EARLY HOME. 33 



ration for college life. Concerning this period of his life, 

 William von Humboldt relates the following particulars to his 

 friend and correspondent Charlotte : l 6 You ask where I was 

 residing in 1786 and the following years. I lived at Berlin. 

 My mother only resided there during the winter, but my 

 younger brother and I continued there through the summer 

 with a tutor, riding over to Tegel usually of a Sunday. I]his 

 was my mode of life till the autumn of 1788, when, accom- 

 panied by the same tutor, I entered with my brother upon 

 college life at the University then existing at Frankfort-on- 

 the-Oder, where I remained till the Easter of 1789. I went 

 soon after with my tutor to Grottingen, leaving my brother still 

 at Frankfort. Once established at Grottingen, I bade farewell 

 to my tutor, and from that moment, when twenty-two years 

 of age, I was thrown upon my own responsibility. It was at 

 this period that I made your acquaintance atPyrmont in 1789. 

 It was not till the Easter of 1790 that my brother joined me 

 at Grottingen.' 



By this system Kunth succeeded in completing the education 

 of his pupils in the course of ten years, without the necessity 

 of their attendance at any gymnasium or other public school. 

 The friendship formed with his pupils remained unbroken 

 during the ensuing forty years, till his death in 1829, and 

 while they were winning for themselves positions of distinction, 

 the one as a man of science, the other as an enlightened states- 

 man, he continued to enjoy their familiar confidence and dis- 

 played towards them the same watchful care and devoted 

 attachment he had ever manifested. 



As early as the year 1782, a yearly pension of 400 gold 

 florins was granted to Kunth by Frau von Humboldt, as the 

 expression of a mother's gratitude c for the faithful manner in 

 which he has conducted the entire education of my two younger 

 sons ' a gift which was confirmed to him, as a legacy, among 

 the bequests of her will. As long as he lived, Kunth continued 

 to act as administrator of Alexander's property. Even after 

 entering the service of the State, he remained a member of 

 the household of Frau von Humboldt till her death nine years 

 afterwards, in 1796, and enjoyed a position of such friendship 



1 'Briefe an erne Freundin,' p. 164. 

 TOL. I. D 



