the three -hundred and forty boxes they have brought with them. All the _passes_, -even those most convenient for travel, are 18,000 feet high. From the -liberal grand ducal power (not liberal in the prosaic sense of filthy -lucre), not a syllable, probably because he is expecting us to send him -fresh proposals, fresh victims. No one but the honorary Hungarian -monk[95] and the princess is now a riddle to me. - - Yours most faithfully, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -The Emperor Napoleon has adroitly mended what before was dubious, by -means of very amiable letters, rich in delicate turns of language, -addressed to me by Prince Napoleon (plon plon), and Walewski. As -Niebuhr, the Prussian Cabinet Councillor, is publishing a book on Noric -Antiquities, nothing remains to cause surprise, not even the FREE -canvass for the _free_ election in _free_ France. I believe a few weeks -in Branitz will be of benefit to you. - - - - - 213. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _June 30th, 1857_. - -I am at a loss for words to express to you, my honored friend, and to -the amiable and brilliant artist and authoress, Ludmilla Assing, what -pleasure you have provided for my solitude, by “Elisa von Ahlefeldt,” a -pleasure still to be enjoyed by all who will deprive me of it for a few -days. Who can read without emotion a fate so tender, so simple, told in -such glowing language, by Miss Ludmilla; who can escape the most anxious -reflections about the tortures of sentiment which the most noble and -cultivated of mankind are skilled in inflicting on themselves about -passion half-dogmatic in character, for the gratification of which the -difficult institution of official marriage is inadequate. Elisa von -Ahlefeldt loved Adolph von Luetzow, but only as the vigorous -representative of a noble political sentiment. The motive for the -disruption of the fetters, indelicate on his part, has something -depressing. Immerman wishes to be loved, dreads the constraint of -marriage, as Elisa does, but marries nevertheless!! The man who most -occupies my thoughts in all these matters is Friesen, who worked so hard -with me at the Mexican atlas in 1807, who was so dear to me, and to whom -I was so much. I have mentioned him with tenderness in the Essai -Politique sur la Nouvelle Espagne. Had I known the beautiful work of -Miss Ludmilla, I would gladly have offered her a few lines. Her book, -however, will go through many editions. As I am unfortunately compelled -to go to Tegel for a night, I inquire, my dear friend, whether I may -call upon you at three o’clock on Friday, and whether I may hope then to -find Miss Ludmilla with you. So much skill in art and literary genius -united in one and the same person is a rare luxury. It might lead to -misfortunes. The course of the world refuses to admit of great -exceptions to its compensatory system of pleasure and sadness. - - Your - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - TUESDAY. - - -In great haste, and incorrect. - - - (Inclosed, a Letter from Friesen, of the year 1807, with this - Superscription by Humboldt.) - -A little gift for Miss Ludmilla Assing, the brilliant authoress of Elisa -von Ahlefeldt, an autograph of my dear young friend Friesen, with -sentiments of sincere thankfulness. - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - JUNE _30th, 1857._ - - -Varnhagen’s diary of July 4, 1857, contains the following: “Yesterday -Humboldt spoke of the time when he lived in a house at the side of -George’s Garden, and was so assiduous in his magnetic observations that -he once stinted himself of sleep for seven successive days and nights in -order to examine the state of things every half hour; after that he -changed the watch with substitutes. This was in 1807, just fifty years -ago. I often saw the little house in which the experiments were made, -when I visited Johannes von Mueller, who also lived in a house at the -side of the same garden; or Fichte who lived in a garden house in the -middle of the garden. When old George, a wealthy distiller, showed the -garden to his friends, Humboldt went on to say, he never failed to boast -of ‘his learned men.’ ‘Here I have the famous Mueller; there is -Humboldt, and there is Fichte, but he is only a philosopher, I -believe.’” - - - - - 214. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _July 6th, 1857_. - -So ignorant of German poetry as to know nothing of the fame of Mr. —— of -what he calls the dreary Mecklenburg, I must ask you, my dear friend, to -specify the degree of politeness with which the man ought to be -answered. Eight volumes, a compensation of forty louis d’or, four for -myself, four, as usual, for the King, and a nonsensical letter, are -before me. The man appears to have sung of the great Napoleon and Ney, -but to have vainly knocked at the door of Napoleon III., Stephanie, -Walewski, and Edgar Ney. It is made my duty forthwith to read a Trajan, -a Bianca, and a Henry IV. Neither does he seem to have an extravagant -idea of what is to be obtained from the King, a circumstance which -discourages me from delivering the treasure. Elisa von Ahlefeldt has -given great pleasure in Tegel, where I went with Kaulbach yesterday, as -delicate and pure in taste. Not in Tegel but in Berlin, some court -chaplains or officers, anxious to acquire the title of consistorial -councillors, may have mooted the ecclesiastical question, whether a -husband and a friend are both allowable? The Berliners manage to talk -about and to soil whatever comes into their fingers. - - Most gratefully fully yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - MONDAY NIGHT. - - -I shall send for the two volumes again in a day or two. - -My best and most grateful compliments to Miss Ludmilla, the poetic -artist, who combines the poet and the painter. - - - - - 215. