202 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



as he said, he could scarcely find his way amid the c oft-patched 

 rags ' of his manuscripts, which ' were as much defiled by labels 

 as before the Zollverein,' and because in former experience he 

 had remarked ' that many corrections that escaped notice in 

 the manuscript were suggested at once in the proof-sheets.' A 

 copy of this was at once sent to Grauss, who took offence at the 

 omission of his name in the proposed arrangement with London, 

 Paris, and St. Petersburg. This gave rise to the expressions 

 alluded to in the former chapter, where Humboldt complains 

 of the aristocracy of science. He was, indeed, not sufficiently 

 aware of the anxiety felt by Grauss to secure the best possible 

 arrangement for the accomplishment of the plan, when, regard- 

 ing the objection as a personal matter, he exclaimed : 'How 

 unsatisfactory is the history of discoveries ! This should not 

 be the case for those who, like Grauss, have on other grounds 

 acquired a right to the profound admiration of posterity.' 

 With his usual amiability, Humboldt was the first to give way, 

 and the offensive passage was altered so as to express ' that 

 the Royal Society be solicited to enter into direct communica- 

 tion with the Royal Society of Grottingen, the Royal Institute 

 of France, and the Imperial Academy of Russia, &c.' In a 

 letter to Schumacher Humboldt explains the matter in the 

 following characteristic manner : ' Our friend at Grottingen will 

 be much gratified at finding his name put first on the list. I 

 had not originally mentioned the Royal Society of Grottingen, 

 because I had in my mind only those countries which had 

 colonial possessions, and the Hanoverian domains scarcely extend 

 beyond Hainberg. The precedence I have thus given to the 

 Royal Society of Grottingen over the Institute will have to be 

 apologised for in Paris, either as the rising of a climax from 

 Hainberg to the imperial capital, or else on the ground of 

 courtesy to the Duke of Sussex, from Grottingen being half 

 English. In any case it will prove to the great mathemati- 

 cian that there is now at least no want of recognition of his 

 valuable services.' How little there is here of that ' grand 

 treatment of a subject,' for which, just at this time, he professed 

 so great an admiration ! The want of this was often apparent 

 in Humboldt, not only in conversation but in a conversational 

 style of letter. 



