428 GRAND CHANCELLOR OF THE ORDER OF MERIT. 



In 1840 Humboldt published an account of his 

 ascent of Chimborazo, and of the mean elevation of the 

 continent of America, besides superintending the publi- 

 cation of the works of his brother William. He was 

 also a member of the academic committee for the publica- 

 tion of the works of Frederic the Great. In January, 

 1842, he accompanied the King of Prussia to England, 

 and was present with him at the baptism of the Prince 

 of Wales. In May of the same year a new order 

 awaited him, in connexion with the Order of Merit. 

 This oi'der was founded by Frederic the Great as a mili- 

 tary order, only five non-military persons, of whom 

 Voltaire was one, being admitted into it in his time. 

 Frederic William lY. instituted a peace class of the 

 Order of Merit, and His Excellency the Baron Yon 

 Humboldt was chosen Grand Chancellor. 



Thirteen years had now passed since Humboldt had 

 made his great Asiatic journey, and eleven years since 

 his first book on the subject, the " Asiatic Fragments,'^ 

 appeared. During that time he had collected a multi- 

 tude of fresh materials from his correspondents in Eussia, 

 and from the directors of the Observatory of St. Peters- 

 burg. So instead of preparing a second edition of the 

 " Asiatic Fragments," which was called for, the first 

 being out of print, he set about an entirely new work, 

 which should give the result of the latest discoveries. 

 He was assisted, as usual, by some of the most eminent 

 men of the time ; not so much by his former scientific 

 co-labourers, for the subject was beyond the pale of their 

 studies, as by a new and rising generation of naturalists and 

 scholars ; such men as Henrich Julius Klaproth, Stanis- 

 laus Julien, and Eugene Burnouf. Burnouf investigated 