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _July 8th, 1857_. - -The two volumes of poetry kindly sent by your Excellency, no doubt -manifest considerable literary culture, and a skilful management of -language and of metre; but this would seem to exhaust the truthful -measure of their praise. The number of men of this order of talent is -very large, and where there are not further excellences they can hardly -be called otherwise than ordinary. The claims advanced on the basis of -such performances are frequently exorbitant, and such is the case in the -present instance, where not appreciation merely, but actual remuneration -is demanded. The author is not known to me, and his reputation certainly -far from extensive. That his youth has been hard, and that his present -condition is far from pleasant, is much to be deplored, but the manner -in which he seeks to better himself, by supplication to the -powerful—bestowing praise upon men of all parties and all shades of -party, without a conviction of his own,—is none the less disreputable, -as well as his letter to your Excellency, which has received the proper -epithet at your hands. In the answer with which you will honor him, the -severe expressions I have used are sure of being softened to the full -extent of what is desirable by your inexhaustible and unchangeable -humanity and goodness. - -My niece, Ludmilla, thanks you from the fulness of her heart for the -friendly interests your Excellency has so kindly manifested, and which -she will never cease to count among the greatest treasures of which she -could possibly become possessed! - -Yesterday we paid a visit to Madame Gaggiotti Richards, and found her, -more beautiful than ever, in the midst of her artistic occupations. The -whole family entertain the most enthusiastic veneration for you, and -this alone would make them dear to us; the personal attractions of the -beautiful artist are enchanting. - -At the present day nothing literary is permitted to make its appearance, -be it ever so peaceful and inoffensive, without giving rise to -manifestation of priestcraft and zealotry. The little book could not -escape the universal fate, and the author must expect to meet with many -an offensive objurgation on this head. But she has had the good fortune -_de manger son pain blanc le premier_, she has reaped the praises of -your Excellency, and may now quietly leave the black bread of detraction -untouched! - -We mean to leave for Dresden on Monday, and hope to find your Excellency -again in excellent health at the end of a few weeks! - -With profound veneration and grateful devotion, - - Your obedient - VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. - - - - - 216. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 16th, 1857_. - -An inquiry about letters and packages of the 8th and 22d of August, -gives me the gratifying certainty of your return to monastic Berlin, -where (supplement to No. 215 of Tante Voss, Sept. 15) “God in -History”[96] is accused of rationalism and sinful Romanism on account of -a kiss extorted from M. Merle d’Aubigné, and not yet sufficiently -explained, and where (what is much more refreshing) pastor Kind boasts -of having been kissed on the shoulder by a young Italian chambermaid at -Naples, with the warmth of semi-conversion to Evangelism. As my -monotonous birth-day has already brought in more than three hundred -letters and packages, I never know anything about the dates of arrival; -but I well remember having received a letter with a black margin of the -15th of July, from your distinguished relative Adolfo de Varnhagen in -Madrid, and also a fragment of his history. I shall thank him heartily. -His history is not without interest. You know that an attempt was made -to get rid of M. von der Heydt, whose independent activity is -disagreeable to his colleagues, by the appointment of a commission of -finance in the council of state. But the man has acted with considerable -energy, and the King has adjourned the whole commission, which was the -work of Niebuhr. - -With heartfelt friendship, - - Yours, - A. V. H. - - WEDNESDAY. - - -My respects to your talented niece. - -I believe “God in History” has acted unwisely in accepting the King’s -invitation, even after so many repetitions. I esteem him, but he will be -accused of many things of which he is innocent. - - - - - 217. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _October 14th, 1857_. - - (WITH LETTER FROM GENTZ AND GARVE RETURNED.) - -My best thanks! I had already received the letters and enjoyed them. -Nothing can add more to the glory of my brother. Strange that Ancillon -could so long deceive so shrewd a man as Gentz. - - A. V. HT. - - -Varnhagen’s diary of Dec. 3d, 1857, reads as follows: “I called on -Humboldt; M. von Olfers was just going, and told me that Rauch had died -in Dresden. Next General Count von der Groeben took his leave; he was -very cordial, and pleased with my offer to send him a man who will -republish the poems of Schenkendorf. Humboldt was full of cordiality for -Ludmilla and myself; told me about the King, about Schoenlein, about the -Princess of Prussia, about Doctor Lassalle, whose work[97] he had read -accurately in three nights, and of Friesen; spoke of the ‘Kreuz Zeitung’ -with contempt, praised the Count von der Groeben as a man of honor, and -von der Heydt for his determination to leave the cabinet. He had a -letter from the Queen. The King wishes to see him, and he therefore -drives to Charlottenburg. He is hale and hearty. I read much in -Lassalle. Even the external appearance of so great and important a work -excites reverence. On me it makes peculiar impression to witness the -downfall, one by one, of the stays and rivets by which my inveterate -opinions have been upheld. Every one who has grown old has to observe -and experience such things; but in our times the changes are quicker and -more powerful than in former times, and I am peculiarly sensible to -them. Even where the contents do not matter to me, where I do not lose -in the matter, because the subjects do not belong directly to my -province, the phenomenon is nevertheless somewhat disagreeable. Such is -again my lot in regard to Schleiermacher; his work on Heraclitus was -hitherto the last word, the final disposition of all questions relating -to that philosopher; even Hegel’s adverse hints had not been able to -overturn this authority. One could rest upon it as on a downy pillow, -when lo! a new critic comes, and snatches it from under us. True, -Lassalle supplies its place with another, which is large and well -stuffed, but still the change is uncomfortable. And yet I am pleased -with this unrest of intellectual efforts, this ingenuity, learning, -progress, which asks no fear or favor.” - - - - - 218. