EAELY HOME. 13 



Thielow, Moering, Imbert, Struwe, and Von Hollwede, "had made 

 many unsuccessful attempts to fulfil these conditions. Even in 

 the first year of his lease Major von Humboldt expended about 

 1,200 thalers (2501.) on mulberry trees, and laid out more than 

 any of his predecessors in improving the buildings necessary 

 for this enterprise. But the cultivation of mulberry trees and 

 the rearing of silkworms were alike unsuccessful, and at length, 

 in 1770, the tenants were released from this obligation. To 

 Major von Humboldt is especially due the credit of having 

 rendered the house at Tegel a delightful residence ; ' the beau- 

 tiful pleasure-grounds were partly laid out in the English taste 

 and partly left in the wild beauties of nature, interspersed with 

 numerous plantations of American shrubs.' l 



Humboldt's house in town, as well as at Tegel, was constantly 

 open for the reception of distinguished visitors. Not unfre- 

 quently even the heir to the throne honoured Major von Hum- 

 boldt with a visit at his country seat. 



In May 1778, Groethe was received as a welcome guest at Tegel 

 on the occasion of his only visit to Berlin. By his good genius 

 the poet was led away from his discomforts in the Margravian 

 Athens to Potsdam, whither he went on foot, passing through 

 Schonhausen and Tegel. There he took his mid-day rest, at- 

 tracted as it were by the intellectual charms of the spot where 

 the two youths, William and Alexander, of a genius akin to him- 

 self, played at his feet as boys of nine and eleven years of age. 

 He has honoured the place, as is well known, by an allusion in 

 the first part of ' Faust,' in the verses spoken by the proktophan- 

 tasmist Nikolai : 



Vanish, at once ! We've said the enlightening word. 

 The pack of devils by no rules is daunted : 

 We are so wise, and yet is Tegel haunted. 2 



The ghost alluded to, however, was not in the house at Tegel, 

 but in the forester's lodge in the village, where it had been 

 raised by a waggish gamekeeper. 



1 Biiscliing 1 . 



' Verschwindet doch ; wir haben ja aufgeklart ! 

 Das Teufelspack, es fragt nach keiner Regel : 

 Wir sind so klug, und dennoch spukt's in Tegel ! ' 



