



WEIMAR AND JENA. 209 



In one of the apartments of the palace at Weimar, called 

 the Poet's Chamber, is preserved a magnificent album, conse- 

 crated in 1849 by the Princess Augusta, now Empress of 

 Grermany and Queen of Prussia, to the memory of that brilliant 

 epoch. Alexander von Humboldt there recorded his impres- 

 sions in the following words : 



4 As in nature life passes by turns through the phases of 

 luxuriant growth and restricted development, so the intellec- 

 tual life of man passes through similar alternations. At times 

 the intellectual giants upon whom will be directed the admira- 

 tion of posterity stand as it were in isolation, at other times 

 they appear grouped together, mutually heightening the bene- 

 ficent effect of their influence. 



' The cause of this unequal distribution of intellectual power 

 and of this simultaneous outgrowth of intelligence, appears to 

 lie almost beyond the reach of investigation. By the careless 

 multitude it is viewed as a matter of chance, but may it not 

 rather be regarded as closely allied to that phenomenon visible 

 in the vault of heaven, where the stars of brightest lustre 

 are seen to shine either in isolated glory scattered like the 

 isles of Sporades in an immeasurable sea, or else in beautiful 

 constellations, whence the thoughtful mind is led in contem- 

 plation to deduce the eternal plan on which the universe is 

 framed, though as yet the laws by which it is controlled lie 

 undiscovered ? 



'Though the simultaneous appearance of master minds 

 cannot be ascribed to any earthly power, its cause may yet be 

 found in the union and combined action of hidden forces. A 

 noble spectacle is afforded when a race of princes illustrious for 

 generations have been imbued with the elevating thought of 

 securing by such an assemblage of men of genius, not merely 

 the glory of their court or the pleasures of social life, but, 

 through the inspiring influence of mutual association, of stimu- 

 lating to higher flights of genius each of the distinguished 

 minds thus gathered in concert. 



' To the memory of such an influence directed towards the 

 evation and extension of the free range of thought, the ex- 

 pression of tender sentiment, and the enlargement of the 

 powers of language (one of the products of intelligence upon 



VOL. i. p 