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _January 11th, 1858_. - -REVERED FRIEND,—I, too, am a sufferer from the returning cutaneous -affection, an unwelcome consequence of old age. You have, at least, -unconditional freedom, and can attend to your comfort; to me there is no -freedom granted; I am molested by all; most unmercifully and inexorably -by the mail. The kind memento of Mrs. Sarah Martin is very honorable to -me. I owe it, like many other things, to you. Suffer me to make you the -interpreter of my gratitude and of my faithful reverence for the -talented lady, and for her brother, so dear to me, Mr. John Taylor. The -news from Livingstone interests me chiefly on account of his views of -the susceptibility of the negro race to civilization, at a time when -France on the one hand, and North America on the other, are most -shamelessly subserving the capture of slaves in Africa, under the flimsy -pretext of introducing free laborers. The political news from India, by -Captain Meadows Taylor, was unimportant. Perhaps it is agreeable to you -to add to your archives some original letters of Count Walewski, Prince -Napoleon, who goes to Egypt, son of King Jerome, Lord Stratford de -Redcliffe, and a copy of a very finely-written letter of the Pasha of -Egypt, the original of which I was obliged to present to Dr. Brugsch. - -Dr. Michael Sachs could not be prevented from celebrating me in -Hebrew.[98] Many kind greetings to the noble General von Pfuel, whom I -shall visit as soon as possible. - -Yours faithfully, always equally illegible, - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - 219. - PRINCE NAPOLEON, SON OF JEROME, TO HUMBOLDT. - - - PARIS, _Oct. 13th, 1857_. - -MONSIEUR LE BARON,—Mons. Mariette sent to me, only a few days ago, your -letter of July, in which you speak of Dr. Brugsch, and of his having -sent me a Demotic Grammar, which I have not yet received. I mention -this, so that you cannot accuse me of negligence in answering you. -To-day I do not feel the courage in me to speak to you even of science. -Your heart and your mind must be much afflicted by the sickness of your -sovereign and friend, who causes us great sorrow. I say us, because the -few days which I passed at Berlin made me appreciate the eminent -qualities of the King, and attached me very much to him. May God -preserve his life! I wish it from my heart. - -Receive, Monsieur le Baron, the assurance of my high esteem. - - NAPOLEON. - - -Varnhagen reports in his diary under February 18th, 1858:—“I went to -Humboldt. With a wonderful presence of mind he immediately thinks of all -the things of which our presence can remind him; he tells most -flattering things to Ludmilla on her book, for the second edition of -which (which he declares to be inevitable), he will give her a passage -on Friesen,[99] which he had indeed intended to communicate to the -‘Turners’ of Leipzig, as an inscription on the monument intended to be -erected in Friesen’s honor, but which, after a preliminary inquiry, -appears to have been forgotten by them. He is out of humor with the -Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar, who robbed him and the brothers Schlagintweit -of some hours, by repeated visits; they soon found out that he did not -want to inform himself about those things they had prepared for him, but -that he only wanted to have spoken with them; he also gave to each one -the Falkenorden.[100] About —— he made the same excuse to Humboldt as he -made to me, that noble birth was indispensable, which Humboldt thinks -quite detestable, and moreover entirely in harmony with the personal -prejudices of the Grand Duke; the father, he says, who also was not very -remarkable, had at least concealed this sentiment, but the son expresses -it openly; once, after a man who was not of noble birth had left the -company, he had with great satisfaction given utterance to his delight, -saying, ‘Now we are among ourselves!’ Another time, when some one -observed that thirteen were at the table, he replied for consolation, -that two among them were not nobles, and therefore did not count! and -this he said to Humboldt in French, because, he said, these two would -certainly not understand that! Humboldt complained bitterly of the mass -of letters by which he was visited; he had to read at least 400 of them -in one month; many commenced, ‘Noble old man,’ or, ‘Noble youthful old -man;’ or also in this fashion: ‘Caroline and I are happy; our fate is in -your hands.’[101] He praised Princess Victoria, saying, that she was not -pretty, but had pleasing simple manners, and an eye full of soul.” - - - - - 220. - VARNHAGEN TO HUMBOLDT. - - - BERLIN, _February 19th, 1858_. - -You see, dear friend, that in spite of many little cavils of Mr. -d’Avezac, who has learned to quote from Malte-Brun, your cousin does you -much honor. - -But it is incomprehensible that Mr. d’Avezac knows nothing at all of the -map of Juan de la Cose, of 1500, published by me in 1830, six years -before the death of Colon, and of a work in large quarto, under the -title “Geschichte des Seefahrers Ritter Martin Behaim, von W. Ghillany -and Alex. Humboldt, 1853,” where the origin of the name of “America” is -discussed. - - A. HT. - - -The ravages of a single night. The noble, youthful old man, Vecchio -della Montagna. - -Accompanying the book, “Considerations Géographiques sur l’Histoire du -Brézil, Examen critique d’une nouvelle histoire générale du Brézil, par -M. Francois Adolphe de Varnhagen. Rapport fait par M. d’Avezac, Paris, -1857–58.” - - - - - 221. