18 ALEXANDEK VON HUMBOLDT. 



received from Koblanck his first instructions in reading and 

 writing. 



The second tutor to whom the care of Alexander's education 

 was committed was Johann Cliisener, now mentioned for the 

 first time in this connection ; he afterwards became private 

 secretary to the Princess Ferdinand, and Counsellor in the local 

 Grovernment of Sonnenburg, and in the year 1828 was still 

 living at Berlin. An autograph letter written to him by 

 Major von Humboldt, dated Kingenwalde, November 25, 1776, 

 is still preserved, and bears the address : < A Monsieur, Monsieur 

 Cliisener, Gmwerneur des Messieurs de Humboldt a Schloss 

 Tegel.' Kunth in his ' Manuscript Autobiography ' expressly 

 mentions him as his predecessor in the household of Major von 

 Humboldt. 



Though not possessed of any special powers of instruction, 

 Kunth, who in later years attained the dignity of Actual Privy 

 Councillor, was gifted with a character of remarkable excel- 

 lence, and is deserving of lasting fame for the care he bestowed 

 upon the education and culture of the two Humboldts. In 

 the year 1777, at the age of twenty, he entered the family of 

 Major von Humboldt in the capacity of tutor, when William 

 was ten and Alexander eight years of age. 



Kunth, son of the Protestant pastor of Baruth, had received 

 a liberal education, and early acquired an excellent knowledge 

 of Latin, French, and Italian, with a considerable amount of 

 external culture ; by intercourse with the distinguished society 

 he was privileged to meet at the musical and dramatic enter- 

 tainments given at the manorial residence in his father's neigh- 

 bourhood, his manners acquired that polish and assurance for 

 which he was afterwards distinguished. During his university 

 career he had devoted more attention to modern languages and 

 elegant literature than to the study of theology, and was in 

 quest of an appointment as Secretary of Legation when he 

 accepted the engagement of tutor to the sons of Major von 

 Humboldt, as successor to Herr Cliisener. He made himself so 

 acceptable in his new position, that he was almost immediately 

 requested to undertake some important duties in connection 

 with the household, as well as to conduct much of the necessary 

 correspondence. In Major von Humboldt's absence it not un- 



