186 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



getlier for the united possession of a double crown. Hence it 

 followed that the nearer they approached the attainment of 

 their object the more closely were they brought together by the 

 converging tendency of their paths. For while William by 

 means of philosophy was elevating the study of comparative 

 philology into the dignity of a true science, Alexander, who 

 had always viewed nature with peculiar interest as seen re- 

 flected upon the human mind, was at the same time deeply 

 engaged in studying the history of discovery, by which he had 

 been led into valuable original research ; so that it might 

 be said that the study of the physical sciences and of mental 

 philosophy, usually separated so widely, were practically brought 

 into close association by the two brothers. These points of 

 mutual sympathy were naturally most prominently brought 

 out in personal intercourse and in intellectual conversation 

 an art in which they almost equally excelled, though in 

 very different ways. William's genius was undoubtedly the 

 most productive, while that of Alexander, was the most re- 

 ceptive ; the former was characterised by depth and power, 

 the latter by comprehensiveness and acuteness. It is scarcely 

 possible to bring Alexander into comparison with his brother 

 in regard to the importance and originality of his achieve- 

 ments, since he cannot be said to have equalled him in the 

 depth of his philosophy ; in other words, in mathematics, which 

 are the philosophy of science, he failed to take the high rank 

 attained by William von -Humboldt in speculative philosophy. 

 Whatever might be the relationship they held, each towards 

 the sphere of investigation occupied by the other, it is evident 

 that Alexander, from his greater receptive powers, was the least 

 likely to confine himself to his own pursuits, especially as they 

 were of a character less restricted than those of his brother. 

 While William could only give expression to the scientific 

 views of Alexander in the garb of philosophic poetry, as in the 

 magnificent though somewhat ponderous verses he addressed 

 to him in 1808, Alexander throughout his voluminous works 

 delighted to bring forward the views of William wherever the 

 subject touched upon art, antiquity, mythology, or philosophy; 

 occasionally, and that in passages of the greatest moment as, 

 for instance, in the brilliant conclusion of the first volume of 



