485 
commandé personellement, et des procédés de Lord 
Castlereagh et @autres membres du Gouvernement 
avec lesquels mon frére a eu des rapports si multi- 
pliés. Quand on a passé six ans dans les Colonies 
Espagnoles entre des Inquisiteurs qui restent et des 
Ministres qui tombent, couche par couche, comme 
des feuilles mortes, on ne craint pas, aver un coeur 
droit et un véritable amour des sciences, le séjour 
parmi un peuple noble, éclairé, et juste, comme le 
votre. 
Je vous supplie, Monsieur le Chevalier, dagréer 
Yhommage de mon admiration et de mon respec- 
tueux attachement. 
ALEx. HUMBOLDT. 
Dr. Boott to Sir J. E. Smith. 
Derby, March 3, 1817. 
You have no doubt, my dear Sir, often expe- 
rienced the delightful satisfaction which results 
from having contributed to the knowledge or plea- 
sures of any one to whom you have long owed 
great obligations ; and I need not therefore say with 
what feelings I read your letter of the 27th ult., in 
which you give me to understand that my little 
present of plants was valuable to you. 
Authors, of course, seldom look for personal ac- 
knowledgments from those who read their works; 
but I see no reason why such should not be made, 
when a reader and the author happen accidentally 
to be thrown in each other’s way. Take, therefore, 
my dear Sir, my grateful thanks for the pleasure 