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _March 7th, 1858_. - -I presume that you, dear friend, have not seen the indiscreet, almost -talentless, book of Normanby. I shall not return it to Lady Bloomfield -without offering it to you. Skip over it according to the index, and -send it kindly back to me in four or five days. It depicts a badly -played comedy. - -My reverence to your amiable niece. Your most attached - - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - SUNDAY NIGHT. - - -“A Year of Revolution. From a journal kept in Paris in 1848. By the -Marquis of Normanby, K.G. London, 1857. 2 vols. in 8vo.” - - -Varnhagen remarks in his diary, under March 8th, 1858: “Humboldt sends -me, with kind lines, the book of the Marquis of Normanby on the -revolution of 1848. He calls it an indiscreet book, and almost -talentless. I call it stupid, and perfidious in its contents; it shows -the evil results of meddling with diplomacy, particularly if unofficial, -as was that of the Marquis at the time. Lamartine as well as Cavaignac -gave far too much heed to him. He is one of the dullest and most tedious -Englishmen ever heard of.” - -March 9th, 1858. Varnhagen adds this further remark on Normanby: “Read a -little more of Normanby. He is a poor fool, but his bad book is good -enough to expose the paltriness of Louis Philippe, the villany of -Guizot, and the pernicious influences of sneaks and sharpers. His forte -consists in the perfect success with which he flattens down to -insufferable monotony the enlivening and exhilarating effects of the -torrent of events.” - - - - - 222. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _April 13th, 1858_. - -I am touched by the kindness of your letter, and the souvenir from your -talented niece, Miss Ludmilla. As Illaire called yesterday, I have made -every preparation to be of use to M——, the esteemed clergyman of ——, in -the acquisition of one of those toys, which, if they do not nourish, yet -afford an agreeable diversion, like that enjoyed by the knights of old, -who galloped over a course covered with obstructions, and the prospect -of escape from the infernal regions of the fourth class.[102] I shall -write to Illaire for the third class, but beseech you to jog my memory. -——’s title! I believe he does not preach—has even ceased to administer -the little wafers which refuse to unite with the bread, their chemical -kinsman. I believe, however, he is a Protestant power in ——. - -For the benefit of your soul and Miss Ludmilla’s, I inclose some -phantasies on the antediluvian universal absence of rain in the Berlin -world, and on the consuming fire, sure to be occasioned by a little -forgotten potash, in the midst of innocent felspar of the granite -formation, on the day of judgment: “de la geologie hébraïzante,” as I -have been imprudent enough to style it in “Kosmos.” - - Yours, - A. V. HT. - - TUESDAY. - -(“Thoughts on the first Rainbow, in connexion with certain Geological -Facts.” London: 1852. The author is W. Bateman Byng, but it was sent to -Humboldt by Mr. F. A. Fokker, of Hamburg, a superannuated pilot -captain.) - -On the 24th of April, 1858, Varnhagen observes in his diary: “Humboldt -was very droll yesterday, in speaking of the letters he receives. A -number of ladies in Elberfeld have conspired to labor at his conversion, -by means of anonymous letters, and have informed him of their design. -Such letters are received from time to time. Somebody in Nebraska asks -him what becomes of the swallows in winter. I suggested that this -inquiry must be for ever on the wing. ‘Of course,’ he replied; ‘I don’t -know any more than other folks, but,’ he added, with jocose gravity, ‘I -took care not to write that to the man in Nebraska, for it is never safe -to make such admissions.’” - - - - - 223. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - POTSDAM, _June 19th, 1858_. - -Tedious on the whole, and full of internal contradictions, but still -historical in reference to the mythical Americo-Germanism, and -unfortunately too true. See p. 76 to 80, and pp. 33, 35, 75. The charms -of a language without genders. “_Fermez les lèvres et serrez les -dents._”[103] “Der” and “die” fell into lazy mouths, and lapses into -“de,” and this was corrupted into a neutral, lifeless “the.” - -Page 88 sets forth how my friend Froebel escaped being _Blumed_. - - A. HT. - - -There gloomy Potsdam has kept me too long from your side. - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—This letter accompanied “The German Emigration, and - its Importance in the History of Civilization. By Julius Froebel. - Leipsic: 1858.” A copy sent by Froebel to Humboldt. - - - - - 224. - HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN. - - - BERLIN, _September 9th, at night, 1858_. - -Hearty thanks, my dear friend, for your affectionate missive. The thanks -of the excellent ... is far from indifferent to me. No one here has had -the politeness to inform me that my proposal has been accepted. As you -and your accomplished niece, Miss Ludmilla, are fond of curiosities, and -as my extreme old age has deadened all compunction at the exhibition of -my own praises, I send you a letter from Queen Victoria, delivered by -the Princess of Prussia, and requesting an autograph of some passages -from the Views of Nature and Kosmos (poetical descriptions of nature), -as well as a letter from the American Secretary of War, who has been -accommodating to me for the traveller Moellhausen, the son-in-law of -Seiffert, draughtsman of the two expeditions to the South Sea, and who, -_mirabile dictu_, has dismissed all political animosity on account of my -friendship for Fremont. The latter of the communications gives me the -greater pleasure of the two, though it is unpardonably extravagant in -the use of great names. - -The regency, indispensable as it is to restore the wasted power of the -country, is still, alas! in the clouds. I hope the Prince of Prussia -will abide by his present promise, not to act further without being -expressly invested with the title of Regent. But