COLLEGE LIFE. 69 



ning juggler. A number of little traits which I have collected 

 of him can better be related by word of mouth. He tells one 

 that he can make corn to grow, that he knows of a tree that 

 bears truffles, that he lives without sleep, and in conversation 

 says every minute that " he has thought upon that subject 

 for six weeks together without eating or drinking." 



6 While I was at Helmstadt, I made an excursion to Harbke, 

 where there is the , oldest and most extensive plantation of 

 American trees in Europe. The trees appear to grow as if 

 they were wild, and the cedars, six feet in diameter, flourish 

 as well on the Harz Mountains as upon Lebanon, where now 

 they are becoming so scarce. At Brunswick I led a most 

 unsettled life, for I went a great deal into society, and my 

 attendance at the court, which, in comparison with other 

 courts, I found very amusing, took up a great deal of my 

 time. ... I was delighted at the freedom with which certain 

 changes at Berlin were discussed among court circles here, 

 especially at the receptions of the Dowager Duchess. I met 

 with all the learned men of Brunswick, and indeed it would 

 be scarcely possible, except at Gottingen or Berlin, to find 

 such a congeries of the patriarchs of German literature, the 

 friends of Gellert, the venerable Gartner, Schmidt, Ebert, 

 Jerusalem, Eschenburg, and Campe semper idem. . . . 



' William, who sends you an affectionate greeting, came to 

 meet me at Brunswick on his way from Hanover. Gottingen 

 was empty when we first arrived, but the lectures commenced 

 to-day. Last Sunday was the thanksgiving-day for the king's 

 recovery, when there were great preparations for rejoicing, but 

 no real joy. The proceedings consisted of 1. A sermon from 

 Less. Heavens, what a sermon ! Heyne says, Less gave thanks 

 like a beggar-boy ! 2. A levee at the English princes' very 

 crowded. 3. A ball. There were several songs in honour of 

 the princes, which were sung with much bellowing. The 

 princes shouted famously too. All the students, the princes 

 included, wore favours inscribed with " Long live the king ! " 

 Oh, what folly ! ' 



On April 25, 1789, Alexander von Humboldt was enrolled 

 in the college register of the University of Gottingen, sub. 

 No. 48, as follows: 



