EAELY HOME. 25 



still in use as educational works, and who at that time was 

 engaged in the tuition of some young princes of the court. 



A hasty but not uninteresting glimpse of the youthful days 

 of Alexander von Humboldt is given in Heim's ' Life of Kessler.' 

 In the journal of this noted physician, the following entry 

 occurs under date of July 30, 1781 : 'Kode over to Tegel, and 

 took an early dinner with Frau von Humboldt ; explained to 

 the young Humboldts the twenty-four classes of the Linnsean 

 system of botany, which the elder one readily comprehended, 

 retaining the names without difficulty.' Again, on May 19, 

 1783, he writes : 'Rode over to Spandau to witness the review 

 with my friends from Tegel, Kunth and his distinguished 

 pupils.' 



Since William von Humboldt at that time was scarcely 

 sixteen years of age, and Alexander not yet fourteen, we must 

 suppose that the term ' distinguished ' is a polite interpolation 

 of a later date. 



In modern languages their instructor, according to Alex- 

 ander von Humboldt, was Professor Le Bauld de Nans, tutor to 

 the royal family ; he was editor of the 6 Gazette litteraire de 

 Berlin,' a publication started by the actor Francheville, in 

 which Humboldt's first literary effort appeared. 



It would seem that the fine arts were also studied by 

 Alexander with some degree of success ; for in the catalogue of 

 the first exhibition of the Berlin Academy, in the year 1786, 

 the following entry occurs under the division 4 Amateurs : ' c No. 

 290. Herr von Humboldt, junr. Friendship weeping over 

 the Ashes of the Dead. Drawn in black chalk after Angelica 

 Kauffmann.' 



Those who are acquainted with the scientific labours of 

 Alexander von Humboldt are doubtless familiar with his later 

 drawings, in every variety of style, illustrative of his studies in 

 botany, zoology, anatomy, and natural science, besides maps 

 and configurations of country. It may not, however, be so 

 generally known that in later years he studied both drawing 

 and painting in Paris, under Gerard, when he made severe 

 studies from models as well as from life, and laboured with so 

 much success that he was able to produce some admirable por- 

 traits. A half-length portrait, life-size, drawn in black chalk,, 