who is to make the -first move, when the King is kept in such seclusion, that even I have -not seen him since the return? If the Chambers initiate the matter, the -Government stands convicted of pusillanimity. _Alea jacta_, and the sum -of intelligence at stake seems to have been doled out by nature with -laudable economy. - -What knowledge have you, dear friend, of M. Iwan Golowin, whose -impudence is so unprecedented as to admit of his photographing me before -the public in the most dreadful _négligé de costume, même_, as I wrote -him in great indignation, _en me dotant de deux fautes de français_, -_venaient_ instead of _viennent_, _pourrait_ instead of _pouvait_. What -will men not do to make tools of their neighbors? - -I beg you to return me the three curiosities consisting of the copy of -Victoria, the letter of the Secretary of War, and Rovira by Golowin, by -Sunday morning, when I must go to Tegel with Baron Stockmar, the father. - -My walk (_ma démarche_) increases lamentably in senile want of -direction. Beware of my patience with life. Reputation keeps pace with -imbecility, and the part of the “dear youth in age,” of the “worthy -Nestor of all living men of Science,” _Vecchio della montagna_, becomes -extremely irksome, though there be in the neighborhood of the Netze, a -maiden whom the Nestor is to establish for life at Tegel, because the -place is so near to Berlin, that on the slightest hint she can hasten to -the city to close my eyes. - -With the most faithful friendly esteem, - - Yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - -My wicked friend Lasalle—Heraclitus the Obscure—has been expelled by the -Prince of Prussia and Illaire,[104] in spite of all my intercession, and -in spite of the promises made to me. They led me to hope that after a -few weeks (the election being over) the Obscure would return to -Pythagoras, the more obscure. What a dispensation of justice! - - NOTE BY VARNHAGEN.—Iwan Golowin had asked Humboldt’s permission to - dedicate to him a Russian drama entitled Rovira, and when Humboldt - assented in a hasty French note, he inserted a facsimile of the note - into the book. - - - - - 225. - HUMBOLDT TO LUDMILLA ASSING. - - - BERLIN, _Oct. 12th, 1858_. - -What a day of agitation, of grief, of misfortune was yesterday. I was -summoned by the Queen to Potsdam, to take leave of the King. He wept -with deep emotion. Returning home at six in the evening, I opened your -letter, my friend! He has departed from the earth before me, the man of -ninety years, the old man of the hills! It is not enough to say that -Germany has lost a great author, him who could most nobly mould our -tongue to the expression of the finest sentiments—for what is the value -of form in the presence of such acuteness, such pregnant force of mind, -such elevation of thought, such knowledge of the world. What he was to -me, to me who am now entirely isolated, is incomprehensible to any mind -less refined, less beautiful than yours; I shall soon come to tell you, - - Bowed with grief, yours, - A. V. HUMBOLDT. - - - - - ALPHABETICAL INDEX - OF PERSONS ALLUDED TO. - - _The figures opposite the names refer to the numbers of the letters in - which they are mentioned._ - - - A. - - Aberdeen, Lord, 106. - - Albert, Prince Consort, 124, 131, 132. - - Alembert, d’, 143. - - Allan, 46. - - Alvensleben, 46, 61. - - Amerigo Vespucci, 36. - - Ancillon, 22, 217. - - Arago, Francis, 50, 68, 75, 76, 78, 153, 155, 157. - - Arndt, E. M., 48. - - Arnim, Achim von, 64. - - Assing, Ludmilla, 213, 214, 217, 222, 224, 225. - - Augustus, Prince of Prussia, 4, 87. Auguste, Princess, 22. - - - B. - - Baader, Francis, 145, 205. Balzac, 75, 83. - - Baudin, 128. - - Bauer, Bruno, 60, 66, 94. Baumgarten, 42. - - Bavaria, Crown-Prince of, 123. - - Belgium, King of, 48. - - Bettina, 43, 48, 51, 52, 63, 71, 75, 88, 120, 133, 144, 162, 178. - - Bessel, 48, 111. - - Beyme, 168. - - Beust, 175. - - Beuth, 11. - - Bigelow, John, 192. - - Bodelschwingh, von, 106, 107, 116. - - Bollmann, 19. - - Bopp, 48. - - Bresson, 22, 75, 76, 78. - - Brown, R., 76, 84. - - Brunel, 75, 76. - - Buch, Leopold von, 31, 41, 150. - - Buchanan, James, 176, 208. - - Buelow, von, 8, 48, 49, 61, 65, 69, 70, 71, 72, 97, 101, 103, 106, 111. - - Bugeaud, Marshal, 27. - - Bunsen, 11, 61, 68, 75, 159, 168. - - - C. - - Cados, 80. - - Canino, Princess, 116. - - Canitz, von, 61, 74, 75, 126, 134. - - Cardanus, 6, 7. - - Carolath, 12. - - Carlyle, Thos., 70. - - Carrière, M., 70, 132. - - Chasles, 62, 172. - - Chateaubriand, 16, 36. - - Cherubini, 63. - - Christian VII., King of Denmark, 43, 44, 53, 76, 81. - - Clanricarde, Marquis of, 41. - - Columbus, Christopher, 28, 36, 61. - - Constant, 163. - - Cornelius, Peter, 142. - - Cotta, 10, 16, 24, 35, 56. - - Custine, 71, 73. - - - D. - - Dahlmann, Prof., 48. - - Delisle, 17. - - Dohm, 64. - - Duchess of Dino (Talleyrand), 75, 76. - - Duke of Coburg-Gotha, 168. - - Duchess of Orleans, 27, 75, 76, 117, 119, 139, 148. - - - E. - - Eckermann, 71. - - Ehrhard, 7. - - Eichhorn, 48, 51, 60, 68, 75, 107, 133, 134. - - Elsner, 11. - - Encke, 74, 111. - - Endlicher, 42. - - Engel, 64. - - Ettinghausen, 42. - - Eylert, Bishop, 8. - - - F. - - Fallersleben, Hoffmann von, 106. - - Feuerbach, Ludwig, 94. - - Fichte, 99, 196, 213. - - Fillmore, Millard, 177. - - Forster, 16. - - Freiligrath, F., 62. - - Fremont, 176, 177, 192. - - Friedrich II., 64, 68. - - Friedrich Wilhelm III., 8, 22, 35, 42. - - Friedrich Wilhelm IV., 35, 40, 42, 45, 46, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 60, 63, - 67, 68, 75, 76, 91, 92, 110, 134, 154, 156, 158, 168, 185. - - Friesen, 213. - - Froebel, Julius, 223. - - Froriep, 159. - - Fry, Mrs., 46. - - - G. - - Gagern, H., 134, 141. - - Galuski, 125, 135, 147. - - Galilei, 41. - - Gama, Vasco de, 28. - - Gans, E., 7, 25, 29, 30. - - Gauss, 44. - - Gay, Mad., 73. - - Gay-Lussac, 88. - - Gentz, Fr., 36, 202, 217. - - Gérard, 33, 83. - - Gerlach, L. von, 68, 92, 159, 168, 183, 195. - - Gerolt, Baron de, 177. - - Girardin, Mad., 73. - - Gneisenau, 159. - - Görres, 