EARLY HOME. 11 



century, bore the same name as the geographical discoverer of 

 the fifteenth century. She was descended from an ancient noble 

 family, Von Colomb, who fled from Burgundy on the revoca- 

 tion of the Edict of Nantes, and settled in the Margraviate. 1 

 This lady, however, was able to confer upon her sons advantages 

 of a more substantial character than the high sound of her 

 distinguished name. Naturally gifted with remarkable admini- 

 strative talent, ' she had received an education befitting women 

 of her rank, and united to these advantages an extensive 

 knowledge of the world, and the possession of a considerable 

 fortune. Her endeavours were latterly directed towards the 

 reformation of her son by her first marriage, who had frequently 

 caused her great anxiety, while her desire for her two younger 

 sons was to see them distinguished by everything that was 

 attainable in intellectual and moral culture.' 2 Upon her, 

 therefore, in consequence of the premature death of her hus- 

 band, devolved the education of her sons, in the prosecution 

 of which she became involved in heavy expenses that had to 

 be met by mortgages on her property and real estate. It 

 may be remarked here, that the mortgage on one of these 

 estates was only cancelled officially in 1845, though this engage- 

 ment had long since been released, as it is termed in official 

 language, ' by act of notary.' Truly no act of notary has ever 

 become so notorious as in this private transaction. 



To the biographer there is a peculiar charm in tracing the 

 earliest impressions received upon the mind, and showing that 

 of all the influences which help to form the character, none are 

 more direct or more powerful than those exercised by a mother. 

 The mother of the two Humboldts was not, however, one of 

 those gifted women capable of transmitting genius and force 

 of character to their children. It had been originally her inten- 

 tion to introduce her sons early into the great world, where their 

 connections and interest at court promised them a brilliant 

 career ; yet she yielded her own wish in compliance with the 

 judicious counsel offered by Kunth: indeed the liberal and 



1 A. Ton Humboldt, 'Kritische Untersuchungen iiber die historische 

 Entwickelung der geographischen und nautischen Kenntnisse im 14. und 15. 

 Jahrhundert,' translated by Ideler, vol. ii. p. 277, note. 



2 Kunth's ' Manuscript Autobiography.' 



