\- 



46 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



sponded with their former method of study at Berlin. There 

 they had been accustomed to finish exhaustively, in from six to 

 eight weeks, a scientific course of study, which, according to the 

 usual custom of the University, would scarcely be accomplished 

 in a whole session. On this account William von Humboldt 

 writes as follows to Henriette Herz l : ' It will be impossible 

 for me to come to Berlin for Christmas, my dear friend. Kunth, 

 as far as I can see, will not be going there, and I could hardly 

 accomplish the journey alone. Besides, as we rarely attend 

 the public lectures, our work goes on as usual during the 

 holidays.' Other expressions connected with this period may 

 here be given 2 : ' I sometimes wish I had my brother's tem- 

 perament. It is true he complains of being dull, but on the 

 whole he seems to amuse himself pretty well. He is for ever 

 on the move, and continually joking ; he is certainly never in 

 the least sad, and says himself that he did not enjoy himself 

 more at Berlin. You must not, however, suppose that he wastes 

 all his time in this way : he is withal exceedingly industrious, 

 and excels in many things. Moreover, we continue to live 

 together as we used to do, and are always the best of friends, 

 though rarely of the same mind ; our characters differ too 

 widely.' When at Grottingen, William wrote to Henriette Herz, 3 

 while Alexander remained in Berlin, as follows : People alto- 

 gether misunderstand him, particularly when they suppose 

 me to be so greatly his superior in ability and general know- 

 ledge. He is far more talented than I am, and considering 

 that he is my junior, he possesses quite as much information, 

 only it lies in other branches. Though he very often jokes me 

 about you, this is partly to vex me, and partly because it is his 

 way to joke everyone. Before others, he defends you with most 

 energetic warmth. He has written me one of the most comical 

 letters you can imagine ; it is commenced in Greek, continued 

 in Latin, and concludes in Grerman, with some Hebrew writing 

 interspersed. What he has to say of you he writes in Greek, 

 that Kunth may not understand it.' Again he writes to her 



1 ' Aus dem Nachlasse Varnhagen's. Briefe von CLamisso, Gneisenau, 

 Haugwitz, W. von Humboldt, &c.,' TO!, i. pp. 72, 79. 



2 Ibid. vol. i. p. 57. 

 - 3 Ibid. vol. i. p. 98. 