41. - - Goethe, J. W., 10, 43, 52, 71, 161. - - Goethe, Ottilie von, 145. - - Goetze, 28. - - Golowin, 224. - - Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold, 88. - - Grand Duke of Weimar, Charles Alexander, 171, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, - 189, 193, 194, 200, 201, 202, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 212. - - Grand-Duchess of Weimar, 135, 183. - - Grau, 149. - - Gretsch, 41. - - Grimm Brothers, 40, 48, 51. - - Guhrauer, 106. - - Guizot, 48, 49, 60, 62, 99, 106, 172, 221. - - - H. - - Hanover, King of, 31, 40, 66. - - Hansen, 81. - - Hardenberg, Prince, 7. - - Hedemann, 48, 193. - - Hegel, 3, 7, 29, 30, 41, 54, 196. - - Heine, 174, 177. - - Helfert, Frau von, 75. - - Hengstenberg, 68, 159. - - Herschel, 75, 76, 82. - - Hertzberg, Count, 64. - - Heyne, 38, 64. - - Hildebrandt, 186, 187, 191. - - Hoeninghaus, 76. - - Hordt, 64. - - Hormayr, 60, 95, 101, 103. - - Huegel, Baron, 42. - - Humboldt, Wilhelm von, 10, 16, 18, 21, 27, 31, 33, 36, 64, 67, 70, 129, - 133, 140, 152, 153, 154, 159, 167, 192, 217. - - - I. - - Jacobs, Friedrich, 38. - - Jaeger, 42. - - Janin, 99. - - Jobard, 190. - - Itzstein, 97. - - - K. - - Kamptz, 26, 76. - - Kant, Immanuel, 33, 73, 107. - - Klein, 64. - - König, 41. - - Kolowrat, 129. - - Koreff, 2. - - Kotzebue, 169, 170. - - Kries, 38. - - Kunth, 64. - - - L. - - Ladenberg, 48. - - Lafayette, Marquis de, 20, 151. - - Laplace, 16. - - Lasaulx, 195. - - Lassalle, 217, 224. - - Lavater, 6, 105. - - Leist, 31. - - Leo, 196. - - Leonardo da Vinci, 52. - - Liegnitz, Princess of, 35. - - Lieven, Princess, 169, 170, 172. - - Link, 68. - - Liszt, 68. - - Loeffler, 64. - - Louis Philippe, 75, 139, 184, 221. - - Louise, Princess, 33. - - - M. - - Maltzan, 61, 68. - - Manzoni, 114. - - Marco Polo, 36. - - Marheineke, 41, 68, 94. - - Mary, Princess, 22. - - Massmann, 110. - - Melloni, 68. - - Melgunoff, 41. - - Metternich, 35, 42, 45, 68, 75, 76, 85, 98, 106, 122, 130, 137, 181, - 185. - - Meyerbeer, 88, 99. - - Milnes, 104. - - Molé, 78. - - Mueffling, 43. - - Muller, A., 36, 202. - - Muller, O., 16. - - Mueller, Chancellor, 106. - - Mueller, Privy Councillor, 28, 68. - - Muenster, Count, 60. - - Mundt, Theo., 19. - - - N. - - Nacke, 39. - - Napoleon I., 48, 71, 161. - - Napoleon III., 141, 146, 147, 212. - - Neander, 95. - - Nesselrode, 187. - - Nicholas, Emperor of Russia, 35. - - Netherlands, Queen of, 22. - - Niebuhr, G. B., 40. - - Niebuhr, M., 154, 212, 216. - - Normanby, 221. - - Noroff, 208. - - - O. - - Oersted, 44. - - Oertzen, 26. - - Olfers, 142. - - Oltmann, 13. - - - P. - - Palmerston, Lord, 48, 124. - - Peel, Robert, 75, 76, 84. - - Persigny, Fialin, 146. - - Pertz, 160. - - Pichler, 159. - - Pierce, Franklin, 173. - - Pourtalès, Count, 176. - - Prescott, 75, 76, 86. - - Preuss, 105. - - Prussia, Prince of, 74, 158, 168, 224. - - Prussia, Princess of, 52. - - Prutz, R., 90, 104, 106. - - Pückler, Princess, 26. - - - Q. - - Quinet, 43. - - - R. - - Radowitz, 61, 68, 75, 142, 159, 168. - - Rahel, 7, 9, 10, 24, 33, 36, 132, 133, 145. - - Ranke, Leopold, 5, 68, 86, 105, 159. - - Raphael, 52. - - Rauch, 25. - - Raumer, Charles, 41. - - Raumer, Fred., 23, 64. - - Raumer, Minister, 154, 168. - - Récamier, Mad., 36, 75, 76, 87. - - Redern, 88. - - Reeden, 64. - - Reimer, 70. - - Reitmeyer, 64. - - Reumont, 75. - - Riess, 67, 68. - - Rochow, 45. - - Robert, 52. - - Roesel, 42. - - Rother, 75. - - Rueckert, 59, 75, 113. - - Ruehle, 25. - - Rumohr, 68. - - - S. - - Sachs, 101, 103. - - Savary, 50. - - Savigny, 68, 133. - - Schelling, 41, 52, 54, 64, 75, 196. - - Schiller, 2, 129, 169. - - Schlagintweit, Brothers, 154, 212. - - Schlegel, Aug., 55, 125. - - Schlegel, Fr., 13, 14, 151. - - Schleiermacher, 66. - - Schlosser, 68. - - Schoenlein, 197. - - Schwerin, 61. - - Seckendorf, 60. - - Schumacher, 41, 81, 111. - - Seiffert, 50, 173. - - Sintenis, 41. - - Spiker, 13, 55, 57. - - Spontini, 68, 88, 91. - - Staegemann, 47. - - Stael, Mad., 87. - - Stahl, 159. - - Stanley, 75, 76. - - Steffens, 52, 65, 196. - - Stein, 160, 168. - - Stieglitz, 30, 33. - - Stillfried, 176. - - Stilling, 105. - - Stollberg, 75. - - Strauss, 64, 66. - - - T. - - Talleyrand, 33, 78. - - Therese, 133. - - Thiele, 68, 107, 172. - - Thiers, 48, 102, 115, 116, 211. - - Thomas, 102, 115. - - Tholuk, 65. - - Tieck, 55. - - Trubetzkoi, Princess, 73. - - - U. - - Uhden, 158. - - Uwaroff, 68. - - - V. - - Varnhagen, Fr. A., 168. - - Victoria, Queen, 124, 224. - - Voigtlaender, 42. - - - W. - - Wittgenstein, 5, 45, 88, 160. - - - Z. - - Zeune, 16, 212. - - Zinzendorf, Count, 6, 105. - ------ - -Footnote 1: - - On the Principal Causes of the Variation of Temperature upon the - Earth. - -Footnote 2: - - With a copy of “Views of Nature,” new edition. - -Footnote 3: - - The memoranda were intended to be communicated to Professor Hegel, who - was told that Humboldt had indulged in attacks on Philosophy in his - lectures. - -Footnote 4: - - It was a book of Ranke (the Historian). - -Footnote 5: - - Biography of Count Zinzendorf by Varnhagen.—_Translator._ - -Footnote 6: - - Humboldt wrote a very illegible hand, hence this - allusion.—_Translator._ - -Footnote 7: - - Memoirs of John Benjamin Ehrhard, Philosopher and Physician. Edited by - Varnhagen von Ense. Stuttgart and Tubingen. Cotta. 1830. - -Footnote 8: - - Goethe.—_Translator._ - -Footnote 9: - - Of Rahel’s death. - -Footnote 10: - - At that time editor of the Haude and Spenersche Zeitung in - Berlin.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 11: - - Wilhelm von Humboldt died on the 8th of April, 1835, at Tegel, at 6 - o’clock in the evening. - -Footnote 12: - - Bollmann, a German who resided a long time in the United States, and - who is known by his bold attempts to liberate Lafayette from the - prison of Olmutz.—_Translator._ - -Footnote 13: - - Preface to Wilhelm von Humboldt’s work about the Kawi language. - -Footnote 14: - - Professor of History at Berlin. - -Footnote 15: - - Helene, Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, afterwards Duchess of - Orleans. - -Footnote 16: - - Tegel, Humboldt’s country-seat near Berlin.