50 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



have reckoned on this proof of your remembrance, but since 

 doubts are so natural in a certain stage of love, why should they 

 not also exist in a certain stage of friendship ? I will not 

 refer to the loss you have sustained, by which your heart has 

 been so deeply wounded ; but allow me to tell you how greatly 

 I shall rejoice to see you comforted and cheerful again ? That 

 I do not apologise for the tardiness of my reply, you must 

 consider to be more a token of bashfulness (for I have only 

 been two months at Frankfort) than a want of politeness* 

 Were excuses needed, I could find sufficient in the amount of 

 work I have to do. Do not, however, say this to Engel ; for by 

 his kindness I have been entrusted for some time past with the 

 task of reviewing for him the entire philosophic and scientific 

 literature of this country, and if he were to hear that my 

 increased labour did not permit me even to find a few minutes 

 during several weeks in which to answer so kind a letter, at 

 would perplex him to find me some other employment, and 

 he would think himself obliged to create some new post- for 

 my benefit. Eather tell him something that will give him 

 an idea of the contrary ; he will then see that he is necessary 

 to me, and on my return to Berlin will be all the more surely 

 my devoted old friend. For the sake of the excellence of the 

 motive, you must for once do violence to your love of truth. 

 Do not forget at the same time to assure him of my grateful 

 and unchangeable affection, and thus condone by a grand 

 truth the evil of a slight untruth. I have received the 

 " Mysterien " and " Gruibert," and have read the former ; many 

 thanks for them : you shall have my opinion, if you care for 

 it, when we meet. I have only left myself room to desire my 

 affectionate remembrances to yourself and all your household, 

 for the remainder of this sheet of paper has been appropriated 

 by my brother and Herr Kunth. 



' Farewell, my dearest friend. Ever yours, 



<W. HUMBOLDT.' 



Alexander von Humboldt then continues : 



' To be the youngest of the family has one disadvantage, which 

 unfortunately intrudes itself even into this letter ; for had the 

 first page of this sheet fallen to my share, you would then have 



