8 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



serving the honours of our family you see I am considering 

 your work in a diplomatic light please mention me on one 

 single occasion as Frederick Alexander Baron von Humboldt, 

 but only on one. This is a matter connected with certain prin- 

 ciples with which you do not altogether sympathise, but which 

 have been maintained by my brother and myself throughout 

 life, leading us never to make use of any title, except in the 

 most extraordinary cases, therefore never on the title-page of a 

 book.' * 



Of the children of Hans Paul Humboldt, several died young ; 

 only four sons and a daughter survived him. 



One of his sons, Alexander Greorge, born at Zamenz, in 

 Pomerania, in 1720, is the father of the brothers William and 

 Alexander von Humboldt. The following account of him is 

 given by Biisching, the geographer 2 : 



'After receiving an excellent education in his father's house, 

 he entered the Prussian military service in 1736, and served in 

 a regiment of dragoons under Lieut-General von Platen. Al- 

 though he immediately distinguished himself in three cam- 

 paigns, he does not appear to have met with any favourable 

 opportunity for the display of his talents whereby he could 

 obtain promotion ; he therefore left the army with the rank of 

 Major in 1762. He was appointed by the King to the office 

 of Chamberlain in 1764, and was attached to the household of 

 the Prince of Prussia. Attracted by the eminent qualities of 

 Maria Elizabeth von Colomb, widow of Baron von Hollwede, 

 he was united to her in marriage in 1766 ; two sons were the 

 issue of this union. , In 1769 he resigned his appointment in 

 the household of the Crown Prince, and lived henceforth with- 

 out official employment, but not without useful occupation. 

 He let his property in the New Mark upon a lease while he 

 devoted himself to the improvement of his residence at Tegel, 

 and it is manifest from the result of his labours that he was a 

 man of intelligence and taste. He was exceedingly benevolent, 

 affable, and charitable, and won the respect and esteem of all 



1 < Lettres d'A. de Humboldt a M. Aug. Pictet,' p. 189. 

 * Description of his journey from Berlin to Kyritz (Leipzig, 1780), 

 p. 28. 



