8 CHRISTIAN KUXTH. 



translator, and finally bookseller, became the tutcr of 

 Humboldt. 



He remained in the family a year, teaching the eldest 

 boy the languages, and the youngest, who was then in 

 his seventh year, whatever he was pleased to learn. 

 Alexander was not so robust as his brother, for his 

 health was considered delicate for many years, nor was 

 he regarded as his equal in mental endowments. 



Their next tutor was a young man of twenty, poor in 

 this world's goods, but rich in what the proverb declares 

 to be better than houses and lands — Learning. His 

 name was Christian Kunth. He is said to have pos- 

 sessed an extraordinary knowledge of Grerman, Latin, 

 and French literature, and to have been deeply read in 

 philosophy and history. He taught William the lan- 

 guages, and Alexander the natural sciences. One 

 studied Man in classic antiquity and art, the other the 

 World in its manifold forms and appearances. It seems 

 strange, not to say impossible, for children of eight and 

 ten to pursue such profound studies, but we must 

 remember that these were not common children. 



Nor was their teacher Kunth a common man. Had he 

 been he would have stopped here. But having sense as 

 well as learning, he took care of their bodies as well as 

 their minds. Instead of merely cramming them with 

 books until they became unwholesome monstrosities, 

 mental ^ja/^ de foie gras, he gave their thoughts and 

 limbs free play, in the wind, and dew, and sunshine. 

 They had holidays whenever they needed them; long 

 walks with Kunth in the woods and fields; sails on the 

 blue bosom of the Tegel lake ; excursions to the fortress 

 of Spandau, and now and then a flying visit to Berlin. 



