OFFICIAL EMPLOYMENT. 159 



mother was dying, and that was probably the cause of his 

 continued detention at Berlin. 



As a noble trait in the character of Frau von Humboldt, it 

 may be mentioned that by her will she set apart 500 thalers to 

 be unredeemably secured upon the estate of Falkenberg, the 

 interest of which at four per cent, was to be applied in perpe- 

 tuity for the preservation of the church tower and family grave 

 at Falkenberg, with the provision that the excess of interest 

 was to be applied to raise this capital to 1,000 thalers, the 

 interest from which, after deducting the necessary amount for 

 repairs, was again to accumulate to the formation of an addi- 

 tional^ capital of 500 thalers. The interest of this third capital 

 of 500 thalers was to be applied to increasing the salary of the 

 school-master at Falkenberg, while the accumulated savings of 

 the 1,000 thalers above mentioned were to be expended on the 

 improvement of the school, in suitable alterations in the 

 building, and in the purchase of necessary books, for all of 

 which an exact account was to be rendered. The administra- 

 tion of this endowment, which is still in existence, was vested 

 in the consistory of the province. 



The death of his mother was a turning-point in the life of 

 Humboldt. The obligations of filial duty which had hitherto 

 formed a barrier to the accomplishment of many of his extensive 

 plans were cancelled by this event, the ties that bound him to 

 home were severed, and ample means were placed within his 

 reach for gratifying his long-cherished wish for visiting the 

 tropics. Like Bacon, he renounced the service of the State that 

 he might devote himself exclusively to science. 



One of the last letters written by Humboldt from Bayreuth 

 was addressed to Willdenow on December 20, 1796. It sives a 



' o 



valuable review of the labours he had accomplished during that 

 year: 



' Notwithstanding the serious interruption caused by my 

 diplomatic mission to the French general, and my detention 

 with the army during the months of July and August, I have 

 yet been able to accomplish some good work this summer. My 

 great work in physical science, on muscular excitability and the 

 chemical process of life, is nearly completed. It contains the 

 results of some 4,000 experiments, besides much relating to the 