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 17: - - Toeplitz, a Bohemian bathing-place.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 18: - - Biography by Varnhagen.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 19: - - Dorow’s Memoirs and Correspondence, 3d vol. - -Footnote 20: - - Sophia Wilhelmina, Princess of Baireuth. - -Footnote 21: - - Fr. Jaco’s Jubilee Oration for Kries, at Gotha. - -Footnote 22: - - At Göttingen. - -Footnote 23: - - Pilgrimage to Sesenheim. By August Ferdinand Nacke. Published by K. A. - Varnhagen von Ense. Berlin, 1840. - -Footnote 24: - - Sans Souci, the King’s residence near Potsdam.—_Translator._ - -Footnote 25: - - Bettina von Arnim. Bopp’s critique is to me a source of great - pleasure. - -Footnote 26: - - Probably Seiffert, Humboldt’s servant.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 27: - - The 5th of May was a day of penance. - -Footnote 28: - - A Prussian Field Marshal, killed at the battle of Prague, 1757.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 29: - - Allusion to the battle of Mollwitz, 1741, which was won by Schwerin - alone, who, indignant at the blunders of the King, ordered him to ride - off, and assumed the command himself, which Frederick the Great never - forgave.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 30: - - Bettina von Arnim. - -Footnote 31: - - A celebrated work on the Christian Dogma by Friedrich David - Strauss.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 32: - - Humboldt refers here to _Schelling_, the philosopher, who had just - received from the King of Prussia a call to Berlin, and who, in a - penitent spirit, endeavored to reconcile Christianity and philosophy, - thus recanting his former views. Humboldt was quite exasperated at his - conduct.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 33: - - The Stercoranists are those who believe that the Host is subject to - digestion.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 34: - - King Ernest August of Hanover. - -Footnote 35: - - Allusion to the new order—pour le mérite. - -Footnote 36: - - The usual festivities in family circles on New Year’s night in - Germany.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 37: - - The work of Marc Fournier: Russie, Allemagne et France. Paris, 1844. - -Footnote 38: - - Arago uses _thou_ and _thee_ in his letter to Humboldt—the evidence of - great friendship and intimacy. - -Footnote 39: - - Humboldt had supplicated for a politically-prosecuted young man, who - is alluded to under that designation.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 40: - - Humboldt refers here to a patriotic drama of Robert Prutz, “Moritz von - Sachsen,” the representation of which was forbidden by the Berlin - police.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 41: - - Of the King, at the inauguration of the Provincial States. - -Footnote 42: - - Voltaire at Francfort-on-the-Main in 1753, by K. A. Varnhagen von - Ense. - -Footnote 43: - - Die “Politische” Wochenstube by Robert Prutz, a satire on Schelling - and his philosophy.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 44: - - The cousin referred to is Margrave Albrecht, of Brandenburg, who, in - Prutz’s drama, “Moritz von Sachsen,” is represented as a “Robber - Knight.”—_Tr._ - -Footnote 45: - - Curbstone Guard.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 46: - - Gymnastic Exercises.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 47: - - Microslawski. - -Footnote 48: - - NOTE BY HUMBOLDT.—The Prince voted for Mr. Hermann, of Leipzig. - -Footnote 49: - - NOTE BY HUMBOLDT.—I had spoken of the intensity of the love of nature. - I had compared St. Basil with Bernardin de St. Pierre. - - A. HT. - -Footnote 50: - - Barante introduced M. Galuski to Humboldt. - -Footnote 51: - - The Prussian order of “The Black Eagle,” which had just then been - conferred on Prince Albert.—TR. - -Footnote 52: - - Petrifactions dug out in the Gossau, in Bohemia. - -Footnote 53: - - Wilhelm von Humboldt’s “Letters to a Lady Friend” (Charlotte Diede), - bequeathed to Therese von Bacheracht. - -Footnote 54: - - A most sentimental and tragically-ending German love story made - popular by Bürger’s ballad.—TR. - -Footnote 55: - - A pamphlet under that title, written by Varnhagen, in commendation of - the King.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 56: - - Romuald ou la Vocation, par Mr. de Custine. Paris, 1848. 4 vols. - -Footnote 57: - - The day on which the Prussian government yearly distributes orders and - decorations.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 58: - - Beautifully extorted gift of heaven. - -Footnote 59: - - _I.e._ too much of a Red Republican. - -Footnote 60: - - A Hospital near Berlin, administered by Protestant Sisters of Mercy. - -Footnote 61: - - Leben des Generals Buelow von Dennewitz. Von K. A. Varnhagen von Ense. - Berlin, 1853. - -Footnote 62: - - Bettina. - -Footnote 63: - - Informing that on the 17th is the golden wedding of Savigny. - -Footnote 64: - - The Prussian order of the Red Eagle. - -Footnote 65: - - Ludwig von Gerlach, in the Second Chamber, had called the - representative Bethmann-Hollweg an adopted son of Prussia. - -Footnote 66: - - Mons. Mathieu had protested against the statement on the title-page, - that Mons. Barral was appointed editor by the author. - -Footnote 67: - - Savigny’s golden wedding. - -Footnote 68: - - Minister. - -Footnote 69: - - By Pertz. - -Footnote 70: - - The province of Pomerania is divided into “Vorpommern”—_Fore - Pomerania_, and “Hinterpommern”—_Hind Pomerania_; _i.e._ Pomerania - before and behind the Oder.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 71: - - Louis Napoleon.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 72: - - Of M. Borsig, a machinist, a few days after that of Mad. Amalia Beer. - The old man of eighty-five attended both of them. - -Footnote 73: - - In marble.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 74: - - Waldemar of Prussia, the traveller in India and Brazil.