52 ALEXANDEK VON HUMBOLDT. 



Fair. As for the interest, you will have to reckon it in the 

 pleasure this merry contest has afforded you. I think that in 

 this view of the matter you will be no loser. The bearer of 

 this letter is Herr Albinus, with whom you probably made 

 acquaintance during some of your walks here. He is com- 

 panion to the young Count Dohna, and is a most worthy man. 

 He is taking advantage of the Christmas vacation to see Berlin. 

 If you can assist him in any way towards this object, or 

 render his stay more agreeable, pray do so I will not say 

 because I ask this favour from you, but because he deserves it 

 so thoroughly. If you have anything further to tell me about 

 Engel, you may send me a few lines by him in return, for it 

 will be very long, unfortunately, before we meet again. 



' Yours, 



' KUNTH.' 



Among the college friends of the Humboldts may be men- 

 tioned Count Alexander von Dohna-Schlobitten, who studied at 

 Frankfort between the years 1786 and 1788, and in 1808 was 

 appointed Minister of State in Prussia, at the same time as 

 William von Humboldt became Minister of Religion and Public 

 Instruction. They were also on friendly terms with Albinus, 

 the young count's companion, a well-informed, assiduous young 

 man. But of all his friends Alexander von Humboldt became 

 most strongly attached to Wegener, a young theologian, who 

 died in 1837 as superintendent of the Lutheran Church at 

 Ziillichau. The letters still extant, addressed to him by Hum- 

 boldt between the years 1788 and 1790, express the warmest 

 and most devoted friendship. They give evidence of the 

 nobleness and genuineness of the youth's nature, of his zeal for 

 science and love of knowledge, and throw a gleam of light upon 

 the events and persons of that time, the reflection of which 

 illuminates our own day. In these letters, which furnish 

 valuable details for portraying the history of the next two 

 years, are to be found the names of several other friends, Metz- 

 ner, Keverberg, Herzberg, Bertram, Sartorius, and Fickert, 

 concerning whom nothing further is known. ' Could I only 

 look forward to the future with as much pleasure as I can 

 reflect upon the past,' writes Humboldt to this friend from 



