EAELY HOME. 41 



This occasional intercourse soon ripened into friendship 

 of the closest intimacy, and the Humboldts were freely ad- 

 mitted to the small but interesting circle assembled at the 

 house of Herz. In subsequent letters Alexander addresses Herz 

 in terms of great affection, as his ' fatherly friend,' his * dear 

 teacher,' and, with feelings of gratitude and the modesty 

 becoming a pupil, recounts to him the progress of his studies, 

 while to the beautiful and gifted Frau Herz he not unfre- 

 quently wrote c dreadfully long letters ' in English, in order 

 to merit her commendation for his industry. At Herz's house? 

 the Humboldts made the acquaintance 'of Veit and Beer, a 

 young physician with whom they formed an intimate friend- 

 ship, and they here again encountered their friends Joseph and 

 Nathan Mendelssohn, formerly their fellow-pupils under Fischer. 



Owing to the high culture in which they had ever been nur- 

 tured, the two brothers, at the respective ages of sixteen and 

 eighteen years, were, as described by Henriette Herz, ' vivacious 

 and intelligent, and of distinguished manners, possessed of ex- 

 tensive information, and in every way estimable.' In the inte- 

 rest they felt in their fair companion there mingled, no doubt? 

 some tinge of admiration for her great personal charms. 

 Henriette Herz was the most noted beauty in Berlin. The 

 universal homage she inspired is shown in the expression, 

 which passed into a proverb, 'Whoever has not seen the 

 Gendarmes Platz and Madame Herz, has not- seen Berlin.' 

 How far this feeling was experienced by William von Humboldt 

 is evinced in his letters written while he was at the Uni- 

 versity, which were published in Varnhagen's ' Eemains.' . 



Amidst his numerous occupations, the claims of society were 

 not wholly forgotten, since we find that at this time Alexander 

 bore the reputation of being a graceful dancer, and that he even 

 instructed Frau Herz in the new ' Minuet a la Keine.' He also 

 manifested a spirit of gallantry, and showed much keensighted- 

 ness in reading the language of the affections, concerning which 

 he often held opinions at variance with those around him. In 

 the reminiscences of a lady who met him some years later 1 at 



Kb'pniker Gate, according to the plans of Professor Sulzer and Privy-Coun- 

 cillor Gerhard. 



1 Frau llgen, wife of the well-known director of the educational insti- 

 tute at Schulpforta. See Laube, ' Moderns Charaktere,' vol. i. p. 360. 



