172 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



The unpleasant duties- attendant on his office as chamberlain 

 on this occasion were fulfilled with his wonted good-humour. 

 In writing to Encke on May 14, 1836, he says : ' For the last 

 three days I have been doing all I can to divert the attention 

 of the crown prince and the French princes from the solar 

 eclipse and the Observatory ; I have tried to sacrifice myself 

 for you in every possible way. The crown prince gives a dinner 

 to the king and his royal visitors at two ; it will be over at 

 half-past four, and I have offered to set up at the palace 

 my telescope by Cauchoix, and several small sextant tele- 

 scopes provided with dark glasses ; I have got Petitpierre to 

 put together a number of coloured glasses, so as to make 

 the sun look white ! None of these unworthy tricks have, 

 however, availed to save you, not even the circumstance that 

 your great refractor is just now dismounted, and that visitors 

 will interrupt your observations ; princes are unreasonable in 

 a princely degree. The crown prince is immovable, and per- 

 sists in his intention of taking the royal guests to the Obser- 

 vatory to-morrow afternoon I suppose about half-past four. 

 I have just returned from a ball at Charlottenburg, and he 

 begged me to acquaint you with this determination. He has 

 promised to leave before the termination of the eclipse. Pray 

 do not throw the blame on me. I would advise you to set up 

 as many small telescopes as you can, and make a general 

 exhibition by showing how the dome moves. It is to be 

 hoped it will be cloudy. There is not much chance either 

 of the dinner being prolonged, as the king is to rise from table 

 punctually at four o'clock.' In view of the cold reception 

 likely to be accorded by the court of Berlin, Humboldt had at 

 first given his advice against the proposed visit of the princes. 1 

 He was therefore all the more gratified at the tolerable success 

 of so hazardous an experiment, and greatly delighted a year 

 after by the victory won by the Princess Helena over the dis- 

 affected Eussian party in Berlin. 2 



Upon the arrival of the princess at Paris, the court and the 

 domestic circle of the Orleans family acquired a double charm 



1 ' Briefe an Varnhagen/ p. 31. 



2 Ibid. Nos. 27 and 28. 



