132 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



scientific institutions. The Scandinavian races of the North 

 have wished to renew the bond of kinship anciently existing 

 between them and Grermany. A sympathy of this kind de- 

 serves all the more acknowledgment on our parts, since it pro- 

 mises to augment in an unexpected manner the mass of facts 

 and opinions which are here brought under discussion. Such 

 a meeting cannot fail to arouse in the memory of every stu- 

 dent of science associations of an exalted character. Though 

 scarcely separated from us by the space of half a century, the 

 noble form of Linnaeus stands out conspicuous, and from the 

 boldness of his undertakings, the importance of his achieve- 

 ments, and the influence he exerted on others, he deserves to 

 be ranked among the great men of a former age : yet his fame, 

 great as it is, has not rendered Europe insensible to the merits 

 of Scheele and Bergmann. Worthy successors of these great 

 men have not been wanting, but the fear of wounding a noble 

 modesty checks me from alluding here to the light which still 

 pours in a powerful stream from the North, or from touching 

 upon those discoveries which have revealed to us the chemical 

 nature of substances with regard to the numerical proportion 

 of their elements, and the forces of the electro-magnetic cur- 

 rent. It is to be hoped that the example of the distinguished 

 men who from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, England, 

 and Poland have encountered the fatigue of a long sea and 

 land journey to join our Association, will in future years incite 

 other foreigners to similar efforts, so that every part of Grer- 

 many may in turn enjoy the stimulating influence of scientific 

 communication with the various countries of Europe. 



c If, however, in the presence of this assembly I am prevented 

 from giving expression to my personal feelings, I may at least 

 be permitted to mention the names of those patriarchs of 

 national celebrity who are debarred by the infirmities of age 

 from mingling with us on this occasion : Groethe, whose grand 

 creations of poetic fancy in no way restricted him from direct- 

 ing the scrutinising glance of scientific inquiry into the deep 

 mysteries of nature's laws, and who now, in the retirement of 

 his country life, grieves for his princely friend as Grermany 

 mourns the loss of her brightest ornament ; Olbers, to whom 

 we are indebted for the discovery of two heavenly bodies whose 



