CHARACTERISTIC TRAITS AND PERSONAL INCIDENTS. 69 



was, however, declined by Humboldt in the same decided manner 

 as all similar proposals. William became subsequently a mem- 

 ber of the Commission convened at Frankfort for the purpose 

 of carrying out a division of territory among the princes of Ger- 

 many ; and he drew up a provisional arrangement for the con- 

 duct of the business of the Diet, remaining till the opening of 

 the session. In 1817, he received the appointment of Ambas- 

 sador to England, and in October of the same year Alexander 

 paid him a short visit at his residence in London. 



In September, 1818, Humboldt visited England, accom- 

 panied by Valenciennes and Arago. The object of his visit 

 was to collect materials for a work on the Political Condition 

 of the South American Colonies, which he had been requested 

 to undertake by the Allied Powers. His stay in London was 

 unexpectedly curtailed, for a few days after his arrival he wag 

 summoned to attend King Frederick William III. at the Con- 

 gress of Aix-la-Chapelle, where, in obedience to his sovereign's 

 command, he arrived on October 13. On November o, he was 

 joined by William von Humboldt, who had been recalled from 

 London to take office in the Home Government, in which he 

 the following year received the appointment of Minister of 

 the Interior. 



It was during this visit to Aix-la-Chapelle that Humboldt 

 received from the king ample means for the prosecution of an 

 expedition into Asia the third project of the kind that had to 

 be abandoned through the unfavourable juncture of political 

 events. 



In the beginning of November, Humboldt returned to Paris. 

 He resumed the labours which had been suspended during his 

 absence, attended lectures, and himself delivered a course in 

 French 011 Physical Geography. 1 



He was again summoned, in the autumn of 1822, to attend 

 King Frederick William III. at the Congress of Verona. From 

 Verona he accompanied the king to Koine and Naples, where, 

 between November 22 and December 1, he made three ascents 

 of Vesuvius, and repeated the measures taken on August 12, 

 1805, with Gay-Lussac and Leopold von Buch. 



1 * Kosmos/ vol. i. Preface, p. ix. 



