76 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



it. Its membership was reduced by order of the king to six and a 

 director for each of the four classes, or twenty-eight in all. From 

 1799 to 1806 there were no important changes in either the constitution 

 or the by-laws of the academy. But while wars were waging and polit- 

 ical storms were brewing its members led a quiet and peaceful life and 

 made some contributions of real value to the learning of the world. The 

 French Academy at this time was far in advance of that in Berlin 

 in scientific work. 



But there were thoughts of a university in Berlin even in the dark 

 days of the French invasion, and as early as 1800. The observatory 

 was rebuilt at the expense of the academy. Wulff of Halle was induced 

 to come to Berlin and work in it. In 1800 Humboldt, then absent in 

 South America, was made an honorary member, and on his return to 

 Berlin in 1805 he became an active member. Kotzebue was received 

 in 1800, and Thaer was induced to leave Hannover for Berlin in order 

 that he might join the physical class of the academy. He was the 

 author of a system of law which proved of great value for Prussia. 

 Professor Thalles of Bonn, a famous mathematician, was also brought 

 to Berlin and received into the academy. As early at 1788 Johannes von 

 Miiller, the well-known historical writer, became a foreign member, 

 though afterwards he made friends with Napoleon and turned his back 

 on his country. Perhaps it was on account of aversion to philo- 

 sophical opinions which their author deemed epoch-making, as well as 

 to dislike of the man, that Fichte, though brought forward by very in- 

 fluential persons, was rejected as a member of the academy. But he 

 was permitted to deliver his lectures in the winter of 1804—5 in its 

 hall. These lectures were a kind of negative preface to the ' Eeden, ' or 

 addresses to the German people, made a year or so later, which did so 

 much to arouse and unite them in their struggle for liberty. Alexander 

 von Humboldt proposed and secured the election of Ermann, the 

 physicist, and of von Busch, the geologist, as extraordinary members of 

 the academy. Not long after Buttmann, the grammarian, became an 

 active member, and with him, by order of the king, Count Lahndorff, 

 the poet. Before the war began on July 31, 1806, i. e., prior to the 

 disaster at Jena, Goethe, Cuvier, Brooks and Hendenberg were made 

 honorary members. 



The proceedings of the academy the next six years were fundamental 

 for its future life and activity. In the two Humboldts it seemed as if 

 the spirit of Leibniz had revived, as if they possessed his extensive 

 general knowledge, his love for the sciences, his power of organization, 

 his leadership and his ability to meet and overcome difficulties. There 

 were other able men in the academy, but at this time the two Hum- 

 boldts were its leaders. The defeated king was at Konigsberg, whence 

 he made known his wish that Prussia seek to recover what had been 



