FRIENDS AND COADJUTORS AT PARIS. 41 



Humboldt was too much the man of genius to confine his 

 attention exclusively to one sphere of knowledge; his sym- 

 pathies extended to every subject of human interest, and there- 

 fore, while deeply engaged in science, he was no indifferent 

 spectator of the course of political events. During his resi- 

 dence in the French capital he was accustomed not only to 

 watch with close attention the events of the day, but to take a 

 lively interest in the ordinary social incidents of the great and 

 little world of Paris. Soon after his return from America he 

 wrote from Paris to his friend Pictet : ' I pass my time be- 

 tween the Ecole Polytechnique and the Tuileries.' He could 

 interest himself alike with the affairs of the empire and the 

 management of his retorts. He claimed among his friends 

 Guizot and Chateaubriand, but he felt quite as much at home 

 in the house of Madame Grautier, the sister of Delessert, the 

 banker, a lady who had enjoyed the friendship of Jean- Jacques 

 Eousseau, and to whom this celebrated philosopher had de- 

 dicated his Letters upon Botany. 



Of his numerous political friends we shall refer only to 

 Guizot. 



The friendship that for half a century existed between 

 Humboldt and Gruizot was founded upon the unalterable 

 regard mutually entertained by these two eminent men for 

 such a term of distinction will scarcely be denied to the 

 celebrated Frenchman, who was equally prominent in literature 

 and in politics. Humboldt's correspondence with him ex- 

 tended from 1810 to 1848. His early letters are marked by 

 an unenvious appreciation of the young aspirant to literary 

 eminence, while those of later date show the footing of inti- 

 mate relationship upon which he stood with the Minister of 

 State. He made it his business to introduce into Germany 

 even the early productions of the promising young French 

 writer. On May 4, 1811, he wrote to him : ! 'I feel I have 

 been very remiss in not thanking you earlier for your kind 

 present. I have been for a few days on a visit in the country 

 an event of most rare occurrence and during my absence I 

 read your admirable introduction amid a circle of friends who 

 were fully able to appreciate the generosity of feeling, the 

 1 De la Roquette, vol. ii. p. 43. 