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 75: - - Historia general de Brazil, tomo primeiro. The pieces wanting here he - had already sent as specimens. - -Footnote 76: - - Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen’s dedication of his book to the Emperor - over his own signature. The title-page contains the words: “Por um - socio do Instituto Historico do Brazil, Natural de Sorocaba” (the - native place of the author, west of Rio de Janeiro). - -Footnote 77: - - These two words are illegible. - -Footnote 78: - - A Brandenburg family of the Middle Ages, who came near hanging one of - the Electors of Brandenburg, predecessor of the Kings of Prussia. They - were representatives of those “Robber Knights” who long successfully - resisted the introduction of regular government by the Electors.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 79: - - “is married to,” evidently omitted in the original. Humboldt took a - great interest in Moellhausen, and wrote a preface to his book on the - above journey.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 80: - - The Mark Brandenburg, a very sandy province, sometimes facetiously - called the sand-box of the Holy Roman Empire.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 81: - - Pourtalès, conspicuous in the Neufchatel embroglio.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 82: - - The Fox, i. e. Louis Napoleon.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 83: - - The Koelnische Gymnasium, Berlin, of which August was director. - -Footnote 84: - - The King of Naples, known in this country as King Bomba. In Naples the - best maccaroni is manufactured. Was this letter really directed to - Louis Philippe, or was there not a mistake in the name? Was not Louis - Philippe dead before that time?—_Translator._ - -Footnote 85: - - A German proverbial expression for feeling very uncomfortable.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 86: - - A fashionable preacher in Berlin.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 87: - - Spaetes Daheim des einst in ruestig kaempfender Jugend - Weitgewanderten Forschers, der, gleich wie Hoehen der Erde, - Hoehen des Ruhmes erstieg, hat dargestellt uns der Maler, - Schoen, reich ausgestattet mit herrlichen Schoetzen des Wissens: - Werke der Kunst, der Natur, und Schrift und Geraeth des Gelehrten. - Aber ihn selbst inmitten des neidenswerthen Besitzthums - Sehen wir froh sein Reich mit sinnigem Blicke beherrschen, - Deutende Sprache verleihen dem wundervollen Gemaelde, - Durch lichtvoller Gedanken beredsam glückliche Fügung - Schaffend ein neues Bild, ein geistiges, staunendem Anschaun! - -Footnote 88: - - _Bemoostes Haupt_ is an expression often applied to a student who has - grown grey without passing an examination, and which, in this - connexion, has an effect at once humorous and pathetic, which is - inimitable.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 89: - - California, which has nobly resisted the introduction of slavery, will - be worthily represented by a friend of liberty and of the progress of - intelligence. - -Footnote 90: - - About eleven cents. - -Footnote 91: - - Leader of the most reactionary party.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 92: - - Day of the Prussian Revolution of 1848. - -Footnote 93: - - I.e., of the order of the Prussian eagle. - -Footnote 94: - - An ellipse, probably of Grand Ducal origin.—_Tr._ - -Footnote 95: - - Liszt. - -Footnote 96: - - Title of a work by Chevalier Bunsen. - -Footnote 97: - - The Philosophy of Heraclitus the Obscure of Ephesus. - -Footnote 98: - - A Life of Humboldt was written in Hebrew by Mr. Sachs. - -Footnote 99: - - One of the founders, “der Turnkunst.” - -Footnote 100: - - Order of the Falcon. - -Footnote 101: - - Meaning “Caroline and I can get married, if you will help us to some - money.” - -Footnote 102: - - _I.e._ of the order of the Prussian Eagle. The sentence reads thus: - “Da gestern Illaire bei mir war, so habe ich alles vorbereitet, Herrn - —— dem vielgeachteten Geistlichen in ... nuetzlich fuer eines der - Spielwerke zu werden, welche zwar nicht naehren, aber eine augenehme - Zerstreuung, _auch des spaet ausgefuehrten Reitens mit Hindernissen_, - Aussicht zur Errettung aus der Unterwelt dervier ten Klasse - gewaehren.” As it stands, the clause printed by us in italics makes - nonsense.—_Translator._ - -Footnote 103: - - “Close your lips and set your teeth.” In the “_Anglaises pours rire_” - there is a squib which says, “_Ouvrez la bouche et serrez les dents et - vous parlerez anglais!_” Open your mouth and set your teeth, and you - will speak English. Humboldt may have had this in his mind and have - converted _ouvrez_ into _fermez_ by mistake. - - Froebel says in page 35: “After all, the German and the English are - but two different dialects, or rather stages of development. The - English occupies the higher grade, for it is acknowledged that the - attrition of grammatical form corresponds to a higher mental - development.” Opposite this passage Humboldt writes “_Ah!_” - - On p. 88, Froebel alludes to the great mission of Austria in the - future. Similar passages were to be found in a pamphlet of his, which - appeared in 1848; they were pointed out to Prince Windischgraetz by an - aide-de-camp, just in time to procure his pardon, while his colleague, - Robert Blum, was brutally shot. - -Footnote 104: - - Not quite exact, in so far as M. Westphalen, the minister, carried - this point in the absence of the parties named, and, as afterwards - appeared, without their knowledge. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in - spelling. - 2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. - 3. Re-indexed footnotes using numbers and collected together at the end - of the last chapter. - 4. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS OF ALEXANDER VON -HUMBOLDT TO VARNHAGEN VON ENSE. *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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